New York Jets running back Breece Hall finally cleared 1,000 rushing yards in 2025, yet five total touchdowns kept the season from feeling as strong as it was. Hall started 16 games and finished with 243 carries for 1,065 yards, plus 36 catches for 350 yards. That gave him 1,415 yards from scrimmage and pushed his four-year career total to 5,040. The Jets followed by signing the 25-year-old to a three-year extension, removing the contract question that hung over his dynasty value. Braelon Allen is healthy again, and Isaiah Davis played well when given touches last season. Aaron Glenn has called the group a three-headed backfield, so Hall may not dominate every week. His receiving work also bears watching after his targets fell from 95 in 2023 to 48 last year. Hall still sits at the front of the room, though, and New York has made a serious commitment to keeping him there. RotoBaller ranks him 44th overall and RB14 in dynasty. Contenders can pursue the immediate workload, while rebuilders do not need to move a 25-year-old back with long-term security and a proven receiving profile
Heading into the 2026 season, the Jets have made a series of moves to improve the state of their roster and overall depth, but are they ready to compete for a playoff spot? In this series, we’ll break down the depth chart for every position group. This time, we’ll go in depth at the running back room... Starter : Breece Hall Backups : Braelon Allen , Isaiah Davis , Kene Nwangwu Key additions/losses : None, although Hall signed a three-year extension for over $15 million per year. 2025 ranking per PFF: Hall was 7th out of 59 qualifying running backs for overall grade Hall is coming off a career year, and still only 25 years old, so the Jets will be hoping he can continue to ascend now that they’ve resolved his contract situation. The Jets made a big commitment to Hall, giving him the sixth-largest running back contract in the league to ensure they retain him throughout his prime. Perhaps 2026 will be the year where he makes his first pro bowl. Davis and Allen give the Jets two viable backups, although Allen missed most of last season due to injury. Nwangwu can fill in at a pinch but is primarily on the team to return kickoffs. Undrafted rookies Chip Trayanum and Sam Scott should get plenty of reps in preseason and will look to earn a spot on the practice squad. Last season, the Jets primarily operated with a rotation that saw Davis entering the game on third down and relegated Hall to the bench for some key moments. While Davis caught 21 passes in that role, it was arguably not the optimal way of using Hall, who had 36 receptions. In 2023, he had more than twice that amount to lead all NFL running backs so he is clearly capable of contributing more in this area. New York was also hoping that Allen was going to start to make more meaningful contributions in the passing game, but he had just two catches in four games before his season ended prematurely, so he remains unproven. Despite the fact he’s entering his third season, Allen is still one of the Jets’ youngest players as he won’t turn 23 until next January. So far, his career has been underwhelming, as he’s averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Allen reportedly bulked up to around 250 pounds during the offseason, so it will be interesting to see if he can still generate the same kind of burst and acceleration. In his first two seasons, he had a number of plays where he looked like he was going to break a big run but was tripped up at the second level, so if the additional weight can be beneficial for his contact balance, it could make him significantly more effective. Davis was drafted one round after Allen in 2023 and has had to wait patiently for opportunities at times, but whenever he’s been called upon, he’s had some good success. He has averaged 5.6 yards per carry and almost nine yards per catch in his first two seasons and arguably deserves the chance to see if he can maintain that level of production with a bigger workload. After a solid 2025 season with Allen mostly sidelined, Davis could have the inside track at the primary backup role. It may fall upon Allen to take his game to another level if he is going to push for that spot. Hall has been candid about how frustrating it has been to play for a team that loses so much, but now that the contract distraction is behind him, he is hungry and hopeful that the 2026 Jets are headed in the right direction. The Jets have retooled their passing game but already had a solid offensive line in place and haven’t made any changes to the running back rotation, so they appear confident that they already have the pieces they need to have an effective running game. With Geno Smith hopefully providing more of a pass game threat than any of the Jets’ quarterbacks on last year’s team, opposing defenses will be less likely to stack the box, so the Jets will hope for a balanced and effective offensive attack this year. You can expect Hall to be at the forefront of that
