The Kansas City Chiefs could have had New York Jets running back Breece Hall for a third-round pick at the 2025 trade deadline.
When the Nov. 4 trade deadline came around, the Kansas City Chiefs had a 5-4 record and had the opportunity to improve one of their greatest roster flaws.
The New York Jets were shopping their star dual-threat running back Breece Hall for a third-round pick and the Chiefs were expected to land him, considering Kansas City wasn’t getting production from its running back room.
While the Chiefs were interested in acquiring Hall’s services, General Manager Brett Veach wasn’t interested in parting ways with a third-round pick for a suspected rental. Instead, Veach offered a fourth-round pick, but the Jets declined and ultimately held onto Hall through the deadline.
Veach was heavily criticized for being stubborn and even though the running game wasn’t the only aspect of the team that struggled, it played a huge role in their downfall.
Two-time Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes was the team’s leading rusher for a large chunk of the season and he set a career-high in rushing yards (422) on his third-most carries in a single season (64). Mahomes tore multiple ligaments in his left knee rushing for a first down in an attempt to save Kansas City’s playoff chances late in Week 15 because he had to do too much throughout the year and it caught up with him.
I’m not saying if the Chiefs traded for Hall that Mahomes’ injury would have been avoided, but maybe it could have been. The Chiefs knew that Hall would be a free agent after the season, which is probably why Veach didn’t want to give up more than a fourth-round pick.
After passing on Hall at the trade deadline, it’s time for the Chiefs to correct their mistake and sign him in the offseason. ESPN’s Matt Bowen ranked Hall as the seventh-best free agent available.
“He's a fluid mover with good contact balance and the vision to find daylight, and he brings a dual-threat element to the backfield,” Bowen wrote Wednesday. “Hall has 188 receptions in his career, while averaging 90 total yards per game. He also has 87 rushes of 10 or more yards over four seasons, serving as a three-down back who can rattle off a big play.”
Hall will be entering his age-25 season and is coming off three consecutive seasons with 200 or more carries and over 1,000 all-purpose yards. Hall had his first 1,000-yard rushing season and has cemented himself as a reliable workhorse.
He is effective in both the running game and passing game, proving to be a safety blanket for his quarterbacks. Hall should have been a Chief for the second half of 2025, and it would be silly not to throw a competitive offer at him when free agency opens up March 11.