1 Trade That Would Jumpstart Winless Teams' Seasons

Six teams remain winless heading into Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. While each of these clubs is facing an uphill battle to get into the playoffs—only six teams in history have rebounded from an 0-3 start to reach the postseason—there's still a shred of hope remaining for fans to hang onto.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is why these downtrodden organizations should try to avoid a dreaded 0-4 hole—from which only the 1992 San Diego Chargers were able to recover from and reach the playoffs—by swinging a blockbuster trade.

There aren't many players who can come in and singlehandedly salvage a failing team's season, but sometimes a small move can make a big difference. Orchestrating a deal could result in finding a missing piece for the offensive trenches or clearing a path for a young talent to shine.

With little left to lose, here's one trade each winless franchise should explore as they try to jumpstart their respective seasons.

Houston Texans: Add Evan Neal

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Houston Texans receive: OL Evan Neal

New York Giants receive: 2026 seventh-round draft pick

Houston's o-line has been a mess this year and could desperately use some help after being the catalyst behind an 0-3 start.

The Texans' decision to jettison multiple starters—including perennial Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil—and rebuild the unit during the offseason not paid off. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has already taken eight sacks on the year and hasn't been able to spark the offense due to a glaring lack of protection.

A trade for Evan Neal could fix Houston's most glaring issue. The versatile New York Giants veteran could play multiple positions for the Texans as they look to shuffle the deck and find a remedy for their woes in the offensive trenches.

Per ProFootballFocus, Houston's sieve-like o-line has at least 12 pressures and a 35 percent or higher rate pressure rate in each of its three games this year. Stroud has been pressured 40 times altogether, a large reason why the Texans rank in the bottom-eight of the league in both total and passing offense while averaging a league-low 12.7 points per game.

Unfortunately for Houston, it doesn't seem that there is currently an in-house solution to these. The team still has plenty of time before the trade deadline to attempt to cobble together at least a league-average offensive line, however.

Although Big Blue has been averse to deploying him in 2025, Neal is an experienced starter with a first-round pedigree. He's appeared in 29 games—including 27 starts, mostly at the tackle spots—since the franchise drafted him at No. 7 overall in 2022.

A change of scenery could do Neal wonders, allowing him an opportunity to see the field before he hits free agency after the 2025 campaign. Given his fifth-year option was declined and he's almost certain to exit after the campaign wraps up anyway, a seventh-rounder should be more than enough to pry him free from the Big Apple.

Miami Dolphins: Coax Bruce Arians Out of Retirement

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Miami Dolphins receive: Head coach Bruce Arians

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receive: 2026 fourth-round draft pick

The Dolphins are in rough shape after a winless start to the campaign. Miami has looked flat in all three phases of the game, a concerning look for a squad that desperately needed a cultural reset in 2025.

While it's unlikely that any single player could come in and make this team start living up to its immense talent level, a coaching change could instead make all the difference. A proven leader like the Bruce Arians—a renowned motivator during his outstanding tenure as an NFL coach—would be able to get the 'Phins back on track.

Current Miami head coach Mike McDaniel has been on the hot seat since last year. The team massively underwhelmed in 2024, going 8-9 and missing the playoffs just a season after posting an 11-6 record and leading the NFL in offense. With rumors swirling that he lost the locker room and Tyreek Hill appearing to quit on the team in the finale, it's time for a change in South Beach.

Although it's far more likely that the 'Phins would promote an interim head coach to finish out a lost campaign if they part ways with McDaniel following a few more early-season losses, the team could opt to try and pull off a stunning in-season coaching trade to fill the vacancy.

This brash decision would move the needle far more than anything else Miami could try at this point in the year.

Although it's unclear what Arians current contract situation is with the Buccaneers, he stepped down ahead of the 2022 season and moved into a consulting role with the organization. If the Dolphins are serious about winning, they should make Arians an offer to return to the sidelines that he wouldn't be able to refuse.

Trading for a new coach in the midst of a season would break new ground, but the Dolphins don't have much to lose after their abysmal start. Adding a Super Bowl-winning coach to the mix is their best chance of righting the ship.

New Orleans Saints: Target Romeo Doubs

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New Orleans Saints receive: WR Romeo Doubs

Green Bay Packers receive: 2026 sixth-round draft pick

The Saints are having a rough go of things in 2025. The void that Derek Carr's unexpected retirement left under center has been painfully exposed during the team's 0-3 start.

No member of New Orleans' three-man signal-caller corps was able to truly distinguish themselves during training camp. While first-year head coach Kellen Moore eventually decided to entrust his offense to Spencer Rattler, it could not have been an easy choice given the 24-year-old's abysmal rookie performance in 2024 and up-and-down preseason.

While Rattler's 2025 stats aren't awful—he's completed 80-of-119 throws for 639 yards and four touchdowns with one interception in his three starts—he's still seeking his first career win heading into a 10th start while overseeing an offense that has mustered just 47 points in three games. The Saints need to add more weapons so it can fairly evaluate what it has in Rattler and rookie backup Tyler Shough.

The Green Bay Packers make sense as a trade candidate given their abundance of No. 2 WR types. While both Jayden Reed and Christian Watson are dealing with injuries, their eventual return later in the year will make the receiving corps even more crowded. Romeo Doubs, playing out the final year of his rookie deal, could be expendable for that reason and available for a low cost.

