The New York Jets executed major roster moves at the 2025 NFL trade deadline, sending All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for multiple draft picks and players. These deals position the Jets for a rebuild with five first-round picks over the next two drafts. Other notable trades included the Philadelphia Eagles acquiring edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks landing wide receiver Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints.
The 2025 NFL trade deadline on November 5 featured unprecedented activity, with the Jets embracing a full rebuild. New York traded Sauce Gardner, who signed a four-year, $120.4 million extension in July, to the Colts for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. In a separate deal, the Jets sent Quinnen Williams, a 2022 first-team All-Pro, to the Cowboys for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. These moves netted the Jets three future first-rounders and a second-rounder, giving them five first-round selections in 2026 and 2027 combined.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, a former three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, approved parting with Gardner despite his status as the NFL's highest-paid cornerback at $30.1 million per year. The trades leave the Jets with draft capital to target a quarterback and rebuild around wide receiver Garrett Wilson and a young offensive line. New York, sitting at 1-7, aims to control the 2026 and 2027 drafts, potentially moving up for prospects like Ohio State's Julian Sayin or Notre Dame's CJ Carr.
Elsewhere, the Eagles bolstered their defense by acquiring Jaelan Phillips from the Dolphins for a third-round pick, reuniting him with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Phillips, 26, adds pass-rush juice despite injury history, including an ACL tear last year. The Seahawks added speed with Rashid Shaheed from the Saints for a 2026 fourth-round and fifth-round pick; Shaheed averages over 17 yards per catch career-wide. The Saints also traded offensive lineman Trevor Penning to the Chargers for a 2027 pick, gaining three additional selections overall.
The Colts went all-in on defense with Gardner, addressing a key weakness, while the Cowboys aimed to fix their run defense by adding Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals for a seventh-round pick. These deadline deals reshape playoff races entering Week 10.