Just when the Kansas City Chiefs got a dose of potentially good news ahead of the opening of NFL free agency, a bit of bad news has crept into the scene. It all goes to show that anything is possible for the Chiefs at running back this offseason, for better or worse.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Seattle Seahawks were "unlikely" to use the franchise tag on running back Kenneth Walker Jr., who is fresh off of a Super Bowl MVP performance against the New England Patriots. However, on the same day, Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic believes the New York Jets are likely to use whatever options they can to keep Breece Hall around—or at least force any interested parties to pay up.
When commenting on the possible outcomes regarding Hall and the Jets, Rosenblatt writes, "Right now, it feels likely that the Jets slap Hall with the non-exclusive franchise tag or the transition tag and then figure something out from there."
Hall just finished his fourth season with the Jets after being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which positions him to hit free agency at the completion of his rookie deal. For some time, Hall has been dropping hints that he wants a way out of playing for such a moribund franchise, but New York isn't going to let him go so easily, says Rosenblatt.
The Chiefs can only hope the Jets aren't going to play hardball with Breece Hall like insiders think they might.
That much was proven true at the NFL's trade deadline in early November. At that point, the Chiefs' ship hadn't completely sunk, and general manager Brett Veach had showcased an interest in not only bolstering the backfield but specifically in acquiring Hall. Reports had the Chiefs offering a fourth-round pick for his services, but the Jets balked and kept him despite once again sitting in the basement of the AFC East.
If the Jets are going to play hardball with Hall, he might not have much of a say in the matter for the next year. The tag allows a team to match any offer given to him, and an exclusive tag would keep other franchises from even having a chance to sign Hall to an offer sheet. It would, of course, mean that Hall would make considerably more money next year (more than $14 million) but his only recourse would be a holdout, which would end up costing him money.
Now, whether the Jets want to court an offseason-long dramatic saga with their star running back is another conversation, so perhaps they wouldn't let it go that far. But suffice it to say, if the Chiefs were hoping that they might finally get their man—well, it's clear it won't be so easy.
The good news is that there are legitimate backs available in free agency to provide the talent boost needed in the ground game. But Hall has been a primary target before, and his local ties also make sense to further the chase. This all might come down to just how difficult the Jets want to make things this time around.