Jets Setting High Asking Price On Breece Hall; Team More Open To Re-Signing RB?
Five days remain until this year’s trade deadline. Even after sending Michael Carter II to the Eagles, the Jets remain a team to watch regarding more seller’s moves.
Teams are monitoring a few Jets, defenders Jermaine Johnson, Quincy Williams and Quinnen Williams among them. While Allen Lazard is known to be available, Breece Hall remains the top skill-position trade chip. As it stands, Gang Green continues to set a high price, according to Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano and Eric Williams. The team is rebuffing inquiries as it stands, and it is possible its stance has changed in recent weeks.
[RELATED: Hall Wants To Remain With Jets Past Deadline]
Although Aaron Glenn said earlier this month he did not want to see his starting running back traded, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes his previous expectation was for Hall to be dealt at the deadline. Now, though, some in the Jets’ building are leery about moving on from the team’s four-year starting RB.
The situation now looks to feature stronger Jets consideration of re-signing Hall as a free agent, which will obviously produce a higher asking price to part with him now in a trade. No extension talks are known to have taken place, and preseason word pointed to the former second-round pick playing out his rookie contract. Trade buzz has persisted in the weeks since.
Thus far, Hall has delivered a bounce-back season. He was instrumental in the Jets picking up their first Glenn-era win, rushing for two touchdowns and adding a TD toss to Mason Taylor. Hall has three 100-yard games this season and is naturally generating interest from RB-needy teams.
Going through a bye week, the Jets also would need to make a significant pivot if they moved Hall. The team’s top Hall complementary piece entering the season, Braelon Allen, is recovering from knee surgery, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Allen was not certain to undergo a procedure, with rehab a route believed to be available as well. While the second-year back did go under the knife, Cimini adds this does not change his two- to three-month recovery timetable.
A Hall trade would bump 2024 fifth-round pick Isaiah Davis to the top of the Jets’ depth chart. Davis has provided a spark as a backup with Allen sidelined, but a Hall trade would also force the Jets to consider how an Allen-Davis tandem would look anchoring the team’s backfield come 2026.
Hall could net the Jets a 2027 compensatory pick as a departing free agent, depending on the RB’s market and how the team approaches free agency in 2026. A move now would likely hand the Jets a pick or two in 2026, as Glenn and GM Darren Mougey look to continue adding their own talent to mix in with Joe Douglas‘ pieces.
After averaging 4.2 yards per carry in 2022, Hall is at 5.0 (581 in total) through eight games. Like Javonte Williams in Dallas, Hall appears to have completed a belated return to form after a 2022 ACL tear. The Jets would have competition for his services in free agency, but the team has until the mid-March legal tampering period to negotiate exclusively with the RB — that is, if it does not move on before the Nov. 4 deadline.
Jets To Deal CB Michael Carter II To Eagles
One of the Jets’ long-rumored trade candidates, Michael Carter II is indeed on the move. The team is sending the veteran slot cornerback to the Eagles, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.
Carter and a 2027 seventh-round pick are going to the Eagles in exchange for a 2027 sixth and wide receiver John Metchie, per Russini. Philadelphia had acquired Metchie in a summer trade with Houston.
[RELATED: DT Quinnen Williams Drawing Trade Interest]
This move will reunite Carter with the GM who extended him last summer. Since-fired Jets front office boss Joe Douglas is back with the Eagles, having been hired this offseason. Douglas hammered out a three-year, $30.75MM extension for Carter just before last season. (At the time, those terms made Carter the NFL’s highest-paid pure slot.)
The Jets came into Wednesday with three eight-figure-per-year CB contracts. That number drops to two (Sauce Gardner, Brandon Stephens) after this deal, and it gives Carter a second chance after he had fallen out of favor under Aaron Glenn.
Seeking a change of scenery after his Jets standing changed, Carter agreed to rework his contract to facilitate a trade to Philly. He agreed to remove a $5MM injury guarantee for 2026, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds. Carter is now due a largely nonguaranteed $9.7MM in 2026, as $1.38MM of that total is fully guaranteed. The contract runs through 2027.
This will give the Eagles more flexibility, as they are acquiring a slot corner despite rostering Cooper DeJean. Issues finding a boundary complement to Quinyon Mitchell, however, have DeJean playing outside far more often this season. That looks set to continue, with the Eagles likely eyeing a Mitchell-DeJean-Carter trio after their Week 9 bye.
