Seahawks, S Coby Bryant Held Extension Talks Before Season; RB Kenneth Walker Not In Team’s Future Plans?
The Seahawks engaged in extension talks with safety Coby Bryant before the 2025 season got underway, as ESPN’s Brady Henderson reports. There was too much of a gap to bridge in those discussions, but Henderson expects the parties to return to the negotiating table before free agency opens in March 2026.
Bryant, 26, was a fourth-round draft pick in 2022 and is therefore playing out the final year of his rookie deal. He is making a strong case for a notable second contract, appearing in a career-high 98% of Seattle’s defensive snaps this season and earning a 69.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which places him as the site’s 27th-best safety out of 93 qualifiers. He has added two interceptions and five passes defensed.
After spending most of his first two professional seasons in the slot, Bryant has become a starting safety, though he still sees action at nickel and in the box. Clearly, the team and head coach Mike Macdonald want to continue their relationship with Bryant, and their push for an extension may be informed at least in part by other contract situations on the roster.
As Henderson observes, a number of Seattle’s defensive backs are eligible for free agency in the upcoming offseason, including corners Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe, and Derion Kendrick, and Bryant’s primary running mate at safety, Ty Okada. While the 7-3 ‘Hawks ultimately elected to keep Woolen and outside linebacker (and fellow 2026 FA) Boye Mafe through this month’s trade deadline, it sounds as if the club is prioritizing a re-up for Bryant.
Indeed, Henderson confirms prior reports suggesting Mafe is not in Seattle’s long-term plans, and he says the same is true of RB Kenneth Walker. Walker and Zach Charbonnet have largely shared the workload in the Seahawks’ offensive backfield in 2025, with Walker seeing 136 carries to Charbonnet’s 105.
From a raw statistics perspective, Walker has been more effective, as his 4.5 yards-per-carry average is considerably higher than Charbonnet’s 3.3 mark (Walker is also PFF’s highest-rated running back as of the time of this writing). Additionally, Walker has not exhibited any ill effects from the injuries that cost him six games last year.
On the other hand, Pro Football Reference has assigned Charbonnet a slightly higher success rate (44.8%, compared to Walker’s 44.1%), and Charbonnet flashed both as a runner and a receiver in his first two NFL seasons. He is under club control through 2026, whereas Walker is eligible for free agency (and a considerable raise) in March. Perhaps GM John Schneider simply does not want to give a second contract to a running back at this point.
Jets Want To Retain Breece Hall; RB Expected To Have Strong FA Market
There was plenty of trade speculation surrounding Jets running back Breece Hall in the offseason and before the trade deadline. At one point, it appeared 2025 would be Hall’s last season with Gang Green, but the club’s refusal to deal him for anything less than a third-rounder leads ESPN’s Rich Cimini to believe the Jets want to retain the Iowa State product.
It is not hard to see why. Hall, whose 2023-24 form was not on the same level as his dynamic but injury-shortened rookie campaign in 2022, is looking like his old self. He has maintained a robust 4.8 yards-per-carry rate on 152 totes in 2025, and thanks to his dual-threat capabilities, he is averaging nearly 95 scrimmage yards per game.
As such, a number of personnel evaluators tell ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the four-year, $48MM contract the Packers authorized for Josh Jacobs in the 2024 offseason is a reasonable comp for Hall (though it should be noted that Jacobs’ pact includes a team-friendly guarantee structure). Cimini believes Hall will indeed be seeking a deal paying him between $10MM-$12MM annually, and given the interest he garnered from other clubs at the deadline, it appears he will have a strong market.
The Jets could, of course, make him off-limits with a franchise tag that is estimated to be worth about $14MM, and New York may be forced to go that route to keep the 24-year-old RB on the roster. Although Hall refuted prior reports suggesting he requested a trade, he neither confirmed nor denied whether he would have welcomed one. In light of the Jets’ ongoing struggles and the trades of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams that portend a rebuild, Hall may prefer to join a team closer to contention.
New York does have two recent RB draftees under club control for the next two seasons in 2024 fourth-rounder Braelon Allen and 2024 fifth-rounder Isaiah Davis. Allen, currently on injured reserve with a knee injury, has posted a subpar 3.7 YPC rate across 110 rushes at the NFL level, while Davis has shown more juice, with a stellar 5.8 YPC average (albeit on just 52 career carries).
