Commanders could find help from the NFL's only winless team

The Jets' Potential Fire Sale

One of those teams, the only one without a win entering Week 8, is the New York Jets. Jordan Schultz recently reported that he’s being told, “Teams are keeping an eye on the Jets ahead of the trade deadline: names being mentioned include Breece Hall, Quincy Williams, Jermaine Johnson II, Will McDonald IV, Michael Carter II, and Allen Lazard, among others.”

““There’s an element of trying to figure out who are [head coach Aaron] Glenn’s guys and who aren’t. Remember when Detroit suddenly traded Hockenson? A building block from the last regime is not going to be a guaranteed building block in this one,” a source told Schultz.

Of those players, all of them intriguing in their own way, we can’t help but zero in on edge defenders Jermaine Johnson II and Will McDonald IV specifically.

Jermaine Johnson II The High-Risk, High-Reward Option

Johnson, specifically, has taken the path to the NFL that Commanders head coach Dan Quinn seems to appreciate. 

Needing better grades to qualify for Division I football, Johnson started his post-high school career at Independence Community College and was one of the players featured on Netflix’s Last Chance U docuseries. 

From there, he landed with the Georgia Bulldogs before finishing his college career with the Florida State Seminoles, where he cemented himself as a first-round talent. 

Drafted by the Jets 26th overall in 2022, Johnson made the Pro Bowl in 2023 but has battled injury issues the past two years, leading to his playing in just six games combined through Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season (two in 2024 and four this year).

Johnson appears to be healthy again, and in Weeks 6 and 7, he was able to come up with nine tackles and one sack, along with two quarterback hits, while playing a total of 92 snaps on defense. 

There is speculation that New York might want a third-round pick in exchange for the talented lineman, but given his injury history, that might be a little high. Johnson’s fifth-year option was picked up by the Jets and is worth $13.4 million fully guaranteed next year, though that number could be easily brought down by a contract extension should general manager Adam Peters decide to go that route.

Will McDonald IV The Healthier Alternative

McDonald is another first-round pick of the Jets, coming in 2023 out of Iowa State. 

In his three NFL seasons, he hasn’t earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, but he did collect 10.5 sacks in 2024 and is on pace for a handful this year, despite his team’s struggles. 

Furthermore, McDonald doesn’t bring the injury concerns Johnson does, having played 15 games as a rookie, 17 in 2024, and all seven games up to this point in 2025.

Seeing that he has another full year on the rookie wage scale and a fifth-year option, any receiving team might get in a trade for McDonald. He’s likely to cost a bit more than Johnson, but might be worth it in the long run.

Quinn spoke openly, as both men have over the year-plus they’ve been running Washington football, that general manager Adam Peters is actively seeking opportunities both inside and outside the organization to make the team better.

With a Monday night matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs coming up this week, we’d all like that discovery to come sooner rather than later, but there’s another side to every negotiation, and in this case, New York really doesn’t have to rush to get anywhere. The NFL trade deadline is November 4, and there also lies a possibility that the outcome of this weekend will weigh heavily on what Peters will do.

Either way, the radar is pinging with potential finds to be had for teams in need of talent, including Michael Carter II, who could be a cornerback target for teams in need of a boost to their secondary, and this is just one team’s roster that might be worth searching for treasure buried under their 0-7 start.