The NFL trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon presents contrasting roster decisions for franchises across the AFC. One year after trading away defensive starters Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to accumulate future draft picks, the New York Jets are facing another defensive dilemma. Former first-round selection Will McDonald IV has formally requested a trade after playing 263 defensive snaps through nine games.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, leading the AFC South, finalized a deal with the Atlanta Falcons to acquire All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III, even as the edge rusher seeks a fresh start elsewhere.

In New York, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport confirmed on Monday on X: “#Jets pass-rusher Will McDonald IV has informed the team that he wants to be traded, sources say. McDonald has played sparingly this season and is extremely frustrated with his usage. The former first-rounder wants more opportunities and the team is aware.”

The request followed earlier efforts to secure a bigger role. According to ESPN, McDonald had approached coaches about getting more opportunities, but those conversations did not produce a meaningful increase in his playing time. His frustration reached the point where he even asked to contribute on special teams.

Those discussions continued into the week before the deadline. Despite recently having what Aaron Glenn described as “a really good conversation” about his role, McDonald played just 23 defensive snaps in Sunday’s 35-12 loss to Kansas City.

The reduced workload marks a change for a pass rusher who recorded 10.5 sacks and 38 pressures in 2024. Glenn took over as head coach in 2025, and the Jets switched to a 3-4 scheme for the 2026 season. New York also signed Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare in free agency before selecting edge rusher David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick, increasing competition for snaps.

McDonald has since been used in a situational role, recording three sacks, one forced fumble, 13 tackles and nine quarterback pressures across 263 defensive snaps through nine games. His recent usage makes the decline in opportunities clearer: he exceeded 30 defensive snaps only once over his past five games.

Despite trade inquiries from clubs including the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers, New York has maintained that the edge rusher will remain on the roster. The Jets previously picked up McDonald’s 2027 fifth-year option valued at $13.75 million. When asked about the trade request by reporters on Monday afternoon, head coach Aaron Glenn stated, “Will’s going to be here.”

In Florida, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced the acquisition of safety Jessie Bates III from Atlanta, pending a physical. Jacksonville agreed to send a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Falcons in return.

Getting the deal done also required Atlanta to help with the financial terms. The Jaguars confirmed that the Falcons restructured Bates’ contract before the trade, while reporting indicated that Atlanta agreed to cover most of his remaining $6.5 million salary for 2026. That arrangement reduced the salary Jacksonville would take on, helping the Jaguars accommodate the veteran safety.

Jacksonville did not stop with Bates. The Jaguars also acquired defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the Saints for a conditional sixth-round pick, adding another piece to their defensive front. The move addressed a separate injury concern after defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton was lost for the season.

A third deal followed, with Jacksonville agreeing to send a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick to Philadelphia for defensive tackle Jordan Davis, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That made Davis the Jaguars’ third defensive acquisition of the day, turning the Bates trade into the opening move of a much larger push.

The Davis deal also strengthened Philadelphia’s draft position. Schefter reported that the Eagles were poised to hold 10 selections in the first two rounds across the next three drafts.

Two franchises, two directions: Jaguars target deep playoff run as Falcons pivot to 2027

The three additions strengthen Jacksonville’s defense for the second half of the season. The Jaguars currently lead the AFC South with a 6-2 record, and their willingness to commit future draft picks across three separate deals reflects their push to improve ahead of the playoffs. The Bates acquisition alone cost Jacksonville a second-round selection in 2027 and a fifth-rounder in 2028, bringing an experienced starter into a secondary hit by injury.

Bates joins a Jacksonville secondary that includes cornerback Travis Hunter, filling a need created by Eric Murray’s season-ending elbow injury. Rather than simply adding depth, the Jaguars are bringing in an experienced starter with three second-team Associated Press All-Pro selections, earned in 2020, 2023 and 2025. Bates also earned a Pro Bowl selection following the 2023 season.

That resume is backed by 139 career starts, during which Bates has recorded 28 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles, and 74 passes defended. His arrival gives defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile an established replacement for Murray as Jacksonville looks to protect its AFC South lead and strengthen its position in the playoff race.

For Atlanta, the trade came a day after a 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals dropped the Falcons to 3-6. With Bates approaching the end of his contract, general manager Ian Cunningham secured future draft picks rather than keeping the veteran safety through the remainder of the season.

The move also fits Cunningham’s preference for accumulating draft capital that gives the front office flexibility, an approach highlighted in the Falcons’ official announcement. The additional selections give Atlanta more options to draft players or pursue other transactions.

That flexibility comes with an immediate vacancy in the secondary. Atlanta listed Xavier Watts, Sydney Brown, and DeMarcco Hellams as its remaining active-roster safeties following the agreement. Watts had been the established starter alongside Bates, leaving the Falcons to determine who will fill the other spot.

New York also made a defensive trade Monday, agreeing to send safety Andre Cisco to Detroit for a 2028 sixth-round selection. Both teams announced the agreement. Cisco had appeared in nine games for the Jets this season, recording 23 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass defended.

The Jets sit at 2-7 following a 35-12 road defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs. They had agreed to trade Cisco, but McDonald’s request remained unresolved ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, with Glenn publicly stating that the team intended to retain him.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville had agreed to three defensive acquisitions in a single day, turning its move for Bates into part of a much broader effort to strengthen its roster for the second half of the season.