Jets quiet trade deadline brings about big defensive questions

The Jets, a year removed from making splashy news on NFL trade deadline day, were quiet Tuesday. They are 2-7, losers of their previous four games, and they stood pat.  Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.Jets general manager Darren Mougey, who last year traded away former first-round draft picks, cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, for valuable draft capital, made almost no moves this time around. In the case of this year’s trade deadline, the Jets were more defined by the moves they didn’t make — specifically pertaining to fourth-year edge rusher Will McDonald IV, who requested a trade Monday, and cornerback Nahshon Wright. There were reports earlier in the week that the Jets were offered a second-day draft pick (as high as a second-rounder) for McDonald, the team’s 2023 first-round pick. McDonald, who has 24 ½ career sacks, has seen his playing time dramatically diminish under head coach Aaron Glenn, who prefers more size at his position.

It has appeared from the start that McDonald, who’s 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, doesn’t fit into Glenn’s defensive scheme because he struggles against the run. He was a starter in 2025, and the Jets picked up his fifth-year option, guaranteeing him $13.8 million in 2027.But the Jets switched to a 3-4 defense and added edge rushers David Bailey, Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare in the offseason, and that has turned McDonald into a situational player. This season through nine games, he has three sacks, one forced fumble and 13 tackles in 263 defensive snaps. Glenn said Monday he had a talk with McDonald last week and called it “a really good conversation.” That was before McDonald played only 23 defensive snaps Sunday in Kansas City, decided he’s had enough and had his agent leak out his desire to be traded. “He’s a good player and I still believe that,” Glenn said Monday.

“We’re go...