It can be difficult for a player to earn respect and stand out when their teammates around them don't do their part. Poor team performance can overshadow individual talent, making it difficult for even the most talented players to shine and gain the recognition they deserve.
Such is the unfortunate case with NY Jets running back Breece Hall.
By all accounts, Hall was one of the most dynamic and productive offensive players in the NFL last season. Despite playing in arguably the worst offense in football behind an inept offensive line and alongside the worst QB room in the NFL, Hall put together an outstanding second pro season.
The former second-round pick finished fourth in the entire NFL in scrimmage yards behind only Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyreek Hill. Each of those three individuals played for a team that finished with a top-five offense in total yards per game.
As for Hall, his Jets team ranked 31st out of 32 teams in yards per game. Hall accounted for an unbelievable 1,585 of the Jets' 4,566 total scrimmage yards throughout the season.
In other words, Hall accounted for 35 percent of the Jets' offense in 2023. No other player in the NFL came even close to that mark. Hall's remarkable 2023 campaign is made even more impressive when you consider what occurred less than 12 months earlier.
Breece Hall is finally healthy and ready to dominate the NFL
Hall suffered a torn ACL just seven games into his rookie season. Some players take well over a year to fully recover from such a serious injury, but Hall was back on the field after less than 12 months.
The Jets anticipated that Hall would be on a snap count early in the season as they hoped to ease him back into action with Dalvin Cook shouldering some of the load. Those plans quickly changed when it became apparent that Hall hadn't lost a step.
Hall's 2023 campaign was the most impressive post-ACL season by a running back since Adrian Peterson's historic 2012 MVP season. Despite this, the accolades didn't come for the Iowa State product.
Hall wasn't named an All-Pro. He was left off the Pro Bowl roster. He wasn't even a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year. That's just what happens when you're overshadowed by the ineptitude of your peers.
But things should be different in 2024, not just for Hall but for the Jets. Aaron Rodgers is back and the Jets' offensive line underwent a serious makeover in the offseason. There isn't a feasible scenario in which the Jets' offense should be anywhere near as putrid as it was a year ago.
On top of that, Hall insists that he finally feels like himself again. Yes, this means that the Hall we saw last year wasn't even the "fully healthy" version of the Jets' star running back.
In an interview with the New York Post, Hall insisted that didn't feel 100 percent last year but that his knee feels "a lot better" this offseason.
"Just still last season not feeling like 100 percent all the time, but now I had my first offseason to not just be trying to get back, but to get better. I’ve gotten better this offseason. I’m a lot leaner. I feel a lot healthier. My knee feels a lot better. I just feel like I’m back to my old self."
- Breece Hall
Just imagine what an even better Breece Hall could be capable of in an offense that's actually competent. You could already make the case that he's the second-best running back in the NFL behind Christian McCaffrey, and by the numbers, he probably was last year.
Now, Hall is healthy and in an offense that should allow him to produce at an even higher rate.
Breece Hall might not be a household name that every NFL fan knows yet. The awards aren't there and neither is the recognition. But that's set to change in 2024. Buy your stock now before it's too late.
This article is part of the "Summer Spotlight" series on The Jet Press, dedicated to highlighting individual players on the Jets roster throughout the summer. Stay tuned for more features as we provide in-depth profiles and insights on various Jets players before the season kicks off.
