Somehow, we're just 15 days away from the NFL trade deadline. Because of this, the NFL rumor mill is buzzing now more than it has in quite some time. With a large enough sample size, we're starting to get a sense of which teams will be doing whatever they can to win a Super Bowl by the Nov. 4 trade deadline and which teams will be turning its attention to 2026 and beyond.
There are plenty of NFL trade candidates who figure to realistically be available at the trade deadline. While not every big name NFL fans think is available will get dealt, these 10 players could very well find themselves in another uniform in just a couple of weeks at the latest.
Here are 10 of the biggest trade candidates and where they might fit best.
TE David Njoku, Cleveland Browns → Carolina Panthers
Does anyone really care that the Cleveland Browns won their Week 7 game? I mean, they beat the 1-6 Miami Dolphins to improve to 2-5. The Browns are still going to miss the playoffs and select early on in the 2026 NFL Draft. The wins and losses just don't matter at this point for a bad Browns team, but the play of Harold Fannin Jr., their leading receiver in Week 7 and overall, does. Fannin, a rookie tight end, has established himself as the TE1 in Cleveland now and in the future, making David Njoku, an upcoming free agent, extremely expendable.
Are the Carolina Panthers likely to make the playoffs? Perhaps not, but they're 4-3, sitting above .500 in late October, after their Week 7 win. They've beaten mostly lackluster competition, but wins are wins. They should be doing whatever they can to make their roster and Bryce Young better. Adding a starting tight end like Njoku, who shouldn't cost all that much and would be a major upgrade in the passing game over Tommy Tremble, would make a lot of sense. If it goes well, the Panthers can always re-sign or extend him.
DE Bradley Chubb, Miami Dolphins → San Francisco 49ers
The Miami Dolphins are an absolute mess. They're 1-6 after getting blown out by the Browns, and are in need of a complete reset. Trading players on expiring contracts should be a priority, but selling high on a player like Bradley Chubb, who has four sacks and has forced a fumble in seven games this season, makes a lot of sense.
A team like the San Francisco 49ers that lost Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the season and could really use more help on its defensive line, could express interest in acquiring Chubb. No, Chubb isn't the player Bosa and Warner are, but he's an upgrade over what they have right now. The Niners have been finding ways to win in spite of the injuries, so adding a player playing as well as Chubb can lead to some potentially interesting results in January and maybe even February.
DE Arden Key, Tennessee Titans → Detroit Lions
NFL fans want to see the Tennessee Titans trade Jeffery Simmons, and I can't argue against the logic that it'd make sense, but I can acknowledge that rumors suggest he isn't going to be traded. A player the Titans would be far more comfortable trading though is Arden Key, an edge rusher who is on an expiring contract. Key isn't the player Simmons is, but he's recorded at least six sacks in three of his last four seasons and is on pace to finish with around six sacks in 2025.
A team that could certainly use reinforcements defensively is the Detroit Lions. Aidan Hutchinson is back and Al-Quadin Muhammad has played well, but EDGE depth never hurts, as Lions fans know all too well. Their secondary is banged up as well. Key would likely be affordable and impactful for a Lions team trying to win the Super Bowl.
QB Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts → New York Jets
It might be premature for the Indianapolis Colts to give up on the guy they drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft just two years later, but that's exactly what they did when they chose to start Daniel Jones over him. Jones, to his credit, has proven the Colts right more than anyone could've expected, and that makes Richardson incredibly expendable. That's where the New York Jets factor in.
As much as we might've wanted it to work, the Justin Fields era with the in New York has been a complete disaster, and should leave him on the bench for the foreseeable future. Tyrod Taylor is probably an upgrade, but he's also 36 years old and doesn't have a future in New York. Anthony Richardson might be a complete bust, but he only has 15 starts under his belt and obviously has a lot of talent. The Jets have nothing to play for, and both Fields and Taylor should not be in the organization next season. Why not make a trade for someone like Richardson who just might show something? Worst case, they select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft. Best case, they luck into their next franchise quarterback.
CB Riq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks → Dallas Cowboys
Riq Woolen looked like a future superstar in his rookie year, but all he's done since is regress. He particularly has not been the same player with Mike Macdonald as the head coach. With his contract expiring after the year, chances are, Woolen won't be back in 2026 anyway. With that reality, why not get something for him, especially when he isn't playing nearly as well as he once did?
