Aging like a fine wine.
New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey is being praised for his proactiveness with the Breece Hall contract situation. Days after the 2026 NFL draft, the Jets signed Hall to a three-year, $43.5 million contract extension.
“The front office has to feel good about the Breece Hall contract extension (three years, $43.5 million) in May. At the time, his average per year ($14.5 million) ranked fourth among running backs. The market has exploded in recent days with extensions for Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, and Jahmyr Gibbs. Hall now ranks eighth in APY. ‘Man, am I glad we got that done,’ said [Frank] Reich, calling Hall a ‘phenomenal’ player. It pays to be proactive,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote.
Maximizing Their Investment
Hall has been a special player for the Jets since joining the team in 2022 as the No. 36 overall pick in the second round.
He has scored 27 total touchdowns and has totaled 5,040 scrimmage yards. That is great, but there has been a lot of meat left on the bone.
Hall should have put up even larger numbers during his Jets tenure, but ineptitude from the coaching staff has held him back. That is expected to change in 2026.
“The Jets gave Breece Hall a contract extension this offseason, and it looks like they plan on featuring him more prominently as their lead back this season. [Aaron] Glenn, going into his first season, made it a point to stress a backfield committee, implying a near-even split between Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis. The latter two won’t be uninvolved, but it’s clear the focus is Hall… then Allen… then Davis,” NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY wrote.
“Pretty crazy heel turn. Had Allen not suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Dolphins, there’s a very real chance the Jets trade Hall at the deadline. Hall has looked good this summer. So, too, has Allen. He really is a create-a-player with his size (6-1, 235),” Hughes added.
More Mougey Praise on Social Media
“Annnd that’s why you get the Breece Hall extension done as quickly as possible. [The] Jets extension looks like an absolute bargain now,” beat reporter Nick Faria of Jets on SI posted.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said, “When Breece Hall signed his new contract, he was fourth among RBs in APY. He’s already since dropped to eighth. Why it’s always smart for teams to sign guys early.”
“Darren Mougey looking like the GM that some of us know he is! Strike early, reward your players, and watch massive contract after massive contract get signed immediately after. There’s a lot of questions surrounding the Jets. But the quality of our GM should not be one of them!!!” Nick Shine of The Nick Shine Show posted on X.
Mougey deserves a lot of credit for getting in front of potential problems this offseason. The two big contract extension-eligible players were Hall and offensive lineman Joe Tipmann. He hammered both deals out this offseason.
It appears Mougey is done with extensions this offseason, but there could be other moves on the horizon to improve the roster.
Darren Mougey Getting Praised for Breece Hall Jets Move