Good players whose contracts expire on bad teams.
That’s what you’re looking at when it comes to players who could potentially be traded before the November 10 trade deadline. Any talk of players changing teams at the NFL trade deadline has a distinct profile in mind, with suitors willing to give up a better pick than bad teams can hope to get in compensation for waiting and losing players in free agency.
We’ve already seen deadline trades in the NFL, with center Cam Jurgens going from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Baltimore Ravens, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. going from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback JJ McCarthy going from the Minnesota Vikings to the New York Giants. The biggest came a little over a week ago, when the Arizona Cardinals pulled the plug on wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and traded him to the Houston Texans.
A year ago, major trades took place involving first-round picks. Sauce Gardner went to the Indianapolis Colts and Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys, while the New York Jets traded both. But that’s the exception to the rule, and do either of the acquiring teams seem better off as a result? Don’t expect such impactful trades, but here are 10 player names that could be dealt by the deadline.
Should the Kansas City Chiefs retain Kristian Fulton to guard against an injury to L’Jarius Sneed or rookie Mansoor Delane? If they are comfortable with their depth, they could take on Fulton, who is a free agent in March and has the flexibility to play outside or as an inside nickel. You don’t see contenders managing much even with a surplus, but a contender with a struggling secondary — like the Detroit Lions, for example — might overpay to shore up a problem area.
There could be younger backups with more upside traded before the deadline, like Anthony Richardson from the Indianapolis Colts or one of the two backups from the Cleveland Browns (Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel). But for a contender looking to improve his save situation, Gardner Minshew is a good choice.
Minshew is Arizona’s No. 3 pick, so the Cardinals may only need a trade of picks to part ways with him. He’s 30 and is 2-8 as a starter over the last two years, but he has more experience than most No. 2s. The Atlanta Falcons recently signed Andy Dalton after he was cut by the Eagles, so moves could be made at quarterback off the free agent market. However, there aren’t many interesting options as the season goes on.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is constantly on these lists, and the Giants had a surplus of edge rushers before Brian Burns was lost to a season-ending knee injury. He earns nearly $15 million on a fifth-year option and has zero sacks, continuing his four-year downward trend (11.5, 5.5, 2.5 and zero).
But the Giants could get a draft pick from a team that thinks they can get him closer to what he showed as a rookie. The Giants have found some veterans who could step up, but if they view themselves as legitimate contenders in the NFC East, they might be hesitant to part with key pieces.
Two years ago, Jerry Jeudy had 1,229 receiving yards and made the Pro Bowl. But the Cleveland Browns used two top-40 draft picks on receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, so Jeudy’s role diminished significantly. He has eight catches for 81 yards, but could be a solid No. 2 on another team.
If the Raiders think they’re a contender, maybe he’ll go. He had a career-best six touchdowns in 2022 in Denver when he overlapped with current Las Vegas coach Klint Kubiak.
Josh Sweat, 29, looked like a solid free agent signing last year when he had 12 sacks in his first year in Arizona. But the Cardinals are out of contention and he has two sacks in six games, so he’s a trade candidate. He followed Jonathan Gannon from the Eagles to the Cardinals, so maybe he’ll join him in Green Bay.
Arizona takes about $21 million in dead cap if it trades Sweat, but the Cardinals wouldn’t be able to keep him in 2027 with a non-guaranteed base salary of $17 million.
The Miami Dolphins cut a lot of their best players last year, but saw value in keeping Zach Sieler as captain and leader of an otherwise very young team. They’re in the middle of a rebuild under first-year coach Jeff Hafley, so if they can add a pick, it could be worth the $34 million in dead cap space they’d take with a trade.
Sieler is 31 years old but has two sacks and five tackles for loss. He’s never won a playoff game, so maybe he’d enjoy joining a contender.
Even after their Week 6 win, it’s fair to say the Tennessee Titans were horrible. So it makes sense to accumulate picks in exchange for anyone whose deal expires. Pollard is able to rush for over 900 yards and has averaged over 40 catches per year during his career. He is therefore a versatile back who can help a team with depth or help compensate for injuries.
Tennessee would have less of a market for veterans like wide receiver Calvin Ridley or wide receiver Solomon Thomas, but if there’s any team in a position to move veterans at the deadline, it could be the Titans.
If Washington’s Commanders don’t think they can compete in the NFC East, they could deal 29-year-old Daron Payne the same way they traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the deadline in 2023. Payne had a monster year in 2022 with 11.5 sacks, earning a four-year, $90 million contract. However, he has 12 sacks in four seasons since then.
Payne is remarkably durable, missing a total of three games over the last seven years, so a contender looking to improve his defensive front could covet Payne, who has a base salary of $16.4 million this season.
A rare move where a competitor can leave a player. If Marvin Harrison Jr. can get a second-rounder and up, the Jacksonville Jaguars might just get something for their third-year receiver. Brian Thomas Jr. had 10 touchdowns as a rookie and is still only 24 years old, but he’s played a smaller role with just nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown this season.
Thomas is a bargain at $2.8 million next year, so a needy contender like the 49ers or San Francisco Chiefs could add him as the Jaguars balance long-term and short-term goals.
Khalil Mack is 35 years old, but the Los Angeles Chargers are still winless and perhaps the league’s biggest disappointment, so they can trade players with expiring contracts to obtain draft assets and look toward the future. Mack has three sacks in six games, putting him on pace for his best year since he had 17 sacks in 2023.
Could he return to the Chicago Bears, who gave up several first-round picks to get him eight years ago? He won’t cost as much this time around and would bring a veteran presence to the club in addition to his on-field production.
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