Five NFL Stars Who Could Force Trades Next: Jefferson
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- Jimmy Haslam traded Myles Garrett to the Rams and Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat on June 1, with the Eagles also sending A.J. Brown to the Patriots on the same day
- Justin Jefferson is predicted to demand a trade by the 2028 offseason after J.J. McCarthy's league-worst 57.6% completion rate and 72.6 passer rating in 2025 contributed to Jefferson's career-low 1,048 receiving yards
- Jonathan Taylor is projected to ask out by the 2026 trade deadline; the Colts have made just one playoff appearance with zero postseason wins during his six NFL seasons despite his 7,598 career rushing yards (second-most in the 2020s)
- Trey McBride won't request a trade if Arizona lands a top QB in the 2027 NFL Draft; he ranked second in the NFL with 126 catches and tied for second with 11 receiving touchdowns in 2025 despite Arizona's 3-14 finish
- Garrett Wilson won't demand a trade if the Jets secure a top QB in 2027; he led New York with just 395 receiving yards in seven games in 2025, the fewest by an NFL team leader since 1976
- The 2025 NFC West became the first division in league history with three 12-win teams (Seahawks, Rams, 49ers), while the Cardinals finished nine games worse than every other team in the division
Why it matters: The article maps each potential trade to a concrete failure mode — bad QB play for Jefferson and Wilson, wasted prime years for Taylor, and a stacked division blocking contention for McBride — giving GMs a framework for when star frustration crosses into trade demand. Jefferson's projected Las Vegas fit mirrors the 2022 Davante Adams acquisition, while the Taylor-to-Pittsburgh scenario would hand Aaron Rodgers a true bell-cow back for what is framed as McCarthy's reunion season as head coach.
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