Jets make stance on Will McDonald trade clear in latest report

It's rumor season! The NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching on November 10, and the New York Jets will be a team that everyone watches closely.

Garrett Wilson put to bed any rumors surrounding him getting traded, but there are other names on this Jets roster that could be on the way out.

Will McDonald IV is a name to watch closely, and according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, there is already some interest around the league for a trade.

"The Jets seem alright with standing pat. They’ve gotten significant interest in fourth-year edge rusher Will McDonald IV but haven’t budged at all... For now, they seem determined to give their coaching staff a chance the rest of the year, and like the mix in their locker room."

Will the New York Jets trade Will McDonald IV?

Breer is reporting that the Jets have received significant interest in McDonald, but are not looking to trade him. It's been a rocky season for McDonald, who has just two sacks and 14 pressures through the Jets' first seven games this season.

The issue with McDonald has been consistency. Last season, he finished with eight sacks on the year, but six of them came in two games. In the other 13 games he played, he recorded just two sacks, and that's what we're seeing this season.

There are a few different angles on why the Jets may be reluctant to trade McDonald right now.

The first, and most obvious, Aaron Glenn is still trying to save his job. The fans might be done with him, but for as long as he is here, he is going to try to win games, and having McDonald on this team gives him a better chance to win football games than trading him for a future draft pick.

McDonald is also a controllable asset. The team picked up his fifth-year option before the season, so he is under contract for the 2027 season already. That means they aren't in a rush to flip him at the deadline because there is no fear of him walking for nothing in the offseason.

They also might not be getting the value they are comfortable with in a trade. In a down season, perhaps teams are offering Day 3 picks for McDonald, and the Jets are holding out for more on an edge rusher who had 18.5 sacks in the two seasons prior to this one.

The argument could be that a fifth-round pick would not help as much in 2027 as a pass rusher of McDonald's caliber would.

Personally, if the Jets continue to lose games heading into the deadline, it would behoove them to cash in on a guy who just doesn't seem like a building-block piece here. Yes, it would open up another hole, but it should be an area that the Jets are looking to upgrade anyway next season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow