NFL rosters are set to be trimmed from 90 players down to 53 ahead of Week 1 of the regular season, with the deadline coming on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m. ET. Most of the players who won't make their respective teams will be released, but some are sure to be traded.
There's every reason to believe these five players are on the chopping block and will be on the move by Sunday's deadline.
QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
By using a top-10 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft on J.J. McCarthy, the Minnesota Vikings were banking on him being their quarterback of the future. Just about nothing has gone right since then. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season after tearing his meniscus, and then, after being given the starting role in 2025, he went on to complete just 57.6 percent of his throws and had more interceptions (12) than passing touchdowns (11) in his 10 starts.
Things went so poorly for McCarthy that the Vikings felt the need to bring in some competition by way of Kyler Murray, and it became clear pretty quickly that this was going to be Murray's job. The Vikings could keep McCarthy as the backup, but Carson Wentz sure feels like the better option to hold down that job. At this point, it's abundantly clear that both sides would benefit from a change of scenery.
Potential landing spots: Chargers, Ravens, Buccaneers
CB Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
Should the Pittsburgh Steelers trade Joey Porter Jr.? I'd say no. He's oozing with potential and can be a difference-maker in their secondary. With that being said, it's clear that the Steelers have no desire to meet his contract demands, and if a big offer is out there, how do you not entertain it if you're Pittsburgh?
The Steelers say he isn't going anywhere, but Micah Parsons wasn't going anywhere either until the Dallas Cowboys got an offer that was too appealing for them to turn down before the 2025 campaign. Something similar could play out with Porter Jr. if the Steelers do not extend him, and given where things are, that scenario could be likely.
Potential landing spots: Cowboys, Bears, Packers
TE Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys
Not only is Jake Ferguson the clear TE1 for the Dallas Cowboys, but Luke Schoonmaker now finds himself behind Brevyn Spann-Ford on the depth chart, while Michael Trigg has looked good as well. Now, Trigg has a toe injury, and that could lock Schoonmaker into the Cowboys' 53-man roster as their third-string tight end for Week 1, but it'd still make sense for Dallas to shop him around.
Schoonmaker, a second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, has not really found his footing at the NFL level, and he's also entering the final year of his rookie deal. It's entirely possible a team out there will be willing to give him a chance that the Cowboys won't, and offer something Dallas can't turn down for a player unlikely to be on the team in 2027.
Potential landing spots: Browns, Chargers, Broncos
CB Kristian Fulton, Kansas City Chiefs
Kristian Fulton signed a two-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason expecting to be a key contributor in their secondary, but his first season was just about dead on arrival. He missed time due to injury, and even when he was healthy, he wasn't all that productive for a Chiefs team that suddenly has a decent amount of depth at corner.
Yes, they lost Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, but they also used recent first- and third-round picks, respectively, on Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams, and they also brought L'Jarius Sneed back in free agency. The Chiefs won't cut Fulton, a player who has been productive in the past, but if they can get a worthwhile offer, it'd make sense for them to take it given the depth they have and the imperfect fit he appears to be in Kansas City.
Potential landing spots: Seahawks, Panthers, Cowboys
QB Anthony Richardson Sr., Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson Sr. is far and away the likeliest player on this list to wear a new uniform by Week 1, given the situation he's in. Richardson has already demanded a trade, and the Indianapolis Colts have already handed the keys to Daniel Jones under center, with Riley Leonard now also ahead of Richardson on the depth chart. The only question is whether the Colts will even be able to trade him.
The answer to that question is probably. Richardon was a top-five pick just three years ago, and while things haven't worked out, he's still a 24-year-old with a rocket of an arm and tremendous mobility. Accuracy is an issue, but the raw tools are there for him to figure it out at the NFL level. It makes no sense for the Colts to hold onto a project who won't be on the team beyond this season anyway, so it's a matter of when, not if, he finds his way onto a new team.
Potential landing spots: Packers, Vikings, Lions
Add us as a preferred source on Google