Did Breece Hall’s odds of returning to the New York Jets just take a slight leap?
The NFL’s official franchise and transition tag amounts have been unveiled for 2026, and the numbers for the running back position are lower than previous projections.
The official tag amounts for running backs are $14.293 million for the franchise tag and $11.323 million for the transition tag. This is a bit lower than previous projections of $14.5 million and $11.7 million, respectively, before the official announcement.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Jets general manager Darren Mougey alluded that the team plans to use a tag on Hall if it does not agree with him on a long-term deal before the March 4 deadline.
“Yeah, the tags are an option,” Mougey said of Hall. “Ideally, we’d like to find a way to get a deal done and keep Breece around. I’ve said that for the last year since I got here. Breece is a good player, and we want to find a way to keep him around. We’ve been going through that process and are still doing so. We have a week to find out, if we can’t get to an agreement, which way we’ll go with that tag.”
Pressed on the matter, Mougey stated more definitively, “Yeah, we’ll find a way to keep Breece here if we can’t get a deal done.”
Mougey expressed confidence that Hall wants to be a Jet, despite the running back’s recent noncommittal comments.
“I do get the sense that Breece wants to be here,” said Mougey. “We’ve had good conversations during the season, after the season. So, [we’re] just finding a way to do that.”
As things currently stand, the $14.293 million franchise tag would currently give Hall the fifth-highest cap hit among running backs in 2026, while the $11.323 million transition tag would rank sixth.
On the franchise tag, Hall’s only option (besides holding out) would be to sign the one-year tag to remain with the Jets. The transition tag could allow the Jets to save money, but they would give Hall the freedom to sign a new contract elsewhere, which New York would have an opportunity to match.
The Jets must place a tag on Hall before 4 p.m. EST on March 4. Otherwise, he will be an unrestricted free agent when legal tampering opens at noon on March 9.
