Shortly before the NFL offseason is set to begin for half of the league's franchises—including, surprisingly, the Kansas City Chiefs—it appears the New York Jets are hoping to curry some favor from general manager Brett Veach ahead of time.
GMs around the NFL will be talking over the next few months to discuss potential moves. Free agency is called a frenzy for good reason, and nothing beats the drama and excitement of draft weekend. Perhaps that's why the Jets were so willing to do the Chiefs a solid by keeping a (potential) future Chiefs running back as healthy as possible.
The Jets decided to shut down Breece Hall before their scheduled Week 18 game against the Buffalo Bills. That prematurely ends Hall's season and potentially his career in New York, since he's scheduled to hit free agency after completing the four years on his rookie deal.
Of course, this is all wishful thinking on the part of Chiefs Kingdom. Hall is a premier talent at running back, and the position is the most talent-deficient on the roster. Veach has many issues to address after a year in which the Chiefs finished in third place and stood outside of the playoff picture with three games remaining on the schedule. But if he can find a way to turn a weakness into a strength by luring Hall to K.C., that would go a long way toward righting the ship for '26.
Chiefs fans can only hope Breece Hall is on the way to Kansas City this offseason.
The Chiefs offense looked solid by certain metrics, but the lack of a respected ground game handcuffed Patrick Mahomes and company once again. This has been a consistent aspect of the team's offense for the past few years. Isiah Pacheco has provided impressive value as a seventh-round choice in 2022, and Kareem Hunt has been a short-yardage machine. However, together, the ceiling at the position has been a detriment to what K.C. can do on that side of the ball.
Hall, meanwhile, won't turn 25 years old until after next spring's draft, and he's proven to be a very reliable and dynamic back on a team that's suffered far more misery than most in his tenure. This season, Hall had 1,415 yards from scrimmage for the NFL's 28th-ranked offense with quarterbacks like Justin Fields, Brady Cook, and Tyrod Taylor at the helm.
The Chiefs and Jets already had the framework of a trade in place before the league's early-November deadline, but couldn't agree on the draft compensation going back to New York. It fell apart at the eleventh hour. It may also be beneficial that Hall is a native of the region. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Hall attended Northwest High School in Wichita and kept things fairly close in his college years as well at Iowa State.
The need for the Chiefs is obvious. Hall's history in the area is a natural connection. Veach has already indicated an interest in not only improving the position for months but also doing so with this particular player. Hall-to-KC isn't just a pipe dream for Chiefs fans. It's a very plausible scenario, so maybe the Jets are doing the Chiefs a bit of a courtesy by keeping Hall off the field in Week 18.