Jets running back Breece Hall at minicamp on Wednesday.

Jets running back Breece Hall at minicamp on Wednesday. Credit: Ed Murray

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — There is a quote in Breece Hall’s cell phone that he reads every day for inspiration. The words — “If not me, then who?” — motivate Hall more now, as he’s driven to show his new Jets coaches that they can run the offense through him.

Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand come from Detroit where the Lions were a run-heavy offense and used a two-headed rushing attack. They both have said the Jets’ three returning backs— Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis — will play. Hall is out to prove he can handle most of the workload himself.

“I'm around a new GM, new coaches, a lot of new faces — I got to go prove that I am 'The Guy,' ” Hall said after the Jets’ minicamp practice Wednesday. “That's every day. I feel like [with] my skill-set,  I'm a three-down back and second to none to a lot of the backs in the league.

“We have a great running back room, a lot of healthy competition, but my mentality is every day I'm going to prove that I am the best back on this roster and one of the best backs in the league.”

Hall, a second-round pick in 2022, was trending that way in his second season after returning from a torn ACL as a rookie.

In 2023, Hall finished six rushing yards shy of 1,000 and led all backs in catches (76) and receiving yards (591). Everything dipped last year. The Jets didn’t run the ball as much with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and didn’t win as much as expected. Hall ran for 876 yards and caught 57 passes for 483 yards. He also was dealing with a knee issue that kept him out of one game. Hall said it “was pretty serious” and he probably should have taken more time off.

His decline in production is an additional source of motivation for Hall, who also became the subject of trade rumors around the NFL Draft.

On their second day of mandatory minicamp, the Jets are pleased with the progression of the team. Credit: Ed Murray

“It's always frustrating when you're not winning games and playing as well as you expect,” Hall said. “Then after the season there's always somebody to blame or somebody that the blame just gets put on, and a lot of it just so happen to kind of be on me.”

Hall is motivated by that as well. This is a prove-it season all the way around for Hall, who is in the final year of his contract and hoping to get paid.

“That's always a motivator, but regardless of it being my contract year or not I did not have a good season last year,” Hall said. “That's all the motivation I need for me to want to be better.”

Glenn and Engstrand have spoken highly of Hall and his skills and versatility. He could have explosive plays in this offense.

“He's detailed, and he is an all-around player,” Engstrand said. “He's not pigeonholed into one type of back. He's not an inside runner, not an outside runner. He kind of can do a lot of all of it. And the pass game is huge for us too.”

Quarterback Justin Fields said Hall’s ability to catch the ball surprised him a little.

“He has natural hands, kind of like a receiver,” Fields said. “He’s really just an all-around back.”

Hall plans to put that on display every chance he gets. There was a time that Hall wasn’t sure for which team he'd be doing it.

He saw the reports on social media about the Jets possibly trading him leading up to the draft. Hall said he planned to let it play out, but then he got a call from Glenn. Hall said Glenn told him, “I don’t want to trade you. I want you to be here. You’re going to be here. You’re our running back.”

That was a relief for Hall.

“If people feel like you aren't doing your job, you're going to be replaced,” Hall said. “It didn't happen. I'm here. AG called me and told me he wanted me to be here. So, for me, that meant a lot. I'm here, I'm here to work, I'm here to do my job and that’s to prove to them I deserve to be here.”

Jets streams

Fields said he would try to get together with his receivers during the break before training camp next month and keep working on building chemistry . . . The Jets end their three-day minicamp Thursday.

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