Due to the lingering questions behind Breece Hall, the New York Jets should look to add an established veteran running back ahead of the 2026 season.

The good news is that there appears to be a high-end option for that role, and the Jets should certainly take advantage of the opportunity.

The Jets should look to trade for James Conner

After signing Tyler Allgeier in free agency and selecting Jeremiyah Love at No. 4 overall in the 2026 NFL draft, James Conner’s future with the Arizona Cardinals is murky.

He was limited to just three games in 2025 after suffering a foot injury that cut his season short. In those three games, he rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown on 32 attempts (2.9 yards per attempt).

However, in the prior two seasons, he was a monster, rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2023 and 2024, totaling 15 rushing touchdowns over that span, and averaging over 4.5 yards per carry in both seasons, including a 5.0 mark in 2023.

He can also contribute in the receiving game, hauling in 47 of his 55 targets during the 2024 season for 414 yards and a touchdown.

The two-time Pro-Bowler is on a one-year deal worth up to just $3 million this season, making him highly tradeable.

If traded, it is likely that Conner, 31, wouldn’t go for much more than some late Day 3 draft capital, which could even be conditional. Taking those factors into account, the Jets should look to make a deal with the Cardinals for the veteran rusher.

He is on a cheap contract, and, fully recovered from his injury, he could certainly emerge as the Jets’ RB2 behind Hall. While Isaiah Davis and Braelon Allen have shown flashes at times, they have struggled to sustain success over their two years in the league.

Conner, on the other hand, is an established rusher who can certainly handle that workload when fully healthy. If the team makes a deal before training camp, they can have a full summer to evaluate him and his health before deciding on his role.

Ultimately, it’s a deal that makes a lot of sense for the team and could prove to be another excellent low-risk, high-reward-type trade for Jets general manager Darren Mougey, who has established quite a strong resume with those types of trades in two offseasons as New York’s GM.