Even with Allen, Davis, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the mix, the Jets need all the skill-position help they can get, especially if they have a rookie quarterback lining up under center in 2026.
Latest On Giants’ HC Search, DC Shane Bowen
NOVEMBER 17: The Giants aren’t making any changes to their coaching staff this week, Kafka told reporters (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN). Bowen will remain the team’s defensive coordinator. “Status quo,” Kafka said of his staff.
NOVEMBER 16: Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has been on the hot seat for some time, and Sunday’s loss to the Packers may have been the final straw. Connor Hughes of SNY.tv says the “odds are” that Bowen will be fired in short order.
Bowen worked under Mike Vrabel as the Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2021-23. When Tennessee cleaned house at the end of the 2023 slate, Bowen joined the Giants’ staff, though his first year on the job did not go especially well; Big Blue finished in the bottom-10 in terms of total defense and just outside the bottom-10 in terms of points allowed in 2024.
Nonetheless, the Giants retained head coach Brian Daboll and his top lieutenants, Bowen and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, this offseason. Of course, Daboll was fired just last week, and Kafka was elevated to interim HC.
According to Hughes, the only reason Bowen was not axed at the same time as Daboll is because the team did not want to put Kafka at a disadvantage. Instead, the Giants wanted him to spend a full week at the controls, attend defensive meetings – which is something he naturally had not done in his capacity as OC – and draw his own conclusions about the current staff.
After Sunday’s defeat, which marked the fourth time this season the 2-9 Giants have squandered a lead in the fourth quarter, Kafka certainly did not give Bowen a vote of confidence.
“We’ll evaluate everything,” Kafka succinctly stated (via Hughes).
In addition to the fourth quarter collapses, New York has allowed the fourth-most yards per game (383.0), and the club is 28th in points allowed (27.3 points per game). As such, a Bowen ouster would not be surprising.
Kafka has been linked to outside head coaching interest in the past, so while the Giants will not be vying for a playoff spot this year, their performance will impact Kafka’s own coaching future. In addition to their interim bench boss, of course, the Giants will also consider a number of other options for the full-time HC gig this offseason.
According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer (video link), that search – which will be spearheaded by GM Joe Schoen – will not be overly expansive. Schoen will have to determine if he prefers a candidate who will be directly responsible for quarterback Jaxson Dart’s development or if he thinks the so-called “leader of men” profile (e.g. Mike Tomlin, Dan Campbell) is more important. Either way, Glazer does not think a college coach will be under consideration.
If true, that would eliminate Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman from the Giants’ list, which contradicts a recent report naming Freeman as a viable target. Some of the names that Glazer thinks will make the cut (Mike McCarthy, Lou Anarumo, Steve Spagnuolo) have already been linked to the post, while three others (Matt Nagy, Arthur Smith, Chris Shula) had not been publicly connected to New York.
Glazer spent extra time considering Shula’s candidacy. The Rams’ defensive coordinator could be yet another member of the Sean McVay coaching tree to receive HC consideration elsewhere, and according to Glazer, McVay has worked more closely with Shula than any of his former proteges.
Shula, 39, was recently named as a “prime candidate” to land a head coaching job in the 2026 cycle.
NFL To Review Ja’Marr Chase-Jalen Ramsey Incident; Latest On Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers
NOVEMBER 17: Despite the “tiny fracture” in his wrist, Rodgers “is pushing to play” on Sunday, according to Rapoport, who hears there’s a “50/50” chance it will happen. It will come down to whether Rodgers is able to grip the football.
NOVEMBER 16, 10:05pm: Per Schefter, there is concern that Rodgers sustained a “slight break” in his left wrist. More clarity, including how much time Rodgers might miss, will come after his evaluation on Monday. It sounds as if some missed time is expected, because Schefter followed his report regarding the possible break with a post suggesting Rudolph will be under center when the Steelers face the Bears in Week 12.
Nonetheless, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network says this is not expected to be a long-term issue.