The New York Jets are prioritizing size on defense and at running back this offseason, with coach Aaron Glenn emphasizing the importance of larger players. Key additions include linebacker Demario Davis (32 pounds heavier than his predecessor Jamien Sherwood) and defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat. Running back Braelon Allen has also added weight, making him one of the largest RBs in the league
Happy Saturday, Jets fans! Here are your daily links to kick off the weekend. Eric Allen – OTA Notebook | Spring Report on David Bailey Antwan Staley – Jets RB Braelon Allen says he’s stronger and better than ever after knee injury Michael Nania – NY Jets have 3 WRs ranked in fantasy football top 100 Michael Nania – Jets’ Aaron Glenn included on dubious list, but should he be? Michael Nania – The core Lions weapon Seth Ryan must bring to NY Jets Michael Nania – Everything that needs to happen for Jets to win AFC East Connor Long – The position group step-up NY Jets desperately need Connor Long – Do any New York Jets contracts rank among the NFL’s 10 worst? Paul Esden Jr. – Insider Explains Why Jets Haven’t Signed Rookie Darrell Jackson Jr Justin Melo – Jets RT Armand Membou sees his arrow pointing up in Year 2 Nick Faria – Projecting Jets’ 53-Man Roster & Depth Chart After OTAs Efstathios Savvidis – How OTAs Changed the Jets’ Cornerback Depth Chart Colby Colwell – 3 Jets Who May Have Lost Their Jobs After OTAs Jovan Alford – VJ Payne Shouldn’t Be Overlooked Despite Lack of Buzz at Jets OTAs Here are your missed connections from yesterday. Enjoy your Saturday!
Braelon Allen is back for the Jets, and he hopes to be better than ever. He already knows he is bigger. The third-year running back said Wednesday that he is up to 250 pounds after playing last season at 240. Allen had his 2025 season end in Week 4 after suffering a serious knee injury . He said he added the weight “by accident” through heavy weight lifting. But the added weight has not slowed him down. The athletic testing the Jets have done show he is in the best shape he’s been in. “This is quite literally the best I’ve ever felt, the biggest I’ve ever been, the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been,” Allen said. There were big expectations for Allen entering last season, but he played just four games and his season could not have ended worse. He fumbled on the goal line against the Dolphins then injured his knee on a kickoff return. “I would say it definitely left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth, for sure, this whole offseason,” Allen said. “Obviously, my last carry was the fumble on the goal line and then the next time I touched the ball, it ended my season. Those are the two plays that I get to look back on as the last two of that year. Just attacked the rehab process with hunger and a whole lot of motivation. I never want to leave the field those two ways again.” Coach Aaron Glenn said Allen has looked good this spring and envisions him being both part of the running and passing game, this season along with Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis . The Jets added veteran kicker Jason Sanders last week after the Giants cut him. The Jets expect him to compete with Cade York this summer for the job. Sanders kicked for the Dolphins from 2018-24. He sat out last season with a hip injury. “Obviously, he did a really good job in Miami, and I’ve said this last time we spoke is, any time we can get a good player that can create competition, we want to bring the player in to be able to create that,” Glenn said. “Those guys will battle it out. I’m sure we’ll see exactly how far this goes, but it’s just creating competition.” Rookie QB Cade Klubnik sat out Wednesday’s practice with back tightness. … The Jets went heavy on special teams Wednesday, so it was only fitting that former special teams coach Mike Westhoff was there watching. He is receiving the Award of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this month
New York Jets running back Braelon Allen has added significant muscle this offseason, weighing in at 250 pounds, up from 238-240 last season, with a lower body fat percentage. Recovering from an MCL injury that ended his last season early, Allen aims to become the primary backup to Breece Hall and presents stash value for fantasy managers
