The NFL trade deadline is weeks away, but the New York Jets could play a role in how it all plays out.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY called pass rusher Will McDonald a “prime candidate” to potentially be on the move.
“He has two sacks and four quarterback hits this year. He’s not nearly as good of a fit in Aaron Glenn’s defense as he was in Robert Saleh’s wide-nine attacking front. The Falcons, where old friend Jeff Ulbrich is defensive coordinator, would be a spot I’d monitor,” Hughes wrote.
However, he put a caveat to all of this trade chatter.
“It really depends on their record. They have three more games before the deadline. If they drop them all, and sit 2-7, it makes sense to move on from players you don’t believe are part of your future,” Hughes responded when asked if the Jets could be sellers at the trade deadline.
This Important Stretch
The NFL trade deadline is on Tuesday, November 10. Gang Green plays three more games before the deadline:
- Versus the Miami Dolphins (0-5)
- Versus the Las Vegas Raiders (3-3)
- At the Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)
There is an interesting pivot point. If the Jets win two of their next three, they will be 4-5 and in the mix.
According to ESPN’s FPI Analytics, the Jets are a 65.7% favorite to beat the Dolphins, a 46.3% underdog to beat the Raiders, and an overwhelming 15.2% dog to upset the Chiefs.
Jets Have to Ask Themselves a Brutally Honest Question
Do the Jets envision a long-term future with McDonald? If the answer is yes, you clearly don’t trade him. However, if they answered no to that question, then it’s time to move him if the price is right.
This past offseason, the Jets asked themselves that question about pass rusher Jermaine Johnson. They came to the realization that he wasn’t long for New York. So the team creatively flipped him in a trade with the Tennessee Titans for nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat.
McDonald is the Jets’ most attractive trade asset. Daniel Popper of The Athletic ranked the 50 players who could be moved ahead of the trade deadline. McDonald was ranked No. 20 on the big board.
“McDonald survived the Jets’ fire sale ahead of last year’s trade deadline. In the spring, the Jets exercised his fifth-year option for $13.75 million fully guaranteed in 2027. He is on a cheap base salary for 2026 in the fourth year of his rookie deal. The Jets have depth at edge rusher, and rookie David Bailey is emerging, though free-agent addition Joseph Ossai is now dealing with an ankle injury. Ossai also missed the first two games of the year. McDonald is a twitchy rusher with some diversity in his attack, including an inside spin move,” Popper wrote.
He listed four teams as “best fits” in a potential trade:
The Jets can never have enough assets for general manager Darren Mougey to work with.
‘Prime’ Trade Candidate Emerges for Jets Before Deadline