After two straight defeats, the Cleveland Browns face a bit of a conundrum at the NFL trade deadline.
The Browns would like to help their roster to make a playoff push over the final two months of the regular season. However, the team likely doesn’t want to go all in with its 5-4 record and third-place standing in the AFC North.
Therefore, any player the Browns might acquire at the trade deadline will have to be cheap or under contract past 2026.
A player who fits that profile may have just become available on the trade block Monday — New York Jets edge rusher Will McDonald IV.
After NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported McDonald requested a trade Monday morning, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson suggested the Browns as a possible suitor.
“Not sure on the fit (or more importantly the price) but this is the kind of potential target who makes some sense for the Browns because he’s under contract through ‘27,” wrote Jackson on X.
McDonald has three sacks with two tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits in nine games this season. However, the edge rusher has seen his playing time for the Jets decrease this fall.
From 2024-25, McDonald registered 18.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 43 quarterback hits in 32 contests while lining up for two-thirds of New York’s snaps on defense.
Could Browns Acquire Will McDonald at 2026 NFL Trade Deadline?
When he reposting Zack Rosenblatt’s update on McDonald early Monday afternoon, Jackson appeared to be spit-balling more than anything. The Browns insider openly admitted he wasn’t sure how McDonald could fit in Cleveland schematically.
The price for McDonald might too rich for the Browns too. More than likely, it would cost a team a late Day 2 selection to acquire the edge rusher from the Jets.
It’s also worth noting Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has gone on record saying the team isn’t going to trade McDonald. That pretty much throws Jackson’s spit-balled hypothetical right out the window.
If he was available, the Browns might be interested in a McDonald trade to boost their pass rush. Jared Verse has been a disappointment from the blockbuster Myles Garrett trade. Verse has zero sacks this season.
Then again, despite Verse’s shortcomings, the Browns sit ranked third in the league with 26 sacks through nine weeks. Cleveland also leads the NFL with 60 tackles for loss.
The Browns haven’t had their bye yet, so they’ve had an extra game on other teams in some cases to accumulate team statistics. But notably, Cleveland has seven more tackles for loss than any other team in the league.
What Might Cleveland Do at 2026 NFL Trade Deadline?
As previously mentioned, the Browns are in a bit of a tricky spot with the timing of the NFL trade deadline. But if there’s an overall takeaway to have from Jackson’s hypothetical deal for McDonald, it’s the type of trade the Browns could pursue.
Again, an impact player already under contract is the ideal target for Cleveland. That would allow the Browns to have the trade candidate in 2027 as well when the team might be more prepared to make a playoff run in Todd Monken’s second season.
The NFL’s trade deadline is set for Tuesday at 4 pm ET.
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