The NFL trade-deadline frenzy has started early this year.
The deadline isn’t until Nov. 10 (the Tuesday after Week 9), but this week has already seen three multi-time All-Pros traded out of the AFC South. Each of those deals will affect the New York Jets in some way.
The latest trade saw the Tennessee Titans send superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 fourth-round pick.
This comes shortly after the Titans’ AFC South rivals, the Indianapolis Colts, dealt away guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, respectively.
How are the Jets affected by the Simmons trade?
The Jets’ influence: They set a new trade market in 2025
This is the biggest trade involving a defensive player since New York dealt cornerback Sauce Gardner at the 2025 trade deadline, as well as the biggest trade involving a defensive tackle since the Jets sent away Quinnen Williams that very same afternoon.
It has become abundantly clear that the Jets set a new market for under-30 defensive stars with All-Pro-caliber abilities. Before Jets general manager Darren Mougey extracted a combined three first-rounders, one second-rounder, and Year 2 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell for Gardner and Williams, it was nearly unprecedented for defensive players to fetch such gaudy packages.
Now, teams shopping in-their-prime defensive stars can dangle the Gardner and Williams trades as the bar that interested parties must reach to get a deal done. We saw it at the cornerback position in March, when the Rams sent a first-rounder, a third-rounder, and two Day 3 picks to Kansas City for Trent McDuffie. Today, Chicago exceeded the Dallas Cowboys’ package for Williams to acquire Simmons.
The price comparison makes sense, as Simmons is a more accomplished defensive tackle than Williams. Simmons is a three-time All-Pro, including a first-team appearance in 2025, compared to Williams’ lone All-Pro appearance back in 2022. Nonetheless, it is likely that a player like Simmons would have been attainable for much less than two first-round picks (plus a Day 3 move-up) before the Williams deal reset the trade market for defensive tackles.
The Jets haven’t made much noise on the field in the Darren Mougey era, but his work at the 2025 trade deadline certainly changed the league.
The Jets’ path to the No. 1 pick got a little tougher
When the Colts traded away Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner earlier this week, the Jets became legitimate contenders for the first overall draft pick.
The Jets own Indianapolis’ 2027 first-round pick through the Sauce Gardner trade. Indy is off to a 2-5 start, with the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker putting them in the No. 7 draft slot.
Nelson and Buckner have been the Colts’ best players on each side of the ball this season, on top of both being named team captains. With Nelson and Buckner gone, an already struggling Colts team is now substantially worse on paper. It creates a real possibility that Indianapolis could lose enough games to contend for the top selection.
Now, though, the Titans have also loaded up for a serious tanking push. Simmons was by far the Titans’ best player, and they are still 1-6, positioning them in the No. 2 slot behind the 0-6 Los Angeles Chargers. Without Simmons, Tennessee will be hard-pressed to win many more games the rest of the way.
With another team seemingly in all-out tank mode, the Colts’ path to the first overall draft slot will be a bit rockier. The teams’ Week 15 meeting in Nashville could be critical in the race between New York and Tennessee for the No. 1 pick, unless one or both of the Colts or Titans goes on a surprising run before then.
