Breece Hall is treating his goals like facts.
After finishing 6 yards short of becoming the first Jets running back since 2015 to rush for 1,000 in a season, is that a milestone that he would like to reach?
“I’m going to, for sure, have 1,000 yards this year,” Hall said after Thursday’s practice, “so that isn’t even anything that’s in the back of my mind.”
OK, how about making the Pro Bowl and being named an All-Pro after vowing at the end of last season to keep elite company in 2024? Is that still at the top of the to-do list?
“No, because I’m sure it will happen,” Hall said. “I’m not really worried about it.”
If it does happen, it would be difficult to keep overlooking Hall, who felt insulted last month when he wasn’t on CBS’ ranking of the top 100 players in the NFL, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that “there’s not 100 people better than me.”
It is unlikely Hall will be included on the player-voted top 100 announced by the league, though only the bottom-40 names have been published so far.
“Obviously, I think I’m one of the best running backs in the league,” Hall said, “and usually the best backs in the league are some of the top players. So I think that speaks for itself.”
Top players? Yes.
Top-paid players? No.
Even after a spike in the running-back market over the past 10 months — brought on by new contracts worth $12 million per year or more for Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs — Hall still sees his brethren getting disrespected.
“They still are not getting paid enough,” Hall said. “We touch the ball the third-most other than quarterback and the center. They talk about a lot of stuff of how we get injured. People get injured every year. I think that’s irrelevant. I think it’s dumb.”
For now, as Hall makes $1.5 million in the final season before he can re-negotiate a contract, the Jets don’t need any reminding about his importance or about what he is capable of in his second season removed from a torn ACL as a rookie in 2022.
Even with Aaron Rodgers throwing darts to Garrett Wilson and one of the best defenses in the NFL, the difference Hall makes as a runner, a 76-catch receiver and a pass-protector can’t be overstated.
“When we went on the field [for the first practice of camp], I told the offense, ‘Let’s set the standard,’ ” Hall said. “Aaron said, ‘You set the standard.’ Hearing stuff like that from guys like him meant a lot to me.”
Hall averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season despite facing eight or more defenders in the box on 19.3 percent of his carries, per NextGenStats.
He ranked No. 6 in the NFL in rush yards over expected per attempt (0.67).
“He’s important because he’s special,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “He’s a three-down back because he’s capable. He’s got electric speed. He’s big, strong, powerful, smart. Him getting a full offseason of work without needing to worry about his injury — knock on wood — I’m really looking forward to a full season with him.”
Rodgers’ return from a torn Achilles, and the threats posed by Wilson and speedy Mike Williams on the perimeter means more two-deep-safety defense to eliminate big passes and fewer stacked boxes in Hall’s future.
Just mentioning the revamped offensive line brings a smile to Hall’s face.
Saleh knows why.
“He’s proven time and time again, just in his two years,” Saleh said, “that if you give him enough space, he can break it.”
The best evidence was Hall’s NFL-long 83-yard run in Week 1 of last season despite his limitations during training camp as his knee recovered from surgery.
Barkley is one of a handful of running backs who didn’t return to peak performance until his second year after a torn ACL (1,650 yards from scrimmage for the 2022 Giants).
“It’s just different,” Hall said. “Last year, you’re dealing with being sore all the time, stuff like that. Now my knee doesn’t bother me at all. It just feels back to normal, so, yeah, it will probably be better.”
Is that another fact?
“I feel like I have the talent and the team around me,” Hall said. “If we do everything we’re supposed to as a team, then I know I’m going to do everything because I have one of the bigger roles in the offense.”
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