The Dallas Cowboys could be a team willing to give the Seahawks something to get their hands on Woolen. They, theoretically, should be set with their starting corner duo of DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, but their defense this season has been among the league's worst, and the secondary should shoulder a good amount of blame for that. He wouldn't fix all of their defensive issues, but an improved secondary paired with how well Dak Prescott has the offense playing could allow Dallas to sneak into the playoffs.
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets → Kansas City Chiefs
I'm willing to say that the biggest lock of this year's trade deadline is that Breece Hall will get traded. Cryptic social media posts aside, the Jets told the NFL about his long-term plans with the team by not extending him in the same offseason that both Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, players selected in the same 2022 draft class, received massive pay days. I don't think the Jets value Hall long-term, and I don't think Hall wants to be in New York anymore.
With that in mind, why not send Hall from the worst team in the NFL to what could be the best team in the league? The Kansas City Chiefs might only be 4-3, but their stock is rapidly increasing. As impressive as they've looked, they could use an upgrade at running back. Despite the Jets' dysfunctional offense, Hall is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and has proven to be an efficient rusher when healthy. Adding him to this Chiefs offense might make them unbeatable when healthy.
OG Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns → Denver Broncos
The Browns are a team that should be clearly looking ahead toward 2026 and beyond, so that means trading away a 34-year-old on an expiring deal like Joel Bitonio. Don't get me wrong - a deal wouldn't be easy to make. Bitonio has spent his entire 12-year career in Cleveland, and it's never ideal to trade a quality offensive lineman with a rookie quarterback under center, but trading him would give Bitonio a chance to win and give the Browns a draft pick or two to build for the future with.
It hasn't always been pretty, but the Denver Broncos are 5-2 and just showed signs of life offensively in Week 7. For that to continue, their offensive line, particularly on the interior, will need an upgrade. Both Ben Powers and Matt Peart are on Injured Reserve, leaving the Broncos incredibly shorthanded at guard. Adding Bitonio would make their offensive line and offense as a whole substantially better for the remainder of this season.
WR Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints → New York Giants
The New Orleans Saints have played better than some might've expected, but at the end of the day, they're 1-6 and are all but out of postseson contention. Given that and their bleak future, they should be aiming to tear things down and restart. They're unlikely to trade Alvin Kamara and others, but a guy who might get dealt is Chris Olave. The New York Giants make all the sense in the world as a landing spot.
Sure, at 2-5 (and with a loss in New Orleans) the Giants aren't much better than the Saints, but their offense looks as dynamic as it has in quite some time with Jaxson Dart under center even with Malik Nabers out for the year. Giving Dart a high-end wideout like Olave to throw to might not help get the Giants to the playoffs this season, but it'd help Dart develop quicker as a passer. The fact that he'd come with at least one extra year of control and give the Giants a dynamic duo for 2026 with Nabers and Olave makes this fit a slam dunk.
TE Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens → Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Even at 1-5, the Baltimore Ravens are unlikely to be full-fledged sellers for now, especially with there being a chance that Lamar Jackson returns for Week 8, but they don't have to be in complete teardown mode to part with Mark Andrews. This would hurt, as Andrews has spent his entire eight-year career with the Ravens, but he isn't the player he once was, he's on an expiring contract, and the Ravens have Isiah Likely, a younger option, on their roster. The Ravens won't lose much at tight end by trading him, and can land some much-needed draft capital.
A team that could be interested in acquiring Andrews is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite being one of the few Buccaneers skill position players to stay healthy this season, Cade Otton has averaged just 27.7 yards per game. Andrews' numbers aren't much better, but he was playing well before Lamar Jackson got hurt. Giving the Bucs a better pass catcher at tight end would make this offense which already ranks sixth in points per game, that much scarier.
DE Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals → Philadelphia Eagles
Admittedly, the odds that the Cincinnati Bengals actually trade Trey Hendrickson away are probably slim, especially after improving to 3-4 with a Week 7 win, but I'd argue that they should. Joe Burrow won't be back until December at the earliest, so their odds of making the playoffs are extremely low. Hendrickson is on an expiring contract, and given how this past offseason went, I have my doubts that he'll be in Cincinnati beyond this season anyway.
NFL fans probably don't want to see Hendrickson end up with the Philadelphia Eagles of all teams, but can we really doubt Howie Roseman at this point? The Eagles could really use a boost on the edge even with Brandon Graham contemplating a return out of retirement, and there won't be a better option available than Hendrickson.