Everyone loves a good blockbuster. It’s the dopamine hit of the NFL offseason. You see a "Schefter Bomb" on your phone, and suddenly, the entire power balance of the AFC North has shifted because a disgruntled edge rusher finally got his wish. But if you’re looking at the NFL trade candidates 2025 list thinking it’s all about high-profile holdouts, you’re missing the actual chess game.
Honestly, the trade market this year is weird. We’ve got a massive salary cap spike—hitting roughly $279.2 million—which usually means teams have more money to keep their stars. Yet, the 2025 season saw some absolute giants fall. The Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Packers in a move that basically broke the internet, and the Miami Dolphins finally pulled the trigger on sending Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles.
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Now that we’re heading into the 2026 draft cycle, the leftovers of the 2025 trade block are becoming the primary targets for teams desperate to fix their rosters before the summer heat hits.
The Quarterback Carousel: Is It Spencer Rattler’s Turn?
Quarterback trades are always the headliners. You’ve probably seen the rumors about Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals being "ready for a divorce," but the name that’s actually buzzing in scouting circles right now is Spencer Rattler.
It sounds a bit crazy, right? The guy was a mid-round pick who struggled with a 1-7 record as a starter in New Orleans. But look closer. He was thrown into a meat grinder behind a shaky offensive line while facing five playoff-bound teams. He still managed over 1,500 yards and showed flashes of that "arm talent" everyone obsessed over in college.
The Saints benched him for rookie Tyler Shough, which basically signaled the end. If you’re a team like the New York Jets, who are currently staring at a quarterback room that looks like a disaster area, Rattler is a low-risk, high-reward trade candidate. He’s young, cheap, and has more upside than the aging veterans floating around in free agency.
Then there’s the Lamar Jackson of it all. People are actually talking about the Las Vegas Raiders trading the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Draft for Lamar. It’s a total "Madden" move, but after a dismal 3-14 season, the Raiders are desperate. Whether Baltimore would even pick up the phone is a different story, but that’s the kind of chaos defining the current market.
The "Acrimonious" Edge Rusher Club
Pass rushers are the gold standard of trade value. If you can’t get to the quarterback, you’re basically just waiting to lose. That’s why Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals has been the most exhausting name to follow.
- The Situation: Hendrickson has been asking for a long-term bag for what feels like a decade.
- The Performance: He’s still elite. We’re talking about a guy with a 90.4 PFF pass-rushing grade.
- The Contract: The Bengals gave him a one-year "please stop complaining" extension for $29 million, but that expires soon.
Cincinnati usually hates trading stars. They’d rather let a guy walk for a compensatory pick than "lose" a trade. But with Joe Burrow’s toe injury derailing their last campaign, the Bengals might finally realize they need to rebuild the defense around youth. A team like the Detroit Lions or San Francisco 49ers would pay a premium for a guy who can fall into 10+ sacks a year.
Wide Receivers: The Disgruntled and the Disappointing
Wideouts are the divas of the trade block (and we love them for it). Tyreek Hill is the name that keeps popping up. One day he’s retiring a Dolphin, the next he’s tweeting cryptic emojis because Miami went 1-6 and the offense looked stuck in second gear.
The Dolphins are in a bad spot. They need to shed salary for 2026, and while trading Tyreek sounds like a nightmare for Mike McDaniel, it might be a fiscal necessity. The Cleveland Browns have been linked to him repeatedly—mostly because they need a legitimate game-changer to help whatever is happening with their own quarterback situation.
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On the other end of the spectrum is New England’s Ja’Lynn Polk.
Basically, he had a rough rookie year. 14.3% drop rate. That’s... not great. With the Patriots bringing in guys like Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, Polk has become the odd man out. He’s a "change of scenery" candidate. Someone will gamble on his second-round pedigree, hoping they can fix his hands.
Defensive Trade Candidates Nobody Talks About
While everyone is screaming about Tyreek Hill, the real value is in the trenches and the secondary. These are the guys who actually win championships but don't get the "Discover" feed headlines.
- Jeffery Simmons (DT, Tennessee Titans): The Titans are in full "fire sale" mode under their interim staff. They’ve already moved guys like Dre'Mont Jones and Arden Key. Simmons is the crown jewel. He’s a Pro Bowler who can wreck a game plan. The Jaguars or Ravens should be blowing up Tennessee's phones.
- Tariq Woolen (CB, Seattle Seahawks): This one is surprising. Woolen is 6'4" and fast. But the Seahawks have seen the emergence of Josh Jobe, making Woolen somewhat expendable. The Philadelphia Eagles—whose GM Howie Roseman treats the trade market like a 24/7 buffet—are the natural fit here.
- Breece Hall (RB, New York Jets): Trading a star RB is usually a sign of a team giving up. The Jets went 0-7 to start 2025. Hall is a pending free agent in 2026. If the Jets don't think they can re-sign him, they have to move him now to get something back. The Los Angeles Chargers under Jim Harbaugh are obsessed with the run game; Hall in that backfield would be terrifying.
Why Some Trades Never Happen
It's easy to look at a 1-7 team and say "trade everyone!" But the NFL isn't baseball. The "dead money" on a contract can make a trade physically impossible for a team's salary cap.
Take Kirk Cousins in Atlanta. People keep trying to trade him to the Vikings for a reunion. His salary is $27.5 million. Most teams can't just absorb that in the middle of a season or even in the early spring without cutting half their roster. Plus, some teams value the "compensatory pick" system more than a 4th-round trade offer. If a player leaves in free agency, the team gets a pick for free. If they trade him for a 5th-rounder, they might actually be losing value.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re a fan trying to track these NFL trade candidates 2025, stop looking at the mock drafts for a second and look at the contract void dates.
Specifically, watch the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. These two teams are historically aggressive with the cap, but they’ve hit a wall. Between the Saints being $19 million over the cap and the Browns needing to figure out their post-Deshaun Watson future, these are the warehouses where the best trade deals will be found.
Actionable Insight: Keep an eye on the "post-June 1" designation. Any trade that happens after that date allows teams to spread out the cap hit. That’s when the real superstars—the Tyreek Hills and the Maxx Crosbys—actually become moveable. If a big name hasn't moved by the draft in April, don't assume they're staying; they're just waiting for the June 1 calendar flip.