Who could have thought it would be Darren Mougey who set the tone for the entire NFL?

When the New York Jets traded away All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner and All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the 2025 deadline, analysts around the NFL celebrated the moves for their high return packages.

What many probably did not expect, though, was that the two deals would dictate the NFL trade market moving forward.

With an All-Pro corner being moved on Wednesday and other teams citing the Jets’ trades as a model for hopeful returns, the NFL seems to be following New York’s lead for the first time in quite a while.

Sauce Gardner trade sets CB market

November’s Gardner trade netted the Jets two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell from the Indianapolis Colts. One of those picks currently sits at No. 16 in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft.

The Jets also own the 2027 first-round pick of a Colts franchise that missed the playoffs last season, does not have its first-round pick this year, and has long-term concerns at quarterback.

The Gardner trade was stunning for several reasons. The Cincinnati product was a top-five pick just three years before the trade and had just signed a four-year contract extension in the offseason.

Moving on from Gardner meant the Jets would enter a full-scale rebuild—one they seemed to need.

It also made an impact across the league that cannot be overlooked. The return for Gardner has set the market high to acquire proven stars at the cornerback position.

Former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday. McDuffie netted a 2026 first-round pick (No. 29 overall), a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

Like Gardner, McDuffie is a two-time All-Pro from the 2022 draft class. The fact that New York netted a significantly better return package is a massive win for Mougey and the organization.

“Quinnen Williams-type deal”

New York’s Williams trade also made a mark around the league. The Jets received a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick from the Dallas Cowboys for the rights to the All-Pro.

The Philadelphia Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman are using the Williams deal as a model for their own prospective deals.

On NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” top national reporter Mike Garafolo laid it all out.

“My understanding is teams are making offers to the Eagles for a trade, and to this point, they have not gotten to the point at which the Eagles would make the move,” Garafolo said. “In their mind, it’s a Quinnen Williams-type deal. We’re talking a potential first-round pick with a second-round sweetener on it. That’s kind of where it is for the Eagles to start to consider moving A.J. Brown.”

One of the best executives in football is looking to replicate the package that the Jets received for one of their stars. It’s a feather in the cap of young general manager Darren Mougey.

New York fans should not take that lightly. It shows that, at last, the Jets might be run by respectable leadership.