Allen is up to 250 pounds for OTAs after playing at 238-240 last year, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports. In terms of physical measurements, Allen is perhaps the closest thing to Derrick Henry among NFL running backs, now pushing 250 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. The concern is that Allen was already a far cry from Henry in terms of speed and agility when playing at his (relatively) lighter weight of 238-240 pounds. The 22-year-old looks like a DE or OLB at first glance, and he told reporters Wednesday that his body-fat percentage is at an all-time low. Allen also said he's back at full strength after undergoing season-ending surgery on an MCL injury last fall. He's the youngest player from the 2024 draft class -- younger than most incoming rookies, in fact -- and is again positioned to compete with fellow 2024 draft pick Isaiah Davis for backup work behind long-time starter Breece Hall. It's also possible Allen and Davis have distinct roles, with the former more focused on power rushing and the latter more geared toward passing downs
Every Cowboys fan knows there’s going to be battle for the backup RB position in this year’s camp, but how many see Israel Abanikanda as one of the contenders? A late addition to last year’s practice squad, Abanikanda may be a more meaningful presence this summer than you think. Years in NFL: 3 Acquired by: Free agency (2025) After a strong college career at Pitt, Abanikanda entered the NFL draft process with the label of an athletically gifted runner, mixing power and speed, but lacking in technique. Considered a mid-round prospect in the 2023 draft class, Abanikanda was taken in the fifth round by the Jets. He survived final cuts but was stuck behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook on the depth chart. He only dressed for six games near the end of the season and received just 22 total carries in those limited appearances. It would get worse in 2024. The Jets drafted two more RBs that year, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis , and pushed Abanikanda further down the depth chart. They still kept him on the 53 for three months, though, before finally releasing him in early December. The 49ers claimed Abanikanda off waivers for the final few games of the regular season, but he never got any playing time. San Francisco waived Abanikanda just before the start of its 2025 training camp, but he was claimed by Green Bay . He made it onto the Packers’ practice squad briefly, but was released in early September. He didn’t get a new home until the Cowboys signed him to their practice in late November. He remained there through the season and signed a new deal to stay with Dallas this offseason. Years Left: 2 2026 Cap Hit: 1.08 million While he has zero guaranteed money on the deal, Abanikanda doesn’t have to worry too much about finances working against him in the RB competition. None of Malik Davis , Jaydon Blue , or Phil Mafah have financial entanglements in their contracts, so Dallas can make their decision purely based on performance. Role: Backup RB Roster Chance: 20% Many see the RB2 competition as a two-horse race between Blue and Davis, though some would add Mafah to the list. And there is still a thought that Javonte Williams ’ backup isn’t even on the roster yet, with several veterans still hanging around in free agency. As we’ve seen in recent years with guys like Miles Sanders , Royce Freeman , and Ronald Jones , Dallas has valued experience on the RB depth chart. But Freeman and Jones never played a game for the Cowboys, and Sanders was struggling mightily before he got injured last year. Let’s say Dallas keeps the competition as is. While Davis or Blue gives you a change-of-pace option, neither is built to handle a full workload if Williams were to miss significant time. Mafah may be, but he barely played last year and may need more development. There’s room for someone to break into this group and give the Cowboys something to think about, and there are reasons to think Abanikanda could do it. While he’s been around the NFL for over three years now, Abanikanda is still just 23 years old. He’s just a couple of weeks older than Mafah and three months older than Blue, so he’s still an equally young prospect. His running style more closely resembles Williams’ than either Davis or Blue, perhaps making him a more ideal backup. The key for Abanikanda is if he can show some refinement in his overall game. Despite his size, pass blocking was considered a weakness coming out of college. He’ll need to be better there, and show better ability to read blocks and allow his blocks to develop. We’ve seen how Williams, despite being powerful, displays shiftiness and adapts as the play unfolds in front of him. That will be a key for either Abanikanda or Mafah if they’re going to make it at this level. Abanikanda is certainly not a favorite in this summer’s RB competition, but he’s worth keeping an eye on. He was considered to have starting potential in the class of 2023. He’s admittedly struggled to find a lasting home so far in the NFL,
