The Jets’ season opener against the 49ers will mean a lot to running back Breece Hall.
His cousin is longtime 49ers running back Roger Craig.
His former college roommate was current 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
But beyond those connections, Hall is hoping to show this season that he belongs in the same class as 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey.
What better way to do that than facing him on “Monday Night Football”?
“That’s on me,” Hall said about elevating his game this year. “Right now, I feel like McCaffrey is the best in the league. To me, he sets the standard. I’m going to go up against him in Week 1 and I’m going to go up against the best linebackers out there. For me, now that I’m healthy, I’m just excited to see where I stand and show everybody what I’m made of.”
Hall acknowledged he wasn’t at his best last year after returning from a torn ACL that ended his 2022 rookie season prematurely.
However, Hall played well last season despite coming off an injury.
He finished with 1,585 scrimmage yards, fourth behind McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill.
He rushed for 994 yards and caught 76 passes for 591 yards and nine total touchdowns.
Hall really came into his own at the end of last season.
In his final three games, he totaled 191, 126 and 190 yards, respectively.
“I’m finishing the season on a good note,” Hall said. “Last season I wasn’t 100 percent all the time, but this was my first offseason ever, not just trying to come back but to get even better. This offseason I’ve been even better. I’m fitter. I feel a lot healthier than I ever was. My knee is a lot better. I feel like I’m back to my old self.”
Early in the season, Hall appeared to lose the breakaway speed he displayed before his injury, but he quickly regained it and became a focal point of a struggling Jets offense.
He was also the focal point of every defense the Jets faced as they made multiple changes at quarterback and on the offensive line.
“I don’t think people understand or appreciate the journey it takes to recover from an ACL,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “Brees still wasn’t full Brees until the exact midpoint of the season, but he was still producing. I thought he finished the season very strong, and like I said, he was great through Phase 1 and 2 and the beginning of Phase 3.” [of the spring program]He has a great mindset and does a great job, so I’m excited to see what he can accomplish in ’24.”
Hall sat out the final few weeks of the offseason program.
Saleh said he had “lower body issues.”
Hall said he was able to practice, but the coaching staff was being extra cautious.
The Jets have high hopes for Hall on an offensive line that should be vastly improved this season.
First, Aaron Rodgers is back.
The team also bolstered its offensive line, acquiring wide receiver Mike Williams.
Hall said he’s excited to find out what these changes mean for him.
He believes the Jets’ passing game is so good that teams won’t be able to position safeties close to the line of scrimmage to stop the run.
“It takes a lot of pressure off of us,” Hall said. “We won’t be playing against a one-high box. We’ll be playing a lot of two-high boxes, so we’ll have more space to play. You can’t just sit back in a one-high box because Aaron’s going to crush you. It’s really exciting.”
