New York Jets News & Rumors

Quinnen Williams Made Multiple Trade Requests In Final Jets Stretch

The Jets cleaned house Tuesday. While several of the team’s trade chips are still on the roster, the club cashed out on Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams on deadline day.

Gardner is now a Colt, while the Cowboys paid up to pry Williams from the Jets. As it turned out, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle wanted out. Williams had made three separate trade requests to the Jets, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes. They met the last one, dealing him to Dallas in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first and former first-round D-tackle Mazi Smith.

Aaron Glenn was critical of Williams in their head-to-head meeting upon the former Lions DC taking the HC job, with Hughes noting the relationship began to spiral at that point. Williams also was not onboard with the Jets’ quarterback plan, commenting on X that it would be “another rebuilding year” for him after the team cut Aaron Rodgers this offseason. Glenn addressed that disapproval with Williams months ago, and while the standout D-tackle called his tweet immature, Hughes notes the Rodgers release did mark a key point on the Williams-Jets timeline.

The Jets have struggled with Justin Fields at the helm, benching him in Week 7 and then seemingly being prepared to start Tyrod Taylor in Week 8 before the backup was deemed unable to play due to injury. A 2019 draftee, Williams has not been part of an eight-win team yet as a Jet. He will head to a Cowboys team that has been far more successful in recent years, albeit one synonymous with postseason failure.

Williams’ trade asks stemmed from unhappiness with the Jets’ direction, per The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt. He is certainly not the first veteran to gripe about being part of a rebuild, and the Jets’ 0-7 start pointed them in that direction ahead of the trade deadline. Breece Hall made a trade request following the Williams and Gardner deals, but the Jets held onto their starting running back.

As Williams’ frustration with the situation spread around the NFL, Rosenblatt adds the Jets were still informing teams they were not trading him. The Jets discussed him with the Cowboys as part of a potential Micah Parsons trade, but no deal happened then. Hughes previously noted the team’s stance softened here, and the Jets began listening on deadline deals involving their top D-lineman recently. Receiving first- and second-round picks became enough to sever ties. He now joins Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa in a Dallas DT corps including three $20MM-per-year contracts.

The Jets gave Williams a four-year, $96MM extension in July 2023. At the time, the former No. 3 overall pick’s $47.86MM fully guaranteed topped the market at DT. Chris Jones, Nnamdi Madubuike and Milton Williams now top that, and Christian Wilkins had done so before his messy Raiders divorce. Williams had also pushed for a rework, according to Hughes, that would have added guaranteed money to his deal.

Only $5MM guaranteed remains on the Alabama alum’s contract post-2025, but with Williams under contract through 2027 and the Jets changing regimes, nothing happened on this front. Williams, 27, had then made it known he had no intention to sign another Jets extension. Mike Maccagnan drafted Williams, and Joe Douglas extended him. After Darren Mougey traded him, the Cowboys will be the ones in charge of a potential rework now.

Jets Acquire CB Ja’Sir Taylor From Chargers

The Jets pulled off the two biggest trades of deadline day in the NFL on Tuesday, sending cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys. They also made a small addition before the deadline, acquiring cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor from the Chargers for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2028. Both teams have announced the move.

Now 26 years old, Taylor joined the Chargers as a sixth-round pick from Wake Forest in 2022. Taylor has since appeared in 57 regular-season games, including all nine of the Bolts’ contests this year, and picked up 11 starts and an interception.

Before the trade, Taylor spent 2025 working almost exclusively on special teams. He amassed 175 snaps on the Chargers’ ST unit and just 16 on defense.

Taylor is now heading back to his native New Jersey to join a Jets team that lost its best corner on Tuesday. Gardner’s departure came less than a week after the Jets traded fellow CB Michael Carter II to the Eagles. With Gardner and Carter gone, Taylor may have a shot at playing time in what’s now a shorthanded New York secondary.

Jets Will Not Trade WR Garrett Wilson; Latest On LB Quincy Williams

The Jets have traded away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen WilliamsJermaine Johnson continues to draw interest, meanwhile, while Breece Hall has asked to be dealt.

With all that going on around the franchise, New York has understandably received calls about Garrett Wilson as well. In that case, however, no swap is forthcoming. Wilson is considered untouchable, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports.

Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post confirms Wilson will not be on the move. The 25-year-old was linked to trade talk last season after the Jets reunited Aaron Rodgers with Davante Adams. Neither were retained in the offseason, though, and Wilson wound up inking a four-year, $130MM extension in July. That pact moved Wilson into fifth in the league in terms of receiver compensation on an annual basis.

