Blockbuster NFL Trade Proposal Ships Steelers $96 Million All-Pro to Fix Defense
The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots on Tuesday night. But if the Steelers are open to more trading, could they be a potential fit for a massive move for a lineman such as Quinnen Williams before the NFL trade deadline next week?
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued the Steelers could be. Knox named the team one of two potential suitors for Williams, who made first-team All-Pro in 2022.
“A three-time Pro Bowler with 40 sacks on his NFL resume, Williams is the sort of player who would land the Jets premium draft capital that could be used to chase a quarterback in 2026,” Knox wrote. “He won’t turn 28 until December, and he’s under contract through 2027.”
Williams has posted 32 combined tackles, including seven tackles for loss in eight games this season. He also has three forced fumbles, three quarterback hits and a sack.
However, the New York Jets defensive lineman wouldn’t come cheaply. Knox argued any trade proposal for Williams should begin with a 2026 first-round pick.
That’s why pundits are likely to see any move to acquire the Jets defensive lineman as a “blockbuster.”
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 4.
How Quinnen Williams Could Fit With the Steelers
The Steelers saw first hand the kind of impact Williams can make. In Week 1 versus the Steelers, Williams registered three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and one sack.
That’s the biggest impact the Jets defensive lineman has had on a game this season.
The Steelers offensive line had a slow start to the season, and it’s possible Williams’ big season opener was partly due to poor technique from Broderick Jones. The Steelers shouldn’t acquire Williams just because of what he did against them.
Having said that, according to the Pro Football Focus player grades, the 27-year-old has been the Jets’ best defender in 2025. He’s also been one of the top run defenders in the league this season.
The Steelers’ biggest defensive problem has been in pass coverage. But improving in run defense could help the unit dedicate more defenders against the pass.
At the very least, if Williams helped the Steelers shut down the run, Pittsburgh opponents would be one-dimensional.
Williams could improve the Steelers pass rush as well. He has recorded at least 5.5 sacks in each season since 2020.
Why the Steelers Shouldn’t Acquire Williams
Age hasn’t been a big concern for the Steelers while they’ve tried to find defensive improvements over the past couple years. But at some point, it has to become a concern.
While Williams is still on the right side of 30 (he turns 28 in December), he could be closer to his decline than his peak.
The Steelers defense arguably already has too many of those types of players. The unit has a lot of former All-Pros who aren’t playing at that level anymore in 2025. That’s likely due to age.
If this were the first veteran the Steelers were adding to their defense in quite some time, it wouldn’t be a big concern. But he’s not.
Trading a first-round pick and more selections would also very likely rule out the Steelers finding a future franchise quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In March, the Steelers would still have Williams but potentially no quarterback if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return.
Williams could be just the defensive lineman to fix multiple issues for the Steelers defense in 2025. But the team needs a youth movement along the defensive front, and adding Williams would come with just too big of a mortgage to be a good idea.
Lions Predicted to Trade for Edge Rusher Who Started 16 Games Last Year
The Detroit Lions are expected to make some roster additions ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline, with edge rush an annual area of concern.
The Lions made a move for veteran Za’Darius Smith at last year’s trade deadline, filling some of the void left when star Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury. The Lions could turn back to the position this year, with one analyst predicting they will look for a more marginal roster improvement by swinging a deal with the New England Patriots.
Lions Could Add Veteran Pass Rusher
Reporter Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports suggested the Lions could take aim at Patriots edge rusher Anfernee Jennings. Payton noted that the Lions have been connected to Jennings in the past, with ESPN’s Bill Barnwell suggesting in August that Detroit might be able to land him and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
“Jennings is owed $2.5 million in 2025, about half of which is guaranteed,” Barnwell wrote. “He doesn’t appear to be in new coach Mike Vrabel’s plans, but I like him as a fit in Detroit, where the Lions could stand to add a little more edge depth.”
Payton added that, now that the Patriots are near the halfway point of their season, they still don’t appear to have any big plans for using Jennings. Though he was a 16-game starter in 2024, Jennings has not started any of his five games this season and has just 1.0 sacks.
“That was in August. Now we jump to October, and Barnwell was right, Vrabel has barely used Jennings,” Payton wrote. “He played 831 snaps in 2024 and looked to be a big part of the Patriots. This year, he’s played 79 snaps and has three pressures and a sack. He hasn’t been a bad player, but with the Patriots shifting how they play defense, he doesn’t seem to fit there.”
Payton called Jennings a “low-cost investment” who would be owed just $5 million combined for the rest of this season and 2026.
Lions Could Aim Bigger
While Jennings would provide the Lions more depth in their pass-rushing group, some analysts believe they will look for a more impactful player at the trade deadline. ESPN’s Seth Walder suggested the Lions could aim for Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who is seen as one of the top pass rushers on the trade block in the coming week.
“Though Al-Quadin Muhammad has taken a real step forward, the Lions could use a No. 2 edge rusher to threaten opponents (and still use Muhammad as a rotational third player),” Walder wrote. “Phillips fits the bill because of his pass rushing (his 17.1% pass rush win rate at edge is above average) and strength against the run. He currently ranks sixth in run stop win rate at edge.”
The Lions could address other needs as well, including some help for their injury-struck secondary. The team has lost several of its defensive backs, and though many are on the way back from injury, Dan Campbell could always use more trusted depth for his defense.
