New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV has requested a trade from the franchise ahead of Tuesday's NFL deadline, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
McDonald is a good edge rusher with plenty of gas left in the tank; he's got three sacks so far this season, even with his limited usage in New York. Now, he could be on the move, even if the team currently has no plans to move him, per Rapoport.
Most teams have a price, even if they're not keen on trading good players. McDonald still has a year left on his contract, so he won't hit free agency until 2028. A new team would take on this season and the next, which might be why the Jets are hesitant to move on from him. Again, the right price can put a lot of wheels in motion.
Let's go over a few teams
who might be interested in trading for McDonald before Tuesday afternoon.
Teams have called NYJ interested in McDonald, yet the Jets have not engaged in trade talks. And they have no plans to. https://t.co/5ekZIdQS9U
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 9, 2026
Chicago Bears
The Bears already pushed all the chips in on Jeffery Simmons, but Sunday night's close Tampa Bay game showed that you can never have enough pop in the rush. If general manager really wanted to go for broke at the trade deadline, he could swing a trade for McDonald to give Montez Sweat a more permanent bookend on the edge.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers could use another stalwart edge rusher on the roster; McDonald could be the perfect fit. He played in a 49ers-adjacent defensive scheme with Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich during their Jets tenure. If San Francisco wanted to keep boosting its defensive line, we bet McDonald would be a seamless fit in Raheem Morris' defense.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are still very much alive in the playoff hunt, which would make McDonald an attractive option for Cleveland. The team traded away Myles Garrett, of course, but Jared Verse can't make up for that immense loss on his own. Adding McDonald would give the team a young pair of edge rushers for the future in the Dawg Pound.
Dallas Cowboys
We always know Jerry Jones is looking for ways to improve his defense, even if the Cowboys are a far cry from Super Bowl contenders. After adding Quinnen Williams last year, could Jones surprise by adding another Jet?
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are firmly in the Super Bowl contending window. Could the team leverage a McDonald trade by sending defensive end Shemar Stewart to the Jets? New York could get a recent first-round talent back, who seems like he could use a change of scenery as his snap counts remain low in Cincinnati. The Bengals could get McDonald to boost its already strong defensive front. Win-win?
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Will McDonald IV landing spots: Jets edge rusher requests trade
