The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t pull the trigger on a trade to acquire New York Jets running back Breece Hall at the 2025 NFL trade deadline.
ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak called that a “serious misstep” in an article posted on Tuesday, December 9.
“Fold the simplicity of the running game in with the lack of running back talent, and we get a toothless rushing attack … The Chiefs fail to create big ground gains at a truly historic rate. The 2025 Chiefs have the lowest explosive rush rate on RB carries among all seasons since 2000 (2.6%). The 2024 Chiefs were [the] third lowest (2.8%). [Kareem] Hunt and Isiah Pacheco (post-injury) break tackles for sure, but they don’t run away from anyone,” Solak said.
“This is not a new problem. The Chiefs have been lugging a shotgun-heavy, oversimplified, just-get-us-four-yards-on-third-and-3 running game to the Super Bowl for several seasons. Reid built a running game optimized for short-yardage execution and got exactly what he bargained for there. The Chiefs average 3.6 yards per run from the gun (30th) and 1.7 yards before contact per rush (29th). This is not worthy of a defense’s respect. The Chiefs cannot force safeties closer to the line of scrimmage or lure heavier defensive personnel onto the field. They run at a bare minimum to support the passing game and get the bare minimum from their running game as a result,” Solak added.
“Even when the Chiefs invested early at running back with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, they did so in large part because of his potential impact as a pass catcher. If the reports are true that general manager Brett Veach could have had Jets running back Breece Hall for a third-round pick at the deadline this year and passed, that was a serious misstep. If the Chiefs’ draft capital has not gone into ancillary players around the running game, then where has it gone?” Solak continued.
Multiple Reports Confirm That Chiefs Bypassed on Hall Trade With the Jets
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY was the first to reveal that the Chiefs offered a 2026 fourth-round pick for Hall. The Jets held steady at wanting a 2026 third-round pick and refused to budge on that price.
The trade deadline came and went with no action on these talks. Hall remained a member of the Jets, and the Chiefs held pat.
ESPN’s Nate Taylor confirmed this is how things went down in a column posted on November 6, 2025.
“Surprisingly, the Chiefs stood pat — a decision that was made just minutes before the deadline. The closest the Chiefs came to making a trade was for New York Jets running back Breece Hall. According to a team source, the negotiations between the teams broke down over the compensation for Hall, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. The Chiefs offered a 2026 fourth-round pick for the 24-year-old, who the source says wanted to join another team after fellow teammates cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams were traded Tuesday. The Jets, though, wanted a 2026 third-round pick,” Taylor wrote.
Chiefs Don’t Make Any Sense…
In October of 2022, the Chiefs sent a 2023 third-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick for New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
So the Chiefs were willing to give up multiple picks, including a third-round draft choice, for Toney, a first-round bust with the Giants, but a cheaper price point than that crossed the line for Hall? That doesn’t make any sense.
Over the last six years, the Chiefs have been in five Super Bowls — winning three of them. Kansas City has been to the AFC Championship game seven straight years. They have Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL.
If you could give up a random draft pick to increase his chances of winning, wouldn’t you do it?
Now history is set to change. The Chiefs are on the outside of the playoffs, looking in. While the Jets have a renewed focus to not only keep Hall for 2027, but beyond that, on a potential long-term deal.
Life sometimes works in mysterious ways.
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