10 NFL Players Who Could Be Traded Before the Deadline

Folks, NFL trade season came early this year, with two big-name players moved earlier this week.

The Minnesota Vikings cut their losses with quarterback JJ McCarthy and sent him to New York to help the Giants post-Jaxson Dart’s injury. Two days later, the Pittsburgh Steelers folded on their Joey Porter Jr. staring contest and dealt him to the defensively challenged Dallas Cowboys.

The deadline isn’t until Nov. 10, but could McCarthy’s and Porter’s moves signal a steady flow of trades this fall? It’s not too early to run through an expanded list of trade candidates, starting with a trio of Cardinals:

WR Marvin Harrison Jr., EDGE Josh Sweat and S Budda Baker, Arizona: It’s hard to see the Cardinals getting anywhere in the NFC West in their current situation, and they only hold six draft picks in 2027 for now. Facilitating a rebuild might mean parting with the versatile Baker, their defensive star. Sweat no longer has his Jonathan Gannon/Eagles connection in the building. But most of all, Harrison is trending toward bust status and could use a change of scenery to salvage his career.

WR Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland: Still 27 and two years removed from a Pro Bowl season, Jeudy has five targets through three games this season. The Browns double-dipped with receivers in the first two rounds of the draft with KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Jeudy may not be in their plans, but plenty of teams better than Cleveland could use him (the 49ers and Eagles, to name two).

WR Keon Coleman and WR Josh Palmer, Buffalo: Hey, remember when the owner of the Bills’ basically dissed Coleman and said the previous coaching staff forced GM Brandon Beane to take him? Credit to Coleman for continuing to put his best foot forward, but he and Palmer are clearly behind D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir in the pecking order.

DT Vita Vea, Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers are the only 0-3 team in the NFC, and Baker Mayfield just dislocated his thumb. This might be the year things bottom out under Todd Bowles, and Tampa’s cap situation for 2027 is looking tight. The extension the Bucs gave Vea in August only covered one year. Before that, Vea had asked for a trade. You do the math.

DT Daron Payne, Washington: Nightmarish start for the ‘Manders, who, like the Bucs, don’t know how long they’ll be without their starting QB. Even if Jayden Daniels hurries back and puts off surgery on his non-throwing elbow, they could be a few losses away from entering sell mode. Atop their list of movable players is Payne, a pending free agent who’s still a highly talented lineman.

RB Tony Pollard, Tennessee: Speaking of players on expiring contracts, Pollard still presents a fine starting-caliber option for any teams seeking a running back rental this fall. The Titans might be the worst team in football, so getting something in return before Pollard can walk in free agency seems prudent.

EDGE Khalil Mack, L.A. Chargers: Be honest. When was the last time you thought about Khalil Mack? You knew he was still playing, right? The former DPOY actually leads the Chargers with two sacks and three TFLs through three games. He signed a one-year deal to play his 13th NFL season, but if it’s a ring he seeks, he’s probably looking around the Chargers’ facility right about now and asking his agent for a way out.

S Jessie Bates III, Atlanta: That the Falcons played Cooper Rush and Division II undrafted free agent Jack Strand at quarterback over the first two weeks tells you how prepared they were for this season. This should be a sell year for Atlanta, and Bates, a second-team All-Pro two of the past three seasons, is the pending free agent who stands to attract the most lucrative trade package.

The quarterback lost-and-found: Finally, this could be an unusually active quarterback trade market, given how many teams have stashed veteran backups or reclamation projects they’re not about to use. Could Anthony Richardson get his wish and receive a ticket out of Indy? Could a contender suddenly lose its quarterback and need a capable stopgap in the form of Mac Jones (San Francisco) or Mason Rudolph (Pittsburgh)? The Steelers have four QBs, as do the Eagles, who could make Andy Dalton this year’s Joe Flacco and lend him to a team less fortunate than themselves.