The Buffalo Bills could make some additions to their defense before the NFL trade deadline, but won’t be able to find help with a league-worst team from the AFC West.
The Los Angeles Chargers were expected to sell off assets as they dropped to 0-7 and likely already out of the playoff race, but new reports indicate that they don’t plan to trade away any players. That could complicate plans for the Bills, who had been seen as a strong destination for cornerback Donte Jackson.
Bills Won’t Be Able to Land Chargers CB
NFL analyst Daniel Popper of The Athletic saw Jackson as a potential fit for the Bills, noting that he has a knack for creating turnovers and would come relatively cheap.
“Jackson is in the final year of a two-year free-agent deal he signed in 2025. He has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. Jackson is one of the most compelling defensive backs on this list. He is on an expiring deal,” Popper wrote.
“He is relatively cheap, so he is an option for teams tight against the cap. And he is an experienced veteran who can acclimate quickly to a variety of schemes, though a zone-heavy scheme would be the best fit. Jackson has 23 career interceptions, tied for fifth-most among active players.”
But the Chargers have adopted what appears to be a counterintuitive plan for the NFL trade deadline. The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones reported that the Chargers have “signaled to everyone” that they won’t trade away any players.
“It has confounded rival teams who wish to peck at the Chargers’ carcass before Tuesday. And in searching for a reason, a few executives I spoke with pointed to the head coach specifically,” Jones wrote.
“Jim Harbaugh is always good for a quote. He has said he remembers the weather on the day he was born. He thinks Justin Herbert is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, someone he would follow to hell and back.”
Bills Lose Another Target, Too
If the Chargers hold to their stance against trading away players, it could take another big target away from the Bills. They were seen as strong candidates for All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack, who played his college ball just north of Orchard Park at the University of Buffalo.
The Bills could look to other targets. ESPN’s Seth Walder suggested they could make a run at three-time NFL All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III.
“If the Falcons keep Bates through the deadline, the risk they lose him for nothing is high,” Walder wrote. “Buffalo is in the opposite cap situation, so this would be like a short-term signing. But Bates probably would net them something like a fourth-round compensatory pick in 2028 if he signed elsewhere next offseason, significantly softening how much draft capital Buffalo is giving up in this scenario.”
Bills Get Final Answer on Ball-Hawking Cornerback Trade Target