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The 4 NFL trades we should see before Week 1

These players should have new homes before the 2026 season officially kicks off.
ByWynston Wilcox|
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These players should have new homes before the 2026 season officially kicks off.
These players should have new homes before the 2026 season officially kicks off. | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • The NFL offseason remains active with several high-profile players linked to potential trades before Week 1.
  • Each move carries franchise-altering implications, from defensive upgrades to quarterback depth needs.
  • The next few weeks will test team patience and valuation strategies as the regular season approaches.

This quiet part of the NFL’s offseason is an intriguing time, believe it or not. While there isn't much football happening, front offices stay busy, and there's plenty of speculation about which rosters might get shuffled up over the summer. Names like Kayvon Thibodeaux and Anthony Richardson have been linked to possible deals already, but here are a few more who could be on the move before the start of the season.

EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants

Kayvon Thibodeaux has been in the trade rumor mill for quite some time now. The New York Giants have a logjam at edge rusher, and with Thibodeaux in a contract year, it just makes sense to deal him now. Waiting until the trade deadline won’t really benefit them much because his value doesn't figure to be any higher than it is now. The quicker the Giants can move on, the quicker they can figure out what the rest of this defense is going to look like. 

I also think one of the big reasons Thibodeaux gets dealt is that there are quite a few teams that could be interested in landing a pass rusher. The Chicago Bears are the one team that comes to mind. They didn’t make a big move for a pass rusher so it would make sense for them to take on Thibodeaux to see if he can be that elite player for them. 

The Green Bay Packers have a need for a pass rusher too which could make them possible candidates as part of a trade. The question is less finding a suitor and more how much the Giants can expect to get in return. I think the Bears will ultimately win the race, unless they’re waiting for a trade deadline move for Maxx Crosby. 

QB Anthony Richardson Sr., Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have to move on from Anthony Richardson sooner rather than later. It doesn’t make sense for the Colts to keep him if he isn’t going to play; I know Colts fans want to believe in Richardson’s potential, but at some point, they have to cut their losses.

Even with Daniel Jones coming off an Achilles injury, Indy is probably going to turn to Riley Leonard over Richardson at this point. He needs a coach that can take the talent and potential and mold that into an NFL quarterback, and Green Bay feels like the perefct landing spot.

A coach like Matt LaFleur would help him truly help him reach his full potential. Green Bay also needs a backup quarterback with Malik Willis’ departure. I proposed a deal back in March that included a fifth-round pick for the Packers to land Richardson. In a revised deal, I now have the Packers being more aggressive in giving up a fourth-round pick and seventh-round pick. Do I think this is the best deal out there? Probably not, but if the Packers see a lot of value in Richardson, it would make sense for them to give up more than what he’s worth to get the Colts to budge.

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

This just feels like a matter of time. Kamara has been a household name in the Big Easy for years, but as they move into a new era, it would make sense for him to move on and see if he can help a contender. It’s hard to gauge how valuable Kamara is on the open market, but he probably won’t cost more than a fourth-round pick. This season will be his age-31 campaign, and it’s the final year of his contract. It shouldn’t be hard to find a team that at worst could use some running back depth. 

In this hypothetical trade, Kamara lands with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers turned to rookie Omarion Hampton last year, but he played just nine games due to injury. Najee Harris played in just three games. If the Chargers want to have an offense that is actually scary, they need to have consistency and reliability in their running back room 

Kamara has the eighth-most receiving yards in NFL history for a running back at just under 5,000. What he adds to the Chargers is another receiving threat, which they desperately need. 

QB J.J. McCarthy

The writing is on the wall; Kyler Murray is the new quarterback in town, and the Minnesota Vikings even brought Carson Wentz back too. That should tell J.J. McCarthy everything he needs to know about his job security in Minnesota. The only good thing about McCarthy staying in Minnesota for now is that both Murray and Wentz are injury-prone; outside of that, he’s as good as traded already.

I feel like only the New York Jets would be foolish enough to take a crazy gamble on a quarterback like McCarthy, but the Cardinals also make sense for a couple of reasons. For one, if Jacoby Brissett doesn’t get his contract situation resolved, Arizona could use this as an opportunity to find another young passer to try and develop.

The Cardinals have a lot of holes to patch on this team, and wasting a high pick on a quarterback is a risk that isn’t necessarily worth it in my opinion. That's why they ultimately get away with a fifth-round and seventh-round pick here. Because of Murray and Wentz’s injury history, I could see the Vikings waiting to trade McCarthy. That said, if he survives Week 1, his value could skyrocket if a team desperately needs a quarterback good enough to start in the interim. 

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