Gaffney's 2025 NFL Trade Deadline Wishlisht

With the NFL Trade Deadline now four days out, it appears on the surface that it won't be all-out chaos compared to, say, the NHL trade deadline earlier in 2025. That said, there's a good chance several notable moves could happen before 4:00 EST on Tuesday. All of the trade hypotheticals I'll present today? Not necessarily, but I wouldn't be shocked if any number of these five deals get agreed to. Let's check them out.

Trade No. 1: Josh Allen Gets His Deep Shot Getter

Bills Receive: WR Rashid Shaheed

Saints Receive: a 2026 Fourth and Seventh Round Pick

The Bills' pass-catching group isn't inherently bad, but Josh Allen's deep ball hasn't been a big part of the Bills' offensive game plan in 2025. He's just 7-for-21 on passes of 20-plus air yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions (and a 29.7 passer rating). Not only would Rashid Shaheed give the Bills a guy who brings something to the table that no other Bills wideout currently can, deep shot ability, he'd also be the outright leading receiver on the team, the second his team-issued keycard lets him into the Bills facilities. Shaheed won't fetch day two compensation as a rental, but the Bills giving up a fourth and one of their two sevenths doesn't seem like a bad gambit for them.

Unrelated, I also would like to see the Bills at least do something to address their run defense; wheter that be an IDL, EDGE, or even an extra body at linebacker. It's been a big issue for them again, and I cannot see them winning a Super Bowl without any ability to stop the run.

Trade No. 2: Kansas City Gets Their Pass Rush Reinforcements

Chiefs Receive: EDGE Jaelan Phillips

Dolphins Receive: A Conditional 2026 Fourth/Fifth Round Pick

It's not a guarantee that the Dolphins move on from Jaelan Phillips, a pending free agent with severe injury history, at the deadline, but if we're going to be real, if there's a shot you can get more for him next week than you would in the comp pick formula in 2027, Miami should do it with zero hesitation. Especially so if he isn't a factor in their 2026 plans. Now, despite the injuries the last two seasons, Phillips is still relatively young at 26, and can absolutely still be a difference maker on any pass rush front, making him a logical target for a team like Kansas City, a place that Miami would much rather send him if given the choice over say, another team looking for pass rush help in the division rival Patriots.

Beyond what's already been said, there's still more risk here for Kansas City here given that this move would bring them down to just five draft picks next year (and only three in the top 100 or 150), and this is 100 percent a rental only move looking ahead at the Chiefs cap number for next season, which is currently over 30 million dollars in the red. However, if the Chiefs end up getting a Lombardi Trophy out of this, many in Chiefs Kingdom would not hold a grudge in the long term. The conditions for this hypothetical trade depend on how far the Chiefs make it in the postseason, or on whether they can work out an extension, however unlikely that would be at a first glance.

Trade No. 3: A Reliable Target for Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Receive: WR Jakobi Meyers

Raiders Receive: A 2026 Fifth and Sixth Round Pick

Going into Weke 9, the only Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver with more than 15 catches is DK Metcalf with 27 on a total of 43 targers. That's more than Calvin Austin, Roman Wilson, and Ben Skowronek combined (24 catches on 36 targets). Having the wealth of tight ends who are good recievers, as well as running backs, is a great thing to have, but this offense's ceiling is only so high if Metcalf is the only pure wideout who's producing. If push comes to shove, I wouldn't be stunned if a guy like Jakobi Meyers could potentially fetch better compensation, even with the notion that the entire league knows he wants out of Vegas, but the Steelers have plenty of day three picks to burn, and he'd be the uber reliable pass catcher they need opposite Metcalf.

Trade No. 4: Lou Anarumo Gets His Man

Colts Receive: LB Logan Wilson

Bengals Receive: A 2026 Sixth Round Pick

It's not exactly a secret at this point that Logan Wilson wants out of Cincinnati, with his usage falling off a cliff over the last three weeks, and his old DC, Lou Anarumo, and his defense out in Indianapolis have a use for a guy who nearly won a Super Bowl MVP for the Bengals not even five years ago. Cincy should move on now, get at least something for him, and give a team captain you've phased out a legitimate shot to win a title elsewhere if you have no plans to use him.

Trade No. 5: The Bengals Cut Their Losses

49ers Receive: EDGE Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Receive: A 2026 Third Round Pick

I want to start by stating this trade would be contingent on the Bengals losing this weekend to the Chicago Bears and effectively ending their playoff hopes, but, as we stated with Phillips, any chance the Bengals have to get draft value out of Trey Hendrickson, they should. Now, the Bengals haven't exactly proven to be the smartest team in the league over the last few years, so this is the least likely of the five trade hypotheticals here by default, but cut your losses now and reset for 2026. I see zero scenario where Hendrickson is on the Bengals next year, no matter what.

The 49ers have been the team when it comes to trade partners for the Bengals to engage with on Hendrickson for some time now, and with Bryce Huff hurt for the short term now (let alone Nick Bosa for the rest of the year), they need a certified star off the edge for the rest of 2025. Mykell Williams was always going to be a slow developer, but this defense doesn't have that go-to guy for the short term. Hypothetically, Hendrickson and Huff for the stretch run would be a more than serviceable pass rush duo, and who knows, maybe the 49ers like the trial run with last year's sack leader and keep him around for at least another season. If a bidding war for Hendrickson breaks out over the next few days, a second round return shouldn't be ruled out, but realistically, I think a third could get it done, given his age and contract situation, which, for those who don't know, he cannot be franchise tagged this offseason.

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