Jets' Frank Reich Calls Breece Hall Bell Cow, Says Braelon Allen Split Will Be Mix

The New York Jets travel to Kansas City this weekend with Breece Hall in line to return from a quadriceps injury that has kept him out for five games. Braelon Allen started all five in his place, and he ran for 147 yards on 21 carries in Sunday’s 38-33 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

At his Thursday press conference, Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich said the offensive staff is waiting on Jets coach Aaron Glenn to set the framework for how the two backs will be used.

“It’s a great problem to have,” Reich said. “You got two No. 1 backs. Breece is obviously the bell cow, he’s our guy, but it’ll be a mix. And as far as hot hand, not hot hand, I think that’s always an in-game, feel thing.”

Hall opened the season with 102 rushing yards and a 4-yard touchdown against the Tennessee Titans, a game that moved him to 10th on the Jets’ career rushing list at 3,500 yards. He started the first three games before going down late in the fourth quarter of a Sept. 27 loss in Detroit.

Glenn called him week-to-week three days later, and Allen has been the starter for every game since.

In those five starts, Allen has 93 carries for 504 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 13 catches for 70 yards.

By the time the Jets left New England after their Week 6 loss, he had 9 runs of 10 or more yards over two games, according to the team’s website. Curtis Martin and Chris Ivory are the only other Jets running backs to do that since 1991.

Glenn said the next morning that Allen had been trusting the offensive line on where the holes were going to be.

“That’s something that we’ve talked about ever since [Allen]’s taken over as the starting running back,” Glenn said. “He’s showing that he has the capability of being the bell cow, and it’s good to have another guy on our team.”

“Especially when Breece comes back that he [Allen] can actually handle a load like that because now you can make sure you can share those responsibilities as far as giving those guys the ball, knowing that Breece is our starter,” Glenn continued. “I think Braelon did an outstanding job coming in and really running the ball as hard as he is, trusting the O-line as far as where the holes are going to be, and I think that speaks for itself.”

He has gone over 100 rushing yards three times in the five games. Hall’s best season for that was 2023, when he did it three times, and he has never gained 504 yards over any five-game stretch, according to The Athletic.

His 21-yard touchdown run against Las Vegas came in the third quarter. Allen missed most of last season with a knee injury and has 260 career touches, while Hall has logged 1,004.

Reich said Allen’s patience in the hole is part of it, along with his size.

“Braelon, he’s just a hard tackle,” Reich explained. “He’s a big man, so you can’t wrap him up. I think that’s part of it and then he’s got patience. We’ve all seen him. He’s in a hole and it’s just boom, boom, boom and all of a sudden, boom, he’s out.”

Hall tore his ACL as a rookie in 2022, months after the Jets drafted him 36th overall. Allen was a fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin two years later.

In May, after tagging him ahead of free agency, the Jets gave Hall a three-year, $45.75 million contract. Allen’s salary is $1.2 million this season and $1.3 million in 2027.

“The role won’t change,” Glenn said last week of Hall’s return. Eight days before the deadline, on Monday, he said he understood how the trade noise around Hall had started.

“Breece is still a part of this team,” Glenn explained. “I understand how the noise happens when things like this happen. I’ve said it before, we’re in the business of keeping good players and he’s one of our better players, so Breece will still be here.”

Reich called Hall one of the best running backs in the NFL last week.

“Well, that’s obviously coach’s decision, but they’re both the guy … I mean, that’s a good problem to have,” Reich said. “That’s coach’s decision, but to me … Breece is our guy. I’m assuming Breece is our guy, you know what I mean? He’s one of the best in the NFL, but I think what’s been so [exciting] is like, oh my gosh, we’ve got two of them. I mean, we’ve got two. This Braelon guy, he’s a beast as well.”

The Jets are 2-6 and have lost three straight. Kickoff against the 5-2 Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS, and the Buffalo Bills come to MetLife Stadium a week later, on Nov. 15.