The NFL trade market is open earlier than usual this year, and the board is stacked with exactly the kind of player contenders start calling about in October: pass rushers on expiring deals attached to teams going nowhere.
Kayvon Thibodeaux Is the Headliner
The Giants edge rusher is 25, headed for free agency in 2027, and playing for a team whose season changed when quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending injury. New York reportedly discussed moving Thibodeaux around the draft, which tells you the front office is not emotionally attached to a former fifth overall pick.
That combination is how trades happen. A young player with flashes of elite production, a contract clock, and an organization that already floated the idea once. If the Giants fall out of it, Thibodeaux is the best defensive player likely to be available.
Khalil Mack Makes Too Much Sense
Mack is 35, on a one-year deal, and playing for a Chargers team that started 0-2 with a brutal schedule in front of it. He has a sack, two tackles for loss and four quarterback pressures early.
This is the classic rental. A veteran rusher on an expiring contract, for a team that cannot justify keeping him if the season goes sideways, going to a contender that needs one more body who can win a snap in January. The Chargers would be irrational not to listen.
Quarterbacks Are the Sleeper Market
Two names stand out. Mac Jones is San Francisco’s backup, a 2027 free agent who went 5-3 as a starter in 2025 with 2,151 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. That is a legitimate NFL starter sitting behind Brock Purdy.
Mason Rudolph is Pittsburgh’s third-string quarterback with 19 regular-season starts and a playoff start on his resume, and the Steelers are reportedly open to moving him.
Quarterback injuries have already hit multiple contenders. Jayden Daniels is out in Washington. Dart is done in New York. Every week that pattern continues, the price for a competent backup goes up, and San Francisco knows what it has.
The Rest of the Board
Jerry Jeudy has become an afterthought in Cleveland’s offense, drawing one target and no catches in Week 2 as rookies Boston and Concepcion took over the receiving snaps. He is on a $1.5 million base salary, which makes him cheap to acquire.
Jessie Bates III, 29, is an impending free agent safety in Atlanta who started all 17 games last season and allowed a 73.7 opposing passer rating. Daron Payne is a 29-year-old defensive tackle on a Washington team that is falling apart. Josh Uche and Solomon Thomas round out a list of veterans on teams prioritizing youth.
Why This Year Feels Different
Teams used to treat the trade deadline as a formality. That has changed, and the early availability of names like Thibodeaux and Mack suggests front offices are willing to make real decisions in October instead of waiting until they are mathematically eliminated.
The Giants have the most valuable asset and the most obvious reason to move it. Watch that one.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.