5:54pm: The Bengals lost an important divisional game against the Steelers on Sunday, dropping them to 3-7. Already without starting quarterback Joe Burrow until at least Week 13, Cincinnati may also lose its top wideout, Ja’Marr Chase, for a game.
In the fourth quarter of the Bengals-Steelers contest, Pittsburgh’s Jalen Ramsey was ejected for punching Chase. While passing along a video of the incident, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says Ramsey’s transgression appears to have been more of a grab of Chase’s facemask than a true punch. Ramsey and Chase had already been flagged for offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, however, so Ramsey presumably would have been ejected regardless.
Ramsey’s teammate, Joey Porter Jr., told reporters after the game that Chase spit on Ramsey, which triggered the mercurial defensive back’s reaction (video link via ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin). Porter acknowledges he did not see the alleged expectoration, and Chase unequivocally denied it (via Martin).
But in a video passed along by Fox 19 sports photographer Austin Briski, it appears Ramsey was correct and that Chase did, in fact, spit on him. Head referee Bill Vinovich said in the postgame pool report that neither he nor any other members of his crew witnessed that part of the altercation (from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
An NFL spokesman told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the league will be reviewing the incident. And, as Garafolo reminds us, league precedent indicates spitting does merit a suspension.
Eagles DT Jalen Carter technically was not suspended for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the first regular season game of the 2025 slate. However, that was only because the incident took place immediately after the opening kickoff, and before Carter even played a snap (Carter was fined the amount of a full game check). Since the Chase-Ramsey incident transpired in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s matchup, Chase could certainly be hit with a brief ban as well as a fine.
The spitting saga overshadowed the fact that the Steelers played half of the game without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The soon-to-be 42-year-old sustained a left wrist injury late in the first half and did not return. Per Rapoport, Rodgers will undergo an evaluation on his wrist on Monday morning.
Backup Mason Rudolph completed 12 of 17 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Falcons Fear QB Michael Penix Jr. Could Miss Time Due To Knee Injury
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. missed his team’s Week 8 matchup, a blowout loss to the Dolphins, due to a bone bruise in his knee. That same issue could now force him to miss more time.
According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Penix is believed to have aggravated the prior injury during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, which forced him out of the game early. Atlanta fears its QB1 could be sidelined for a stretch.
The Falcons’ selection of Penix in last year’s draft was perhaps the biggest surprise of the event, as the club had just signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative free agent contract. Cousins’ demotion in favor of Penix during the 2024 campaign triggered plenty of trade/release speculation this offseason, though the trade deadline has passed and Cousins remains on the roster.
The 37-year-old was not particularly impressive in relief of Penix in the above-referenced Miami contest, and while Penix has flashed at times, his overall body of work puts him in the bottom half of the league in terms of both traditional quarterback rating (86.8) and QBR (53.6). The Falcons have now lost four in a row, and Penix started the last three games in that span (although those losses came by a combined 10 points, and the last two defeats were decided in overtime).
Now sitting at 3-7 and in third place in the NFC South, the Falcons will surely be cautious with Penix. Cousins will again step into the starting lineup for however long Penix is out, and if he performs well, he could perhaps convince a team in need of a bridge passer this offseason to swing a trade for him.
Coming into Sunday’s Week 11 game, Penix had completed just 58.8% of his passes, which was the third-worst mark in the league among qualified players. While the Falcons were just inside the top half of the league in terms of total offense, they were a bottom-six outfit in terms of points per game.
Per Tori McElhaney of the team’s official website, top wideout Drake London also exited Sunday’s loss early due to a knee injury of his own. London’s hip ailment forced him to miss the game that Cousins started earlier this year, so it will be bad luck for both London and the veteran passer if the knee injury leads to missed time.
Fortunately, he may be able to avoid that. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, London’s malady is not believed to be overly serious, though an MRI on Monday will reveal more.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Exits Week 11 Game Due To Possible Concussion; Shedeur Sanders Replaces Gabriel
Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel played the first half of Sunday’s Week 11 matchup against the Ravens, but he was evaluated for a concussion at halftime and subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Shedeur Sanders entered the game in relief of Gabriel and got his first taste of regular season action at the professional level.
