HEADLINES

Breece Hall

Chargers Interested In Trading For Running Back

October 12th, 2025 at 11:54am CST by Connor Byrne

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.

RB Breece Hall Hopes To Remain With Jets

October 10th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Dating back to the offseason, Breece Hall has been attached to trade rumors. As the 2025 deadline approaches, it remains to be seen if the fourth-year running back will stay in place with the Jets.

Hall is a pending free agent, and it has been clear since the summer an extension is not expected. As a result, he looms as a trade candidate particularly if the 0-5 Jets are unable to rebound from their poor start to the season. If the 24-year-old has his way, though, no trade will be made.

“This is my fifth month dealing with this now,” Hall said when speaking to the media (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “At this point, it is what it is. I’m here. I want to be here. I love being a New York Jet and everything. At the end of the day, I don’t control what goes on, I only control what I do on the field and how I handle my business off the field.”

Hall averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie before suffering an ACL tear. The former second-rounder managed to avoid major injuries in the two subsequent years, surpassing 1,300 scrimmage yards both times. His efficiency fell short of his pre-injury campaign, leading to questions about the chances of Hall returning to his rookie form. That has essentially taken place in 2025, however.

The Iowa State product is averaging 70 yards per game on the ground this year, the highest total of his career. Hall has surpassed 100 scrimmage yards three times early in the current campaign, and he figures to remain a focal point in the backfield moving forward with Braelon Allen sidelined. Still, rumors about a trade ahead of the deadline could persist depending on how the next few weeks play out.

New head coach Aaron Glenn assured Hall a trade was not being pursued after the draft; that could offer a degree of comfort regarding his near-term future. On the other hand, a different regime is in place (led by Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey) than the one which selected Hall in 2022. That will no doubt be a factor when the matter of a trade is considered.

If the Jets decide to keep Hall in the fold beyond next month’s deadline, it will be interesting to see how contract talks are handled. The running back market contains nine players attached to an AAV of $10MM or more. Hall will no doubt look to reach that figure on his second contract, but it is unclear which team it will come from.

Jets’ Breece Hall, Alijah Vera-Tucker Could Draw Trade Interest

October 6th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sunday’s loss dropped the Jets to 0-5 on the season. As the new regime led by general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn approaches its first trade deadline, a seller’s stance would certainly come as no surprise.

Provided New York shows a willingness to move on from one or more players over the coming weeks, a few notable names could be mentioned rather frequently in the near future. Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports the Jets are among the teams viewed as likely sellers ahead of the deadline. Colleague Eric Williams adds guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is a potential trade candidate.

Vera-Tucker suffered a triceps tear shortly before the start of the regular season. He is out for the campaign as a result, adding further to the injury woes the former first-rounder has dealt with. After playing just 12 games between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, Vera-Tucker managed to log 15 appearances last season. Given his latest major ailment, though, suitors would not be acquiring the 26-year-old as a blocker capable of contributing this season.

Vera-Tucker is currently attached to his fifth-year option, which carries a salary of $15.31MM for 2025. Paying out the remainder of that figure for a player who continues to rehab could of course be a tall task for an acquiring team. Still, if a suitor viewed the USC product as the target of a deal beyond 2025, acquiring him via trade would prevent the need to win a bidding war in free agency. Likewise, the Jets would be in line for 2026 draft compensation through trade as opposed to a 2027 compensatory pick in the event of a departure on the open market next spring.

Elsewhere on the Jets’ roster, running back Breece Hall is still the subject of speculation regarding a trade. Glenn assured the 24-year-old he would not be dealt this past offseason, but as of August a swap remained something to watch for as the campaign unfolded. Given the start to the season, the Jets are not in contention for a playoff berth. That could increase Mougey’s willingness to swing a deal, although moving on from Hall – who is playing out the final year of his rookie contract – would leave the Jets thin in the backfield given Braelon Allen‘s long-term knee injury.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes New York has provided “no indication” Hall is being shopped. A deal allowing him to remain with the Jets could of course still be possible after the campaign, although with a regime other than the one which drafted the former second-rounder now in place, a departure would not be entirely surprising. Hall has yet to score a touchdown this season, but he has averaged an impressive six yards per touch, the highest figure in that regard since his rookie campaign.

The 2025 trade deadline falls on the afternoon of November 4. Plenty of time remains for key decisions to be made until that point, but the Jets could field offers on a number of players over the coming weeks.

Jets RB Breece Hall Candidate For Midseason Trade?

