Jets RB Breece Hall feels like scapegoat for last season's letdown
Jets running back Breece Hall during a joint practice with the Giants in East Rutherford, N.J., on Wednesday. Credit: Ed Murray
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Breece Hall believes he was scapegoated for the Jets not reaching expectations last season and said he won’t let people continue to put him down.
The Jets’ running back became defensive following Wednesday’s joint practice with the Giants. Hall doesn’t like what’s being written or said about him on social media and by reporters.
“You guys put out stuff, everybody puts out stuff,” Hall said. “I come from a very grounded Midwest family. My mom always taught me that God gave you a gift that no one else has, and that’s just because of me as a person. I’m my own person. She’s always taught me to be very humble and to treat everybody with respect, but also not let people play with you.
“The way my character is, I always show everybody the utmost respect. I’m always going to be a nice person to everybody, but one thing I won’t do is let people continuously down-talk me because I feel like I’m a pretty nice guy to everybody.”
The Jets were expected to contend last season. Hall believed he could be an All-Pro, Pro Bowl back and amass 1,000 yards rushing and receiving. None of that happened.
The Jets went 5-12 and Hall was underutilized overall. He finished with 1,359 scrimmage yards. Hall only rushed for 100 yards in game once and never surpassed 18 carries in a game. It was the byproduct of Aaron Rodgers throwing a whopping 584 times.
Hall said as “one of the better players on the team or one of the faces of the team, when stuff doesn’t go well all the time . . . stuff falls on you a little bit. Unfortunately, I happened to be one of those players.”
He said what he saw scrolling through social media last year “affected me a little bit” because he was dealing with a knee injury and the team was underperforming.
Leading up to this year’s draft, Hall’s name came up in trade rumors. A report this week said the Jets could try to move him near the deadline, especially if second-year backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis continue to develop.
“With the New York media, I’ve learned that one good game they love you, one game you don’t play as well as you think you can, they hate you or they want you traded or whatever the case may be,” Hall said. “For me, it’s just about staying grounded. My whole life, all my coaches have told me to do the little things right and let your natural talent take over, so that’s what I’m just sticking to doing.”
Hall is expected to have a bigger role in the offense this season especially as a receiver. However, Hall made it seem as if it wasn’t much different.
“People try to make a skewed version of it really changing,” Hall said. “I’ve always been a receiving threat.”
Hall led all NFL backs in catches (76) and receiving yards (591) in 2023 and rushed for 994 yards. The Jets’ new coaches plan to feature Hall as a rusher and pass-catcher. Hall has split out wide in practice.
“You can do a lot with Breece,” Aaron Glenn said. “We’re going to open his game up quite a bit . . . This year, you’re going to see a guy that’s really going to turn it up a notch because of what we’re going to do, who we’re going to be and because of who he is also.”
A big year could lead to a big financial score for Hall from the Jets or another team.
He’s in the last year of his contract. But Hall, who missed most of the 2022 after suffering a torn ACL, isn’t viewing the new deals that Buffalo’s James Cook ($12 million annually) and the Rams’ Kyren Williams ($11 million annually) as what his market could be.
“They’ve both done much more in this league than I have,” Hall said. “They’ve been in better situations, and they’re both very good players. Obviously, I feel like I’m just as talented as anyone, but those guys are really two really good running backs and they deserve their payday and they got what they deserve, so I’m happy for them.”
Two-minute drill
Sauce Gardner did not practice because of calf soreness . . . Glenn would not reveal whether he plans to play the starters in Saturday’s preseason game against the Giants. “The plan is the plan,” he said. “That’s the plan. Next question.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
