The New York Jets made one of the first moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline by sending wide receiver Mecole Hardman back to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, recent NFL trade rumors suggest New York has run into issues with its recent efforts to make other deals.
In mid-October, New York traded Hardman to the Chiefs in exchange for a swap of late-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. At the time, it was viewed as the first of several deals that were likely to be made by the Jets’ front office ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
Related: New York Jets draft picks 2024
New York isn’t exactly operating as a seller at the deadline. Instead, with young players emerging on both sides of the ball, the Jets want to create more snaps for their emerging standouts and cut ties with some veterans who have fallen out of favor.
As a result, edge rusher Carl Lawson and running back Dalvin Cook have been floated around the league by New York as NFL trade candidates. Both players have been available for over two weeks now, with the franchise receiving a resounding answer from NFL teams.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Jets have received very few calls expressing interest in either Cook or Lawson in the two-plus weeks they’ve shopped him around the NFL.
- Dalvin Cook stats 2023: 39 carries, 109 rushing yards, 2.8 yards per carry
Cook, a multi-time Pro Bowl selection with the Minnesota Vikings, had already voiced his displeasure with his situation in New York. While he was part of the Jets’ backfield committee in Week 1, receiving 16 touches, he hasn’t received more than six touches in a game over the last three weeks.
Lawson has also been a free-agent bust for New York. Signed to a $45 million contract in 2021, the former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher suffered a ruptured Achilles’ tendon during a joint practice in August of that year. While he returned to the field in 2022, recording seven sacks, he has rarely seen the field this year.
If the Jets can’t find a trade partner for Lawson, the 28-year-old defensive end will likely be released. Cutting Lawson would only leave New York with a $3.013 million dead cap hit this season while carrying over a $6.4 million cap charge in 2024.
As for Cook, he likely won’t find better options even if the Jets release him. The NFL teams that expressed interest in the former Vikings’ star are settled at running back, while Leonard Fournette has been a free agent all year.