Agent’s Perspective: Three Trades That Might Have Altered the NFL Playoff Landscape
The 2025 trade deadline day was one of the most eventful in recent history. Blockbuster trades aren’t the norm on deadline day. The New York Jets were involved in two monumental trades.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner, who earned first-team All-Pro honors in his first two NFL seasons (2022 and 2023), was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
The Jets dealing Gardner was a major surprise given he signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with $85,653,473 of guarantees in July, with $45,153,473 fully guaranteed at signing. At $30.1 million per year, the deal made Gardner the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. It’s interesting that Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, willing to part ways with Gardner, was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback himself.
With these trades, the Jets now control the 2026 and/or 2027 NFL Drafts, possessing significant draft capital to potentially acquire a quarterback of the future.
Here are three more trades that should have been made before the deadline that could have improved teams’ playoff chances:
- Trey Hendrickson from Bengals to 49ers for a 2026 second-round pick.
- Breece Hall RB from Jets to Chiefs, proposed for a 2026 third-round pick.
- David Njoku from Browns to Packers for a conditional 2026 pick depending on performance.
These trades reflect the complexities of the NFL, where team dynamics, player contracts, and trade negotiations significantly impact playoff pursuits.