Vic Fangio said recently (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) the team has discussed moving DeJean outside. Neither Adoree’ Jackson nor Kelee Ringo has proven a reliable option opposite Mitchell, and the 2024 rookie CB duo may be how the defending Super Bowl champs resolve this matter for the time being. In Carter, the Eagles will be acquiring a proven slot presence — at least, that was the case during most of Douglas’ GM tenure. The Jets, signing Stephens and extending Gardner at a record rate, had been dangling Carter in deals before the November 4 deadline.
Douglas drafted two Michael Carters in 2021. While the Jets moved on from the running back (now a Cardinal) earlier, they extended the corner — a fifth-round pick — in a deal that pointed D.J. Reed out of New York. But injuries limited Carter in 2024; the 2025 Jets regime change affected his long-term standing with the franchise. The Jets’ September Jarvis Brownlee trade impacted this equation as well.
A herniated disk in Carter’s back accompanied an ankle injury last year, and his snap share declined to a career-low 32% during Jeff Ulbrich‘s interim HC stretch. Carter had logged between 64 and 74% of New York’s defensive snaps from 2021-23, solidifying himself as an extension candidate. Missing three games this season, he played 45% of the Jets’ defensive snaps. That stint under Glenn and Steve Wilks did not go well; Pro Football Focus ranks Carter as the NFL’s third-worst CB regular this season. Per Pro-Football-Reference, he has been charged with a whopping 19.5 yards per completion and a 109.7 passer rating as the closest defender.
PFF graded Carter as a top-20 option in 2022 and ’23, as he excelled alongside Gardner in Robert Saleh‘s scheme. The Eagles will bet on this buy-low move boosting their defense and restoring the 26-year-old corner closer to that early-2020s form. PFF has Jackson slotted barely above Carter this season, ranking him among the 10 worst CB regulars, while placing Ringo outside the top 60 at the position. While DeJean may project as a slot player long term, the Eagles will try to get by with the standout cover man outside this year.
DeJean logged only seven boundary CB snaps in 2024; the Iowa alum is already at 103 this season. Fangio had a complex plan for DeJean this offseason, lining him up at safety and outside corner. For now, DeJean will be likely to give it a go at a position he was not drafted to play. It will be interesting to see what the Eagles’ DeJean plan is coming out of this season, as the Super Bowl hero enjoyed a strong rookie year as a slot stopper.
Despite being extended last year, Carter is on a manageable $1.7MM base salary this season. The Eagles will be responsible for barely half that, though the Jets could only secure a 2027 sixth and a now-twice-trade receiver in this deal. Metchie will join a team with a much worse receiving situation.
The Jets have played without Garrett Wilson due to injury recently and placed Josh Reynolds on IR before Week 8. Being traded from Houston to Philly before the season, Metchie has caught just four passes for 18 yards. The former second-round pick, who missed his rookie season due to a leukemia battle, should have a chance to play more with the Jets.
Metchie caught 24 passes for 254 yards as a Texans backup in 2024 and is in a contract year. The Jets have Allen Lazard stationed as a trade candidate, as the 1-7 team will need to consider other moves to recoup draft capital before the deadline. Excluding pick-for-pick deals, this is the Eagles’ 10th trade in 2025. More moves could be coming for the NFC power, as six days remain until this year’s trade endpoint.
Jets Willing To Listen To Offers For Quinnen Williams
The Jets have already dealt one veteran defender, and the team may not be done. According to Jordan Schultz, the Jets are willing to listen to offers on star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
[RELATED: Jets To Deal CB Michael Carter II To Eagles]
The former third-overall pick is arguably the Jets best player and is signed through the 2027 campaign, so the front office is naturally resistant to potential deals. However, Schultz notes that there’s a league-wide need for interior defensive line help, and considering the aggressiveness of some GMs around the NFL, “the idea of a team blowing away the Jets with an offer is at least feasible.”
Williams truly established himself as one of the league’s best defensive tackles in 2022, when he collected 12 sacks en route to a first-team All-Pro nod. The Jets were quick to reward the player for his performance, as the DT inked a four-year, $96MM extension the following offseason.
While the Jets disappointed in both 2023 and 2024, Williams was one of the team’s few bright spots. He added another 11.5 sacks to his resume between those two campaigns, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the third-best interior defender in 2023 before placing him 30th in 2024. The site is once again bullish on his talents in 2025, ranking him eighth among 128 qualifiers. In eight starts this season, the 27-year-old has collected one sack, seven tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.
The team doesn’t have much of a backup plan for their star player. The team acquired veteran Harrison Phillips back in August, but the 29-year-old appears to be a temporary stopgap. The team is otherwise rostering Jay Tufele, Jowon Briggs, and Byron Cowart, who will miss the entire 2025 campaign with an ankle injury.