Considering the fact New York’s current regime (led by general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn) authorized that extension, it would stand to reason Wilson will be staying in place. Of course, the same was also true of Gardner, who has been dealt just eight games after signing his extension. While the Jets’ defense will look vastly different moving forward, Wilson, 25, will remain a focal point of offense for the foreseeable future.

As for another Jets trade candidate, nothing is imminent at this point for Quincy Williams. The former All-Pro linebacker has been on the radar of interested teams leading up to the deadline, but no deal has been worked out yet. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports New York has been seeking a fourth-round pick for Williams, whose brother is no longer his teammate. Quincy Williams is a pending free agent.

Time still remains for the Jets to swing one or more trades, but it seems as though that will not be the case. Wilson in particular can be assured of remaining in the fold as the team engages in a rebuild.

Jets RB Breece Hall Wants Trade

After already swinging two jaw-dropping trades on Tuesday, the Jets are attempting to make yet another move leading up to the 3 p.m. CT deadline, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. The Jets previously said goodbye to two defensive cornerstones, cornerback Sauce Gardner and lineman Quinnen Williams, in blockbusters with the Colts and Cowboys.

With Gardner and Williams gone, running back Breece Hall wants a trade, per Schultz . Despite Hall’s wishes, expectations are that the Jets will retain him, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

While Hall is due to reach free agency in the offseason, making him a pure rental for an acquiring club, the Jets are requesting a third-round pick in return, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Although contenders like the Chiefs, Chargers, and Patriots have come up as speculative fits for the 24-year-old, no one has met the Jets’ asking price. However, there are offers on the table for Hall, Connor Hughes of SNY relays.

If a Hall trade doesn’t come together, it’s possible the Jets will make an attempt to re-sign the fourth-year man and former second-rounder between now and the offseason. Hall has won over rookie head coach Aaron Glenn, who said in mid-October there were no plans to trade him (there probably weren’t plans to trade Gardner or Williams then either). One of the few bright spots on a 1-7 team, Hall has rushed for 581 yards and two touchdowns on 5.0 YPC this season.

With the Jets seemingly unafraid to part with anyone, Hall will continue to be a name to watch going up to the deadline. The same goes for EDGE rusher Jermaine Johnson, who’s reportedly generating second-round offers.

Jets Receiving Second-Round Offers On EDGE Jermaine Johnson

The Jets are continuing to take calls on Jermaine Johnson, with teams offering second-round picks in deals for the fourth-year edge rusher, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.

Johnson has been a popular trade target with the Jets thought to be seeking a second-round pick in exchange. New York seems to be going through a full roster reset after trading both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams before the deadline. They are likely trying to garner as much draft capital as possible for a quarterback prospect in the next two years and rebuild their roster under their new regime.

Hughes’ specific wording – “offers include a second-round pick.” – and the timing of his report suggest that the Jets are being asked to send a pick back to an acquiring team as part of the deal. They may be trying to drum up better offers before the deadline elapses in less than two hours.

It seems likely that Johnson will be on his way out of New York later today, and other Jets like Breece Hall could also join the apparent fire sale. The Jets’ moves are arguably the most significant back-to-back trades made by a franchise in years, if not decades. They now have the draft picks to land their desired quarterback prospect in one of the next two drafts while also searching for new franchise cornerstones to replace the ones they just sent out of town.

Jets S Andre Cisco To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

The Jets suffered a loss in the secondary in Week 8 when Andre Cisco went down. The fifth-year veteran suffered a pectoral tear, and he will be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign as a result.

When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Aaron Glenn said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) Cisco is set to undergo season-ending surgery. A lengthy recovery period is thus in store for the pending free agent. Meanwhile, the Jets will move forward without a starter on the back end.

Cisco showcased his playmaking skills while with the Jaguars from 2021-24. Over the course of his rookie pact, the former third-rounder notched eight interceptions and 24 pass deflections. That did not result in a long-term commitment during his first trip to free agency, however, as Cisco took a one-year accord to join the Jets. That contract included $7.5MM in guarantees, but matching it in 2026 will of course be challenging.

Given Cisco’s injury, he will no doubt be in line for another one-year pact on the open market next spring. The Syracuse product started each of his eight Jets appearances prior to suffering the injury; during that time, he was held without an interception and recorded only one pass breakup. Cisco’s showing in coverage also left plenty to be desired, with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 130.2 surrendered as the nearest defender.

The 25-year-old could be viewed as a buy-low candidate by outside suitors based on his age and previous production. It will be interesting to see if the Jets’ regime of Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey elects to keep him in place since this is not an instance of a player added by previous management. In the event New York prioritizes one or more changes at the safety spot this offseason, though, a change of scenery will be in store for the second straight year in Cisco’s case.

