Breece Hall

Jets’ Breece Hall Didn’t Request Trade; Latest On Jermaine Johnson

The Jets grabbed the most headlines in the NFL at the Nov. 4 trade deadline, moving on from star defenders Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams in blockbusters with the Colts and Cowboys. After the departures of Gardner and Williams on Tuesday, a report that running back Breece Hall wanted a trade emerged. Nothing came together, leaving Hall to finish the season with the Jets.

Addressing the rumors earlier this week, Hall said that he did not request a trade, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. At the same time, the 24-year-old neither confirmed nor denied whether he would have welcomed a change of scenery. With his first-ever trip to the open market on the horizon in the offseason, Hall will be able to choose where he plays in 2026. That is, if the Jets don’t slap the franchise tag on him.

While Hall may not have asked out of New York before the deadline, he did think the team would trade him, Armando Salguero of OutKick relays. The Jets reportedly turned down a fourth-round offer from the Chiefs. Gang Green wasn’t going to budge for less than a third-rounder.

Like Hall, Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson was popular in the rumor mill leading up to the deadline. Johnson also stayed put, but it wasn’t for lack of interest. The 49ers were among the teams in on Johnson, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who reports that one club offered the Jets a third-rounder for him. It’s unclear if that was San Francisco, but a swap with the 49ers would have reunited Johnson with Robert Saleh. Now the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Saleh was the Jets’ head coach when they used a first-rounder on Johnson in 2022. He made his lone Pro Bowl under Saleh in 2023.

A deadline day report indicated the Jets had netted at least one second-round offer for Johnson, but Jones’ information clashes with that. The Jets wanted a second-rounder for Johnson, per Jones. General manager Darren Mougey wasn’t going to move Johnson for less. The Jets picked up Johnson’s fifth-year option for 2026 last spring, meaning they’re not in immediate danger of losing him to free agency.

The Jets wouldn’t part with Hall or Johnson before the deadline, but those two will remain fascinating names to watch during the offseason. The team has a few months to re-sign Hall – if that fails, it could tag him – and Johnson is likely to draw trade interest again in 2026.

Chiefs Made Offer For RB Breece Hall; Jets Did Not Budge On Asking Price

Isiah Pacheco is out once again, forcing the Chiefs to lean on 30-year-old Kareem Hunt and seventh-round rookie Brashard Smith. Kansas City was linked to running back trades since August, even though the team believed Pacheco would deliver a strong contract year. Nothing materialized, but it was not for lack of trying.

The Chiefs are believed to have made an offer for the top running back available, with SNY’s Connor Hughes reporting the three-time reigning AFC champions sent a fourth-round proposal to the Jets for Breece Hall. The Jets held out for a third, according to Hughes and ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Only one running back (Tank Bigsby) ended up being traded in-season, and that deal occurred in mid-September.

After the Jets’ explosive deadline, Aaron Glenn said (via Hughes) Hall is “not a guy I want to get rid of.” This, of course, came after Hall made a last-ditch trade request following the Jets’ trades of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. But the Jets will now move into position to potentially discuss a second contract for the former second-round pick. They will hold exclusive Hall negotiating rights until the March legal tampering period.

Glenn spoke against a Hall trade before the deadline, and previous reporting pegged the Jets as setting a Day 2 asking price for the contract-year back. The Chiefs backed down on offering what will likely be a late-Day 2 selection, given their success under Andy Reid, and will move forward with Hunt, Smith and eventually Pacheco.

Kansas City has been unable to find a dynamic back since Hunt’s first stint, one that brought an abrupt ending due to the running back being shown kicking a woman on the ground at a Cleveland hotel. That video led to the Chiefs waiving Hunt, and the Patrick Mahomes era has since included low-end investments at the position. While the Chiefs have seen some players make memorable contributions — from Pacheco to Damien Williams to pass-down specialist Jerick McKinnon — they have not had a player on Hall’s level since waiving the younger Hunt version seven years ago.

The team did make efforts here, missing on Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the 2020 first round and then seeing a 2024 Josh Jacobs free agency push fall short. But the AFC power has understandably prioritized higher-value positions, letting the likes of Pacheco (a 2022 seventh-round pick) and low-end free agents (Williams, McKinnon, Hunt 2.0) handle ball-carrying duties.

