New York Jets running back Breece Hall probably never expected to be in this position back at Iowa State. While the two-time All-American certainly expected to be an NFL star, he probably didn't think San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy would start in the Super Bowl before him.
Now, Hall will get to play his former teammate in Week 1, and he sounded off about it Saturday, via @Coach_Yac on X.
“Playing the 49ers, Brock [Purdy] was my roommate in college and everything,” Hall said. “And [Christian] McCaffrey, I used to watch his highlights all the time. If you go on YouTube and you look up Christian McCaffrey and my history, it'll show I watched the first ten videos of his highlights. It's gonna be cool. Going against Fred Warner and the defense they have over there, it's gonna be a great challenge for me to see where I stand, to see where our offense is, and I think it's gonna be fun.”
Although Hall and Purdy shared plenty of time in school, the two's competitive drive keeps them from communicating often nowadays.
“Na, I haven’t yet,” Hall said when asked if he's talked to Purdy about the game. “Me and him are actually overly competitive with each other, so even in college when we played Madden, whoever won, we wouldn’t talk to each other for the rest of the day. So that’s how it’s going to be until after the game.”
Hall's history with Purdy isn't his only tie with the Niners. He's also cousins with San Francisco legend Roger Craig.
“It's very cool, I know he's gonna be talking stuff to me before the game and everything,” Hall said. “I know he's gonna be rooting for me, so it's gonna be cool.”
With their matchup nearly three months out, how are the Jets and Niners looking currently?
Both the Jets and Niners should survive deep into January
New York made plenty of offseason moves to ensure last season's debacle won't happen again, via ESPN. First, and most importantly, it shored up its offensive line to protect franchise savior Aaron Rodgers. Tyron Smith, John Simpson, and first-round pick Olu Fashanu should all help protect the 40-year-old and make sure he lasts longer than four snaps this time around.
However, the Jets also added former Los Angeles Chargers wideout Mike Williams, as well as former New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Williams will line up opposite star receiver Garret Wilson on the outside, while Taylor will provide insurance for Rodgers, should another doomsday scenario happen again. Taylor, unlike Zach Wilson, has a respectable track record at the NFL level and should be able to provide a steady hand at the wheel for the offense.
San Francisco, on the other hand, focused on the defensive side of the ball, via ESPN. The team locked up veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd on a two-year deal, who registered 10.5 sacks for the Buffalo Bills last season. The Niners also signed linebacker De'Vondre Campbell to add depth with Dre Greenlaw recovering from his Super Bowl Achilles tear. The squad also traded a seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for defensive tackle Maliek Collins, who'll be replacing Arik Armstead.
While the Jets may have missed the playoffs last year, don't be fooled. This'll be a battle of heavyweights, with a lot of bragging rights on the line personally for Breece Hall.
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