Patriots-Jets Trade Pitch Would Be Risky for New York, but Perfect for New England originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New England Patriots and New York Jets might not be planning to trade for an impact player in the near future with one another.
However, as we've seen over the past couple of years, it's impossible to count anything out in the NFL. If the Jets believe the Patriots have the best offer and like what New England can provide in a deal, that player is likely to land in New England.
As for who the Patriots might target from the Jets' roster, a couple of players immediately come to mind, including Will McDonald.
McDonald, a defensive end, has proven throughout his career that he can get to the quarterback at a high level. His sack numbers have dropped this year, with just two so far after eight a year ago and 10.5 in 2024, but he'd still be a nice fit in Mike Vrabel's defense.
“McDonald survived the Jets’ fire sale ahead of last year’s trade deadline. In the spring, the Jets exercised his fifth-year option for $13.75 million fully guaranteed in 2027. He is on a cheap base salary for 2026 in the fourth year of his rookie deal.
“The Jets have depth at edge rusher, and rookie David Bailey is emerging, though free-agent addition Joseph Ossai is now dealing with an ankle injury. Ossai also missed the first two games of the year. McDonald is a twitchy rusher with some diversity in his attack, including an inside spin move,” Daniel Popper of The Athletic wrote.
The biggest question in any trade between the Jets and Patriots again is whether New England and New York are actually willing to trade with one another. The Patriots have little reason not to move on from draft picks in any trade, but New York might not want to help New England reach a Super Bowl again after doing so a year ago.
McDonald likely won't come in and provide ridiculous impact, but he can be above average, and at just 27, he's a risk worth taking for the Patriots.