Doubs has played fairly well in 2025, reeling in seven of his 11 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown so far. He's also logging a career-high 79 percent of Green Bay's offensive snaps, but that could become an issue when the team's receivers room gets healthier.

Doubs was notably suspended last season—a year in which he had a 77 percent offensive snap share and earned 72 targets in total—for skipping team events while protesting a perceived lack of opportunities.

With the Packers needing to develop their younger wideouts and likely to move on from Doubs after the season anyway, the Saints could capitalize by bringing a solid complementary piece in who can help out their up-and-coming QBs.

New York Giants: Get Russell Wilson Out of Jaxson Dart's Way

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New York Giants receive: 2026 seventh-round draft pick

Cincinnati Bengals receive: QB Russell Wilson

Editor's Note: The Giants reportedly benched Wilson in favor of Dart on Tuesday.

It's become readily apparent that the Giants aren't going to succeed this season with Russell Wilson. It's time to move on from the veteran passer, sending him outside of New York and clearing a path for Jaxson Dart to take over as the franchise quarterback.

The G-Men need Dart to come in and provide a spark if they are going to have any chance of salvaging the campaign. The offense has looked lifeless in two out of three games this year, putting up a meager six points in the opener and mustering nine in a Week 3. In those two games combined, Wilson completed a concerning 35 of his 69 passing attempts for 328 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions.

Big Blue's brass brought Wilson in out of desperation this offseason, likely hoping that the grizzled veteran would be able to manage games and grind out close victories to appease an ownership group that has been growing increasingly impatient with head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen. The team has failed to rally around the 10-time Pro Bowler, however, and it's time to put a stop to this experiment.

If the Daboll-Schoen tandem wants to stick around into 2026 and beyond, they'll need to get Dart on the field and develop him quickly. The Ole Miss product had a stellar preseason, but now must show he can succeed on Sundays. It won't be easy behind a shaky offensive line, but Dart could potentially thrive with an elite pass-catcher in Malik Nabers and a solid ground attack led by the duo of Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. to lean on.

Putting Dart in for six offensive snaps in two games isn't helping either. He should spend his time preparing each week as the QB1, all without the threat of Wilson coming in for packages or taking back over as the starter during rough patches.

While Wilson's market might be cold, the Cincinnati Bengals could be willing to kick over a late-Day 3 pick to land a bridge starter until Joe Burrow can return. The Giants should jump at any chance to add some draft capital while opening the door for a turnaround under Dart.

New York Jets: Trade for Jaelan Phillips

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New York Jets receive: Edge Jaelan Phillips

Miami Dolphins receive: 2026 fourth-round draft pick

The Jets are reeling from yet another painful loss, this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the defeat, New York dropped to 0-3 and has now given up a whopping 93 points on the year.

While Gang Green hasn't been perfect on offense, the team has put up 27 or more points in two of its three games. The defense hasn't been nearly as consistent and must take some desperate measures to improve if this club wants any chance at saving the season.

Trading for Jaelan Phillips could help the Jets find some stability. Although the Miami Dolphins' 2021 first-rounder has had issues with consistency and injuries during his brief tenure in the pros, he's currently healthy and possesses undeniable upside. 

One of the most glaring issues is New York's inability to control the trenches. Over the first two weeks, ESPN Analytics noted that the team ranked No. 25 in pass-rush win rate (32 percent) and No. 19 (30 percent) in run-stop win rate. Should Phillips reach his ceiling, he'll be able to assist the Jets in both areas.

If the Jets are going to shut down opposing rushers—who have racked up nearly 400 yards against them in the first three weeks—and get pressure on opposing quarterbacks (the Jets have just six sacks on the year), they need more than just Quinnen Williams to thrive up front.

While New York already attempted to bolster the defensive trenches by dealing for both Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs before the 2025 campaign, but they'll have to aim higher to get their season off life support. Phillips may cost more than a late-round pick swap, but his upside is worth it.

Tennessee Titans: Bring in Wanya Morris

Tennessee Titans receive: OL Wanya Morris

Kansas City Chiefs receive: 2026 sixth-round draft pick

It's no surprise that the Titans have struggled to open the 2025 NFL season. The team is still in the midst of a rebuild after adding pick Cam Ward and has holes littering the roster, some of which they'll need to patch quickly in order to avoid squandering the No. 1 overall pick's development.

Ward is off to an 0-3 start while playing extremely poor football, but there's still some hope he can turn Tennessee into a far more competitive squad than it has been over the first three weeks.

Many of Ward's issues are a result of a glaring lack of pass protection. The rookie leads the league with 15 sacks taken and has lost a whopping 105 yards on those plays, but he's starting to adapt a bit better to the speed of the game. After going down on 17.7 percent of his drop-backs in the opener, Ward improved his sack rate to 13.2 in Week 2 and finally reached single-digits with a 9.5 sack rate in Week 3.

Ward's decision-making is clearly improving, but even if he's making perfect choices with the ball, the first-year passer won't be able to oversee a functional offense unless the Titans bulk up in the offensive trenches.

Bringing in Wanya Morris could provide Tennessee with a capable starter while JC Latham recovers from injury. Although Morris has been riding the pine for the Kansas City Chiefs this year, the 2023 third-rounder earned valuable reps as an 11-game starter in 2024.

Morris has fallen out of favor in Kansas City and would likely be available for cheap. Although giving up a draft pick isn't ideal for a rebuilding franchise, the Titans shouldn't spare any expenses in their quest to keep Ward upright and his development on track.