August 11th, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Adam La Rose

Questions about Breece Hall‘s Jets future arose leading up to the draft. The fourth-year running back was not traded and received assurances from new head coach Aaron Glenn that he would remain in place for 2025.

In spite of that, it remains to be seen if a commitment beyond the coming campaign will be made. 2022 draftees Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson have both received monster extensions, but other members of the class are in position to wait for new deals. That includes Hall, who is entering the final year of his rookie pact and recently confirmed he does not expect an extension to take place any time soon.

As a result, questions about the former second-rounder’s future could continue depending on how he and the Jets perform to begin the 2025 campaign. According to Sportkeeda’s Tony Pauline, some close to the matter “speculate” Hall could still wind up being dealt before this season’s trade deadline. Such a move would lead to 2024 Day 3 selections Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis taking on larger roles in the backfield. Glenn has indicated a desire for a backfield committee approach, meaning a true workhorse gig in Hall’s case would come as a surprise.

The Iowa State product’s encouraging rookie season was cut short by an ACL tear. Expectations were high for Hall upon returning to the lineup in 2023, but his 4.5 yards per carry average marked a notable decline. Averaging 4.2 yards per attempt last season, Hall once again topped 1,300 scrimmage yards but struggled to regain his former efficiency. The 2025 campaign will be critical in his case given the potential of a free agent departure next spring.

The Jets’ new regime did not select a running back in April’s draft, an indication Hall will have a run atop the depth chart to at least begin the coming season. The team’s success through the first two months of the campaign will of course be critical in determining how the trade deadline is approached for New York. In the absence of a investment for 2026 and beyond in Hall’s case, it will be interesting to see if the prospect of a trade gains steam over time or if an encouraging start to the campaign quells speculation about such a move.

Jets Unlikely To Extend Breece Hall, Jermaine Johnson In 2025; Latest On Alijah Vera-Tucker

July 29th, 2025 at 2:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even as a new regime took over, the Jets completed lucrative extensions for Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner this month. Gardner’s came at a market-setting rate. The team is committed to the duo as pillars for the Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey foundation.

The Jets’ 5-12 2024 season notwithstanding, the team has a few more extension candidates. As it stands, though, that lot is more likely to wait until 2026 for deals to commence — if they ultimately do. Breece Hall said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he is not expecting an extension this year; this aligns with earlier reporting on the subject. Some of Hall’s teammates may also be waiting a while.

The team is unlikely to go through with more extension this year, per Cimini. This would leave Alijah Vera-Tucker and Quincy Williams uncontracted in 2026, while Jermaine Johnson‘s fifth-year option covers next season. Johnson is coming off a major injury, and Vera-Tucker missed much of the 2022 and ’23 seasons before returning last year. The Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh regime was readier to redo Williams’ deal compared to the Mougey-Glenn pairing.

“We’ll see. I mean, what did we shell out, 200-something million dollars? [We] have to take it easy a little bit, but I hope so,” Glenn said (via Cimini) when asked about more extensions coming. “With the guys that we have here, I hope we’ll be able to do that.”

This would set up a situation in which the Jets have franchise tag candidates, but two of the players poised to play out contracts are at positions where tags are rare. The CBA grouping all offensive linemen together would make Vera-Tucker an unlikely tag recipient; ditto Williams, as all linebackers — including 3-4 edge rushers — are tied to the same tag price. This would leave Hall the likeliest player to be cuffed in 2026, but the former second-round pick has yet to show the form that made him an eye-catching rookie. The Jets have Braelon Allen in place as a key Hall sidekick; Allen’s rookie contract runs through 2027.

Hall suffered an ACL tear midway through his rookie season, while Johnson went down with an Achilles tear last September. Vera-Tucker’s in-season shifts to right tackle brought season-ending triceps and Achilles tears. Glenn did say he hopes the Jets and Vera-Tucker can talk about a second contract at some point; Vera-Tucker would embrace an extension, per Cimini. Williams is the only member of this quartet without a major injury on his NFL medical sheet.

The Jets not paying Williams sets up a strange backdrop at linebacker. The team gave three-year-backup-turned-contract-year standout Jamien Sherwood a three-year, $45MM deal just before free agency. As a less proven player is tied to a $15MM-per-year contract, Williams — a first-team All-Pro in 2023 — is at just $6MM per. Williams is also set to play an age-29 season, potentially complicating a pursuit for a lucrative third contract in free agency.

