More people should mention the New York Jets’ star running back in Comeback Player of the Year discussions
Coming into the season, Breece Hall‘s return was one of the New York Jets’ biggest non-Rodgers storylines.
As a rookie, Hall was emerging as a top running back in the NFL and established himself as the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year before tearing his ACL in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos. Questions swirled about his future. Would he be ready for Week 1? Would he still be the same player who had 681 yards and five touchdowns in his first seven career games?
Hall immediately eased those concerns by rushing for 109 yards on his first two carries of the season. That was only the beginning as Hall would go on to establish himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL despite poor circumstances around him.
It’s not that he was just the Jets’ best offensive player. He was one of the best across the league. Among 34 running backs with at least 200 touches, here’s where Hall ranked:
Scrimmage:
- Touches: 299 (7th)
- Yards: 1585 (2nd)
- Yards/Touch: 5.3 (6th)
- Touchdowns: 9 (T-11th)
Rushing:
- Attempts: 224 (14th)
- Yards/Carry: 4.5 (12th)
- Yards: 994 (13th)
- Touchdowns: 5 (T-18th)
Receiving:
- Targets: 95 (1st)
- Receptions: 76 (1st)
- Yards: 591 (1st)
- Yards/Reception: 7.8 (13th)
- Yards/Target: 6.2 (10th)
- Touchdowns: 4 (T-3rd)
Despite only being activated off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on August 15, Hall was one of the NFL’s most productive, heavily used, and efficient running backs. Outside of Adrian Peterson’s historic season following his injury, running backs who tear their ACL are typically less productive and efficient than their pre-injury performance. Fortunately for the Jets, Hall was one of the rare exceptions.
His stat totals are impressive, but they don’t truly capture how good Hall was playing. Few players in the NFL were held back by a combination of their quarterback, offensive line, and play-caller.
Among 49 running backs with at least 100 attempts, Hall was fourth in the NFL with 3.43 yards after contact. To finish the season, Hall ranked third among running backs with 260 total yards over expectation. Few running backs had to do more on any given play than Hall.
Breece Hall finished 2023 ranked 3rd among RB in combined RYOE (rushing yards over expected) and YACOE (yards after catch over expected) at +260.
An elite playmaker who significantly outperforms expectations. With even just average blocking he could put up insane numbers.
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) January 10, 2024
Despite his achievements, Hall isn’t even listed among the contenders for Comeback Player of the Year. The four contenders are safety Damar Hamlin and quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Baker Mayfield, and Matthew Stafford.
Hamlin has barely been active but has been the favorite since before the season began because of what happened in Cincinnati last season. Stafford is coming off injury while Flacco and Mayfield were backups last season. It’s a quarterback-driven league, but the contenders are deserving, as Stafford and Mayfield were borderline top 10 quarterbacks this season with Flacco having an impressive five-game run.
While it’s unlikely Hall would win the award, the fact he doesn’t have listed odds for it is crazy to me. In the Jets’ abysmal offense, Hall managed to establish himself as a top-5 running back only one year removed from a serious injury. With an improved offensive supporting cast and a healthy offseason, the sky is the limit for Hall in 2024.
