play1:14Eric Moody: Breece Hall firmly on the RB1 radarEric Moody breaks down Breece Hall’s impressive fantasy game vs. the Bengals.
play2:19Rex Ryan: Steelers’ defense got oldRex Ryan, Alex Smith and Adam Schefter discuss the Steelers’ struggling defense and how it could be detrimental to their season.
play0:25Lamar Jackson: Each game is ‘do-or-die’ for RavensRavens quarterback Lamar Jackson highlights the importance of every game for the team after a 2-5 start.
Jeremy FowlerCloseJeremy Fowlersenior NFL national reporterJeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com.Follow on XDan GrazianoCloseDan Grazianosenior NFL national reporterDan Graziano is a senior NFL national reporter for ESPN, covering the entire league and breaking news. Dan also contributes to Get Up, NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, Sunday NFL Countdown and Fantasy Football Now. He is a New Jersey native who joined ESPN in 2011, and he is also the author of two published novels.Follow on XOct 29, 2025, 06:30 AM ET
Schrager: I’m calling for Trey Hendrickson if I’m 49ers (1:07)Peter Schrager and Louis Riddick explain why the 49ers and Colts should call the Bengals to try and get Trey Hendrickson. (1:07)
Eric Moody: Breece Hall firmly on the RB1 radarEric Moody breaks down Breece Hall’s impressive fantasy game vs. the Bengals.
Rex Ryan: Steelers’ defense got oldRex Ryan, Alex Smith and Adam Schefter discuss the Steelers’ struggling defense and how it could be detrimental to their season.
Rex Ryan, Alex Smith and Adam Schefter discuss the Steelers’ struggling defense and how it could be detrimental to their season.
Lamar Jackson: Each game is ‘do-or-die’ for RavensRavens quarterback Lamar Jackson highlights the importance of every game for the team after a 2-5 start.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson highlights the importance of every game for the team after a 2-5 start.
What are you hearing on Trey Hendrickson’s chances to get dealt?
What’s the latest with Jakobi Meyers’ trade market?
Who is one under-the-radar player who could get traded before the deadline?
What is the most interesting team heading into the deadline?
It’s all here, as our national reporters answer big questions and empty their notebooks heading into the deadline and Week 9.
Jump to: Hendrickson | Hall | Meyers | Phillips/Chubb Under-the-radar | Interesting teams More notes on Week 9
Fowler: Up to this point, the Bengals have rebuffed trade inquiries, and sources have maintained that Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson right now. The Cowboys and 49ers are among the interested teams, though San Francisco made a move for a pass rusher Tuesday night.
The question becomes: Will the Bengals’ win-loss record change things? A loss to Chicago on Sunday would drop Cincinnati to 3-6. The AFC North should remain wide open for a while — an 8-9 or 9-8 record might be good enough this season — so perhaps the Bengals cling to that hope and retain their premier edge rusher. But teams will most likely keep trying to pry Hendrickson away, especially after Sunday’s upset loss to the Jets.
Complicating matters is a hip injury that has compromised Hendrickson’s past two weeks on the field, though that injury is not considered serious and Hendrickson should be full-go for the stretch run, be it for Cincinnati or someone else. The Colts make a ton of sense as a contending team that could be the proverbial “one player away.” It would also represent a reunion between Hendrickson and former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, now running the defense in Indianapolis.
The fact is, there’s a price for almost everything, and if a team gives the Jets a strong enough offer for Hall, they would probably take it. But a couple of weeks ago, I would have expected them to deal Hall just to get something in return before he left as a free agent. Now, it feels more possible that they consider bringing Hall back next season, in which case they might be more hesitant to trade him now.
The Jets are on bye following their first win of the season, and they have a lot of decisions to make with teams interested in many of their players. This is a long way of saying Hall’s chances of being dealt could go either way, but my sense is that it’s no longer a sure thing.
Eric Moody breaks down Breece Hall’s impressive fantasy game vs. the Bengals.
Fowler: Teams I’ve talked to believe that Meyers has a decent chance to be dealt — possibly the best chance among available wide receivers. Las Vegas has received interest in the seven-year veteran, and my sense is the Raiders want a strong pick for Meyers. A swap of Day 3 picks won’t do at this stage.