The Chiefs rank 12th in rushing, but Mahomes’ 285 yards has contributed heavily to that number. Pacheco is not on IR, being deemed week-to-week with an MCL sprain, so it is possible Kansas City will be at full strength coming out of its Week 10 bye. But the Chiefs’ Hall push shows a sense of urgency — but ultimately a price point — with regards to adding a back this season. This also would have been at least a regional homecoming for Hall, who went to high school in Wichita, Kansas.

A fourth-rounder would have been nothing to scoff at regarding a rental trade for the Jets. While Gang Green dealt Gardner and Williams, the team held onto players who drew more pre-deadline rumors — Jermaine Johnson, Quincy Williams, Allen Lazard. The Jets, however, now have more time to evaluate Hall in Tanner Engstrand‘s offense.

Hall, 24, is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season. A report indicated the Jets — who had not shown interest in an extension this year — have seen some in the facility show more interest in signing Hall to a second contract. While the RB market has seen a gradual depression, some high-value deals for stars notwithstanding, Hall’s age and his ACL tear having occurred back in 2022 should give him a reasonably strong market come March.

Jets’ Trade Deadline Aftermath

The two biggest moves of today’s trade deadline saw the Jets send away two former top-four overall picks in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Many are billing the moves as a teardown of the roster en route to a rebuild, and first-year general manager Darren Mougey has put his team in as good a position as possible to stage an epic rebuild.

Trading Williams and Gardner was not necessarily part of the plan, but according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets were given “offers they could not refuse.” A crucial part of one of today’s trades actually occurred back 112 days ago, when Gardner signed his four-year, $120.4MM extension. Mougey told the media of the strategies that made his trade possible.

“We had a lot of discussions going through that contract process and some of the details we had to have in that contract because you never know how the future is going to unfold,” Mougey said (via Costello). “We always wanted to be in position to potentially trade these contracts.”

The deals took a lot of talent away from a team that has struggled mightily in 2025, even with those stars, but they also brought incredible potential for team improvement. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport credited Mougey for his willingness to hold out throughout the leadup to the trade deadline. As offers continued to pour in with increasing intensity of interest, Mougey held firm, showing teams that he wouldn’t give up his top-tier assets unless serious offers were made. Mougey told reporters that as “Indianapolis kept getting richer and richer” with the value of their offer, it became too good to pass up.

Altogether, the new draft picks acquired in the trades give New York five first-round picks over the next two years — two in 2026 and three in 2027 — and three second-round picks, not to mention the supplemental additions of former first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith and former second-round receiver Adonai Mitchell. Additionally, Costello reports that, in exchange for taking on $43MM in dead money this season for the trade, “the Jets are projected to have about $117MM in salary cap space” to utilize in free agency.

They didn’t trade away everyone, though. Obviously, they made it clear wide receiver Garrett Wilson wasn’t going anywhere, but the team tried and failed to find new homes for outside linebacker Jermaine Johnson, running back Breece Hall, and linebacker Quincy Williams before the deadline. Some of the issues keeping these trades from happening came down to Mougey’s demand for value.

Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that the Bears and 49ers made serious attempts to acquire Johnson, but both teams pivoted as New York stood pat on their second-round demand. Fellow FOX Sports reporter Ralph Vacchiano claimed little surprise that the Jets kept Johnson over the second-round offers that reportedly did come their way, pointing to the team having already exercised his fifth-year option as evidence that they were less willing to let him go.

Another factor restricting the options available to deal the remaining players came down to competition. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, other “AFC East teams reached out to the Jets about potential deals, but New York was reluctant to trade with division rivals.”

Costello points out that, at this point in time, the oldest draft picks remaining on the Jets’ roster hail from the 2021 draft class and only long snapper Thomas Hennessy, the longest-tenured player on the team, dates back before that. The team is full of youth, and Mougey has set up multiple strong avenues with which he can continue to build around the remaining talent. All that’s left to see is whether or not Mougey can do a better job of building a team than his predecessors who put him in this position.

