The Jets made it quite clear that they weren’t going to let the 1,065-yard running back leave New York after 2025. The $14.293 million franchise tag ensured he’ll be in town for at least one more season as Gang Green attempts to right the ship.
At times in 2025, Hall was the Jets’ offense. His ability to make defenders miss in the hole and create explosives is a needed dimension in every attack. Had New York’s passing game offered any threat at all, Hall’s numbers might have been even better. Of running backs with at least 200 totes in 2025, Hall faced the third-highest loaded box rate (36.6%), behind only Derrick Henry and De’Von Achane, per Next Gen Stats.
With Geno Smith now under center, plus new weapons Omar Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq on hand to boost the passing game alongside Garrett Wilson and the arrival of OC Frank Reich, Hall could be in for a smashing fifth campaign.
The Jets underscored Hall’s importance with their inactivity at the position this offseason. They didn’t draft a running back or add to the stable in free agency, leaving Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis as the top subs on the roster. That alone gives Hall some leverage in negotiations.
Jets general manager Darren Mougey said after the draft that addressing Hall’s contract situation will be a priority. The question is, how high are they willing to take their price?
Letting Hall play out the season on the franchise tag keeps the Jets from sinking more guaranteed money into a position that has been devalued and is more dependent on the rest of the offensive operation. While RBs have made a mini-comeback the past year or so, it’s still a position where less costly replacements can be unearthed. For a still-rebuilding squad, it would seem shrewd to not devote oodles of future cap space to a position in which injuries can be devastating.
The con to letting Hall play on the tag is clear: The Jets’ best backfield playmaker would hit the open market again next offseason and could get swiped away, leaving them to start from scratch at RB. Aaron Glenn figures to be under pressure to win this season after last year’s debacle. The Jets have had a good offseason. Allowing the Hall situation to linger could bring some clouds come training camp.
As with every franchise-tagged player, the negative for Hall is obvious: He will take on significant risk if he doesn’t come to a long-term deal. Given the hammering that running backs take, it’s better to reach that first lucrative multi-year contract sooner than later. Between the perceived positional value and the urgency to achieve security, clubs would seem to have the upper hand over RBs in negotiations.
The $14.293 million payday for 2026 is a nice boost and currently puts Hall fifth among running backs. With Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs up for extensions this offseason, the top of the market figures to be advanced significantly. Where will Hall fall in the line? Will he reach the $15 million-per-year range after Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III inked for $14.35 million per year with the Chiefs on the open market? Are the Jets willing to spend that much cash on a running back?
I think if the Jets could lock Hall down for a Walker-type deal, they should, but he would seem to have some leverage to go for more.
PREDICTION: Jets make a late push, but Hall plays 2026 on the tender and hits free agency in 2027.
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