Jets' Breece Hall says he deactivated X account after receiving threatening messages while injured

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Jets running back Breece Hall said he deactivated his X account last week because he was receiving threats on social media while he missed games due to injury.

“Since I haven't been playing and I've been questionable and limited, and people not finding out I'm not playing till game day, I've had people like threatening me and my family on social media,” Hall said inside the Jets’ locker room on Thursday. “It's not something that's good for your mental health that you should be looking at.

“So, I'm just like, all right, if people think it's that serious, if you're willing to go that low, then it's like nothing that I need to look at.”

The Jets declined to comment on Hall’s claim that he was threatened.

Hall wouldn’t go into much detail, but he said he was accused of faking his quad injury that has sidelined him the last five games, or that it was just a bruised hip.

“It's a whole bunch of stuff, but it’s been a lot,” Hall said. “It is what it is.”

Hall said some of this wasn’t necessarily anything new.

“I've had a very much love-hate relationship with Jets fans,” Hall said. “That's part of being an athlete in New York. They want you to be available, they want you to play, they want you to play very well.”

Hall is expected to return this week when the Jets play in Kansas City. He said people don’t know “how serious” his injury was. Hall returned to practice two weeks ago, but he said the quad would still get inflamed, sore and stiff.

“The position I play is all me being explosive and cutting and using my quad, so there was no point in risking re-injury,” Hall said.

Hall indicated that the play of Braelon Allen made it easier to make sure he didn’t push it and come back too soon. Allen has been carrying the load in Hall’s absence and playing well. Allen rushed for a career-high 147 yards last week.

When Hall scrubbed his X account, there was speculation all over social media that he wanted to be traded, or the Jets were going to deal him by Tuesday’s trade deadline because of Allen’s emergence.

Aaron Glenn indicated this week that the Jets don’t plan to trade Hall, who was a full participant in practice Thursday for the first time since he suffered his injury in Detroit in Week 3. It’s almost been a tradition, though, that Hall’s name comes up in trade rumors.

“If I have 100 yards they love me, if I don’t everybody’s like, ‘Get him out of here,’” Hall said. “It’s all about just worrying about what people think of you who are in the building and in your immediate circle and not worry about all the external factors.

Hall was reportedly close to being sent to Kansas City before last year’s trade deadline. The Jets held on to Hall and signed him to a three-year, $45.75 million extension in the offseason. Allen’s play as a lead back has led to the latest round of rumors.

“Y’all been asking me this for the last three years, so it's been the same thing,” Hall said about the trade rumors. “I continue to play every week, show up every week and y’all can continue to ask me the same questions.”

The Jets have a very interesting situation brewing in the backfield. They have viewed Hall as the starter and a three-down back, but Allen has shown he deserves a bigger role.

Allen has rushed for more than 100 yards in three games in place of Hall and has had more than 100 scrimmage yards in the last four. When asked about how he would use the two backs, Glenn said, “Both guys will play.”

Offensive coordinator Frank Reich said it would be Glenn’s call on how to use Hall and Allen and things could change based on the flow of the game and who’s running well.

“We have certain plays that are tagged for one or the other, but it's a great problem to have,” Reich said. “You got two No. 1 backs. Breece is obviously the bell cow. He's our guy. But it'll be a mix. And as far as hot hand, not hot hand, I think that's always an in-game feel thing. … I know I haven't had two guys like this, but it's just an in-game feel thing.”

Hall still sees himself as a starter and “a very good running back in this league.” He’s happy that Allen has shown the type of player he is and sounded fine with them forming a one-two punch in the backfield.

“It should have been that way from Game 1,” Hall said. “The past few weeks everybody’s reaching their stride. Hopefully they can just insert me and I’m able to do what I do. I’m looking forward to Sunday.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.