Jets RB Breece Hall Wants Trade

After already swinging two jaw-dropping trades on Tuesday, the Jets are attempting to make yet another move leading up to the 3 p.m. CT deadline, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. The Jets previously said goodbye to two defensive cornerstones, cornerback Sauce Gardner and lineman Quinnen Williams, in blockbusters with the Colts and Cowboys.

With Gardner and Williams gone, running back Breece Hall wants a trade, per Schultz . Despite Hall’s wishes, expectations are that the Jets will retain him, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

While Hall is due to reach free agency in the offseason, making him a pure rental for an acquiring club, the Jets are requesting a third-round pick in return, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Although contenders like the Chiefs, Chargers, and Patriots have come up as speculative fits for the 24-year-old, no one has met the Jets’ asking price. However, there are offers on the table for Hall, Connor Hughes of SNY relays.

If a Hall trade doesn’t come together, it’s possible the Jets will make an attempt to re-sign the fourth-year man and former second-rounder between now and the offseason. Hall has won over rookie head coach Aaron Glenn, who said in mid-October there were no plans to trade him (there probably weren’t plans to trade Gardner or Williams then either). One of the few bright spots on a 1-7 team, Hall has rushed for 581 yards and two touchdowns on 5.0 YPC this season.

With the Jets seemingly unafraid to part with anyone, Hall will continue to be a name to watch going up to the deadline. The same goes for EDGE rusher Jermaine Johnson, who’s reportedly generating second-round offers.

Jets Seeking Day 2 Picks For Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall; Quinnen Williams Unlikely To Be Dealt

NOVEMBER 2: ESPN’s Rich Cimini echoes Breer’s report and says Quincy Williams is a player who could be on the move before the deadline. He believes Quinnen Williams, Hall, and McDonald are likely to stay put, and he does not rule out the possibility of the Jets adding a player via trade, with safety and offensive lineman representing possible target areas.

OCTOBER 31: In indicating he was unlikely to be traded at the deadline, Jermaine Johnson cited a recent conversation with Jets brass. But it appears the Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey regime is still listening on the former first-round pick.

Although the Jets are not planning to move Will McDonald, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes they are still open to unloading Johnson — albeit for a price that might spook contending teams. The Jets are believed to want a second-round pick for the 2022 first-rounder, per Breer, on a player signed through 2026.

[RELATED: Glenn Against Trading Hall At Deadline]

This asking price is in the Breece Hall ballpark as well. Despite Hall being in a contract year, Breer adds the Jets are aiming for a Day 2 pick to move on now. No extension has been in the works, after the Jets tabled re-up talks on players not named Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson this summer, but a recent report indicated the team may be warming up to the idea of re-signing Hall. It is unsurprising the Jets are setting a Day 2 price, then, as news out of New York has indicated a high price is attached to the four-year starting RB.

It took a second-rounder for the Bears to pry Montez Sweat from the Commanders in 2023; a third-rounder came back (from the 49ers) for Chase Young. Both ex-first-round picks were in walk years at that point. Dante Fowler drew third- and fifth-round picks as a rental in 2018. Johnson’s profile is more on the Fowler level, having one productive season (2023) on his resume.

The Minneapolis-area native has just one season with more than 2.5 sacks; he posted 7.5 with 16 QB hits that year. His work this season — coming off an Achilles tear — leaves much to be desired, sitting at one sack and just two QB hits through five games played. This will make a second-rounder tough to fetch for Gang Green, pointing to either the team reducing the asking price or regrouping to see if Johnson ups his value ahead of the 2026 offseason.

Hall would likely be the RB prize at this deadline, one that has not seen big names — as Alvin Kamara has been dead set against leaving New Orleans — mentioned as trade candidates. The former second-rounder is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry in his platform year. The Jets will need to decide if they are truly interested in re-signing the Iowa State product. Depending on their free agency activity and Hall’s 2026 FA value, the team also will need to weigh the compensatory component when determining if it pulls the trigger on a trade now.

Additionally, Breer points out linebacker Quincy Williams is available to be moved. Ditto D-end Micheal Clemons. A former first-team All-Pro whom the Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh duo was higher on compared to the current regime, Williams observed the Jets more than double his pay rate to re-sign less accomplished LB Jamien Sherwood this offseason.

