The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, which means the time for teams to add meaningful help is dwindling. Week 9’s results could also shift the mentality of multiple teams currently vacillating between playoff contention and planning for the 2025 NFL Draft.
But while big names will be bandied about, the reality is that most won’t move before the deadline. Below are some reasons why a few big names won’t change teams ahead of Nov. 5.
Aaron Rodgers
With the New York Jets being one of the most disappointing teams of 2024, it stands to reason that 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers doesn’t hold much value to a franchise that may need to rebuild soon.
But that doesn’t mean Rodgers is any type of candidate to be moved. Quarterback trades are exceedingly rare in-season, particularly when involving starters.
The Minnesota Vikings did make an in-season QB trade for Joshua Dobbs last season, who went on to play five games with four starts for Minnesota. However, Dobbs was intended to be a backup and was thrust into a starting role following injuries to Kirk Cousins and rookie Jaren Hall.
The logistics of a contender working Rodgers into its offense midstream are too thorny to comprehend, and that’s without factoring in how Rodgers would feel. For better or worse, the Jets and Rodgers are married through the end of the season.
Davante Adams
The Jets were buyers just two weeks ago, but could they pivot in the other direction and re-direct Davante Adams elsewhere? New York attempted to reunite Rodgers and Adams to spark its flagging offense but lost each of its first two games after the trade.
Adams doesn’t come with as many logistical hurdles as Rodgers. The Las Vegas Raiders are responsible for the remainder of his signing bonus, and any acquiring team could have Adams under contract for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Of course, the biggest hurdle here is self-awareness from the Jets. Chairman and owner Woody Johnson has called the 2024 roster “one of the most talented teams ever assembled by the New York Jets,” and that was before adding Adams and having edge rusher Haason Reddick report to the team.
Even with New York’s playoff chances nearly nil, it seems unlikely an all-in team will pivot to a rebuild halfway through the season.
Cooper Kupp
The Los Angeles Rams’ woeful 1-4 start had some penciling them in as sellers. But consecutive wins have brought the Rams within a half-game of the division lead in a muddled NFC West ahead of a massive Week 9 game vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams’ most recent win coincided with the return of their top two receivers. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua came back for the Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings, combining for 12 catches, 157 yards, and a seven-yard touchdown from Kupp.
Head coach Sean McVay did not mince words when asked about Kupp’s availability at the deadline.
Rams HC Sean McVay to reporters regarding the speculation about a potential Cooper Kupp trade: “I'm really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way.” pic.twitter.com/4jIh3W3zpP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2024
With L.A. back in contention and 36-year-old Matthew Stafford playing well, it’s unfathomable that the Rams would punt on a chance to make a playoff push. Thus, Kupp won’t be available to receiver-needy teams.
Tee Higgins
The Rams’ Super Bowl opponent from three years ago isn’t faring nearly as well. The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-5 behind a woeful defense and inconsistent offense, falling well short of preseason expectations.
That has led to speculation that Tee Higgins could become available. Higgins is playing on the one-year franchise tag after failing to reach a long-term extension with the club and requested a trade in the offseason. With Cincy’s season spiraling, it might be reasonable to cash in Higgins as a trade chip and pivot to 2025.
The issue is that the Bengals are notoriously averse to any activity around the trade deadline. According to Bengals reporter Kelsey Conway, the team has made two in-season trades in the last 52 years.
This is absolutely WILD.. 2 in season trades in 52 years. This front office is in the stone ages.
Full article by @KelseyLConway : https://t.co/V9LLBSoH4O pic.twitter.com/6WHsBWg2Pr
— Josh Iles (@WDNToday) October 31, 2024
With the AFC playoff picture weaker than expected and a manageable schedule, the Bengals may choose to talk themselves into making a late-season push. Even if they don’t view themselves as true contenders, history unequivocally points to no activity at the deadline for the Bengals.
Maxx Crosby
As much as front offices are entrusted to shape the team, the final call falls on the owner. And when Mark Davis definitively says that Maxx Crosby won’t be traded, it’s worth believing him.
Raiders owner Mark Davis in an email this weekend to ESPN: “We're Not Trading Maxx Crosby. Before Or After The Trade Deadline!!!”https://t.co/tTjJn39nyq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2024
It’s debatable whether this is a wise stance for the Raiders. As wildly talented as Crosby is, Las Vegas has ranked 24th or worse in scoring defense in five of his six seasons (including 27th this season). It’s a unit that perpetually needs to fill multiple gaps. At 27 years old and under contract for two more years after this one, Crosby is among the most valuable defensive trade chips in the league.
Of course, that cost control and age is precisely part of the reason why the Raiders might prefer to build around him. Crosby has accounted for 40.6% of the Raiders’ sacks this season, the second-highest share in the league behind Trey Hendrickson (58.3%). Davis and Antonio Pierce likely don’t want to fathom what the unit would look like with Crosby removed from the field.
While the Raiders are many players away from true contention, expect them to hold on to the face of their franchise as their perpetual rebuild persists.