While the Jets’ effort to improve — after the Aaron Rodgers period produced nothing of consequence — will draw the most attention, PFR’s pages will be monitoring Johnson and their batch of contract-year starters. The Glenn-Mougey duo will have big decisions to make by March, and it will be interesting to see how these respective contract years influence the team’s long-term thinking.

Breece Hall: Jets HC Aaron Glenn Dispelled Trade Rumors

June 12th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Breece Hall was the subject of trade speculation for a portion of the offseason, but he remains with the Jets. The pending 2026 free agent recently revealed details on how his short-term future was confirmed by the team’s new head coach.

Hall was never actively shopped prior to the draft, but leading up to the event the fourth-year running back was mentioned as a candidate to be moved. No deal was worked out, and the Jets did not add a rookie to their backfield. As Hall noted during his first public remarks on the matter, conversations with Aaron Glenn in late April assured him a trade would not take place.

“At first, I just kind of like, OK, we’ll just see what happens,” Hall said (via the team’s website). “And then, [Glenn] called me and told me: ‘Breece, you think I want to trade you?’ And I was like, I don’t know. He’s like, ‘Breece, I don’t want to trade you. I want you to be here. You’re going to be here, you’re our running back.’ And so that felt really good.”

Unlike fellow 2022 draftees Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, Hall is not seen as a clear extension priority for New York. As a result, questions about his future beyond the coming campaign will likely persist. The 24-year-old flashed potential during his rookie season before ACL and meniscus tears ended his it. Hall has been able to handle a starter’s workload in each of his two years since, but his yards per attempt averages (4.5, 4.2) have fallen short of the efficiency before the injury.

Hall is nevertheless in position to handle RB1 duties in 2025. The Iowa State product has topped 1,300 scrimmage yards in each of his two full seasons, scoring a total of 17 touchdowns during that time. Hall’s ability as a receiver was no doubt a factor in the Jets’ decision to turn their attention away from a potential trade following the draft. Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis remain in place as options in what Glenn has stated will be a committee approach in the backfield.

How Hall fares within that setup – which will include, the Jets hope, improved play up front in addition to a new offensive coordinator in the form of Tanner Engstrand – will be key in determining his value. By next offseason, Gardner and/or Wilson could have long-term deals near the top of their respective markets in hand. Whether or not Hall joins then in landing a new contract will be interesting to see. At a minimum, he can be assured of his place atop the depth chart for one more year.

Jets Not Discussing Breece Hall Trade; Team Was Prepared To Draft Jahmyr Gibbs In 2023

April 27th, 2025 at 8:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Breece Hall made it back on time from an October 2022 ACL tear, returning in Week 1 of the 2023 season. The former second-round pick, however, has not quite recaptured his rookie-year explosiveness. And his future with the Jets is in doubt.

The new Jets regime is unlikely to authorize an offseason extension for the contract-year player. Hall was mentioned as a player who could generate trade interest, but he remains on the Jets’ roster post-draft. The Jets did not draft a running back, but they saw early promise from 2024 fourth-round pick Braelon Allen last season.

A pre-draft report on Hall (via The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson) indicated some around the league viewed him as available. That may be the case, but he remains a Jet. New GM Darren Mougey (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) referred to Hall as “on the team” and noted he has not spoken with teams on the back.

That stops short of a ringing endorsement, but with teams regularly discussing non-star players in swaps, the Jets considering a trade is logical due to Hall’s contract-year status. A team did hear of Hall’s availability for “the right price,” according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, but he did not get the sense the team was shopping him. These draft-week rumors, however, further point to 2025 potentially becoming a free agency audition for Hall.

Showing strong form upon arrival, Hall averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie. He scored an 62-yard touchdown during the game in which he went down. The Iowa State product has missed just one game over the past two seasons, boding well for his chances at a quality contract year. But he has averaged 4.5 and 4.2 yards per tote, respectively, in those years. Though, Allen only checked in at 3.6 per handoff as a rookie. Going into only his age-24 season, Hall should still have a chance to make a case for an extension or a lucrative 2026 free agency deal. Hall joins Travis Etienne and 2022 draftees James Cook, Kyren Williams, Kenneth Walker and Isiah Pacheco as RBs on track to become — barring extensions — first-time free agents in 2026.