That decision likely points Williams out of town come 2026, but he may be on the move sooner. His name has come up in previous trade rumors. Clemons qualifies as a lower-profile option, but the rotational rusher did tally 4.5 sacks in 2024. The contract-year rusher does not have any this season.

Jets Setting High Asking Price On Breece Hall; Team More Open To Re-Signing RB?

Five days remain until this year’s trade deadline. Even after sending Michael Carter II to the Eagles, the Jets remain a team to watch regarding more seller’s moves.

Teams are monitoring a few Jets, defenders Jermaine Johnson, Quincy Williams and Quinnen Williams among them. While Allen Lazard is known to be available, Breece Hall remains the top skill-position trade chip. As it stands, Gang Green continues to set a high price, according to Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano and Eric Williams. The team is rebuffing inquiries as it stands, and it is possible its stance has changed in recent weeks.

[RELATED: Hall Wants To Remain With Jets Past Deadline]

Although Aaron Glenn said earlier this month he did not want to see his starting running back traded, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes his previous expectation was for Hall to be dealt at the deadline. Now, though, some in the Jets’ building are leery about moving on from the team’s four-year starting RB.

The situation now looks to feature stronger Jets consideration of re-signing Hall as a free agent, which will obviously produce a higher asking price to part with him now in a trade. No extension talks are known to have taken place, and preseason word pointed to the former second-round pick playing out his rookie contract. Trade buzz has persisted in the weeks since.

Thus far, Hall has delivered a bounce-back season. He was instrumental in the Jets picking up their first Glenn-era win, rushing for two touchdowns and adding a TD toss to Mason Taylor. Hall has three 100-yard games this season and is naturally generating interest from RB-needy teams.

Going through a bye week, the Jets also would need to make a significant pivot if they moved Hall. The team’s top Hall complementary piece entering the season, Braelon Allen, is recovering from knee surgery, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Allen was not certain to undergo a procedure, with rehab a route believed to be available as well. While the second-year back did go under the knife, Cimini adds this does not change his two- to three-month recovery timetable.

A Hall trade would bump 2024 fifth-round pick Isaiah Davis to the top of the Jets’ depth chart. Davis has provided a spark as a backup with Allen sidelined, but a Hall trade would also force the Jets to consider how an Allen-Davis tandem would look anchoring the team’s backfield come 2026.

Hall could net the Jets a 2027 compensatory pick as a departing free agent, depending on the RB’s market and how the team approaches free agency in 2026. A move now would likely hand the Jets a pick or two in 2026, as Glenn and GM Darren Mougey look to continue adding their own talent to mix in with Joe Douglas‘ pieces.

After averaging 4.2 yards per carry in 2022, Hall is at 5.0 (581 in total) through eight games. Like Javonte Williams in Dallas, Hall appears to have completed a belated return to form after a 2022 ACL tear. The Jets would have competition for his services in free agency, but the team has until the mid-March legal tampering period to negotiate exclusively with the RB — that is, if it does not move on before the Nov. 4 deadline.

Chargers ‘Desperate’ For RB Upgrade?

Having lost top two options Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris to significant injuries, the Chargers are “desperate” for an upgrade at running back, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. A deal doesn’t appear imminent, however, as Vacchiano notes there’s more demand than supply leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline.

Hampton, the 22nd overall pick in last spring’s draft, was productive over his first five games before suffering an ankle injury in a Week 5 loss to the Commanders. The Chargers quickly placed Hampton on IR, setting him up for at least a four-game absence. He missed his third game on Thursday versus Minnesota and won’t be eligible to return until Week 10 against Pittsburgh.

While Hampton could rejoin the Chargers’ offense this year, Harris is done for 2025 after tearing his Achilles in a Week 3 win over the Broncos. That’s a notable shot to the Chargers’ depth.

With Hampton and Harris out of commission, Kimani Vidal has gotten the lion’s share of the work over the past couple of weeks. The 2024 sixth-round pick helped the Chargers to a Week 6 win in Miami with 124 yards on 18 carries, but he managed just 20 yards on nine attempts in a loss to the Colts last Sunday.

