As the New York Jets look to turn the page to the 2025 season, running back Breece Hall’s future is one remaining obstacle.
Hall is entering the final year of his rookie contract after the Jets took him in the second round of the 2022 draft. He’s been mostly productive and shown occasional flashes of brilliance, but he hasn’t quite developed into a star.
Some have suggested that Hall could be traded, because the Jets might not want to give a second contract to a running back while they’re still a sub-.500 team. New York’s front office hasn’t seemed keen on doing so, but one never knows what conversations transpire behind close doors.
Meanwhile, one writer believes the San Francisco 49ers might want Hall for themselves.
On Monday, Grant Cohn of 49ers on SI proposed that San Francisco could try to acquire Hall for a third-round pick, making him the potential heir to superstar Christian McCaffrey, the oft-injured former Offensive Player of the Year.
“(Hall) has played for a bad team his entire career. We saw what a change of scenery did for McCaffrey when he left Carolina for the 49ers. In addition, Saquon Barkley’s career finally took off when he left the Giants for the Eagles,” Cohn wrote.
“Maybe Hall could be the heir apparent to McCaffrey in the 49ers offense. If they can get him for a mid-round pick, why not?”
It’s easy enough to imagine why the 49ers might want Hall. As great as McCaffrey’s career has been, there’s not much certainty that he’ll stay healthy. Head coach Kyle Shanahan might well think San Francisco could get similar stats to McCaffrey’s peak out of Hall.
For that reason, the 49ers might also be more likely to give Hall the long-term contract he’s looking for than the Jets are. But none of that matters unless New York is willing to play ball.
And for that matter, there’s also no evidence the 49ers are willing to dangle the third-rounder Cohn suggests.