A back who is unlikely to reach free agency when he becomes eligible, Jahmyr Gibbs factored into past Jets RB plans as well. With Hall coming off his ACL tear, the Jets were prepared to use their 2023 first-round pick (No. 15 overall) on Gibbs. Since-fired GM Joe Douglas said (via Fox’s Jay Glazer) the Jets were “100%” drafting Gibbs 15th overall in 2023. The team did not expect the Alabama alum to go until at least the 20s. The Lions, after trading down from No. 6 (via the Cardinals), took Gibbs 12th.

Douglas said the Jets, shortly after acquiring Aaron Rodgers, had planned to add the dynamic weapon to pair with the team’s would-be QB savior. The Lions received criticism for taking Gibbs that high, but he has become an impact presence on a team that used the 2023 draft — which also included second-rounders Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch — as a key avenue to building one of the NFL’s best rosters. The Jets stuck with Hall, signing Dalvin Cook as a potential bridge while the team’s RB1 returned from injury.

At the time, reporting pointed to the Jets eyeing Georgia tackle Broderick Jones. Many viewed that as the team’s plan, as the Steelers swooped in and chose Jones, who has yet to justify the No. 14 draft slot. Jones, however, could have been the team’s Plan B option after the Lions had taken him at 12. The Jets had swapped first-round slots with the Packers as part of the Rodgers trade, dropping from 13 to 15, and they added promising edge rusher Will McDonald with their pick.

Jets To Explore Extensions For CB Sauce Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson, OL Alijah Vera-Tucker After Draft

April 6th, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Rory Parks

Two members of the Jets’ young core, foundational talents Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, are extension-eligible for the first time. While new deals for the club’s top two selections of the 2022 draft are not imminent, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv expects negotiations to commence at some point after this month’s draft.

Hughes had previously reported that the Gardner talks are likely to be straightforward. Despite a bit of a regression in his third professional season, there is seemingly no concern over Gardner’s ability to regain the elite form he displayed in his first two campaigns. As such, he is going to reset the cornerback market, which is currently paced by Derek Stingley’s new deal with the Texans that features a $30MM AAV and roughly $48MM in full guarantees.

Coming to terms on a price point for Wilson could prove more difficult. Wilson has had to make do with poor to mediocre quarterback play since entering the league, so even though he has managed to record over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three NFL seasons, he is not viewed as a player who will top the exploding WR market. Hughes spoke with a few league sources who predicted the Ohio State product would land an AAV between $25MM-$30MM whenever he puts pen to paper. 

As of the time of this writing, that would put Wilson somewhere between the 7th- and 12th-highest-paid earner at the receiver position. Tyreek Hill and Brandon Aiyuk earn $30MM per year (with Amon-Ra St. Brown barely above that threshold), while DeVonta Smith earns $25MM per year.

Sometimes forgotten in the extension rumors is offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, a 2021 first-rounder who is entering the fifth-year option season of his rookie deal and is presently on track for free agency in 2026. ESPN’s Rich Cimini says new GM Darren Mougey will also examine Vera-Tucker’s contract situation after the upcoming draft.

AVT missed significant time due to injury in 2022 and 2023 but rebounded to play 15 games last season. When he has been on the field, he has been a quality blocker and has seen action and both tackle spots and both guard spots.

That said, he only covered LT and RT as a result of injuries to other players, and last year, he lined up exclusively at RG. It sounds like he will stay there for the long haul, as Mougey says he views Vera-Tucker as a guard (via Hughes). So even though the club currently has a glaring need at right tackle, Mougey will need to address that need in some other way.

Running back Breece Hall is unlikely to be the subject of offseason extension talks, as was reported previously. The contract-year back has yet to regain the level of explosiveness he displayed in his injury-shortened rookie year, and new head coach Aaron Glenn wants to utilize an RB-by-committee approach that features Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis (via Cimini). That would stand to limit Hall’s production in his platform season, and as Cimini observes, Glenn’s comments could certainly fuel trade speculation.

Despite Hall’s inability to recapture his 2022 form, Cimini believes he would generate interest from rival teams. 

Extensions For Jets’ 2022 First-Rounders Not Imminent; Team Unlikely To Explore Early Extension For RB Breece Hall

March 16th, 2025 at 8:11am CST by Rory Parks

There are myriad reasons why the Jets have failed to post an above-.500 record since 2015, but the top of their 2022 draft class is not one of them. CB Sauce Gardner (No. 4 overall pick in 2022), WR Garrett Wilson (No. 10), and DE Jermaine Johnson (No. 26) form a talented young foundation that could help lead the club back to playoff contention, and that trio is now extension-eligible for the first time.

