Breece Hall to the Bears? A trade idea worth considering

Ed Mulholland - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Monday, May 05 2025

Now that the NFL draft is over and we have a better sense of what this Chicago Bears roster looks like heading into Rookie Mini Camp, fans have to like what this team has done. Not only have they improved across the board, but they have created an offense that should be one of the best offenses in the league, which could lead to instant success for Caleb Williams.

However, they would still like to address the Running Back room as the Bears would love to add more depth to the Running Back position. Coming from Detroit, Ben Johnson knows the value of having two running backs, as he had David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs for the past two seasons. Johnson also has one year of experience with D'Andre Swift, who remains the Bears' top back.

As good as Swift is, he isn't an every-down back, and for him to be at his best, he needs a reliable backup to take the load off him. Roschon Johnson was the No. 2 back last season, and after dealing with injuries mixed with a lack of production, his future is definitely in question. The Bears also went out and drafted Kyle Monangai in the seventh round this year, and he has the potential to emerge as a reliable No. 2 back.

As good as his potential is, the Bears can't rely on potential as they need to add a proven piece to their backfield. Nick Chubb was floated around last week, as there were some talks that he was close to signing a free-agent deal with the Bears. While that could still happen, nothing is imminent on that front as the Bears will have to resort to plan B.

Plan B could come from the trade market, and New York Jets running back Breece Hall is a name that is starting to surface as a potential trade option for Chicago. Ever since being drafted by the New York Jets in the third round three years ago, Hall has been one of the more consistent backs when on the field, but he has also dealt with injuries throughout his career.

Since the start of 2022, Hall has racked up 2333 yards and 14 scores but has yet to top the 1,000-yard mark. His best season came in 2023 when he finished the season with 974 yards, as the Jets had little to no running game apart from him that season. Along with the rushing yards comes his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, as he has 1292 yards and eight scores up to this point.

When you look at Hall's numbers, they may not scream starter at you, but remember how poor the Jets' offense has been. Even this season, when he didn't even reach 1000 yards, Hall split carries with rookie Braelon Allen, who the Jets feel can take over as the full-time back, making Hall expendable. Although he offers a similar skill set to Swift, Hall is much better at catching passes, allowing Johnson to get creative with both of them in the backfield.

Another thing to consider when discussing Hall as a trade piece is what a reliable offense could do for him. As mentioned, the Jets' offense was lackluster at best, which takes away from his potential as a player. No one will say the Bears' offense is elite at this point, but they have the pieces in place to have a diverse offense, and that alone could help Hall reach his potential as a player.

Anytime a player with Hall's potential becomes available, you have to look at what it would take to get the deal done. While several packages are being thrown around, the one that keeps coming up is Cole Kmet for Hall straight up. That is an interesting proposal that makes sense when you think about it.

From the Bears' viewpoint, Kmet is a great tight end, which he has shown in the past, but Chicago just drafted Coleston Loveland, and from all accounts, he is expected to have a massive role in the offense this season as well in the future. They would also get the perfect complementary piece for Swift in return.

Looking at the Jets' viewpoint, adding Kmet would give them a reliable tight end for the first time in nearly a decade. Their offense has been lacking that, as Tyler Conklin was their top tight end a season ago. They also have Allen as this team's future running back, and he will only get better this season.

Although this is a hypothetical deal at this point, it is a potential deal to keep tabs on throughout the duration of the offseason.