Several teams are believed to be in the receiver market, most notably the Steelers and possibly the Broncos and Bills. Meyers clearly wants out, and the Raiders are in a transitional phase. They just signed veteran Tyler Lockett, which could ease the loss of dealing Meyers. Pittsburgh is keeping tabs on this one but is prepared to be patient, too. If I had to predict a destination right now, I’d say the Steelers.
Other teams seem to be looking for more of a vertical threat than a possession receiver. Meyers has 29 catches for 329 yards this season.
Graziano: I believe one of them will — but which one, I cannot say. I still think the Dolphins want to put a representative product on the field this season. They started 2-6 last year and recovered to win six of their next eight, so they know it’s possible to get back to respectability, even if that doesn’t result in a playoff spot.
Graziano: Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal. He has played tackle and guard for the Giants, but it has never quite worked out. He’s only 25 years old and was the No. 7 pick in 2022, so the talent is there. He’s eligible for free agency at the end of the season and doesn’t seem to be in New York’s long-term plans. Almost everyone is looking to add offensive line depth this time of year, and there doesn’t seem to be much reason for the Giants not to move Neal if they were offered a pick.
Fowler: The Jets. They haven’t done anything yet. And they have players, which is the reason why they should move guys — and kind of the reason why they shouldn’t. After all, they didn’t expect to be 1-7. This roster isn’t barren like the Titans’. Talent exists on both sides of the ball, and because of that, the Jets hoped for a better start. The players have bought into Aaron Glenn. So it’s hard to just break that up solely because of the record.
That’s why I’m guessing New York finds a middle ground, selecting a few veterans deemed expendable while avoiding a fire sale. Slot corner Michael Carter II is the most obvious candidate. The Jets have an in-house replacement for him in Jarvis Brownlee Jr. While teams I’ve talked to say New York seemed willing to part with edge Jermaine Johnson in return for a strong pick, Johnson recently had a productive talk with Glenn, and it feels like he’s staying.
Many teams are calling on defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, but the Jets are not entertaining deals for him unless it’s a massive “every player has a price” type of trade package. So rival teams know the Jets are open to potentially being active over the next week but aren’t yet beholden to that plan. Williams, Hall and others should garner plenty of interest.
Graziano: The Jets are a good call. On the other end, I’m looking at the 49ers, who need help at every single level of the defense, still have a winning record and understand they’re in the latter part of a championship window given the ages of some of their great veterans.
Fowler: Denver also has my attention. The Broncos have evaluated multiple spots, including offensive guard (with Ben Powers out) and the skill positions (either tight end or wide receiver). While I’m not convinced the Broncos will make a bold move, ideally Denver would like more of a classic, field-stretching receiving option to offset the skill sets already in place while also adding veteran experience.
Graziano: Maybe Sean Payton can swing a deal with his former team and add Shaheed? Those are the really interesting teams to me — the Broncos, Colts, Patriots, etc. AFC contenders that might be further along than a lot of us expected or realized before the season started. The Chiefs are rounding back into form, the Bills will be there in the end, and the Ravens should be too if they can take advantage of their softer second-half schedule.
What will the upstart AFC contenders do to try to keep up with the usual powerhouses? And will it be enough? The Patriots have the cap space to add anyone they want. Is a big splash move coming?
• I’m not a huge “I told you so” guy, but if you read this piece last week, you weren’t surprised that Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson wasn’t able to play Sunday against the Bears.The Week 9 Thursday game against the Dolphins felt like it was Jackson’s target, and he was even telling teammates early last week that he’d be back for the Miami game.
All of this is to say, the idea of the Browns trading Garrett isn’t inconceivable, especially if that’s what he wants. He didn’t come out and say it in his news conference Sunday, but he also made it very clear he’s not happy with the way things are going. It would be the biggest move of this trade deadline — or of next offseason’s trade market — by quite a bit. But if a team is desperate for an impact pass rusher, it might also be a call worth making.
So yes, perhaps running Jackson on the scout team that day was just an entry point into him playing Thursday night against Miami. But Jackson’s impressive work Friday gave the team a lift. He looked like he was ready to play, until he wasn’t. It’s entirely possible Jackson simply opted not to play or wasn’t ready. Hamstrings are tricky — one tweak, and he’s out for a month.