We heard previously that Williams was drawing interest, with the expectation being that it would require a haul to acquire the defensive tackle. The Cowboys reportedly discussed a Micah Parsons package that involved Williams before they shipped the defensive star to Green Bay.
Jets S Andre Cisco Suffers Pectoral Tear
The Jets may have earned their first win of the season this weekend, but it didn’t come without its lumps. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, starting safety Andre Cisco has sustained “a pectoral tear that needs repair.” 
Cisco came to New York on a one-year, $8.5MM deal following the expiration of his rookie contract as a third-round pick in Jacksonville. Over his time with the Jaguars, Cisco quickly inserted himself into the defensive gameplan, earning a full-time starting job by his sophomore season. He showed impressive ball skills, logging seven interceptions and 15 passes defensed in his first two years as a starter, but failed to capitalize on a contract year, leading to the one-year contract he signed.
New head coach Aaron Glenn brought his defensive mindset from Detroit, and star cornerback Sauce Gardner has looked strong alongside a career year for newcomer Brandon Stephens and a strong sophomore campaign for Jarvis Brownlee Jr. The team has been decently middle-of-the-road in passing yards allowed, but they’ve given up the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the NFL, and they’re the only team in the NFL without an interception.
So far this season, the safeties have been a weak spot for the Jets defense. Tony Adams, who began the season as the starter next to Cisco, was benched after Week 4 in favor of fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore, who hasn’t fared much better. The only other player currently labeled as a safety on the roster is former nickelback Isaiah Oliver, though undrafted rookie Dean Clark resides on the practice squad.
The severity of the repair is not apparent from Fowler’s report. With a complete tear, the “repair” in question would be a surgical one requiring months of recovery and rehabilitation. If Cisco suffered only a minor tear, though, the team may be able to treat it non-surgically and have him back quicker after some rest.
Either way, if Cisco is forced to miss any time, it will be at the detriment of an already thin position group. New York will likely need to seek reinforcements, though they’ve been identified pretty clearly more as sellers than buyers in the trade market. More likely, they may look to add depth out of the existing free agent pool.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor NFL moves as the headlines are taken up by bigger names due to the impending trade deadline:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Tommy Akingbesote
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off 49ers’ practice squad: OLB Trevis Gipson
- Waived: DT Jaden Crumedy
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: DE Austin Booker
- Placed on IR: DL Shemar Turner (story)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: LB Shaka Heyward, C Matt Lee
- Released: DT Mike Pennel
Denver Broncos
- Activated from commissioners/suspended list: LB Dre Greenlaw
- Released: QB Sam Ehlinger
Los Angeles Chargers
- Practice window opened: CB Deane Leonard
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: CB Tre Brown
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: CB Storm Duck (story)
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
- Placed on IR: RB Cam Skattebo (story)
New York Jets
- Waived: WR Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Domenique Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Packers’ practice squad: CB Micah Robinson
- Signed off Patriots’ practice squad: OLB Truman Jones
- Placed on IR: OLB Ali Gaye
The Bengals cleared out a few roster spots today as Heyward will need about four weeks to work his way back from a hairline fracture in his fibula. Pennel, a 12-year veteran on the interior defensive line, had started to cede his defensive snaps to younger options and found himself falling down the depth chart despite appearing in every game this season. He requested his release from the team, and it was granted.
Similar to when San Francisco brought Greenlaw back from injured reserve, the 49ers are releasing Ehlinger to make room on the 53-man roster. Like last time, the plan is for Ehlinger to remain in Denver via an addition to the practice squad tomorrow.
Jets’ Justin Fields Could Draw Trade Interest?
Justin Fields‘ Week 7 benching could be an early sign that he doesn’t have a long-term future in New York, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post.
Fields signed a two-year, $40MM deal to join the Jets this offseason as the starting quarterback under new head coach Aaron Glenn. The fifth-year quarterback has made seven starts this year that fall into one of two buckets: good enough to win a game, and bad enough to impede such an effort. Some around the league believe Fields has been let down by iffy coaching, per La Canfora, who floats the trade notion after the QB was seemingly set to be benched ahead of Week 8.
Weeks 1, 4 and 5 fell into the former categories, while Weeks 2, 6, and 7 were in the latter. In Week 2, Fields was knocked out of the game with a concussion, and in Week 7, he was benched for backup Tyrod Taylor. The commonality between all of those games? The Jets lost them.
