The NFL trade deadline is still over a month away, yet NFL teams might be feeling the heat to make moves sooner rather than later for a couple of reasons. One would be to fill a void caused by an injury. The quarterback position, in particular, has seen its share of injuries early on. Second, teams in desperation mode due to their record might want to make a season-saving deal.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the players who could be in trade talks sooner than you might think.
10. QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Potential landing spots: Chargers, Giants, Falcons
The Minnesota Vikings saw Carson Wentz dominate in Week 1, only to watch him turn back into a pumpkin in Week 2 (albeit in poor conditions). Even with Wentz going 11-for-20 throwing and not finding the end zone a single time in Week 2, the Vikings still didn't turn to McCarthy for a single play, speaking to what they think of the former top-10 selection.
Kyler Murray is slated to return in Week 3, bumping McCarthy down to a third-stringer role. Given the bevy of quarterback injuries around the NFL, perhaps there's a team desperate enough to trade for McCarthy, who, while he's struggled at the NFL level, has a ton of talent and could thrive with a change of scenery.
9. WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans
Potential landing spots: 49ers, Chiefs, Bills
Calvin Ridley had three seasons of 1,000 or more yards in a five-year span, but he was limited to just 303 yards in seven games with the Tennessee Titans in 2025, and has totaled two receptions on two targets for 35 yards through two games in 2026. At age 31, Ridley is probably not the star he once was, but perhaps a change of scenery away from Cam Ward and what looks like a dysfunctional Titans offense can be for the better.
Ridley's contract (he has a $29 million cap hit in 2027) might be tough to move, but it can be restructured. Ultimately, the Titans have a decent foundation at wide receiver with Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike all in the mix, so if they, a rebuilding team, can get anything for Ridley, a player who isn't part of their long-term plans, it'd make sense to make the move.
8. EDGE Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
Potential landing spots: Cowboys, Eagles, Bears
It's weird to put Maxx Crosby on here when the Las Vegas Raiders are 2-0 and just earned a gritty road win against the Chargers, but are they really contenders? Sure, if they continue to win games, it'd be foolish to entertain any sort of Crosby trade chatter, but two weeks isn't enough of a sample to completely change course.
After all, the Raiders attempted to trade Crosby to the Ravens before a failed physical resulted in the deal falling through. The failed physical is presumably why Crosby is still in town, but he sure looks healthy, with 1.5 sacks and four QB hits through two weeks. If the Raiders fall back to earth and a contender is willing to offer them a couple of first-round picks (and potentially more) for Crosby, they'd be foolish not to entertain moving him. He moves back on the big board because the Raiders are off to such a strong start, but the fact that they're still hard to buy into means he's still a trade candidate worth discussing.
7. QB Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
Potential landing spots: Falcons, Seahawks, Buccaneers
The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback room is one of the most interesting in the NFL. 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is the undisputed starter, but he's also in his final NFL season. Behind Rodgers is not only Mason Rudolph but also two young quarterbacks who have both shown flashes of upside: Drew Allar and Will Howard. Now, Rudolph is probably the best quarterback of that reserve trio right now, but he's also the least likely to be their long-term solution under center. With that in mind, the Steelers shouldn't rush to trade him, but if the right offer comes along, why not make a deal?
Rudolph has 35 appearances and 19 starts over parts of seven NFL seasons. He's far from a world beater, but he can be fairly competent in a pinch for a team with an injury at the quarterback position. From Jayden Daniels to Jaxson Dart to Caleb Williams and beyond, there are tons of quarterback injuries already. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and if a team is calling the Steelers about Rudolph, they should be willing to listen. They might get a good draft pick out of it.
6. EDGE Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
Potential landing spots: Bears, Bills, Ravens
The idea of trading Khalil Mack sounds insane. He inked a one-year, $18 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Chargers, a team most assumed would be in the thick of the postseason hunt in the AFC. He's even off to a strong start, recording a sack and two tackles for loss in two games. His 74.1 PFF grade is good for 23rd out of 112 edge rushers thus far.
