The biggest shock for Jets fans isn’t that Breece Hall got hurt. It’s that he might be ready to run the ball in the very first game of the season. Coach Aaron Glenn told reporters on Tuesday that the star running back is practicing again. Glenn said Hall is “trending toward playing” in the opener against the Tennessee Titans, which comes as a relief after Hall missed time with a groin strain suffered during camp.
The Timeline for Recovery
Hall got hurt on August 17 while running drills at training camp. He grabbed his upper right groin area and had to walk off with trainers. Most players with that injury miss 2-3 weeks or more, but Glenn has stuck to a specific plan since day one. The coach said Hall would likely miss just two to three weeks, a timeline that puts him right on track for Sunday. On Tuesday, drills were joined by Hall at the start of practice, and Glenn stated that the bell cow is “trending towards playing” for Week 1. “He’s trending… he’s trending toward playing. He’ll be practicing this week,” Glenn said. The team has an off day on Wednesday before they return to work on Thursday, with the Jets set to face the Titans in Tennessee to kick off the 2026 regular season.
A Fresh Contract and Fresh Legs
This return matters because Hall is coming off his best year as a pro. He rushed for 1,065 yards with four rushing touchdowns last season. In addition, he secured 36 receptions totaling 350 yards along with a score. Those numbers show he was already the engine of the offense before the injury, and the team knew how valuable he is. This offseason, Hall agreed to a new three-year extension with the Jets worth $43.5 million. It can reach $45.75 million if he hits all his incentives, and the contract includes $29 million that is fully guaranteed. According to Associated Press, Hall played in 16 games and carried the ball 243 times last year, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Those are the numbers a team builds its season around, so losing that kind of production for half the year would have hurt the whole roster. Now the Jets get him back when they need him most. The opener is the first chance to prove the offense can run, and Hall’s return gives the team a chance to start strong.
The Plan for Practice
Glenn has a clear plan for getting Hall ready. The coach said they will have special parts of practice called opportunity periods where Hall will be a huge part of that time on the field. “We’ll have a number of periods in practice we call opportunity periods and he will be a huge part of that,” Glenn said. They will make the right decision when the time comes, but the path is clear for Hall to play. Hall is entering his fifth year with the Jets and has shown he can handle a heavy load. Now he just needs to stay healthy for the long haul, giving the team a boost right when the season starts for anyone who wears the green. The season begins on Sunday in Tennessee. If Hall plays, the Jets have a weapon they cannot ignore, forcing the Titans defense to game plan for a full-speed runner before the coin even flips.