Taylor appeared to be the starter moving forward after Fields’ benching last week, but a shoulder injury sidelined the veteran for Week 8. That gave Fields another starting nod, and he let the Jets to their first win and highest point total of the season.
However, recent comments from Jets owner Woody Johnson indicate that he has already soured on his young quarterback, which has stirred speculation that Fields could be on his way out of New York sooner than expected. With quarterbacks around the league dropping like flies, a team might be desperate enough to try to acquire Fields even though he was just signed this offseason.
However, $10MM of Fields’ 2026 salary is guaranteed, and his release would add $22MM in dead money to the Jets’ salary cap next year. They already have $35MM of dead money remaining from Rodgers’ contract, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, and would likely have to punt on Glenn’s second year in charge as they sort out their quarterback situation. Glenn himself may not be content with that decision – especially considering the relatively shorter leashes for minority coaches in the NFL – which may give Fields another chance to prove himself next year.
Taylor might need to show he is healthy before the Jets consider making a seismic move like trading Fields. Johnson’s comments notwithstanding, the team made a commitment to him. Bailing now would send a bad message, even if Glenn was preparing to bench his starter after Week 7. The Jets would also need to add QB help in that event, with only two passers on the active roster. Rookie UDFA Brady Cook (Missouri) is on Gang Green’s practice squad.
Former Jets C Nick Mangold Passes Away
Former Jets center Nick Mangold, one of the best pivots of his generation, has passed away at the age of 41, the team announced. Just two weeks ago, Mangold said he was battling chronic kidney disease and was in need of a transplant (via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports).
A first-round pick of the Jets in 2006, Mangold spent his entire 11-year career with Gang Green. His tenure was marked not only by excellent play but by availability, as the Ohio State product suited up for at least 14 games every season from 2006-15. The ankle injury he sustained in 2016, which limited him to eight contests that year, ultimately put an end to his playing days.
Before that, however, he earned seven Pro Bowl nods and two First-Team All-Pro appearances. He was also a key cog in two of the most successful Jets outfits in franchise history, the 2009-10 iterations that journeyed to the AFC Championship Game with Mark Sanchez under center.
In all, Mangold’s career spanned 171 regular season and playoff games (all starts). While his time in the league came to an unceremonious end with a cost-cutting release in 2017, he had solidified his standing as a franchise icon long before that. He signed a one-day contract to retire as a Jet in 2018 and was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2022.
In a statement passed along by ESPN’s Rich Cimini, owner Woody Johnson said, “Nick was more than a legendary center. He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”
We at PFR offer our condolences to Mangold’s family, friends, and the many coaches and teammates he played with and for during his standout career as a collegian and in the pros.
Justin Fields To Start Week 8; Tyrod Taylor Out With Knee Injury
With the Jets off to a league-worst 0-7 start, owner Woody Johnson made it known on Tuesday that he was unhappy with quarterback Justin Fields‘ performance. Johnson’s scathing remarks may have helped pave the way for a QB change this week, but he’ll have to wait at least one more game.
The Jets have ruled backup Tyrod Taylor out for Week 8 against the Bengals with a knee injury, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports. Fields will start in Cincinnati, while undrafted rookie Brady Cook will serve as his backup.
Fields has yet to throw an interception this season, the first of a two-year, $40MM contract, but the former Bear and Steeler has been at the helm of an offense that has averaged just 18.4 points per game. He has combined for seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) and completed 63.7% of passes for 845 yards.
As always, Fields has been a threat on the ground, having racked up 257 yards on 42 rushing attempts (6.1 yards per carry). That hasn’t been enough to produce a Jets victory in 2025.
With their offense unable to generate much in a 13-6 loss to the Panthers last week, rookie head coach Aaron Glenn pulled Fields in favor of Taylor. He hardly lit it up (10 of 22 for 126 yards and two picks), but the Jets were nonetheless expected to turn to Taylor on Sunday.
Glenn appeared likely to make his QB decision public closer to game time, but Taylor’s injury has forced the Jets’ hand early. Taylor, who was limited in practice all week, said he suffered the injury on “a helmet shot to the knee last game.” The 36-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in August, which sidelined him for the entire preseason.
Barring a stellar performance from Fields in Week 8, and depending on the severity of Taylor’s injury, Glenn will likely face the same questions about the QB position after Sunday’s game. With the Jets on a bye next week, he’ll have extra time to make a decision on a starter for their game against the Browns on Nov. 9.
