Update, 12:30 p.m. ET Nov. 9: ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that teams have called the Jets about McDonald, but New York has not engaged in trade talks and has no plans to.
Will McDonald wants out of New York, and the Jets aren’t in a hurry to let him go. The 2023 first-round pick told the team he wants to be traded, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday, one day before the deadline. Teams have called about him, but the Jets haven’t engaged in talks, Rapoport added.
That leaves a frustrated pass rusher, a rebuilding team and a ticking clock. The Will McDonald trade question has to be settled by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, or it waits until spring.
Why McDonald asked out
This is about playing time. McDonald has been on the field for about 46% of the Jets’ defensive snaps this season, down from 66% in each of the previous two years, according to The Big Lead. He has played more than 30 snaps only once in the last five games, ESPN reported, and was so frustrated that he asked coaches for a role on special teams just to get on the field more.
According to ESPN, McDonald went to the coaches weeks ago asking for more opportunities. Nothing changed. On Sunday in Kansas City, he again played less than 40% of the defensive snaps, according to the New York Post.
It’s a strange spot for a player the Jets drafted 15th overall. McDonald had 10.5 sacks in 2024 and led the team with eight in 2025. Over those two seasons, he totaled 18.5 sacks, which is the kind of production most teams pay real money for. Counting his rookie year, when he had three sacks in a limited role, he has 21.5 career sacks, per NBC Sports.
That track record is why the timing stings. McDonald is 27, healthy and in the middle of what should be the prime years for a pass rusher, and he’s spending a lot of Sundays watching. For a player who wants to cash in on a second contract, every quiet game hurts his case, which helps explain why he pushed for a Will McDonald trade now instead of waiting for the offseason.
How he fell down the depth chart
The short answer is a new coaching staff and a crowded room.
McDonald was drafted by the previous regime of Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh. Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey arrived in 2025, and ESPN wrote that McDonald never really clicked with the current staff. This year, the Jets switched to a 3-4 defense and loaded up at edge rusher, adding No. 2 overall pick David Bailey along with veterans Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare.
Enagbare, who came over from Green Bay, has become a starter next to Bailey, ClutchPoints reported. McDonald has started only two games, per the Post.
When he does play, the results have been mixed. Through nine games, he has three sacks, a forced fumble and 13 tackles on 263 defensive snaps, according to ESPN. Jets X-Factor tracked 19 pressures on 139 pass-rush snaps, but noted that five of those pressures and one sack came in the season opener alone. Since then, the production has slowed.
Why a Will McDonald trade isn’t a sure thing
New York doesn’t have to do anything. In April, the Jets picked up McDonald’s fifth-year option, which locks him in for 2027 at about $13.75 million, fully guaranteed. That gives them control, and it means a team trading for him would get more than a half-season rental.
That’s also exactly why other teams are interested. A 27-year-old pass rusher with two strong seasons on his résumé and a contract that runs through next year is a valuable piece.
The Jets could also wait. Trading him in March, when teams have more cap room and a full offseason to plan, might bring back a better return than a rushed deadline deal. Jets X-Factor made that same point Monday: a trade request doesn’t force a trade before Tuesday.
The risk of waiting is obvious, though. Keeping an unhappy player in a reduced role for eight more games rarely helps anyone.
Who could call before the deadline?
Dallas is the most logical fit. The Cowboys need pass-rush help, and The Athletic’s Daniel Popper listed them as a fit for McDonald earlier this fall. Dallas is 4-5 after a sloppy win over the Colts and has a big game against the 49ers on Sunday.
The 49ers themselves have been linked to Jets edge rushers before. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler named McDonald as a possible target for San Francisco at last year’s deadline. Tampa Bay reportedly showed interest at last year’s deadline as well, according to ESPN.
Whether any of those teams can get the Jets to engage is another question. For now, Rapoport’s reporting suggests New York is listening to nobody.
The Bills angle: Sunday at MetLife
There’s a reason Bills fans should pay attention to this one. Buffalo plays at the Jets on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, less than six days after Monday night’s game in Minnesota.
If McDonald stays, Josh Allen could see a motivated edge rusher looking to prove a point, even in limited snaps. If he’s traded, the Jets’ pass rush still has Bailey, who just sacked Patrick Mahomes twice in the Jets’ loss to the Chiefs, plus Enagbare and Ossai. Either way, a team that’s 2-7 still has players who can get after the quarterback.
That matters because Buffalo’s offensive line has had injury questions all week heading into Monday night. A short week, a road game and a pass rush with something to prove is the kind of setup that turns a “should win” game into a close one.
Tuesday is the deadline, and McDonald is waiting
By 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, McDonald will either have a new team or be back at Jets practice knowing his request was turned down. If he stays, how the coaching staff uses him over the final eight games will say a lot about whether this ends in an offseason trade.
Our NFL trade deadline guide will track every move, including any deal for McDonald, as it happens.
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