Sanders, of course, was one of the most-discussed players in this year’s NFL news cycle. The polarizing prospect was once considered to have first-round upside, but he ultimately dropped to the fifth round of the 2025 draft before the Browns finally put an end to his precipitous slide (two rounds after Cleveland selected Gabriel). Veteran Joe Flacco opened the season as the club’s starting quarterback, but following his demotion in favor of Gabriel, Sanders remained the third-string passer.
Even after the trade that sent Flacco to the Bengals, head coach Kevin Stefanski did not immediately name Sanders as Gabriel’s backup. Practice squadder Bailey Zappe appeared to be in consideration for the role, which led to further questions about Sanders’ progress in practice.
Although Stefanski ultimately did tap Sanders as the Browns’ QB2 behind Gabriel, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week that the team did not seem anxious to get the second-generation talent into a game. In the end, Gabriel’s head injury forced Stefanski’s hand.
At the end of September, Albert Breer of SI.com expressed his belief that neither Gabriel nor Sanders could do anything this season to prevent the Browns from selecting a passer in the first round of the 2026 draft. Through the first five starts of his pro career, Gabriel did not do anything to refute that notion, as he led the team to a 1-4 record while posting a poor quarterback rating and QBR of 80.4 and 32.3, respectively.
Breer recently reiterated his opinion that Cleveland’s 2026 starting quarterback is not presently on the roster. Interestingly, however, he said he can envision a scenario in which Deshaun Watson takes the field this season.
Watson, who is recovering from a second Achilles tear, is presently on the Browns’ reserve/PUP list. The latest reporting on the matter suggested the embattled passer is unlikely to play in 2025, but Breer’s note injects a little more intrigue into the situation.
Due to Watson’s albatross contract, the Browns would be hit with a ghastly $131.16MM dead cap charge if they were to cut him in the offseason, which lends credence to Breer’s belief that it can’t hurt to have Cleveland trot him out this year if he is healthy enough to play. On the other hand, that obviously would prevent additional evaluation of Gabriel and/or Sanders.
The Browns went into halftime of the Baltimore contest with a 16-10 lead but lost 23-16. Sanders was unable to engineer any scoring drives, and he completed just four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. He added three rushes for 16 yards.
In fairness to Sanders, he had taken no practice reps with the first-team offense, as Stefanski told reporters after the game (via Zac Jackson of The Athletic). Stefanski added Gabriel will return to his QB1 post whenever he clears the concussion protocol.
Cowboys-Packers Micah Parsons Trade Includes Poison-Pill Provision
This summer, the Eagles reportedly made the top offer for Micah Parsons when it became clear the Cowboys were prepared to trade their star pass rusher in the wake of failed extension talks. Naturally, Dallas did not want to deal Parsons to a division rival, and the club ultimately shipped Parsons to the Packers. The Cowboys also took added measures to ensure Parsons would not end up in Philadelphia anytime soon.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers-Cowboys swap includes a poison-pill provision that requires Green Bay to surrender its 2028 first-round pick to Dallas if the Packers trade Parsons to another club in the NFC East. Likewise, the Cowboys will owe the Packers a 2028 first-rounder if they should trade defensive tackle Kenny Clark – who was sent to Dallas as part of the Parsons package – to another team in the NFC North.
While the Parsons component of the poison-pill condition technically applies to any NFC East team, Schefter’s sources say the Cowboys’ real concern was Philadelphia. In addition to the Eagles’ status as reigning Super Bowl champions and the fact that they look to be a championship contender for the foreseeable future, Parsons is a Harrisburg (Pa.) native and Penn State product who entertained dreams of playing for the Birds.
On the other hand, the condition expires at the end of the 2026 season, and Parsons’ childhood fantasies notwithstanding, the record-setting contract he signed with the Packers keeps him under club control through 2029. Even if Green Bay were inclined to trade him before the expiration of the condition – which is highly unlikely – the accompanying dead money charge would complicate those efforts.
Additionally, if the Packers and Eagles were adamant about completing a Parsons trade before the end of the 2026 slate, they still could. Philadelphia simply would have to include enough trade compensation to make up for the loss of Green Bay’s 2028 first-rounder.