Hassan Haskins acted as the backup to Vidal in the wake of Hampton’s IR placement, but a hamstring injury kept him out of Thursday’s game. The Chargers elevated practice squad RBs Nyheim Hines and Jaret Patterson to add some much-needed depth. Hines missed all of the previous two seasons after tearing his ACL in a jet ski accident, and he hasn’t gotten a carry since 2022. Meanwhile, Patterson entered Thursday with just 85 carries since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2021.

Considering the Chargers aren’t content with their in-house options, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Saints’ Alvin Kamara are among running backs who could be on their radar. As far as RBs go, Hall and Kamara are the “biggest names that have come up in league circles,” Vacchiano writes.

Either Hall or Kamara would give the Chargers a proven starter to fill in for Hampton and a capable complement if he returns. There are roadblocks to a deal in both cases, though. Hall is a pending free agent on a winless team, which makes him a logical trade candidate, but the Jets “don’t seem interested” in dealing him, per Vacchiano. Meanwhile, Kamara has made it known that he doesn’t want to leave New Orleans.

With Hall and Kamara looking like unrealistic targets, the Chargers may have to settle for a less established addition if they succeed in trading for a back. The Browns’ Jerome Ford and the Dolphins’ Jaylen Wright are among backups who have surfaced in trade rumors in recent weeks. They’d be more obtainable than either Hall or Kamara, though it’s unclear if the Chargers are interested.

Jets Receiving Calls On DE Jermaine Johnson, RB Breece Hall; Team Willing To Trade WR Allen Lazard?

Two weeks remain until the trade deadline. The NFL’s lone winless team could operate as a seller, and there is certainly interest from potential suitors.

The Jets have received trade calls on a number of players recently. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required) defensive end Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall are on the radar of suitors. That comes as little surprise in the latter’s case in particular. Hall has been seen as a trade candidate since before the 2025 campaign began.

While the 24-year-old wants to remain with the Jets and head coach Aaron Glenn has attempted to shoot down trade speculation multiple times, Hall will no doubt remain a target to watch on this front. No extension is forthcoming in his case, and as a pending free agent Hall could land with a contender for at least the second half of the campaign. A number of teams have been connected to running back interest in the trade market, so a bidding war of sorts could take place in this instance.

Johnson saw fellow 2022 first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson sign monster extensions this offseason. No long-term pact is expected in his case, though, based in large part on the 26-year-old’s 2024 Achilles tear. Johnson’s fifth-year option was nevertheless picked up in the spring, meaning he is attached to a base salary of $13.41MM for next season. Any acquiring team would need to take that into account even though the Florida State product would be an inexpensive target for the closing stages of the 2025 campaign.

Confirming Hall and Johnson are receiving notable interest, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports the Jets are indeed a team to watch closely over the coming days. One source informed him, however, that New York has been “stubborn” in terms of the asking price on coveted players to date. There is of course plenty of time for that to change, and movement elsewhere on the trade front could lead to an increase in efforts to swing a deal with the Jets before the deadline.

One player who could be on the move relatively soon, by contrast, is Allen Lazard. Per Jones, New York “wouldn’t mind” moving on from the veteran. Lazard – who was seen as a trade or release candidate this offseason before accepting a pay cut to stay in place – has made just six catches in five games. A large return via trade should not be expected as a result, but the Steelers are known to still be on the lookout for a wideout addition. Dealing Lazard to Pittsburgh would allow him to (once again) reunite with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

2025 marks the first season of the Jets’ new regime. Glenn and rookie general manager Darren Mougey will have a number of key decisions to make over the next two weeks, and their actions over that span will be worth monitoring.

Jets HC Aaron Glenn Doesn’t Want Breece Hall Trade

About a third of the way through the final year of his rookie contract, Jets running back Breece Hall continues to serve as the subject of trade rumor after trade rumor after trade rumor. Each time the subject comes up, though, head coach Aaron Glenn is there to deny, deny, deny. That last denial came today (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) as Glenn reiterated to reporters that the team has “no plans to trade Hall.”

Today’s denial comes on the heels of comments the 24-year-old rusher made last Friday in London, in which he stressed that does not want to be traded. Hall was approached by reporters, again, today in the locker room, and his tune changed to something seemingly a bit more neutral.

