Jets’ Breece Hall participates in team drills for another key step

Breece Hall took another step Thursday in his return from the ACL injury that ended his rookie season. 

Hall ran the ball in team drills for the first time since coming off the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday.

It was a non-padded, light practice, but Hall looked quick and made a few cuts.

He only took five snaps, running the ball twice.

Hall lined up at wide receiver on another play and caught a slant pass from Aaron Rodgers and then turned on the afterburners, racing his way through the defense. 

Coach Robert Saleh was beaming after seeing Hall race to the end zone even though the officials did rule he would have been tackled before scoring and blew the whistle. 

“He scored,” Saleh said with a smile. “No one touched him.” 

Hall tore his ACL last Oct. 23, and has been working his way back this offseason.

The Jets have maintained that he will be ready for Week 1.

Saleh said they will increase his workload next week, the final week of training camp.

The Jets have three weeks until they open the season against the Bills. 

“He’s going to continue to ramp up and build up, so next week, he won’t play in the game, but we anticipate that we’re going to continue ramping him up to where we feel comfortable for his availability in Week 1,” Saleh said. 

The Jets had to be encouraged with how Hall looked Thursday. 

“It was good to get him out there,” Saleh said. “He still can run, that’s for damn sure.” 

Saleh said the plan for Saturday’s preseason game against the Buccaneers will be very similar to last week against the Panthers in terms of who will play. 

“A couple more defensive guys will play, but that same plan for the offense,” Saleh said. 

Rodgers won’t play against the Bucs but Saleh has not closed the door on Rodgers playing in the final preseason game with the Giants next week. 

The Jets offensive line has drawn plenty of criticism in the last week.

The man in charge of the group, offensive line coach Keith Carter spoke to the media Thursday and gave his opinion of where the group is at. 

“If I’m being completely honest with you guys, I don’t think we played well [last week] when we went to Carolina and I think we answered well,” Carter said. “I thought we were making the right steps and we were fighting, scrapping and clawing.

“We are not there yet. But I thought our trajectory was on the right path and we just kind of laid an egg last week and since then we’re battling back.”