Jets Seeking Day 2 Picks For Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall; Quinnen Williams Unlikely To Be Dealt

NOVEMBER 2: ESPN’s Rich Cimini echoes Breer’s report and says Quincy Williams is a player who could be on the move before the deadline. He believes Quinnen Williams, Hall, and McDonald are likely to stay put, and he does not rule out the possibility of the Jets adding a player via trade, with safety and offensive lineman representing possible target areas.

OCTOBER 31: In indicating he was unlikely to be traded at the deadline, Jermaine Johnson cited a recent conversation with Jets brass. But it appears the Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey regime is still listening on the former first-round pick.

Although the Jets are not planning to move Will McDonald, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes they are still open to unloading Johnson — albeit for a price that might spook contending teams. The Jets are believed to want a second-round pick for the 2022 first-rounder, per Breer, on a player signed through 2026.

[RELATED: Glenn Against Trading Hall At Deadline]

This asking price is in the Breece Hall ballpark as well. Despite Hall being in a contract year, Breer adds the Jets are aiming for a Day 2 pick to move on now. No extension has been in the works, after the Jets tabled re-up talks on players not named Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson this summer, but a recent report indicated the team may be warming up to the idea of re-signing Hall. It is unsurprising the Jets are setting a Day 2 price, then, as news out of New York has indicated a high price is attached to the four-year starting RB.

It took a second-rounder for the Bears to pry Montez Sweat from the Commanders in 2023; a third-rounder came back (from the 49ers) for Chase Young. Both ex-first-round picks were in walk years at that point. Dante Fowler drew third- and fifth-round picks as a rental in 2018. Johnson’s profile is more on the Fowler level, having one productive season (2023) on his resume.

The Minneapolis-area native has just one season with more than 2.5 sacks; he posted 7.5 with 16 QB hits that year. His work this season — coming off an Achilles tear — leaves much to be desired, sitting at one sack and just two QB hits through five games played. This will make a second-rounder tough to fetch for Gang Green, pointing to either the team reducing the asking price or regrouping to see if Johnson ups his value ahead of the 2026 offseason.

Hall would likely be the RB prize at this deadline, one that has not seen big names — as Alvin Kamara has been dead set against leaving New Orleans — mentioned as trade candidates. The former second-rounder is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry in his platform year. The Jets will need to decide if they are truly interested in re-signing the Iowa State product. Depending on their free agency activity and Hall’s 2026 FA value, the team also will need to weigh the compensatory component when determining if it pulls the trigger on a trade now.

Additionally, Breer points out linebacker Quincy Williams is available to be moved. Ditto D-end Micheal Clemons. A former first-team All-Pro whom the Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh duo was higher on compared to the current regime, Williams observed the Jets more than double his pay rate to re-sign less accomplished LB Jamien Sherwood this offseason.

That decision likely points Williams out of town come 2026, but he may be on the move sooner. His name has come up in previous trade rumors. Clemons qualifies as a lower-profile option, but the rotational rusher did tally 4.5 sacks in 2024. The contract-year rusher does not have any this season.

Edge Rusher Trade Notes: Phillips, Johnson, Patriots, Commanders

Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips is becoming one of the hottest names on the trade market. Currently playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, Phillips could be well on his way to pricing himself out of Miami through free agency, so the Dolphins could look to get something in return for losing him now via trade.

We identified Phillips as a trade candidate about a month ago. The team received interest on the 26-year-old, though Phillips expressed interest in staying in Miami. It quickly became clear, though, that Phillips was becoming more valuable than his pass rushing teammates, Bradley Chubb and Matt Judon. There’s been speculation that the Ravens would have interest in him, and then more speculation about the Eagles, a team that’s been extremely active in the trade market lately.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Baltimore and Philadelphia aren’t alone in their interest. Russini adds the 49ers to the named list of suitors and suggests that others are calling Miami about their pass rushers, as well. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer says Phillips is the most likely to be traded among the Chubb/Phillips/Judon trio.

Here are some other nuggets about the pass rusher trade market:

  • As mentioned above, the Eagles have shown interest in Phillips, but they’ve also been inquiring about other pass rushers, like Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. Per Russini, the link makes sense due to the presence of Joe Douglas as a senior personnel director on Philadelphia’s staff. Douglas was the general manager in New York when the Jets drafted Johnson and could be talking the 26-year-old up to his new employers. The Jets, though, are seeking a second-round pick or better in exchange for the former Pro Bowler.
  • Finally, in addition to the Ravens, Eagles, and 49ers, Russini identifies the Patriots and Commanders as teams pursuing pass rushers in the trade market. Specifically, New England is also a team who has been reportedly calling on Phillips in Miami.

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.