The New York Jets have ‘no plans’ to trade Will McDonald (Report)

With the NFL trade deadline just days away, New York Jets pass rusher Will McDonald has been mentioned in several trade rumors. At the end of the day, however, rumors are nothing more than noise.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the team has “no plans” to move the former first-round pick.

Breer reports that, despite his name surfacing in recent discussions, the Jets have no intention of shopping the Iowa State standout ahead of the deadline.

In eight games this year, McDonald has generated 16 pressures, three sacks, and nine hurries. However, the star pass-rusher has continued to struggle mightily as a run-defender.

This season, his 44.9 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus is the third-worst among edge rushers who have logged at least 50 percent of their team’s defensive snaps this year, trailing only Dallas Cowboys’ Sam Williams and Baltimore Ravens’ rookie Mike Green.

McDonald’s tackling efficiency also ignites significant concerns.

In 2024, he failed to finish over one-third of his tackle attempts, posting a miss rate of roughly 34.4%.

This season, the trend has continued, with the third-year edge rusher missing close to 28% of his opportunities. For perspective, the league average hovers near 10%, meaning McDonald has struggled to complete tackles at nearly three times the standard rate.

McDonald’s burst off the edge is still there, but his inconsistency against the run and as a tackler has kept him from taking that next step.

The Jets, though, aren’t in any rush to move on. They still have another year left on his rookie deal and could pick up his fifth-year option for 2027, keeping him under team control for at least two more seasons.

With the edge room already thin, it wouldn’t make much sense for the New York Jets to deal Will McDonald at the deadline, unless a team absolutely blows them away with an offer.