Schefter and Jason Wilde of Channel3000.com acknowledge the odds of the poison pill coming into play are slim, though it does add yet another element to one of the most stunning trades in recent memory. The provision only recently came to light when other clubs, in preparation for last week’s trade deadline, reviewed the NFL’s database that tracks each team’s draft picks and realized the Cowboys and Packers have conditions attached to their 2028 first-rounders.
Many fans will remember that the Packers have been involved in high-profile poison-pill agreements before. When Green Bay traded quarterback Brett Favre to the Jets in 2008, part of the deal was that Gang Green would owe the Pack three first-rounders if they were to flip Favre to an NFC North outfit.
Bills Were “High Bidder” For Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle, Also Pursued DT Quinnen Williams
After Tuesday’s trade deadline passed, Bills GM Brandon Beane lamented the fact that he was unable to swing a deal to improve his roster. He also noted that his club’s salary cap situation – Buffalo has under $3MM of cap space – prevented him from “fishing in the deep end of the pond.”
But subsequent reports suggest Beane did plenty of deep sea (or pond) fishing. The problem is that several of his targets are/were on teams in the same division, making it more difficult to consummate a trade.
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Bills were the “high bidder” for Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle. The team was known to be interested in a receiver upgrade, and Waddle certainly would have fit the bill(s).
Champ Kelly, the Dolphins’ interim GM, was said to be more amenable than Chris Grier, his predecessor, to a Waddle deal. Kelly nonetheless set a high asking price on Waddle, which was reported to be a first-round pick “and then some.”
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Dolphins were seeking a third-rounder in addition to a first–round selection in a Waddle trade. Pelissero reports Beane was willing to meet that price, but not in the way Miami wanted (video link). Beane was prepared to part with a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 first, but Kelly wanted the first-rounder to be in 2026. Plus, Pelissero’s NFL Network colleague Mike Garafolo hears Kelly would have required even more than that if he were to agree to send Waddle to the division-rival Bills. Waddle’s prorated 2025 base salary of $1.17MM would have been feasible for Buffalo to absorb, but the cost of the trade itself clearly was not. In the end, Waddle stayed put.
More difficult from at least a financial standpoint for the Bills to acquire was Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, though Pelissero reports Beane pursued him as well (and offered a first-round pick as part of his proposal). Buffalo has one of the worst run defenses in the league, and starting DT Ed Oliver suffered a torn biceps in Week 8 and will not return until the postseason (if at all). Williams would have been an ideal on-field fit, but his prorated 2025 salary of $15.65MM would have required a great deal of last-minute maneuvering on Beane’s part (as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com observes). And, it is fair to assume New York, like Miami, would have set an even higher price tag for a divisional foe (Gang Green ultimately dealt Willams to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder, and DT Mazi Smith).
Having struck out in their trade pursuits – which also included a stab at a CB upgrade and linebacker Logan Wilson – the Bills will hope their existing roster can make another playoff run. The team is 6-3 and in a close race with the surprising Patriots (8-2) for the AFC East title.
Steelers Believed They Were Close To Acquiring WR At Trade Deadline, Inquired About Jaylen Waddle
The Steelers were reportedly one of the most aggressive clubs in pursuing a wide receiver at this year’s trade deadline, and they were in on the Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers before Las Vegas shipped the contract-year wideout to the Jaguars. Ultimately, Pittsburgh did not swing a trade for a player to complement Aaron Rodgers’ contingent of pass catchers.
Pittsburgh did sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling shortly before the deadline, and according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show, the club was at least somewhat close to adding a receiver. However, that unnamed player ultimately stayed with his current team.
The Titans’ Calvin Ridley or the Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle could have been the receiver in question, as both players were connected to the Steelers in the run-up to the deadline but were not traded. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Pittsburgh did call Miami to discuss Waddle, joining the Broncos and the Bills as known suitors of the 2021 first-rounder.
We heard just this morning that the high price that Dolphins interim GM Champ Kelly set on Waddle was a first- and third-round pick (and, in the case of the division-rival Bills, who did offer a package including those selections, Kelly wanted even more). Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports believes multiple non-Buffalo teams would have been willing to make the deal if the third-rounder were not part of the equation, and despite some chatter that the ‘Fins may have been prepared to lower their asking price as the deadline got closer, they obviously could not come to terms with any interested clubs.
