Among the trade deadline surprises was the Kansas City Chiefs opting not to add a single impact player to the backfield. The most speculated fit was New York Jets back Breece Hall, who remains a logical target for the franchise. While the trade deadline is past, it makes zero sense for the Jets or Hall to consider running it back for the 2026 season. For the Chiefs, there is also the fact that Isiah Pacheco is slated to hit free agency along with Hall at the end of the season.
If Hall's social media activity is any indication, there isn't going to be a reunion in New York this offseason. The star liked a post that questioned whether or not the Chiefs should've given up a third-rounder in exchange for Hall. Making his angst all the more clear was the fact that he wore a #Free20 shirt ahead of this year's trade deadline. These two things combined, as well as the Jets selling off other pieces, make it clear that Hall is unlikely to return and open the door for Brett Veach to add the star in the 2026 offseason.
Chiefs Dreams of Adding Star Breece Hall to Questionable Backfield Aren't Dead Yet
Even if Hall were somehow willing to return to the Jets, it makes zero sense to pay top dollar for a veteran running back at the start of a rebuild. It is the type of move you make when you're ready to push your chips to the center of the table. This obviously describes the Chiefs every season that Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid remain at the helm.
Signing Hall in the offseason in many ways makes more sense for Veach, who carefully protects his draft picks. This is understandable when you consider the long track record that the Chiefs have of finding surprise contributors. This season alone, you have Josh Simmons and Nohl Williams, who were overlooked and underrated.
The patience suggests a high level of trust in Mahomes and the current core of receivers to get the job done as well. Over the last three seasons, it is easy to argue that Kansas City had less offensive talent, and each year still ended with the Chiefs as AFC Champions.
With this in mind, it isn't the end of the world that Hall wasn't added before the deadline. Allow Pacheco the chance to make sure that it isn't a long-term fit before pulling out the checkbook in the 2026 offseason to bring in the star addition. The Chiefs don't project to have a ton of cap space, but even a running back like Hall isn't going to command a crazy salary, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he were willing to take a discount to play in KC. Consider the top free agent running back contracts signed around the league over the last two offseasons:
- Saquon Barkley: $12.6 million per year (2024)
- Josh Jacobs: $12.0 million per year (2024)
- Derrick Henry: $8.0 million per year (2024)
- D'Andre Swift: $8.0 million per year (2024)
- Aaron Jones: $7.0 milliion per year (2024)
- Tony Pollard: $7.0 million per year (2024)
- Devin Singleatary: $5.5 million per year (2024)
- Najee Harris: $5.3 million per year (2025)
- Austin Ekeler: $4.2 million per year (2024)
- Zack Moss: $3.8 million per year (2024)
- Gus Edwards: $3.3 million per year (2024)
- Javonte Williams: $3.0 million per year (2025)
Hall deserves to be toward the top of that list, but even hitting $10 million per year wouldn't put him among the team's five highest cap hits for 2026.
Hall understandably appears to want to land with the AFC's top contender and would be the perfect addition to an offense that has every needed piece except a star back. That makes it very possible that Tuesday's disappointment is remedied this offseason, and Hall does spend time in a Kansas City uniform.