BREAKING: Breece Hall Agrees to Secret Deal with Kansas City Chiefs, Jets Set to Lose Star Running Back
The Kansas City Chiefs will not be adding any more help for quarterback Patrick Mahomes this year, but next spring the offense could begin to look considerably different around the two-time MVP.
Kansas City was in discussions with the New York Jets about a trade for running back Breece Hall, which fell through due to squabble over compensation — New York wanted a third-round pick, while the Chiefs weren’t willing to go higher than a fourth-rounder. In retrospect, both teams are probably losers in the lack of an outcome, as the Jets will now watch him leave for nothing, while the Chiefs won’t be able to utilize his skill set to help them make a stretch run.
Longterm, however, Kansas City can still come out on top. All things considered, 30-year-old Kareem Hunt hasn’t played poorly for the Chiefs, but he’s a backup at this point in his career and in the final season of his contract. Meanwhile, former seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco is headed for free agency himself in March.
The team could bring back Hunt on another cheap deal, they’re currently paying him $1.5 million for 2025, but the time has come for the Chiefs to pair a serious running back with Mahomes. Hall fits the bill, and ESPN ranked him the No. 6 overall player in the 2026 free agent class, not to mention the top running back.
“Hall was coveted at the trade deadline. That the Jets wanted a third-round pick in return for a running back reminds that Hall has top-end talent,” Jeremy Fowler wrote Wednesday. “And my sense is he will do just fine in free agency — think Josh Jacobs‘ four-year, $48 million deal signed in March 2024 as a possibility. A few personnel evaluators thought that was a fair contract comp.”
Breece Hall Makes Sense for Chiefs, as NFL Begins to Value RB Position More Than in Recent Years
Hall, 24, was a second-round pick in 2022. Spotrac currently projects his market value at $42 million total over a new four-year contract, but the value of the position has gone up some in recent years considering the impact players like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have made on Super Bowl-winning and/or Super Bowl-contending teams.
Kansas City is obviously both of those things, and the absence of a longterm solution at the position puts the franchise in a prime spot to pursue Hall. That is why several analysts suggested the Chiefs deal for Hall ahead of the deadline, and why Kansas City almost did.
“Hall is a pending free agent and the Jets probably have bigger fish to fry this offseason, while the Chiefs are not getting as much as they’d probably like out of their offensive backfield,” Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report wrote October 29. “Hall yields the Jets a late-round pick and becomes a cog in a backfield that also contains Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, who takes a sizable back seat.”
Breece Hall on Track for Career Year Heading Into Free Agency
Hall was a breakout player during his rookie year before an ACL tear derailed it less than halfway through the campaign.
However, he has been healthy and reliable since and is on track to put up his first 1,000-yard season after coming close in each of the past two years.
Hall has tallied 644 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season (4.8 yards per carry) to go along with 22 receptions for 220 yards and a score.
Browns Make Announcement on Wide Receiver Signing
The Cleveland Browns are adding a new receiver to the mix, promoting Kaden Davis to the active roster.
The Browns officially announced the move on Wednesday. Davis went undrafted in 2022 and has since bounced around. He’s spent time with the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals on the practice squad. He spent 2023 playing for the Michigan Panthers in the USFL.
Davis spent part of last year and this season on the Browns’ practice squad. He’s been elevated for one game, recording 14 snaps on special teams. Davis also appeared in one game last season.
The Browns don’t expect Davis to be a significant contributor in their wide receiver corps, which features Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond and Cedric Tillman. But he’ll provide depth to the unit, which has struggled for most of this season. If he can continue to make an impact in practice, he might earn himself some targets on game day.
Browns Get WR Jerry Jeudy More Involved
The Browns’ offense has not been able to get going this season, averaging just 16.2 points per game. The production from the team’s wide receivers has been especially troubling. In Week 8, wide receivers accounted for just two targets in a 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots.
The Browns shifted play-callers during the bye week and Jeudy was a beneficiary of the change. Jeudy notched six catches for 78 yards and his first touchdown of the season. He had entered the matchup with just 22 receptions over eight games.
“I think they’re doing a good job of trying to get me going, start the game off and just continue on that momentum,” Jeudy said.
Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel has stressed the importance of getting Jeudy involved as the team’s top receiver. Week 10 was the first time Jeudy looked closer to the Pro Bowl talent he was last season.
“Jerry’s a great player, and want to continue to do that and he played great,” Gabriel said. “I want to get the ball to the best players on our team. That would be the emphasis forever.”
Jeudy is also working on strengthening his connection with Gabriel.
“The more we work with each other, the more confident and the more chemistry we have,” Jeudy said. “So consistency is key. So every day in practice, every week in the game, I see him getting better, and that’s all we could ask for, improvement.”
Cedric Tillman Return Gives Browns Another Weapon
The Browns’ wide receiver group has yet to be at full strength this season, a tough reality given the lack of proven depth at the position. Tillman returned on Sunday against the Jets, but rookie Isaiah Bond was out with a foot injury.
Tillman appeared in Cleveland’s first four games, posting 11 catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a hamstring injury against the Detroit Lions. He was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 30, designated for return on Nov. 3, and made his comeback against the Jets.
Tillman finished with two receptions for 11 yards in the loss, but his presence was felt. He narrowly missed hauling in a leaping catch early in the game that could have been a momentum-shifting play.
Bond logged limited reps in practice this week. If he’s able to suit up, the Browns could finally get their first look at a full receiving corps when they face the Ravens on Sunday.
