The Jets have a decision on their hands, and Will McDonald’s name is suddenly right in the middle of it.
McDonald has seen his playing time shrink, and that led to a trade request before the deadline. He went to the team looking for more opportunities, but nothing has changed yet, which has only fueled the chatter that he could be moved.
Aaron Glenn tried to cool things down when he addressed the speculation, saying McDonald would still be around after the deadline. Still, with McDonald asking out and New York’s season sliding the wrong way, a deal would not be hard to understand.
Multiple teams have already checked in on McDonald, and the Jets have some real choices to make before Tuesday’s deadline. If New York does decide to move the veteran pass rusher, three destinations stand out.
Cincinnati is one of them. The Bengals are 6-2 and off to a strong start, but their defense could still use another boost, especially when it comes to pressuring the quarterback and creating problems in the backfield.
McDonald has already been tied to Cincinnati in past rumors, and the Bengals are clearly pushing for a Super Bowl run this season. He could be the kind of addition that helps round out the roster.
Detroit also makes sense. The Lions have been hit by injuries on defense again this year, and that has left them needing more help.
McDonald would give them another player capable of getting into the backfield, and with Detroit also sitting at 6-2, the fit with a contending team is easy to see. He would add depth to a defense that has taken its share of hits.
Chicago is the third possible landing spot. The Bears already added star Jeffery Simmons in a trade, but they could still choose to strengthen the defense further.
With the offense rolling this season, another move on the defensive side could make plenty of sense. McDonald would give them another piece to work with if they decide to keep building.
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