The Jets are getting the most attention in the latest round of AFC trade chatter, and it starts with the obvious names. Garrett Wilson’s frustration has been visible, but The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt says New York would need a massive haul - two first-round picks and a starting-caliber player - to even consider moving him. That was the kind of offer that convinced the Jets to deal CB Sauce Gardner last year, even though they weren’t actively shopping him.
Breece Hall is in a different bucket, but not by much. Rosenblatt notes that Hall’s new contract was built in a tradable way, the same as Gardner’s was. Still, even with Braelon Allen emerging, he would be surprised if Hall gets moved.
If the Jets do make a move, Rosenblatt points to OLB Will McDonald IV as their top candidate. New York kept him through last year’s deadline despite interest from other teams, and Rosenblatt says a fourth-round pick could be enough to pry him loose this time.
He also lists S Andre Cisco, CB Nahshon Wright, CB Jarvis Brownlee, LB Jamien Sherwood and TE Jeremy Ruckert as names to watch. Wright, he adds, could even be cut after the deadline if he isn’t traded.
There’s also a real question lingering over Aaron Glenn. ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler both heard from sources that the Jets are unlikely to fire their head coach in-season and will give him a chance to straighten things out.
Even so, league sources are treating the situation like a possible future opening. The message is simple: Glenn needs better game management and situational football, and the offense has to show enough progress for team brass to trust they can back a likely first-round passer.
Elsewhere in the AFC, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the Chargers still aren’t showing interest in selling off players, though OLB Khalil Mack, WR Quentin Johnston and CB Donte Jackson would all draw interest if that changes.
And in Kansas City, Fowler believes the Chiefs probably need help at receiver before the deadline if they want to give their offense a lift. He names Colts WR Josh Downs and Browns WR Jerry Jeudy as possible fits.
In Other News...
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The problem, of course, is that this is far more fantasy than fit. Herberts status gives him significant control over where he plays, and any path out of Los Angeles would have to start with him choosing to leave. For now, the Chargers can keep building around a quarterback whose performance still makes him one of the leagues most intriguing assets, even as the conversation around his future continues to invite the kind of outside interest that would not stop with the Jets. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Backfield Suddenly Feels More Complicated Around Kimani Vidal
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Kimani Vidal is the name adding even more intrigue now, because there have also been reports that teams are checking on his availability. Nothing has been finalized, and the Chargers still have decisions to make about how they want to sort out the depth behind their lead options, but the combination of a departed practice-squad back and outside interest in Vidal makes the room feel more unsettled than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Nightmare Season Just Took Another Brutal Turn on Defense
Derwin James hamstring trouble has become one more frustrating subplot in a season already defined by injury trouble for the Chargers. The veteran safety has appeared in three games and still managed 21 tackles and a pass breakup, but his recovery has reportedly hit a setback, leaving the team to navigate another uncertain week on a defense that has already been stretched thin.
Jim Harbaugh said the situation is serious enough that the Chargers may have to adjust at safety, adding another layer of concern to a roster already juggling injuries at other spots. Ladd McConkey and Brennen Thompson are among the players working through their own issues, while Tre Harris is expected back from a hamstring injury, but the broader picture is hard to ignore: Los Angeles keeps getting hit by another blow just as it tries to stabilize. [Read more 🡒]