The reason why he finds his way on this list is that he's a 35-year-old on an expiring contract on a 0-2 Chargers team. Not only are the Chargers 0-2, but they have losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders at home and are now set to embark on a grueling stretch against some of the NFL's best teams. The Chargers can turn their season around, but there's also reason to believe this will spiral out of control. If it does, Mack is a logical candidate to get dealt to a contender.
5. WR Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns
Potential landing spots: Bills, Patriots, 49ers
Jerry Jeudy is the most accomplished wide receiver on the Cleveland Browns, and he even had a 1,229-yard season with Cleveland in 2024. Given his success and his relative youth (he's 27 years old), Jeudy makes sense in a vacuum as a player who can be in Cleveland for a while. With that being said, the Browns just drafted two receivers in the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
Concepcion leads the team in receptions (10) and Boston leads the team in yards (154). They've been the two best and most-featured wideouts on the team, while Jeudy has just two receptions for 26 yards and has played a career-low 61 percent of the team's offensive snaps. It's clear that the Browns are prioritizing their rookie receivers, so it makes a lot of sense for them to trade Jeudy for assets that can help them continue to rebuild.
4. EDGE Josh Sweat, Arizona Cardinals
Potential landing spots: Packers, Lions, Cowboys
Josh Sweat found his name in trade rumors over the offseason, and while the Arizona Cardinals never showed much public interest in trading him, their stance could easily shift in the weeks to come. Sure, the Cardinals have no reason to consider moving him at 1-1, but does anyone actually think the Cardinals are true contenders, especially in a division featuring the Seahawks, 49ers and Rams?
Not only is Sweat a great player who had 12.0 sacks in 2025, but he also isn't owed much money this season and is owed zero guaranteed dollars in 2027, making him an easy contract to absorb for any contender. Ultimately, Sweat is 29 years old and likely won't be in Arizona when they're competitive. Why not get a haul for him now, when the team is likely to be bad, rather than risk his value plummeting down the line?
3. EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants
Potential landing spots: Bears, Patriots, Lions
The New York Giants are flooded with edge talent, with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Arvell Reese all on the same roster. This has resulted in Kayvon Thibodeau seeing a massive dip in playing time. He has played in just 49 percent of the team's defensive snaps thus far, which is a huge drop-off from his previous career low of 72 percent.
Depth is nice to have, especially when it's as strong as Thibodeaux, a 25-year-old who has as many as 11.5 sacks in a single season, but Thibodeaux is also in the final year of his rookie deal. He's likely looking for more money and opportunity than the Giants can offer, so why not trade him for an asset that can help them more in the future? Jaxson Dart potentially suffering a season-ending injury could push them to shop Thibodeaux, a player who'd help a variety of contenders, sooner rather than later.
2. CB Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
Potential landing spots: Lions, Giants, Bears
Not only is Joey Porter Jr. the best cornerback on the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he's also just 26 years old, making him young enough for the Steelers to build around long-term. Porter knows this, and wants to be paid like a cornerstone that he is. Unfortunately, the Steelers were unable to agree with Porter on terms for an extension ahead of Week 1, and with Porter on an expiring contract, Pittsburgh now has reason to fear him walking away for nothing this offseason.
The idea of trading Porter sounds ridiculous since the Steelers hope to contend and, again, Porter is a player the Steelers should be eager to build around, but if the team doesn't know if he'll be in the mix beyond 2026, they have to consider a trade, right? The Steelers won't trade him just to trade him, but if a team is willing to offer them a first-round pick or something equivalent once he comes back healthy, would Pittsburgh really turn it down?
1. QB Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
Potential landing spots: Giants, Falcons, Vikings
The San Francisco 49ers look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders right now, so the idea of trading arguably the best backup quarterback in the league, Mac Jones, doesn't make much sense at first glance. If Brock Purdy were to suffer an injury, wouldn't the Niners want someone capable, like Jones, to fill in? With that being said, let's fully diagnose the situation.
Jones is on an expiring contract, and given that he's the best backup in the league, he'll almost certainly leave the Niners in the offseason, hoping to be a starter elsewhere. Additionally, look at the mounting list of quarterback injuries around the league. Is it out of the realm of possibility that the Niners can get something like a second-round pick or even better from a desperate suitor? If such an offer exists, it might be worthwhile accepting the downgrade at the backup spot and acquiring a premier asset.
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