After practice Wednesday, RB Breece Hall patiently answered questions about the trade of two friends -- CB Sauce Gardner to the Colts and DT Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys.
"Just the nature of the business," Hall said. "Lost two really good players, two people I'm really good friends with, really close with, and it sucks, but it's just the nature of the business."
There was speculation that Hall would also be moved before Tuesday's deadline, but he will make his ninth start of the season Sunday vs. the Browns.
"Like I said from the summer, I'm not promised anything," he said. "I'm not necessarily the guy that they drafted, so there's no guarantees. There's no nothing. So every week I've been trying to go out there and earn it. So that's just what it is."
By any measuring stick, Hall has been focused on being the best he can be for the Jets this season. He leads the Green & White with 581 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and 2 TDs (both in the Jets' last outing at Cincinnati) and, of course, a TD pass to rookie TE Mason Taylor that got the Jets even en route to their first win of the season.
"I'm focused on the season and focused on serving my teammates as best as I can during the week and on Sundays," Hall said, looking ahead to facing the visiting Browns and their tough defense at MetLife Stadium.
Hall is in the final year of his rookie contract and could, conceivably, become a free agent at the end of the season unless he re-signs with the Jets or takes on the franchise tag.
Asked if he requested a trade, his response was emphatic: "No."
He added: "I don't think it's up to a player to be traded. It's not really. I think in my situation, if I was going to be traded it was going to be whether I wanted to be or not. It's just like I said if it was going to happen, it was going to happen whether I wanted it to or not. So it was one of those things where I was like, I mean, I can't control what's going to go on. It's going to be what it's going to be. So I just got to be where my feet are and take it with a grain of salt. ... I'm focused on ball on Sundays and letting the rest of it take care of yourself."
Regardless of the outside noise, at 24 years old, Hall, ideally, has some of his best years ahead of him. Putting his best on tape right now is in his best interest, and the best interest of the Jets.
"I'm worried about Sundays, because at the end of the day, you know your value comes from you performing on Sunday. So that's all I'm worried about."
