The NFL has long ruled the sports world in the United States in terms of mainstream attention. One area where it has lagged behind sports leagues like the NBA and MLB, though, is when it comes to trades.
The NBA and MLB trade deadlines often prove to be chaotic and wildly interesting. Due to a variety of factors (the salary cap, the fact that playbooks are difficult to learn on the fly, and football’s “you’re never truly out of it” nature), the NFL trade deadline has historically been weak in comparison.
That seems to be changing, though.
We have already seen a flurry of trades involving big names in the days leading up to the November 10 deadline.
We saw Joey Porter Jr. dealt to the Cowboys, we saw Marvin Harrison Jr. dealt to the Texans, we saw DeForest Buckner dealt to the Colts, we saw Quenton Nelson dealt to the Seahawks, and we saw Jeffery Simmons dealt to the Bears.
No doubt, we are not done with over a week left for these teams to wheel and deal.
Here are Five NFL Players That Could Be on the Move.
Khalil Mack
A “nostalgia trade” may very well be in the works as the Chicago Bears are said to be interested in reacquiring their former star linebacker.
The Bears traded Mack to the Chargers in March of 2022 in exchange for a second round pick.
The Chargers are now 0-7 on the season.
“The Bears may not actually be done. I’m told they are still calling around, still looking on the edges of their defense,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Sunday morning. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a Khalil Mack trade was in the offer here. A possible reunion for Mack and the Bears.”
The 35-year-old Mack spent four seasons with the Bears, where he was a Pro Bowler in each year he was healthy.
Mack has 21 total tackles, including 3 sacks, in 7 games played this season with the Chargers. He last made the Pro Bowl in 2024.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles is clearly “going for it,” as last week he gave up two first round picks and a fourth rounder in exchange for Simmons.
Jadeveon Clowney
ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted the following on X Sunday: “Another pass rusher who has generated some interest ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline is Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney”.
Clowney’s reunion with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2014 has not gone great. The Texans are 2-5 on the season and Clowney has just 9 total tackles, including 1.5 sacks, on the season.
One team that will surely kick the tires on Clowney are the Jaguars, who lost defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton to a likely season-ending quad injury on Sunday.
The Cowboys are another team that will likely explore defensive line help ahead of the deadline.
Jonathan Taylor
It’s not often that a Pro Bowl running back in his prime is being shopped around the league, but that is currently the case regarding Taylor. ESPN and NFL Network reported this past Saturday that the Colts are “now open to trading” Taylor, that “multiple teams have reached out to Indianapolis”, and that “those talks are said to be active and ongoing”.
The report also listed the teams that have interest in acquiring the 27-year-old back, as the Broncos, Packers, Vikings, and Giants are said to be sniffing around.
The Colts are currently 2-6 on the season.
Taylor is eighth in the NFL in rushing this season, with 610 yards. He has 8 rushing touchdowns on the season.
Indianapolis looks as though it is entering a massive franchise reset, as it traded Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks last week. Taylor and the Colts’ rushing attack struggled without Nelson this past Sunday as Taylor was only able to rush for 23 yards on 8 carries in a 42-7 loss to the Jaguars.
Calvin Ridley
The trade floodgates are open in Tennessee after GM Mike Borgonzi traded Simmons to the Bears. Running back Tony Pollard has been the offensive headline grabber when it comes to more potential Titans trades, but The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reported last week that the Titans are more likely to deal veteran WR Calvin Ridley.
It makes a ton of sense as to why the Titans would want to get out of the Ridley business. They signed the WR to a four-year, $92 million contract in March of 2024, but Ridley has not exactly lived up to that salary.
In his first season with Tennessee, Ridley had 64 catches for 1,017 yards, but he found the end zone just 4 times. Last season, he played in just 7 games and had only 17 catches for 303 yards. He did not score a touchdown.
This season, Ridley has played in 7 games but has a measly 6 catches for 91 yards. He has not scored a touchdown this season. In fact, you have to go back to December 22, 2024 to find the last time Ridley recorded 6 points in a game.
Ridley, apparently realizing his decreasing value around the NFL, actually took a pay cut this past March to stay with the Titans—so his contract is no longer unmovable.
When Ridley was a free agent in 2024, Patriots executive Eliot Wolf pushed hard to land Ridley. New England is currently banged up at receiver, with Romeo Doubs on IR and AJ Brown experiencing knee and ankle issues. Perhaps the Pats will again look at bringing Ridley in.
Another contending AFC team that could be interested in Ridley’s services are the receiver-needy Steelers.
Josh Sweat
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and there is more smoke than Chief Keef on 4/20 right now in regard to Sweat.
On Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X: “There is interest in OLB Josh Sweat, per sources. A team to watch with Sweat is the Cowboys, who will get an up close look at him today, when Dallas hosts Arizona”.
Jerry Jones witnessed Sweat turn in a strong game against his Cowboys on Sunday as the Cardinals LB sacked Dak Prescott and had 6 total tackles in a 33-30 Cardinals upset win over Dallas.
While the Cowboys are the clear front-runner to land Sweat in a trade, they are running out of appealing draft capital. Dallas sent a 2028 second round pick and a conditional 2027 sixth round pick to the Steelers last month in exchange for Porter. The Cowboys only have four draft picks (first, second, fourth, seventh) for 2027 available.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has also mentioned the Bears and 49ers as potential suitors for Sweat.
