The NFL trade deadline has already started to tilt in Jacksonville’s favor.
While most of the league has been quiet, the Jaguars went out and made three separate moves yesterday to strengthen their defense before today’s 4 p.m. ET cutoff.
Jacksonville acquired Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis, Saints defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and Falcons safety Jessie Bates III, paying a steep price in draft capital to do it: a 2027 first-round pick, second-rounders in ’27 and ’29, plus fifth- and sixth-round picks in ’28. The sixth-rounder can become a ’27 sixth-rounder if certain conditions are met.
The biggest swing of the bunch was Davis. Since Philadelphia drafted him 13th overall in 2022, he’s been a steady force up front, and he’s started 60 straight games dating back to the beginning of the 2023 season.
Only Harrison Phillips and Kenny Clark have matched that streak among defensive linemen in the league. Jacksonville needed help there after DaVon Hamilton’s season-ending injury in Week 8, and the need only got louder after the Jaguars gave up a season-worst 5.1 yards per rush in their Week 9 win over the Ravens.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, keeps collecting draft ammunition. After moving Davis, A.J. Brown and Cam Jurgens, the Eagles now hold two first-round picks in next year’s draft, two firsts and two seconds in 2028, and two seconds in ’29.
Elsewhere, Jonathan Taylor’s future in Indianapolis looks just about settled in everyone’s mind except the calendar. The Pro Bowl running back has been the most talked-about name in deadline chatter, and after Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, he gave Colts fans what sounded a lot like a goodbye in the locker room. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that Indianapolis is expected to trade Taylor and “will take the best offer that’s on the table” rather than wait for a perfect one.
Taylor is 27, led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns last season and played all 17 games for the first time since 2021. The Giants, Broncos and Vikings have all been tied to him, and Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that New York offered second- and fifth-round picks. But Giants coach John Harbaugh said Sunday that the offer was no longer on the table.
The quarterback situation in Minnesota is the other major headache hanging over the deadline. Monday night’s loss to the Bills was another brutal reminder of how shaky that room has become.
Kyler Murray sat out with a hamstring injury, and his status going forward is very much up in the air. Hamstrings can be tricky, and even once he’s cleared, there’s still the risk of aggravating it again.
That leaves the Vikings staring at Carson Wentz, and last night was rough. He went 8 for 25 for 81 yards and threw two interceptions against a Bills pass defense that has been one of the NFL’s weakest.
Minnesota doesn’t need a superstar under center to chase a title - its defense is already the best in the league - but it does need someone who can protect the ball, keep drives alive and give that defense a breather. Wentz wasn’t close to that.
The problem is that the market doesn’t offer a clean fix. The Colts could move Daniel Jones as part of their fire sale.
The winless Chargers might be willing to deal Justin Herbert. The Raiders could hand the keys to No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and open the door for a Kirk Cousins reunion in Minnesota.
The Commanders may be willing to move backup Marcus Mariota now that Jayden Daniels is healthy. None of those paths is perfect, but all of them look better than letting Wentz steer the ship.
And a few other things stood out last night: Yaroslav Askarov’s sliding overtime save for the Sharks, Victor Wembanyama’s finger roll from beyond the free throw line, Byron Murphy’s interception of a Josh Allen pass in the end zone, Georgia Gwinnett College’s defensive stand to finish off Alabama State, and Bobby Durkin’s buzzer beater to lift Minnesota over Cincinnati.
In Other News...
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The concern only grew after a recent game against Dallas, where a costly coverage breakdown became part of the larger frustration around the move. When a team surrenders premium draft capital for a player of Gardners caliber, every missed assignment and every shaky sequence gets magnified, and right now the Colts are left trying to justify a deal whose long-term cost is becoming harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Face QB Uncertainty As Vikings Search For Help
The quarterback market is starting to stir ahead of the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline, and Indianapolis has suddenly found itself part of the conversation. Minnesota is reportedly exploring ways to add a quarterback, with NFL Networks Ian Rapoport pointing to Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones as possible targets as the Vikings look for help.
For the Colts, the immediate wrinkle is Jones, who had been mentioned as a fit in the rumor mill. Indianapolis has already made clear it is not moving him, even as Minnesota continues to search for options and the deadline clock keeps ticking. The Vikings may still chase a deal, but for now the Colts stance leaves one potential avenue closed. [Read more 🡒]