Jets Activate LB Quincy Williams From IR
Just three days after opening his 21-day practice window, the Jets have opted to activate linebacker Quincy Williams off of injured reserve. To make room on the 53-man roster, two players were placed on IR. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds and linebacker Cam Jones will miss at least the next four games after both suffered recent hip injuries. 
Williams should easily fit back into the starting lineup on defense next to Jamien Sherwood. Just a year and a half removed from a first-team All-Pro season, Williams should immediately bring improvement to the Jets’ defensive front seven. Rookie fifth-round pick Kiko Mauigoa has been starting in Williams’ place and will likely revert to the third linebacker role, in which he’ll work on the first-team defense for formations that don’t require extra defensive backs.
Another interesting aspect of this transaction concerns the narrative of the trade deadline arriving in 10 days. Despite spending the last four weeks on IR, Williams has reportedly been monitored by teams looking for linebacker help on the trade market. Despite his recent All-Pro acclaim, Williams saw Sherwood, a former special teamer who developed into a starting role, earn a shiny, new deal as Williams made his way into a contract year. Though the shoulder injury may have dinged his value a bit, if a team comes in with the right price, the winless Jets are certainly in position to sell.
Reynolds has been running as WR2 in the Jets bottom-ranked pass attack this year. In five games, he’s caught 11 passes for 101 yards as the fourth most-targeted pass catcher on the offense, behind rookie tight end Mason Taylor and running back Breece Hall. With Reynolds out, fourth-round rookie Arian Smith and veterans Allen Lazard and Tyler Johnson will need to step up behind WR1 Garrett Wilson.
With Jones joining Reynolds on IR, the Jets had an open spot on the 53-man roster. The team opted to fill that spot by signing practice squad receiver Brandon Smith to the active roster. Smith will add depth to the receiving corps during Reynolds’ extended absence. Additionally, New York announced that it would call up defensive tackle Payton Page as a standard gameday practice squad elevation.
The Jets’ other practice squad elevation will be utilized on undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook. The Mizzou product is being called up for the second time this year to serve as the team’s backup quarterback on Sunday. Though it was initially thought that veteran Tyrod Taylor would be replacing Justin Fields as QB1, a knee injury will hold Taylor out, forcing Fields back into the first-team lineup and necessitating the elevation of Cook to back him up.
Jets DL Quinnen Williams Drawing Interest
OCT. 25: The Jets aren’t “actively shopping” or “entertaining moving” Williams, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. It would take a massive offer for the Jets to change their minds.
OCT. 23: With the Nov. 4 trade deadline nearing, a host of Jets have drawn interest from around the NFL. Add defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the list, according to Connor Hughes of SNY. Teams have been inquiring about Williams’ availability, Hughes reports.
Although the Jets are off to a league-worst 0-7 start, first-year general manager Darren Mougey isn’t going to conduct a fire sale or trade anyone for “pennies,” per Hughes. As one of the Jets’ best players, Williams would surely command a significant haul. The Cowboys would have wanted Williams in a potential Micah Parsons trade with the Jets, but Mougey wouldn’t bite on that.
Now 27 years old, Williams joined the Jets as the third overall pick in the 2019 draft. The former Alabama star has continued to hold his own in the pros, where he has racked up 40 sacks and three Pro Bowl nods. Former GM Joe Douglas awarded Williams a four-year, $96MM extension in July 2023, meaning the Jets aren’t in danger of losing him in the immediate future. He’s on the team’s books through 2027.
Williams has just one sack in seven games this year, but he has still been one of the Jets’ few bright spots. The 303-pounder has already forced three fumbles, and he ranks second among defensive tackles in run stop win rate and 20th in pass rush win rate. Pro Football Focus ranks his overall performance eighth among 124 qualifying D-tackles.
Barring an unexpected trade request from Williams, who has yet to make the playoffs in the NFL, it’s hard to believe the Jets will move him over the next week and a half. Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson is a more realistic trade candidate, but it doesn’t appear he’s going anywhere. Johnson told Rich Cimini of ESPN.com that he “received” clarity on his status from the front office on Thursday.
“I’m definitely wanted here, and I want to stay here,” Johnson said.
After earning a Pro Bowl trip in 2023, Johnson missed all but two games last season as a result of a torn Achilles. That didn’t stop the Jets from picking up the former first-round pick’s fifth-year option for 2026. Johnson has missed another three games this season with an ankle injury. In the four games he has played, Johnson has collected 16 tackles and a sack. He’s set to earn $13.41MM next year, and based on what Johnson said Thursday, it seems the Jets plan to keep him beyond the deadline.