Yes, to Election Day 2025 — please get out and vote if there are elections where you live — but also to the NFL trade deadline. Teams have until 4:00 p.m. Eastern this afternoon to finalize trades ahead of the playoff push.
Looming over everything today? The Dallas Cowboys. They have made one deal already, but are more in the works?
Jerry Jones is gonna Jerry Jones, what can we say.
Let’s take a look at the latest rumors.
Running back market heating up?
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano four AFC teams that are right in the playoff mix are looking to add a running back.
Whether there are options for them, however, is a separate question.
First up are the New England Patriots, who are dealing with an injury to Rhamondre Stevenson after already losing Antonio Gibson for the season. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson and second-year player Terrell Jennings have played well, but the Patriots would love to add another back, particularly if Stevenson’s toe injury will sideline him long-term.
The Houston Texans are fighting for their playoff lives, and are another team looking at running backs. Joe Mixon might not make it back from the offseason foot injury that has sidelined him to this point, and Nick Chubb has yet to top 61 rushing yards in a single game. Rookie Woody Marks has taken on a bigger role than expected, but Houston would love to add another option.
Then there are two AFC West teams that could add a running back, also due in part to injuries. The Los Angeles Chargers lost Najee Harris for the season, and Omarion Hampton is still on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Then in Kansas City the Chiefs are dealing with a knee injury to Isiah Pacheco.
As for who might be available? Breece Hall is the biggest name, but the New York Jets seem inclined to keep the RB. Jeremone Ford and Jaylen Wright are two players that could be available.
Another player to watch is Chuba Hubbard. Rico Dowdle has taken on the main role in Carolina, but with Hubbard due a $4.5 million guarantee next season would one of these contenders take on that obligation?
Patriots open to trading LB Anfernee Jennings
Returning to Foxborough, the Patriots are one of the most surprising teams in the league this year, as they enter Week 9 with a 7-2 record and remain in first place in the AFC East. And with one of the easier schedules left among AFC playoff contenders, it is no wonder the Patriots have seen their chances of making the playoffs surge to 97% according to The Athletic.
However, the moves the Patriots have made so far have seen New England trade players away, and they might not be done doing just that. The Patriots have already traded Kyle Dugger and Keion White, and Anfernee Jennings could be the next player out of Foxborough. Similar to those two defenders, Jennings has struggled to secure consistent playing time under the new coaching staff, and has played just 93 defensive snaps this season.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Patriots have been “shopping” Jennings in trade discussions.
The latest on Trey Hendrickson
The Cincinnati Bengals could certainly use some help on the defensive side of the football. The Bengals are giving up an average of 33.3 points per game this year, the worst number in the NFL. They are also one of the worst defenses in DVOA through nine games, dating back to 1978.
But could one of their best defensive players be heading elsewhere?
Rumors continue to swirl around Trey Hendrickson, and according to The Athletic, the Bengals are asking for a first-round pick for the veteran pass rusher. Hendrickson is on an expiring contract, so Cincinnati might be interested in at least getting something in return rather than letting him walk in free agency. But would a contender be willing to pay a premium for a rental?
Could the Jayden Daniels injury trigger a D.C. selloff?
Washington’s 38-14 blowout loss to the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football turned dark in the fourth quarter, when quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome elbow dislocation while the Commanders trailed by 31 points.
That incident sparked hours of debate over why he was still in the game to begin with, but it might also spark a few moves by the Commanders prior to the trade deadline. The loss dropped Washington to 3-6 on the year, three games behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the win column and four games behind the Eagles in the loss column. Could Washington make a run? Perhaps, but with players such as Zach Ertz, Von Miller, and Jeremy McNichols in the final years of their respective contracts, perhaps Washington looks to add some draft capital before the deadline.
What might make that an appealing option is the fact that the Commanders currently lack a second-round pick, and adding draft picks at any point in the 2026 NFL Draft could give them the flexibility to trade into the second round at some point.
Giants open to moving two offensive players
Speculation continues to build around the New York Giants moving on from one or even two former early-round picks on the offensive side of the football.
According to ESPN Giants beat writer Jordan Raanan, New York has talked to teams in recent weeks about both offensive lineman Evan Neal (the seventh-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft) and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, the team’s third-round pick in 2023. Neal was active for the first time all season in Week 9, while Hyatt returned kicks for New York against the San Francisco 49ers.
Last week, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter listed the Buffalo Bills as one of several teams calling around for wide receivers, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos.
According to The Athletic, the Bills have called the New Orleans Saints about the availability of wide receiver Chris Olave. It is not expected that Olave will be moved, and as Shefter noted last week if the Saints move a WR then Rashid Shaheed is the more likely trade candidate.
But the Bills are certainly looking to give Josh Allen another target in the passing game.
Seattle “unlikely” to trade Riq Woolen
If you’ve followed the 2025 NFL trade deadline, you know that Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen has been a frequent discussion point. Woolen’s fit in Seattle is a bit of a question mark, given the zone coverage system the Seahawks are using this season, and his strengths as a man coverage CB. That seemed to put Woolen on the trade block.
However, that might not be the case anymore.
According to CBS writer Matt Zenith, the Seahawks are “unlikely” to trade Woolen prior to today’s deadline:
Cornerback Josh Jobe exited Seattle’s win Sunday night over the Washington Commanders and is currently in the concussion protocol. That, coupled with Woolen’s talent — even with the imprecise fit — might have the Seahawks believing keeping him in Seattle is the better move.
One trade down but more to come for the Cowboys?
The Dallas Cowboys have traded for Logan Wilson, sending a seventh-round pick to Cincinnati.
But could more help be on the way?
It was a strange Monday in Cowboys Land. Speaking on SiriusXM, owner Jerry Jones declared on Monday afternoon that Dallas has made at least one trade, and that the player will be on the field once the deal is done:
Clarence Hill Jr., a long-time Cowboys beat writer, followed up with this note:
The Cowboys have been rumored to make a move to address their defense over the past few weeks, and have been linked to players such as Maxx Crosby and Wilson. To that point, NFL insider Jordan Schultz indicated that Dallas has called about Wilson, Trey Hendrickson, and Bradley Chubb:
But then the Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, and Jones hit reverse when speaking with the media after the game.
“We have options and one of the biggest options is whether to do it or not,” Jones said of a trade via the team’s official website. “You ask, does tonight, does this win or loss tonight [change anything], I don’t know. I don’t know. We could conceivably see something that we ought to do in spite of tonight.
“The answer to your question? No, there is no trade right now. We would have to make anything happen tomorrow. I want to be real clear about that. But there is one that I can do. Without question, there is one I can do. There is not one, but there is one that I can do and I’m leaning toward doing it.”
That was likely the Wilson deal, which was reported first thing Tuesday morning. But could more be in the works for Dallas?
Phones are “buzzing,” apparently:
