The 2025 NFL trade deadline is right around the corner. With some of the names that have been floated around as potential trade targets, this year’s deadline has the potential to be one of the biggest in recent memory.
Of course, not all of the superstars whose names have been floated around will end up getting traded. That’s seldom the case. But we’re not looking to play it safe this time around; we’re here to discuss what moves would make the biggest proverbial fireworks. These are five bold predictions for the 2025 NFL trade deadline that would have the league in shock.
Dallas Cowboys Trade for Elite Edge Rusher
It’s been a wild few months for the Dallas Cowboys. They traded star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, acquiring defensive tackle Kenny Clark and multiple draft picks in the process. The early returns haven’t been good for Dallas’ defense, as they have the second-worst PFSN Defense Impact grade in the league. But at 3-4-1, they’re still in the playoff race. That could make them buyers during the 2025 NFL trade deadline.
Trey Hendrickson would make a lot of sense for the Cowboys. He has four sacks through seven games for the Cincinnati Bengals this year, which would be a valuable addition to Dallas; only one player has two or more sacks in 2025.
The four-time Pro Bowler would require a long-term extension, but at 30 years old, he wouldn’t cost nearly as much draft capital as what Dallas got for Parsons. With this trade, they could have their cake and eat it, too.
Or, the Cowboys could pursue a player like Maxx Crosby, who has been performing at a very high level for some lackluster Las Vegas Raiders teams the last few years. He would likely cost similar to Parsons as far as draft capital goes, but at $11 million less annually than what Parsons is making in Green Bay, swapping the two out at the NFL trade deadline and essentially saving $10 million a year would be pretty good business.
A.J. Brown Gets Dealt
Despite the Philadelphia Eagles’ success so far in 2025, A.J. Brown has been highly vocal about his displeasure with the team. With an average of 56.4 receiving yards per game, he’s on pace to finish with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2021. The Eagles are in win-now mode, but dealing Brown before the NFL trade deadline could make sense at the right price.
Aside from the “win-now” state of Philadelphia’s organization, trading Brown would be complicated financially. Per ‘Over the Cap,’ trading Brown would cost over $16 million in cap space this season and close to $40 million in 2026. But if they can move some figures around to make a trade work before the NFL trade deadline, it could land the Eagles a considerable value.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk speculated that the New England Patriots would be a logical landing spot. Drake Maye could use one more weapon to help them push towards the top of the AFC, and head coach Mike Vrabel used to coach Brown in Tennessee.
A first-round pick could be tougher to come by given his dip in production and contract, but any trade for Brown should revolve around either a second-round pick or another key contributor, along with additional draft capital.
New York Jets Tear It All Down
Sitting with a 1-7 record, the chances the New York Jets make anything meaningful out of this season are slim to none. They have a handful of valuable assets on their roster, but with things clearly not working out, their front office may choose to ship those players out to acquire more draft picks and build for the future. If they take this mentality, the NFL trade deadline should be incredibly active in the Big Apple.
Two players stand out in particular as potential trade assets: Breece Hall and Quinnen Williams. Hall has been a reliable starting running back for the Jets, but he’s slated to hit free agency at the end of the year. Given the state of their franchise, paying big money to a running back might not be the best idea. Williams has been one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles for much of his career, and he’d net the Jets significant draft capital in a trade.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Williams has generated interest leading up to the NFL trade deadline. Should the star defensive tackle be traded, expect a contending team to give up significant draft capital to add him to their defense. As for Hall…
Chicago Bears Swap DJ Moore for Breece Hall
DJ Moore has been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL for much of his career. He’s caught over 90 passes in three of his last four seasons, and he’s averaged nearly 65 receiving yards per game between his stints in Chicago and Carolina. However, the Chicago Bears seem to prefer Rome Odunze as their WR1, leaving Moore with a lighter workload than usual this season.
A deal swapping Moore to the Jets and Hall to the Bears seems far-fetched, but it could work out for both sides. New York lacks a reliable second weapon alongside Garrett Wilson at the wide receiver position, and Moore had his best statistical season of his career with now-Jets quarterback Justin Fields throwing him the ball in 2022 with the Bears. It wouldn’t be as much of a contending move as it would be a chance for their offense to bounce back in 2026 and beyond.
Hall would factor into Chicago’s running back room, which D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai currently head. Statistically, Hall would be the top back of the bunch, but having such a three-headed monster would keep their backs fresh and add another wrinkle to an already-improving Bears offense.
In particular, having Hall and Swift would give Bears head coach Ben Johnson a backfield duo close to what he had in Detroit with the Lions. A trade between the two teams would likely involve a pick swap, in addition to the player exchange.
Pittsburgh Steelers Make a Big WR Upgrade To Pair With DK Metcalf
Going into the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the Pittsburgh Steelers sit atop the AFC North with a 4-3 record. They may be in first place for now, but the Bengals and Ravens are both just a game and a half out from tying them. As Cincinnati prepares for Joe Burrow’s return and the Ravens have a two-game winning streak and a returning Lamar Jackson, the Steelers may want to make a move at the deadline to maintain their position at the top.
The Steelers have a strong WR1 in DK Metcalf, but they don’t have a reliable receiver who can help carry the load alongside him. As of this writing, the Steelers don’t have a second receiver with over 200 receiving yards this season besides Metcalf. That could make the position their biggest priority, should they be active at the NFL trade deadline.
Wide receivers like Jakobi Meyers, Rashid Shaheed, Jauan Jennings, and Chris Olave could all be potential trade targets for various reasons. Any one of them would be a major upgrade over what Pittsburgh has currently, but I like Meyers in particular here. He’s made it known he doesn’t want to be in Las Vegas anymore, and with the Steelers pushing to win their division, they could provide him with a fresh change of scenery.