Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season gets underway tonight when the Miami Dolphins host the Baltimore Ravens, which will see the return of Lamar Jackson to the field.
But the big story is the upcoming trade deadline, which hits at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, November 4. As that approaches let’s take a spin on the rumor carousel together.
49ers and Cowboys calling about Trey Hendrickson
The 2025 NFL season began with Trey Hendrickson locked in a standoff with the Cincinnati Bengals over his contract. While a deal was reached to get the pass rusher in the fold before the games began, the Bengals’ struggles could open the door to a deadline move.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals have “rebuffed” trade inquiries so far, but a loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday would drop Cincinnati to 3-6 on the year. Fowler also noted that the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers are “among the interested teams” in Hendrickson. San Francisco did add Keion White already in a trade, while the Cowboys need to do something … ANYTHING … to bolster one of the league’s worst defenses.
Jaguars CB Jarrian Jones could be traded
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen dismissed rumors that the team would move wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. ahead of the Tuesday trade deadline.
But another member of Jacksonville’s 2024 draft class could be on the trade block.
According to ESPN Jaguars beat writer Mike DiRocco, Jarrian Jones, the team’s third-round pick in 2024, could be on the move. Jones has seen his role decrease over the start of the 2025 season, playing just one defensive snap in the team’s Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Rams. Between the return of Montaric Brown and the development of Travis Hunter Jr., Jacksonville might look to move Jones as part of a deal, perhaps for a tight end.
New England is not done yet
The New England Patriots made a pair of moves on Tuesday, trading former starters Keion White and Kyle Dugger. With the Patriots sitting at 6-2, are they actually selling?
Not exactly.
Those two moves were likely a result of scheme fit and usage. Dugger’s role had decreased as the team moved away from the system employed under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo, with his ideal fit as a box safety near the line of scrimmage not as critical in the current system. As for White, he was locked at defensive end beyond Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson, and played less than 30% of the snaps for New England this season.
White was also a healthy scratch last week against the Cleveland Browns.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss pointed to two areas the Patriots could add: A “veteran” edge rusher behind Landry and Chaisson, and a running back, given the Week 5 injury that ended Antonio Gibson’s season.
At the moment, the Patriots have 10 draft picks for next season, which could increase to 11 if White is active for seven games. In that scenario, New England will keep their seventh-round pick, but if White is not active for seven games, then the Patriots will send that seventh-round selection to the 49ers.
Either way, the Patriots have some draft capital to use in the coming days.
Breece Hall adds fuel to the trade rumor fires
One of the most-discussed players ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline is New York Jets running back Breece Hall. While the Jets secured their first win of the year last week, with New York at 1-7, they are likely going to be sellers over the next few days.
New York already made one move, sending cornerback Michael Carter II to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie III.
But Hall and Quinnen Williams are the two big games on the Jets’ roster that people are watching.
Including perhaps Hall himself, who posted this on social media Wednesday afternoon:
Does he know something? Or is he just watching the rumors along with the rest of us?
Titans TE Chig Okonkwo a player to watch
Another team sitting at 1-7 as Week 9 opens is the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans have already traded away one player, cornerback Roger McCreary, and according to multiple reports, only quarterback Cam Ward and defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons are not options to be moved ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. One player receiving a ton of attention at the moment is tight end Chig Okonkwo, who is on the final year of his current deal.
While Okonkwo has shown chemistry with Ward, rookie Gunnar Helm is starting to see his snaps increase, and Tennessee might use this moment to move Okonkwo and give Helm even more opportunities.
The trade of McCreary means that Okonkwo is the only member of Tennessee’s 2022 draft class currently on the Titans roster, and while he leads the Titans with 27 receptions for 291 yards, he understands that the NFL is a business.
“Being in the league a few years now, you see the business over and over. I remember when I was first a rookie and saw a guy get cut for the first time, I thought it was unreal, and then I saw guys get traded. It’s a part of the deal on a struggling team. So, it just is what it is,” said the TE this week.
As far as teams to watch, the Jaguars and the Buccaneers are options. The Broncos, who just signed veteran Marcedes Lewis, are also looking at tight ends before the deadline.
Giants could move two under-the-radar names
Two names to watch on the New York Giants? Evan Neal and Jalin Hyatt.
The ESPN duo of Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano pointed to those two players as “under-the-radar” names to watch ahead of the deadline. Neal has seen time at both guard and tackle, but is eligible for free agency at the end of the season and might not be in the team’s plans for 2026 and beyond.
As for Hyatt, while the Giants have a need at receiver with the injury to Malik Nabers, Hyatt was a healthy scratch in Week 8, and according to Fowler, the WR would “like a fresh start elsewhere.”
A.J. Brown rumors persist, despite the financial implications
A.J. Brown missed Week 8 due to injury, but is on track to be back in the lineup for Week 10.
Where he will be playing in Week 10, however, remains a matter of consistent speculation.
Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk said on Wednesday that in his mind, the Eagles are trying to “shop A.J. Brown wihtout shopping A.J. Brown, to not be the one who picks up the phone” to initiate trade discussions. While the Eagles are back to their winning ways, rumors continue to swirl about the receiver’s fit in Philadelphia’s run-heavy offense.
However, it is important to add some context to any Brown trade rumors: Moving him would be a costly endeavor for Howie Roseman. According to Over the Cap, a trade would cost the Eagles $16 million in cap space this season, and nearly $40 million next year, due to the extension he signed with Philadelphia in 2024.
While tweaking his contract could make these numbers easier for the Eagles to swallow, that would have to come before a trade, which could further complicate matters.
The rumors will likely persist, but take them with a healthy dose of salt given the economic realities.
Dolphins not “heavy sellers”
The Miami Dolphins take the field tonight, looking to stave off a 2-7 loss as they host the Baltimore Ravens.
But according to Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins are not “heavy sellers,” and will be more “reactive” rather than “proactive” at the deadline.
Players to watch for the Dolphins are pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. While Jaylen Waddle has been a focus of rumors, it is unlikely that Miami would trade the speedy receiver.
