NFL TRADE DEADLINE
The 2026 NFL Trade Deadline is less than two weeks away — Tuesday, November 10 at 4p ET. Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins not only ruined a beautiful fall day at MetLife Stadium but the shocking defeat reduced their playoff odds to <1% according to ESPN Analytics.
A year ago, the New York Jets won the NFL Trade Deadline when they shockingly traded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for multiple picks and players. What should they do for an encore?
GARRETT WILSON
What they should NOT do is trade Garrett Wilson.
When the Jets lose and Wilson doesn’t get the ball, his every comment, facial expression, and sideline reaction is put under the microscope by the local media. To an outside observer, it feels as if there’s a countdown clock on his Jets career.
On Wednesday, Wilson confirmed that he has not requested a trade and reiterated his desire to remain with the Jets. “Yeah, I want to be here,” Wilson said. “I want to win games. That’s the one thing we’ve been missing on here. I love it here. Do I love it more than I love winning? Nah, to be completely honest. But I’m hopeful.”
Following the Miami loss, Aaron Glenn and Frank Reich need to start winning immediately if they are hopeful of retaining their jobs. To win, they will need major contributions from Wilson, who is having a good season despite a decline in targets over the last three weeks from 11 against Cleveland to 6 against New England to 3 against Miami.
He still ranks in the Top 20 in all major receiving categories:
- Targets 51 (#17)
- Receptions 37 (#11)
- Yards — 444 (#19)
- TDs — 3 (#18)
Perhaps more importantly, if Woody Johnson fires the coaching staff, retaining Wilson makes the Jets more attractive to potential replacements. Plus, realistically, what would the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers give up for him?
The closest comp I could come up with is AJ Brown. In 2022, the Tennessee Titans acquired picks #18 and #101 from the Philadelphia Eagles for the then 24-year-old. In 2026, the Eagles received a 2027 fifth-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick from the New England Patriots for the now 28-year-old wideout.
Finally, let’s look at what the Titans did with the first-rounder they received from the Eagles in 2022. To replace Brown, they selected WR Treylon Burks, who is now playing with the Washington Commanders in his fifth-season. He’s 19 yards away from 1000 — in his career.
Finding a #1 receiver is not easy. The Jets need to keep theirs.
BREECE HALL
Braelon Allen has emerged as a bright spot over the last four weeks, compiling 357 yards on 72 carries (4.96 average per carry) while Breece Hall has been nursing his quad injury. It is very likely that the playoff teams that lose out on the Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes will be giving the Jets a call.
Once again, the Jets should resist. Allen looks like the real deal, but his hard-running style perfectly complements Hall’s breakaway speed and superior receiving prowess. Plus, both players have dealt with injuries in their careers.
Remember, whether it’s to attract a new coach and OC, or to make it easier for a rookie QB to adapt to the NFL, the Jets need to keep their offensive talent.
Gang Green has ten offensive players 26 and under that should be untouchable (age in parentheses):
RB — Braelon Allen (22)
RB — Breece Hall (25)
WR — Omar Cooper Jr (22)
WR — AD Mitchell (24)
WR — Garrett Wilson (26)
TE — Kenyon Sadiq (21)
TE — Mason Taylor (22)
LT — Olu Fashanu (23)
RG — Joe Tippmann (25)
RT — Armand Membou (22)
If they all stay, who goes
TRADE BOARD
Here are a handful of players that could be dealt at the deadline:
- Edge Will McDonald (27) — the 2023 first-round pick has seen his role and stats, continue to diminish under Glenn. Still, there will always be a market for a player that’s compiled 23.5 sacks in 54 career games. Since he’s signed for one more season at $13.75m the Jets can afford to sit back and see if someone matches their price. Our comp trade dates back to 2023 when the 49ers dealt a third-round pick to the Commanders for DE Chase Young.
- TE Jelani Woods (28) — the once-promising prospect (#73 overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2022) has dealt with injuries throughout his career. He is finally healthy yet is expendable because he sits fourth on the Jets TE depth chart. The best I can see the Jets fetching is the classic “player plus seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick” package.
- DT Harrison Phillips (30) — Phillips was the “adult in the room” for last year’s defensive squad. However, with veterans Demario Davis, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and David Onyemata in the dressing room, the Jets could spare the underperforming DT on an expiring contract. I believe the Jets would pull the trigger for a sixth-round draft pick.
- OT Chukwuma Okorafor (29) and CB Nahshon Wright (28) — Neither player is getting playing time with the Jets, but both have significant credentials that contenders seeking depth would be interested in. Okorafor has 60 starts across nine seasons and Wright intercepted five passes for the Chicago Bears while starting 16 games a season ago. Rather than draft capital, I can see Mougey acquiring an interesting piece from a team’s practice squad in exchange for either veteran.
In 2025, the New York Jets dominated the NFL Trade Deadline. This year, they should retain their key assets while letting the Colts and others dominate the headlines.
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