The NFL trade deadline is less than to two weeks away on Nov. 4. As we pass the midpoint of the season, the delineation between contenders and pretenders is becoming increasingly clear. And with it, the pool of trade candidates is beginning to take shape.
It's uncommon for a ton of stars to change teams midseason in the NFL, but there's an inordinate amount of chatter right now, with All-Pro pass rushers and elite offensive playmakers all expected to at least be made available. Not for cheap, of course. But very much available for the right price.
Here are 10 NFL trade candidates picking up steam in the rumor mill, and where they could end up, with an emphasis on fit and opportunity. There are even a few honorable mentions, just for fun.
NFL Trade Deadline Honorable Mentions
- RB Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints → Los Angeles Chargers)
- LB Logan Wilson (Cincinnati Bengals → Indianapolis Colts)
- LB Jaelen Phillips (Miami Dolphins → San Francisco 49ers)
- TE David Njoku (Cleveland Browns → Buffalo Bills)
- QB Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts → New York Jets)
10. RB Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers → New York Giants)
Chuba Hubbard has struggled to find space between the tackles since returning from injury, combining for 26 carries and 65 yards over his last two starts. Meanwhile, Rico Dowdle is quickly establishing himself as RB1 for the Carolina Panthers. He put up 389 rushing yards in two starts without Hubbard, averaging 7.3 yards per carry.
If the Panthers opt to stick with Dowdle the rest of the way, Hubbard becomes an intriguing trade chip who might benefit from a fresh start. He's under contract at an affordable rate through 2028, with utility as both a runner and a receiver (eight catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns since his return).
The New York Giants recently lost Cam Skattebo to a season-ending ankle injury, which opens up a glaring need in the backfield. Hubbard can come in and provide immediate support behind rookie QB Jaxson Dart as the Giants attempt to stay afloat.
9. WR Chris Olave (New Orleans Saints → Pittsburgh Steelers)
Chris Olave has quietly put together a productive season for the New Orleans Saints, on track for his third 1,000-yard campaign in four years. The Saints aren't generating a ton of explosive plays with Spencer Rattler at QB, but Olave has the speed and shiftiness to win on a variety of different routes and generate yards after the catch.
The Saints aren't traditionally known as deadline sellers, but a 1-7 record and a clear tanking mandate, combined with Olave's affordable 2026 salary, could put him in the trade crosshairs. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense has stalled out in back-to-back weeks, ramping up the pressure to put another quality playmaker in Aaron Rodgers' orbit.
Olave dealt with injuries last season, but he's one of the brightest young wideouts in the NFL and has a chance to contribute meaningfully to Pittsburgh's success long after Rodgers has retired. Line him up opposite DK Metcalf, and the Steelers' offense takes on a whole new dimension.
8. CB Riq Woolen (Seattle Seahawks → Detroit Lions)
The Detroit Lions continue to separate themselves as the most consistent, dominant team in the NFC, but injuries to the DB room have left Dan Campbell's squad vulnerable. Leave it to the Seattle Seahawks to offer up the perfect solution in Riq Woolen, the talented 26-year-old who put up 11 interceptions across his first three seasons in the NFL.
Woolen has seen his involvement in the Seahawks defense dwindle in year four, largely due to the personnel and schematic preferences of head coach Mike Macdonald. At 6-foot-4, Woolen is a major athlete, capable of covering a large area and winning 50-50 balls against even the best wideouts. He needs to fine-tune his fundamentals and lock in mentally, but Detroit is a great environment for Woolen to really come into his own. Iron sharpens iron, and few coaches preach discipline and effort better than Campbell in Detroit.
7. RB Breece Hall (New York Jets → Kansas City Chiefs)
The New York Jets finally put a mark in the win column on Sunday with a 39-38 victory over the shorthanded Bengals. That should not change their deadline plans whatsoever. The Jets are simply biding their time until the 2026 draft at this point. Breece Hall is virtually guaranteed not to sign an extension in East Rutherford, so testing the market is wise.
Few contenders need more help in the RB room than the Kansas City Chiefs. Isiah Pacheco has given a lot to Kansas City over the years, but he's struggling to locate gaps this season. Hall comes with durability concerns, but when he's right, there are few better running backs in the NFL. He's electric in the open field and evasive between the tackles, with far more pass-catching equity than Pacheco.
If the Chiefs can plant Hall in the RB1 spot, with Pacheco serving as a bulldozing change-of-pace option, that could immediately blossom into one of the top backfields in the AFC. Kansas City's defense is always Super Bowl-ready. If the Chiefs give Patrick Mahomes more support in the middle of an MVP-caliber campaign, it feels like Kansas City might run away with the conference (again).
6. QB Russell Wilson (New York Giants → Baltimore Ravens)
The Giants are all-in on Jaxson Dart at this point. There's a case for trading Jameis Winston instead, but let's be honest. Winston is the better quarterback, and he is taking his mentorship duties seriously. That's not to say Russ hasn't been a total professional, but there's more baggage there (and less upside on the field).
That said, Wilson can still provide useful backup services for the right contender. Why not the Baltimore Ravens, currently the betting favorites to win the AFC North despite a 2-5 record? Lamar Jackson is due back soon, but you can't be too safe in Baltimore's current position. Snoop Huntley delivered an impressive win over Chicago on Sunday, but Russ sure feels like a better stopgap option than Huntley or Cooper Rush.
