Sometimes, change can be a good thing. That rings particularly true in the NFL. Whether a star player is disgruntled or just shining on a lackluster team, changing teams can sometimes provide a new outlook on that player’s career.
Trades have significantly benefited several star players in recent years. Von Miller won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams after an illustrious tenure in Denver. The same goes for Matthew Stafford, while Jared Goff revived his career with the Detroit Lions in that exact trade. This year, George Pickens was shipped to Dallas and has since become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
Which current star players would benefit from a new team the most, though? Which players are being underutilized or underappreciated on their current squads? Let’s take a look at five NFL players who could use a change of scenery.
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Going into the 2025 NFL season, Justin Jefferson had the most receiving yards per game in league history. He’s since lost that record due to his underwhelming campaign this season. Before this year, his career-low yards per game average was 87.5 when he was a rookie in 2020. This season, he’s averaging just 59.4 yards per game.
Jefferson has just two games with over 100 receiving yards this year, and Carson Wentz was the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback for both of those games. His production has dipped significantly with J.J. McCarthy at the helm, and the eye test will tell you that it’s not Jefferson’s fault. McCarthy is simply failing to get the ball to his star receiver accurately, and that’s playing a major role in Jefferson’s decreased production.
Granted, it would be surprising if the Vikings actually traded Jefferson. Doing so would practically admit defeat on the McCarthy experiment, as you wouldn’t trade away your WR1 with a young quarterback if you were sold on McCarthy being the answer. He was the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, so it’s arguably too early to give up on him. Still, there’s no denying Jefferson would’ve done better elsewhere this year.
Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Cincinnati Bengals
Of the five players on this list, Trey Hendrickson is the only one whose contract expires at the end of the 2025 NFL season. That makes a trade no longer the likely option for him, but it would certainly benefit him to move on from the Cincinnati Bengals this coming offseason.
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Hendrickson is currently on the injured reserve, but he’s been a reliable force for the Bengals off the edge since signing with them in 2021. He’s been a four-time Pro Bowler in that span, tallying 61.0 sacks in 72 games. He most notably led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and was a first-team All-Pro in 2024.
Despite his success and Cincinnati’s defensive struggles, the franchise hasn’t been willing to pay him big money in the long term. Coming off an injury might complicate things a bit, but Hendrickson is still worth more than what the Bengals view him as. It could benefit him to sign with a new team in free agency, particularly one with a stronger defensive infrastructure that could create more one-on-one opportunities for him.
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans
Jeffery Simmons is in his seventh season in the NFL, having spent all of those seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He’s made three Pro Bowls during his tenure with the team, but his play has gone largely unnoticed nationally in recent years due to the team’s lack of success. The Titans went 3-14 in 2024 and are 2-12 heading into the final three weeks of 2025.
Going into Week 16, Simmons ranks second in the NFL in PFSN’s DT Impact grading with a 91.9 score. He’s in the prime of his career, and it’s largely being wasted playing for a team that’s contending for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, rather than a playoff spot. For that reason, it could make sense for him to request a trade.
It might make sense for the Titans to deal him, too. They could get significant draft capital by dealing Simmons, similar to the manner in which the New York Jets traded Quinnen Williams for a first- and second-round pick at the 2025 trade deadline. It could be significantly beneficial to their rebuild to load up on young, cheaper talent.
Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
With the NFL’s single-season sack record just 1.5 sacks away, Myles Garrett is a shoo-in to win Defensive Player of the Year. Unfortunately for him, he’s doing so for a 3-11 Cleveland Browns team that’s still a ways away from competing for a Super Bowl.
It would be a little surprising if the Browns traded Garrett, especially since he signed a massive four-year extension in March of 2025. He’s been playing for Cleveland throughout his NFL career, and he seems content to cash big checks with the team that drafted him. That being said, don’t count on Cleveland offloading its star edge rusher any time soon.
Considering how much the Green Bay Packers gave up to trade for Micah Parsons before the start of the regular season, the Browns would likely get even more in a trade for Garrett, especially considering he’s surpassed the 20-sack mark and is well on his way to breaking the single-season record. He would be a worthy splash addition for a team competing for a Super Bowl, regardless of price.
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
Before tearing his ACL early in the season, Tyreek Hill was averaging 66.3 receiving yards in the four games he played for the Miami Dolphins this year. It was a better pace than he held in 2024, where he failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards after leading the NFL in receiving the year before.
Hill notably said “I’m out” at the end of his 2024 campaign, indicating he no longer wanted to play for the Dolphins. Though he walked the statement back and would end up suiting up for them in 2025, the writing may now be on the wall, especially after Miami failed to make the playoffs again this season.
At 31 years old, coming off a major injury, Hill wouldn’t generate the same trade package the Dolphins gave the Kansas City Chiefs for him, which ended up consisting of a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and additional Day 3 draft capital. That said, he’s still a productive wide receiver who’s arguably top-20 at his position in the NFL, and that skill set could be better used on a team that plans on being more competitive in 2026.