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New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor saw his dynasty value drop this past offseason. The Jets spent a first-round pick on Kenyon Sadiq, who projects to be the Jets' primary tight end from Day 1. That leaves Taylor, who was a second-round pick in 2025, in a backup role. Although there's still a possibility for Taylor to carve out standalone value, managers should temper expectations. First of all, the Jets had the 10th-fewest snaps in 12 personnel last year, which means we didn't see them use two tight ends a lot. They should roll out 12 personnel more often this year now that they have both Sadiq and Taylor, but we question whether it'll happen more than the league-average rate. Additionally, this offense is not set up to support two fantasy-relevant tight ends at once. It's very challenging for any NFL offense to achieve that, and the Jets probably aren't up for the challenge in a rebuild year with Geno Smith under center. Taylor is a solid handcuff in case Sadiq gets hurt, but he's falling out of favor in most fantasy leagues. He has dropped to TE23 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings
by Ari Koslow | Jets Correspondent | Thu, May 28th 3:22pm EDT Jets reporter Ryan Dunleavy said Braelon Allen "looked spry" in practice on Thursday. ( Ryan Dunleavy on Twitter ) Fantasy Impact: Dunleavy added that Allen bounced a couple long runs to the outside. He is working his way back from a season-ending injury and figures to remain in his 1B/backup role behind Breece Hall. Braelon Allen has bounced a couple long runs to the outside. Looking spry off season-ending injury #Jets Category: Injury Updates | More Braelon Allen : News , Rankings , Projections , Stats
Allen is a big back with good passing-down abilities, though more as a blocker than as a receiver, and he should play some visible role in the 2026 Jets offense. The hype about Allen taking Breece Hall's workload has proven silly, however, and fellow runner Isaiah Davis has been the much more useful player through two seasons. The good news is that though Allen missed the last 13 games of the season with an MCL injury, his recovery likely completed some time before the new year. Allen's health is probably a non-issue or close to it going into training camp, so if there is a short-yardage/goal-line back role to claim with the Jets then Allen should be in a good position to do it. In terms of base functions it would seem pretty clear that Hall and even Davis are the superior players, though
Happy Saturday, Jets fans! Here are today’s links to help you kick off your weekend. NY Jets – What Is Your Biggest Takeaway From the Jets Schedule? Antwan Staley – After Jets’ primetime shutout, NFL VP points to flex scheduling as possibility Brian Costello – The NFL isn’t doing the Jets any favors with their schedule Michael Nania – NY Jets schedule prediction: There are wins that fans don’t see Michael Nania – Too many Jets fans are pegging these 3 matchups as losses Connor Long – Where does the NY Jets’ offensive line place in ESPN’s rankings? Connor Long – 3 takeaways from the NY Jets’ official 2026 schedule Bent – Jets 2026 schedule: Analysis and season prediction Albert Bainbridge IV – See NY Jets schedule release video for 2026 as ‘football is art’ Justin Melo – De’Von Achane extension makes Jets’ Breece Hall contract look better Justin Melo – Will Tim Patrick make the New York Jets’ 53-man roster? Nick Wojton – 2026 NFL schedule release: Jets one of five teams in this category Charlie Baduini – Jets’ Garrett Wilson snubbed in list of league’s top wide receivers Charlie Baduini – Darren Mougey makes good on post-draft promise to Breece Hall, Jets fans Justin Fried – Bailey Zappe somehow has a real path to the Jets’ backup QB job Jake Elman – Former Jets assistant gets new coaching job ahead of 88th birthday Colby Colwell – Jets Given More Reason for Hope That T’Vondre Sweat Trade Will Pay Off Efstathios Savvidis – Braelon Allen vs. Isaiah Davis : Which RB Should the Jets Trade This Offseason Jovan Alford – Predicting Every New York Jets Game Score Even Though It’s Way Too Early Here are your missed connections from yesterday. Have a great Saturday!
Allen is set to reclaim a backup role behind Breece Hall in 2026, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. The Jets appear content to bring back the same running back room they had last season, with Hall leading the way while Allen and Isaiah Davis fill backup roles. Allen has recovered from an MCL injury suffered last October, which carried a return timetable of 8-to-12 weeks at that point. While the 2024 fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin has impressed in practice, Allen will likely continue to cede the majority of backfield opportunities to Hall, who agreed to a three-year, $45.75 million extension with the Jets earlier in the offseason