What Wilson has lost in both mobility and throwing velocity, he can still offset — to a certain extent — with over a decade of experience. He knows when and where to deliver every throw, which is half the battle. He's extremely inconsistent these days, but Russ threw for over 400 yards in a game this season. Baltimore can justify the low-risk investment.
5. QB Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons → Minnesota Vikings)
Kirk Cousins started his first game in almost a year on Sunday in place of an injured Michael Penix. It was a golden opportunity to prove his mettle after a healthy offseason. Many Atlanta Falcons fans still thought, deep down, he might be the better quarterback. Atlanta scored 10 points in a blowout loss to Miami.
Cousins was not the root cause of Atlanta's struggles, but he was still stiff in the pocket and completely out of sync with his receivers. He most certainly did not reclaim the QB1 title from Penix. That said, the Falcons should see if there's a market at the deadline. Cousins has the respect of coaches league-wide. Kyle Shanahan practically worships him.
In the end, the cleanest fit is his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. Carson Wentz is done for the season. J.J. McCarthy is due back from his ankle injury soon, but he didn't exactly look up to the task before the injury. It's fair to wonder if Minnesota should toss their young QB to the wolves this soon when the O-line is such a mess. Cousins knows the Vikings playbook well and is a great mentor for McCarthy, at the very least.
4. WR Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins → Denver Broncos)
The Denver Broncos offense has finally come alive over the last couple weeks. Nothing like the Cowboys defense to get everyone moving in the right direction. With Bo Nix officially out of his slumber, the Broncos are the clear best challenger to Kansas City in the AFC West. Perhaps in the AFC, period.
Denver would do well to put more playmaking talent around him. Enter Miami Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle, who's still under contract through 2026. Miami probably doesn't want to trade Waddle, but a 2-6 record (combined with palpable discord in the locker room and an abysmal QB situation) could force their hand. Especially if the Broncos come with a strong offer.
Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin form a solid one-two punch in the Denver WR room, but Waddle opens up a whole new chunk of the playbook for head coach Sean Payton. The 26-year-old, averaging 14.4 yards per catch despite Tua Tagovailoa's flimsy arm, is one of the fastest open-field athletes in the NFL. He can take the lid off the defense and give Nix a frequent target downfield.
3. DE Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals → Philadelphia Eagles)
Trey Hendrickson waited months for the Cincinnati Bengals to relent on his contract demands, but the result was a one-year, reworked deal that did very little to assuage the uncertainty about his long-term future. Now Cincy is floundering in the standings with Joe Burrow hurt. If the Bengals aren't going to pay Hendrickson his worth at the end of the day, the only logical next step is a trade.
Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks last season (17.5) and is up to 4.0 sacks this season with eight QB hits and a forced fumble. He's one of the absolute best edge rushers in the NFL. Few teams are better at paying their stars than the Philadelphia Eagles. Howie Roseman always seems to find the money while restocking the roster margins with savvy draft picks.
Philly made an effort to acquire Micah Parsons, but the Cowboys were never going to trade him in the division. Hendrickson comes over from the AFC, so there's not much standing in the way if Philly runs up the price and gives Cincinnati an offer it can't refuse. Hendrickson would anchor the best defense in the NFC.
2. EDGE Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders → Dallas Cowboys)
Maxx Crosby inked an extension that puts him under team control through 2029, but the Las Vegas Raiders are in a dark place right now. Pete Carroll and Geno Smith were meant to return Vegas to contention. Instead, the Raiders are even worse. Smith has thrown more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven) through seven weeks, with the Las Vegas offense stalling behind a patchwork O-line, a mediocre WR room and untenable quarterback play.
Crosby is probably frustrated, as he should be. The Raiders aren't publicly broadcasting a desire to trade the 28-year-old, but the rumors are percolating all the same. Crosby has 4.0 sacks, nine QB hits and a forced fumble so far this season. He has four straight Pro Bowl appearances under his belt.
The Dallas Cowboys have desperately missed Parsons' dynamism off the edge. There's no one-for-one replacement for Parsons, but Crosby is as close as they'll get. The Cowboys are swimming in cap space and Jerry Jones can probably talk himself into Crosby being a "better fit" or something. So what out for Dallas to pull out the biggest blockbuster of the deadline.
1. WR A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles → Buffalo Bills)
The Eagles continue to insist that they will not, under any circumstances, trade A.J. Brown. And you know what? Fair. The Eagles won the Super Bowl a few months ago. That's a damn good team and Brown has to know the grass isn't always greener. But there is clear tension between Brown, QB Jalen Hurts and OC Kevin Patullo. It probably doesn't help that Devonta Smith is leveling up, rendering Brown less essential (at least in terms of optics).
Should Philadelphia decide to get rid of the headache and move forward with Smith as its featured wideout, plenty of teams will line up for the chance to roster Brown. The 28-year-old is still one of the most talented pass-catchers in the NFL, coming off his third straight 1,000-plus yard campaign. If any team should be swinging for the fences on an All-Pro wide receiver, it's the Buffalo Bills.
Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Joshua Palmer have settled into productive roles next to Josh Allen, but Buffalo still hasn't replaced the juice it lost when Stefon Diggs left. Brown might just leapfrog Diggs as the best pass-catcher Allen has ever shared the field with. All of a sudden, Buffalo goes from a mere contender to arguably the favorites to win the AFC.