Gardner, 24, took a step back last year after earning First Team All-Pro acclaim in each of his first two pro seasons. Still, a player who possesses his youth and talent and who plays a premium position can command a massive second contract, and the Cincinnati product has made clear his desire to sign such a contract with the Jets.

“I want to be part of this for a long time,“ Gardner said back in January. “I want to be part of the change in this organization.“

Wilson, also 24, seemed a bit more reticent about his future with New York, at least partially because of perceived tension with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and competition for targets with 2024 deadline acquisition Davante Adams. However, with the club having released both of the former Packers standouts, it is believed Wilson is more amenable to a long-term relationship with Gang Green (which could be especially true now that he has been reunited with college teammate Justin Fields; ESPN’s Rich Cimini details the close relationship the former Buckeyes enjoy).

Johnson, 26, was limited to just two games in 2024 due to an Achilles tear, though he totaled 7.5 sacks, 25 pressures, and a forced fumble in 2023, his first season as a full-time starter. The Jets are expected to exercise his fifth-year option for 2026, and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required) confirms that the team plans to exercise the option for all three of its 2022 first-rounders (picking up the Gardner and Wilson options is a particularly easy call for new GM Darren Mougey to make).

Naturally, the players themselves want to land lucrative extensions sooner rather than later, while the Jets may not feel as pressured since they can keep all three under club control through 2026 via the fifth-year option and can put the franchise tag on one of them for the 2027 season. On the other hand, as Connor Hughes of SNY.tv observes, locking up a player when they are first eligible sends a positive message to the player and the team as a whole, and it can get a second contract out of the way before markets for certain positions soar even higher.

Hughes believes Mougey is more amenable than his predecessor, Joe Douglas, to entertain an early extension. Douglas was not necessarily adverse to the idea; in order for him to green-light such a deal, though, he wanted certain concessions from the player (lower guarantees, longer contract term, etc.). Mougey may not be as demanding in that regard.

That could spell good news for the Gardner/Wilson/Johnson triumvirate. But Hughes – in a piece that was published before free agency got underway – said no extensions are imminent. 

At this year’s scouting combine, in response to a question about whether he would sign off on extensions for Gardner and Wilson, Mougey said, “[t]he to-do list is to keep good young players on the team and add good players, so yeah” (via Cimini).

Cimini observes that Mougey did not set a concrete date for talks to commence, and he also points out that cornerbacks and wide receivers have not generally received new deals prior to their fourth NFL season. That said, recent contracts authorized for players like Patrick Surtain II, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith could indicate the league is changing its modus operandi.

According to Hughes, the negotiations for Gardner are expected to be straightforward. Despite not earning any Pro Bowl or All-Pro accolades for his 2024 work, there is no doubt he will reset the CB market. Wilson will be trickier, because although he is a terrific player, it could be difficult to pinpoint exactly where he falls in the league’s WR hierarchy (and of course he could value himself differently than the Jets do).

None of the writers cited above mention Johnson’s name in connection with an extension in the near future. His Achilles injury certainly muddies the waters a bit, and player and team may prefer to wait to see how he rebounds before engaging in substantive contract talks.

Similarly, Rosenblatt says it is unlikely the Jets pursue an early extension for running back Breece Hall (who, as a 2022 second-rounder, is is not subject to a fifth-year option and is therefore eligible for free agency in 2026). Hall was electric in his rookie season, turning 80 carries into 463 yards (5.8 YPC) and four rushing TDs. ACL and meniscus tears ended that promising showing early, and while he rebounded to play a full 17-game slate in 2023, he was not quite as explosive (though his 4.5 YPC average was still strong).

His efficiency dipped again in 2024, as he posted a 4.2 YPC rate over 209 carries. He continues to be a valuable receiving weapon, as he has notched 133 receptions for 1,074 yards and seven receiving scores over the past two seasons, but the dynamo that took the league by (an admittedly brief) storm in 2022 has not resurfaced.

Two 2024 draftees, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, are under contract through 2027 and could represent the Jets’ long-term future at the RB position.

Jets Notes: Johnson, Rodgers, Hackett

December 20th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Thursday brought a strange revelation from Jets headquarters, bringing Madden into the strange role of roster determinations. Beyond the Jerry Jeudy near-trade quickly becoming one of the odder what-ifs in recent NFL history, the Jets may need to run through some other matters as they attempt to make quality GM and HC hires.

