Breece Hall was the third-highest paid running back in the NFL… for just over 48 hours.

Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane and the Miami Dolphins agreed to terms on a four-year extension worth $64 million (up to $68 million with incentives), with $32 million in guarantees. The average salary for the former third-round pick is set at around $17 million, putting him over Hall as the NFL’s new third-highest-paid running back.

The New York Jets running back agreed to terms on a three-year, $43.5 million deal that pays him an annual average salary of $14.5 million. It is worth up to $45.75 million with incentives.

Now, Hall’s agreement looks like a bargain thanks to Achane’s deal.

Jets’ bargain deal

There is a reason the Jets wanted to get a deal done with Hall as quickly as possible. The longer they waited, the higher Hall’s price would go, as dictated by the market.

It wasn’t just Achane’s deal, either. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Detroit Lions standout Jahmyr Gibbs are both eligible for extensions this offseason.

By getting in front of all three players, the Jets will likely be paying Hall the sixth-highest salary at the position once those deals are finalized. That looks a lot better than the No. 3 ranking he possessed 24 hours ago.

The argument for Miami’s case, of course, is that Achane is more deserving of his deal than Hall. After all, the Texas A&M product recorded 1,350 rushing yards and 1,838 scrimmage yards last season. Throughout Hall’s career, he has never reached either total.

But there’s a big difference between the players and coaches that Hall and Achane have worked with. It’s a fair argument to make that if the players swapped teams, the results would flip as well.

That’s also why the Jets were happy to give Hall the contract, though. They believe in his upside and production. So long as he lives up to that contract, New York will feel good about themselves paying a running back among the top in the league.

New York and Miami believe in their running backs to the point that both were paid during perceived rebuilds. The fact that the Jets were the ones who got the deal done first is why they come away as the winners in this standoff.