Jets place franchise tag on running back Breece Hall before the deadline, AP source says

The New York Jets placed the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall, while several other teams decide whether to use the tag on potential free agents before Tuesday's deadline.

A person familiar with the decision said the Jets placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Hall, guaranteeing him a one-year contract worth about $14.3 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced.

SNY first reported the decision.

Hall is the third player to get the tag this offseason with Dallas receiver George Pickens and Atlanta tight end Kyle Pitts getting them well before the deadline.

Players getting the tag can still be signed to an offer sheet once free agency officially starts March 11, but their current teams would have five days to match the offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation.

Among the other possible tag candidates are Indianapolis' Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce, Cincinnati edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, Seattle's Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III and Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh.

The three tags so far this year surpass last year's total of two, which was the fewest since 1994, according to the NFL. There had been an average of more than nine franchise tags handed out each year from 2020-24.

Hall, who turns 25 in May, was a second-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Iowa State, but didn’t receive a contract extension last offseason as first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson did. That caused some uncertainty about Hall’s future with the franchise, and he was mentioned in trade rumors leading up to last year’s deadline.

But coach Aaron Glenn insisted the Jets wanted to keep Hall as the engine of their offense. New York planned to use a three-running back approach with Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis sharing carries, but Allen injured a knee and landed on injured reserve and Davis remained a clear No. 2.

The Jets, with new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, will be looking for a new quarterback this offseason but the franchise tag on Hall gives New York the chance to keep the playmaking running back in its backfield while also trying to negotiate a contract extension.

Hall rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards in 2025 despite missing the final game with a knee ailment, becoming the first Jets player to top 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Chris Ivory in 2015. Hall has 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three straight seasons, just the sixth player — and fifth running back — in franchise history to accomplish that feat.

Only one running back in the NFL is scheduled to make at least $14 million in cash next season with 2024 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley set to be paid $16.75 million from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pickens' tag is worth about $27.3 million for next season as the Cowboys look to retain him after acquiring him in a deal from Pittsburgh last offseason.

Pickens, who turns 25 on Wednesday, had career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Pitts' tag is worth about $15 million for next season. The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft earned second-team All-Pro honors after he had a career-high 88 receptions and five touchdowns last season. His 928 receiving yards were the second most among NFL tight ends, behind only Arizona’s Trey McBride.

Teams can sign players on the franchise tags to long-term deals between now and July 15, otherwise players can only play on one-year deals for 2026.

AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. contributed to this report

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

FILE - New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) carries the ball during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Dec. 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis, File)

Tens of thousands of airline passengers are stranded by the Iran war that has spread across the Gulf region, but some wealthy travelers are getting out — by paying large sums for luxury flights to Europe via airports that are safe from Iranian drone and missile attacks.

Demand for charter flights has skyrocketed, with some people paying up to 200,000 euros ($232,000) as major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, Qatar, were closed after the start of the conflict last weekend.

Travelers from Dubai, usually known as a safe and luxurious destination, are seeking to evacuate by traveling overland either to Muscat, Oman, about a four-hour drive, or to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, more than 10 hours away. Then they board one of the few available commercial flights or take a charter flight, whose costs have soared since the start of the war.

“The demand is huge, and we can’t deliver enough aircraft to respond to the demand,” said Altay Kula, CEO of the France-based private jet broker JET-VIP.

Whereas normally a charter flight on a private jet that can accommodate up to 16 passengers from Riyadh to Porto in Portugal may cost around 100,000 euros ($115,800) these days, the cost has doubled, Kula said.

“This increase in cost reflects the aircraft’s scarcity, the repositioning costs as well, and the operator risk assessments. So this is not speculative pricing,” he added.

Prices can vary depending on the departure point, the type of aircraft and the route constraints, said Ameerh Naran, CEO of Vimana Private Jets. For flights from the Gulf region to Europe, prices are ranging from 150,000 euros ($173,800) to 200,000 euros, he added.

In order to reach functional airports such as those in Riyadh and Muscat, some travelers hire private security companies that coordinate transportation in vehicles ranging from ordinary passenger cars to coach buses.

Due to the heavy traffic, wait times at border points with Oman can be up to four hours, while costs range in the thousands of dollars, said Ian McCaul, operations and planning director with Alma Risk, a U.K.-based risk management and security firm.

Those seeking to leave are predominantly stranded travelers, as opposed to residents, McCaul added.

He estimates his company has made transfer arrangements for more than 200 people and advised several others in recent days.

Vimana's clients include business executives, families and entrepreneurs, as well as remote workers who had been based in the region, Naran said.

Elie Hanna, CEO for the Middle East headquarters of Air Charter Service, based in Dubai, said most of the flights out of the region are leaving from Oman. The prices are so high, he said, because few charter planes are available since most of them are stuck at airports that are now closed.

The clients he is seeing range from people who regularly charter private, as well as people who generally fly commercial but are trying to pool resources with other travelers or families to share the expense.

“Everyone is stressed," Hanna said. "To be honest, everyone is trying to accommodate as much as they can. Muscat Airport is overloaded with flights and everybody is stressed.”

Experts from the International SOS security and health services company expect the fighting to continue to affect transportation and energy infrastructure for weeks.

A few people walk in a public plaza in downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)

Light traffic moves along a main road in downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)

ADDS CAUSE OF BLACK SMOKE IN THE BACKGROUND.- A plume of smoke caused by an Iranian strike is seen in the background an an Emirates plane is parked at the Dubai International Airport after its closure in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)