Some of the dysfunction reported does stem from Aaron Rodgers, who effectively kept Nathaniel Hackett employed as the team’s play-caller coming into the season. Before the Jets launched a stealth search for a coach who would cut into Hackett’s duties, The Athletic’s well-detailed Dianna Russini, Zack Rosenblatt and Michael Silver report indicates Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall expressed were not happy with the embattled OC throughout last season (subscription required). This may well have led to a meeting that helped the Rodgers-Woody Johnson relationship reach its present point.

Rumblings circulated that Johnson wanted to fire Hackett after the 2023 season, but Rodgers is believed to have stepped in to prevent that from happening. Rodgers has been close with Hackett since their Green Bay days, long stumping for the veteran OC. This included an offseason meeting with Johnson that “didn’t go over well” with the owner, per The Athletic. Rodgers had brought up this matter with Johnson. Months later, the owner attempted to have the QB benched.

Shortly after that benching effort, Johnson went around GM Joe Douglas and fired Robert Saleh. While Rodgers was accused of being complicit in that ouster, The Athletic notes the quarterback’s conversation with Johnson included a request the owner remain patient with the head coach. This also runs counter to Johnson’s claim the two did not discuss Saleh in that meeting. As could be expected, Rodgers had also told Saleh he disagreed with the then-HC’s decision to demote Hackett — a move interim HC Jeff Ulbrich ended up carrying out anyway.

Going back to Rodgers’ lost 2023 season, the Jets being mathematically eliminated in Week 14 had led Rodgers to cool down his crusade to return from his Achilles tear before season’s end and instead gear up for 2024. This involved continuing to rehab in Los Angeles, but The Athletic adds Johnson pushed the quarterback to come back to New York and return to practice. This prompted the Jets to use one of their injury activations on a player who did not end up playing again. Rodgers expressed disappointment he was activated as it cost fullback Nick Bawden a roster spot. Rodgers said during a Pat McAfee Show appearance the activation — which occurred in Week 16 — was not his idea.

Other strange quarterback incidents have occurred during Johnson’s recent years back from his role as ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is believed to have criticized then-starter Mike White in front of other players, following a Week 17 loss to the Seahawks in which White played through broken ribs. Allegedly saying, “You should throw your helmet; you f—– suck” in reference to White postgame, per Russini, Rosenblatt and Silver. Johnson later apologized to the QB once the owner’s comments eventually got back to him, per a Jets spokesperson. White left in free agency weeks later, leaving the Jets without veteran protection once Rodgers went down.

Postgame criticism from the Johnsons has not been isolated to quarterbacks, as The Athletic adds the owner’s teenage sons — Brick and Jack — were heard “loudly” criticizing multiple players after the Jets’ Week 17 loss to the Browns in 2023. In a separate matter related to access, Johnson also had members of his investment group at Jets draft and free agency meetings this year. These revelations, among others involving access to the team’s locker room, will not exactly endear the Jets to free agents.

Additionally, in a matter perhaps stranger than the Jeudy process, Johnson is believed to have told Douglas to keep the Jets’ Mr. Irrelevant draft choice (No. 257) and instead trade 256 to the Broncos. Denver had asked for No. 257 in the pick-swap trade for Zach Wilson, but the teams ended up finalizing a weeks-long negotiation in a trade that included No. 256 going from Denver to New York. This would be a rather shocking footnote for an eventful Jets year, as this report would have Johnson valuing Mr. Irrelevant-related publicity over a slightly better pick.

White and Wilson are long gone, while Rodgers is viewed as on his way out. But the 2024 Jets draft also included another quarterback, Jordan Travis, chosen in the fifth round. This will amount to a redshirt season for the Florida State alum, who has been on the reserve/NFI list throughout the season. Ulbrich said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) the ankle injury that altered the Seminoles’ CFP hopes last year remains an issue, indicating Travis has suffered setbacks in his recovery this year.

Unlike Hendon Hooker last year, Travis does not appear set to move onto his team’s active roster before season’s end. This would mean Travis’ contract would toll, extending his rookie deal through 2028. Travis has bigger hurdles to navigate in the short term, however.

Johnson is viewed as likely to stay with the Jets following this season. The news of Donald Trump’s second presidential administration tabbing someone else (banker Warren Stevens) as the UK ambassador surprised Johnson, according to The Athletic. The owner will continue to play the lead role in hiring a coach and GM, doing so after brother Christopher Johnson hired Douglas and Saleh. Some hesitation from candidates certainly could be part of the fallout from recent events becoming public.

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