We may never know if the Steelers were one of the teams prepared to pony up a first-rounder for Waddle. In any event, Rodgers & Co. will have to content themselves with the Valdes-Scantling addition as they seek to retain control of the AFC North.
Per Kaboly, the Steelers thought MVS would sign with them in August, after he was released by the Seahawks. The 31-year-old had previously acknowledged he had to choose between San Francisco and Pittsburgh, and at the time, he saw the 49ers as the better fit.
He wound up playing in five games with the 49ers, catching four balls for 40 yards. He eventually was released with an injury settlement.
Latest On Sauce Gardner Trade; Jets HC Aaron Glenn’s Job Is Safe
The Jets’ deadline trade sending cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell caught many by surprise. However, the foundation for those types of deals is typically laid well in advance of the agreement itself. That is exactly what happened here, as multiple reporters, including Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required), detail that the framework of the Gardner deal – and the other swaps New York made – began to take shape in Week 4.
At that time, GM Darren Mougey and his staff began to hold weekly meetings to discuss, among other things, the trade value of each player on the roster. The idea was to avoid recency bias as the November 4 deadline approached and other clubs began making trade offers.
So, although ESPN’s Rich Cimini says the Jets never intended to move Gardner – whom they signed to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension in July – they did establish what it would take to consider trading him if an offer came in. Per Cimini and Albert Breer of SI.com, that price was indeed two first-rounders and a quality player.
After the Colts’ Week 6 victory over the Cardinals improved their record to 5-1, Breer says Indianapolis’ assistant GM, Ed Dodds, placed calls around the league seeking CB help (Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion prior to the Arizona contest and landed on injured reserve as a result, and rookie Justin Walley sustained a season-ending ACL tear in August). Dodds’ efforts led him to Mougey, who indicated he would listen to offers on anyone on the roster, even if he was not actively looking to trade certain players.
Mougey and Colts GM Chris Ballard then discussed the possibility of a Gardner trade. While Cimini says Ballard initially balked at the asking price, Mougey himself noted Indianapolis’ offers “kept getting richer and richer.” The Colts inquired on the Giants’ Deonte Banks (per Cimini) and the Saints’ Alontae Taylor (as previously reported), but Gardner is on an entirely different tier.
As Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put it during a conversation with Ballard on the eve of the deadline, “[d]o you want to Band-Aid [the cornerback position] or fix it for the long-term?” (via Breer). When Ballard explained how valuable Gardner could be, particularly considering the importance of CBs in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme, Irsay-Gordon agreed the long-term fix was the right choice.
According to Cimini, the Jets were emphatic about including Mitchell in the trade. Breer adds Indianapolis grew increasingly amenable to moving the 2024 second-rounder, who had become an afterthought in the team’s offense. With the Jets high on Mitchell and the Colts prepared to move on, all of the pieces for the Gardner trade were in place.
Of course, Gardner was not the only elite defender Mougey jettisoned at the deadline. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was sent to the Cowboys in a swap that netted the Jets DT Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-rounder, and the higher of Dallas’ two 2027 first-rounders. Per Breer, Mougey knew the Cowboys would not give back everything they had gotten in the offseason Micah Parsons trade, which is one of the reasons why the GM began to consider a first-rounder in 2027 instead of 2026. The other reason is that he and his staff believe the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than the ‘26 crop. Now, thanks to the Gardner and Williams deals, the Jets have three first-round selections (including their own) in a year they consider to be rife with quality prospects.
Both Brian Costello of the New York Post and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network write that head coach Aaron Glenn was heavily involved in the trade discussions, which bolsters Rapoport’s report that Glenn will not be a one-and-done coach. Owner Woody Johnson recently called Glenn “the real deal,” and sources tell Rapoport that Glenn will not be judged by the Jets’ 2025 record and will be given a chance to guide the club through its rebuild.
Johnson has a history of being something of a meddlesome owner, but Cimini suggests that was not the case at this year’s deadline. Instead, when his first-year GM and HC told him of the plan to trade Gardner mere months after authorizing a lucrative extension for him, Johnson simply reaffirmed his faith in his top power brokers.