The New York Jets quickly turned their attention to Breece Hall following the NFL draft. After months of negotiating, both sides were able to reach an agreement that will keep Hall around for the long haul.

Hall and the Jets agreed on a three-year, $43.5 million extension that can be worth up to a $45.75 million deal. It also includes $29 million guaranteed, and his yearly salary makes him the fourth-highest-paid running back in the NFL.

This is something that has been in the works for a while, but it also shows that the Jets are looking to do things differently than they’ve done in the past. And that’s making sure they keep homegrown talent around while also making sure this offense has plenty of playmakers for the eventual rookie quarterback that comes in.

Jets are doing things differently than they have in the past

When Sam Darnold was a rookie in 2018, the collection of playmakers around him was shaky at best. Isaiah Crowell was the lead tailback with Robbie Chosen, Quincy Enunwa, and Jermaine Kearse as the top trio at receiver.

During that campaign, Crowell had 685 rushing yards, and Chosen had 752 receiving yards. Both players led their respective positions in yardage, but that wasn’t good enough. It forced Darnold into difficult situations, making life harder for him.

Even during Zach Wilson’s rookie season, Michael Carter and Elijah Moore were the RB1 and WR1. Carter tallied 639 rushing yards, with Moore logging 538 receiving yards. This was another example of the front office not doing enough to surround their rookie quarterback with weapons.

But whoever gets brought in during the 2027 season, they will be walking into a much better situation. And Hall is a big reason for that.

Across four seasons with the Jets, the Iowa State product has 3,398 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, including his first-ever 1,000-yard season in 2025. The 24-year-old has gone over 875 rushing yards in three straight seasons. He’s also caught 188 passes for 1,642 receiving yards and an additional nine touchdowns.

There were rumors that the Jets were shopping him ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, but they decided to keep him around. And that was the right call, as Hall is easily one of the top 10 RBs in the NFL and jumps into the top five conversation on any given Sunday.

Having a weapon like that for the next few years, along with Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper, Kenyon Sadiq, and Adonai Mitchell, is how you build an infrastructure for any rookie quarterback that comes in.

General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have taken this personally and are doing things differently than New York has in the past. Hall’s extension is the latest example of that. A homegrown player who has earned an extension and is a building block going forward.

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