With the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline looming, the outcome of Week 9 games will definitively sort the league’s buyers from its sellers.
Playoff-bound teams looking to shore up roster holes for the season’s stretch run have limited options to upgrade their rosters this late in the season, so at least a few deadline deals with teams falling outside the playoff picture are likely.
Here’s a look at the trades USA TODAY’s NFL insiders want to see. If they’re any indication, expect the Los Angeles Chargers to be trade deadline buyers.
Indianapolis Colts trade for Miami Dolphins OLB Jaelan Phillips
Chris Ballard had to break from his established ways to position the 7-1 Colts to become the NFL’s surprise resurgence story. Why not continue that effort and turn Indianapolis into a legitimate buyer at the trade deadline? No need to go ‘all-in’ here, as there’s no truly transcendent talent for whom it’d be worth forking over a top pick.
But if the Colts hope to stand a chance against the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the playoffs, they’ll need to ramp up their pass rush. Indianapolis ranks second in the NFL in pressure rate (39.9%) but is merely average in sack rate (6.57%) while it has the fourth-highest time to throw (2.90 seconds) of any defense. Translation: Indianapolis isn’t truly forcing opposing quarterbacks into bad spots, as evidenced by a defensive success rate (46.38%) that ranks just 26th. Two consecutive season-ending injuries have stood in the way of Phillips becoming a true force off the edge, but he’d provide a jolt opposite Laiatu Latu.
Phillips would also give defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo the kind of rush end capable of dropping into coverage and keeping opposing attacks off balance. Miami likely will be reticent to part with a player so critical to its hopes of a second-half surge, but Ballard could still muster an offer worth mulling without completely draining his own draft capital.
–Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
Carolina Panthers trade RB Rico Dowdle to the Los Angeles Chargers
It’s no secret the Chargers need running back depth. Kimani Vidal has filled in admirably with Najee Harris (Achilles) and Omarion Hampton (ankle) out of the lineup, but Los Angeles hasn’t gotten much out of the other backs on its roster.
Hampton’s timeline to return from his ankle injury remains murky, and the Chargers aren’t likely to rush the rookie back into action. As such, coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman could be interested in adding a secure, long-term partner for Vidal ahead of the deadline.
Dowdle, 27, has solid size (5-11, 215 pounds), contact balance skills and power. He would take some pressure off the 5-8 Vidal as an every-down option and would allow the Troy product, who has shown well in pass protection, to take on the bulk of the third-down snaps.
Dowdle has racked up an impressive 605 yards and two touchdowns on 106 carries this season. The Panthers may not be willing to give him up given their 4-4 record and his superior performance compared to Chuba Hubbard’s, but with Dowdle playing on an expiring one-year deal, a trade cannot be ruled out.
–Jacob Camenker
New York Giants trade QB Russell Wilson to the Los Angeles Chargers
Given the costly body blows they’ve already taken this season at offensive tackle and running back, you’d think the Bolts would better position themselves with a Justin Herbert insurance policy – particularly given the barrage of hits he’s already taken this season behind his patchwork blocking. And yet it’s difficult to find a supposed contender with a more uninspiring QB2 plan than the Chargers, who continue to roll with long-on-potential-short-on-proof backups Trey Lance and undrafted rookie DJ Uiagalelei, a former five-star recruit who never panned out at any of his three college stops.
And while “Mr. Unlimited” is clearly limited at this point of his 14-year career, acquiring the remainder of Wilson’s contract is basically a $1 million proposition for 2025 and allows Lance and Uiagalelei, who’s on the practice squad, to continue their development under quarterback guru Jim Harbaugh. As for the Giants? How much more is Jaxson Dart going to glean from Russ at this point? And given veteran Jameis Winston is under contract through the 2026 season, New York is nicely set up as Dart continues to progress – even more so if the G-Men can rake in even a low-level pick swap for their erstwhile starter.
Is Wilson, 36, going to win a Lombardi Trophy at this point? Nah. Could he enable a team like the Chargers to survive a 4-6 week injury to their QB1? Quite probably.
–Nate Davis
New York Jets trade RB Breece Hall to the Kansas City Chiefs
If you look at before and after pictures of every U.S. president, you can see the weight of the job. Turns out, the same is true for players associated with the Jets. Hall entered the league with great promise, but you can see the weight of losing and why a change of scenery seems to be coming sooner than later.
‘Teams shoot themselves in the foot then we come back and shoot ourselves in the head,’ Hall said after a loss to the Dolphins in Week 4. The Jets have the league’s longest playoff drought and are heading for yet another rebuild – with a star running back who doesn’t fit that timeline.
Hall is set to become a free agent after the season and his days with “Gang Green” are likely numbered. He just tossed the game-winning touchdown pass and added two more on the ground against the Bengals. It might’ve been a showcase game and Kansas City would be smart to make the call. The Chiefs need a running back and are right in the middle of an AFC West arms race. Hall’s legs may be able to take Andy Reid’s team to another level.
–Nick Brinkerhoff