“I haven’t posted anything this season, so (it’s) just a way for me to say I’m ready for whatever comes my way at the end of the day,” Hall confided in the media. “Whether it’s going against an opponent, whether it’s in my life, it’s just for me. It’s a football thing. So, alright, I’m ready for whatever opponent’s coming my way, whatever the case may be. It’s a for-the-game type of thing.”

Hall excited everyone back in 2022 as a second-round rookie out of Iowa State, utilizing a 5.8 yards per carry figure to surpass Michael Carter as the Jets’ starting running back after five games. Tears to his ACL and meniscus derailed a magical rookie season, and though he made a strong return in Year 2, the excitement dissipated as he failed to meet relatively high expectations upon his return to the field. Stagnant development last year, combined with some strong early looks at then-rookie running back Braelon Allen, began some speculation that Hall’s time in New York may be coming to an end.

There have already been reports that an extension is not likely in the cards for Hall. If the playoffs are quickly becoming out of reach for the Jets and Hall is expected to just walk in free agency, it would make all the sense in the world to offer Hall up to a contender in need of help at running back so that the team can get something for him rather than just watching him walk away for nothing.

Regardless, Glenn and Hall both have been adamant about wanting to stay together, and the potential long-term injury of Allen makes Hall far less expendable that he would’ve otherwise been. Still, Hall clearly senses something in the air, and with so many rumors dedicated to the subject, there’s usually fire where there’s smoke.

Chargers Interested In Trading For Running Back

OCT. 12: The Chargers are indeed focusing on running backs leading up to the deadline, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. They’ve been calling teams about depth RBs and starters.

OCT. 11: With injuries ravaging their backfield, the Chargers could swing a trade for a running back before the Nov. 4 deadline, Daniel Popper of The Athletic writes.

The Chargers entered the season with two high-profile acquisitions leading their RB group. After opening his career with four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Steelers, Najee Harris joined the Chargers on a one-year, $5.25MM deal last March. A little over a month after adding Harris, the Chargers used their first-round pick (No. 22) on former North Carolina back Omarion Hampton. Five weeks into the season, it’s fair to say the Chargers aren’t going to get max return on either investment this year.

Harris suffered an eye injury during a fireworks accident in July, but he was ready for their season-opening win over the Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5. The 27-year-old picked up just one carry in that game, though. Two weeks later, Harris tore his Achilles, ending his season after he recorded 15 carries for 61 yards. Barring another pact with the Chargers, Harris will head back to the open market next year in a less-than-ideal position.

Even when Harris was healthy, Hampton was clearly the Chargers’ No. 1 back. The 22-year-old dual threat has amassed 66 rushes for 314 yards and two touchdowns through the first five games of his career, adding 20 catches for another 136 yards.

Like Harris, Hampton is now on the shelf. He injured his ankle during a loss to the Commanders last Sunday, which forced an IR placement earlier this week. He’ll miss at least four games, all of which will take place before the trade deadline.

The Chargers, now 3-2 after back-to-back losses, will turn to the unproven RB duo of Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal for the time being. They’ll face their first test as a tandem against the reeling Dolphins (1-4) on Sunday. Haskins has tallied just 64 carries, including five this year, in parts of three NFL seasons. Vidal has four attempts this season and 47 overall since he joined the Chargers as a sixth-round pick from Troy a year ago.

The Chargers have Nyheim Hines and Amar Johnson on their practice squad, though they’re hard to rely on at this point. Hines, who tore his ACL in a jet ski accident in 2023, hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2022. Johnson is an undrafted rookie from South Dakota State with no NFL experience.

Unless the Chargers find an answer from within by the deadline, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Browns’ Jerome Ford could be logical trade targets to team with Hampton (assuming he returns), Popper observes. Hall has gotten off to an impressive start this season and has made it known he wants to stay with the Jets. However, with the Jets 0-5 and unlikely to make a miraculous charge toward playoff contention, they could part with the soon-to-be free agent.

Ford, also due to reach the open market in the offseason, enjoyed a productive run from 2023-24. He piled up 1,378 yards and seven TDs on 308 carries during that 31-game span. The 26-year-old only has 18 carries in five games this season, though, with rookie second-rounder Quinshon Judkins establishing himself as the lead back in Cleveland. Ford’s time with the Browns could be winding down, and the Chargers may be among the potential suitors.