The 2026 trade deadline came and went, and the only thing that came and went out of Florham Park, N.J., was the exchange of safety Andre Cisco for a 2029 sixth-round pick.
The New York Jets’ latest trade deadline was a far cry from the franchise-altering 2025 edition. Still, their moves (or lack thereof) will affect a few players on their roster over the final eight games of the 2026 season.
EDGE Will McDonald
In a baffling decision, the Jets decided not to trade edge rusher Will McDonald despite reportedly receiving offers that included a second-round pick.
A report from Albert Breer indicated that the Jacksonville Jaguars, in particular, made a “significant offer” for McDonald. The Jaguars were the NFL’s most aggressive buyers at the deadline, executing a flurry of defensive trades in which they parted with a first-round pick, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for three players.
Capitalizing on Jacksonville’s aggressiveness (if the Jaguars indeed offered a second-round pick) should have been a no-brainer for the Jets. Instead, they stood pat with McDonald.
The fourth-year man now has to suit back up for the Jets just days after it was reported that he requested to be traded. It will be a slightly awkward situation, but McDonald has to let bygones be bygones, because he needs to play his best as he auditions for the rest of the NFL.
Presumably, if the Jets passed up on a second-round pick for McDonald, they must believe that he can boost his trade stock even further by the offseason. It is hard to fathom that they see him as a part of their future, as it is difficult to envision how McDonald can fit into the Jets’ long-term plans in a large enough role to justify passing up on a second-round pick (or even a lesser pick, for that matter).
While McDonald is under contract for the 2028 season on his fifth-year option, he is already just the No. 4 EDGE in the Jets’ rotation when everyone is healthy, and he may be buried even deeper once the offseason is complete.
David Bailey will start for the Jets long-term, while Joseph Ossai, who is under contract on a $12 million salary, was supposed to start alongside Bailey until injuries ruined his season. They can also re-sign Kingsley Enagbare, who has been above McDonald on the depth chart this season. Plus, with three first-rounders and oodles of cap space, the Jets can add another edge rusher or two who would be prioritized over McDonald.
At best, McDonald is shaping up to be a pure third-down specialist on the Jets’ 2027 depth chart, which doesn’t seem like a large enough role to be worth keeping him over a second-round pick. This makes it plausible that the Jets are still planning to trade McDonald but preferred to roll the dice on trading him for a better package in the offseason instead of settling for current offers.
If the Jets are gambling that McDonald can boost his trade stock by the offseason, they had better start giving him more snaps so he can be showcased. McDonald dropped to a 36% snap count in the Jets’ most recent game, his third-lowest mark of the season. For the year, he’s at 46%, a 20% cut from last season’s 66%.
The Jets’ logic with McDonald is hard to understand. They don’t like him enough to give him a sizable role, yet they clung to him at the trade deadline. Betting on a second-half jolt to maximize his trade stock is among the only explanations that make sense, so if there is any cohesiveness whatsoever to the Jets’ plan here (something that is not a given), they should be expected to boost McDonald’s snap count over the remainder of the season.
Safeties Malachi Moore and VJ Payne
The writing was on the wall for a Cisco trade before it happened. In Week 9, second-year man Malachi Moore received all 17 snaps as the Jets’ third safety, while Cisco did not appear on defense.
Cisco’s exit paves the way for Moore, a 2025 fourth-round pick, to get some run. Moore started 14 games for the Jets in his rookie year, showing occasional flashes of upside, but he ultimately looked the part of a fourth-round rookie. The Alabama product lost an offseason competition against Dane Belton for the starting safety spot next to Minkah Fitzpatrick; Belton has proved worthy of the role.
Moore was also usurped by Cisco for the No. 3 safety spot, as Cisco was the next man up to start in Fitzpatrick’s place from Weeks 2-4. Cisco also received all of the three-safety snaps until the Jets stashed him in Week 9.
Based on Moore’s tumble down the depth chart, the coaching staff did not seem enthused by his defensive capabilities, but they will now get an extended opportunity to evaluate his chops as a potential long-term backup.
Cisco’s exit also opens the door for another young safety, seventh-round rookie VJ Payne.
The Kansas State product has missed each of the Jets’ first nine games with a bone bruise. He was designated to return to practice on Nov. 4, giving the Jets a 21-day window to activate him to the 53-man roster.
When he returns, Payne can contribute on special teams, an area where the Jets need plenty of help, while also pushing Moore for snaps as the third safety. Moore should be expected to be first in line for those third-safety snaps, but if he struggles, the Jets may quickly pivot to Payne to see what the rookie can do.
RBs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen
The Jets were adamant about not trading Breece Hall, and they stuck to their word.
New York will move forward with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen in the backfield together. It’s a smart move by New York; you can never have too many weapons. As appealing as it may have been on paper to turn Hall into assets after Allen’s recent emergence, the reality is that injuries are common in this league. If the Jets traded Hall and watched Allen suffer an injury, it would leave them in a tough spot.
Now, the Jets know they will still have a starting-quality running back if one player goes down, and when both are healthy, they have multiple luxuries at their disposal. They can rotate the two backs to keep them fresh, while utilizing their mirrored skill sets to keep defenses on their toes with different looks.
With the Hall rumors in the rearview, the Jets can focus on figuring out how to make the most of their thunder-and-lightning backfield.
