The Carolina Panthers might not be in the best position to make trades before the 2026 deadline at 3-5, but Will McDonald IV's reported desire to leave the New York Jets could change general manager Dan Morgan's mind.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, McDonald has formally requested a trade from the Jets. The edge rusher is not happy with his usage and wants a fresh start. And even though teams have called to inquire, the AFC East club has yet to seriously entertain offers.
NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo revealed that the Jets have been telling teams for weeks that McDonald is not available, and the player has now taken matters into his own hands.
Carolina Panthers reportedly loved Will McDonald IV during his pre-draft process
Time is of the essence before the November 10 cut-off. Still, a connection between the player and Carolina could warrant discussion.
Based on a recent report from ESPN beat writer Mike Kaye, the Panthers' previous regime was extremely high on McDonald during his pre-draft process. They even tabbed him as a possible trade-up candidate.
Morgan was part of that strategy, so if he still likes McDonald, calling to see what it might take to get him into the building might be feasible.
"The previous regime -- which (Dan) Morgan was a part of -- was quite fond of (Will) McDonald as a prospect in 2023, multiple sources with knowledge of that year's Panthers draft plans told ESPN. Before the Jets selected McDonald with the No. 15 overall pick, the then-Panthers' brass had "heavily discussed" him as a potential trade-up target later in the draft, one of the sources said."
Obviously, it's a difficult situation.
Morgan values his draft picks highly, and the Panthers are sitting at 3-5 after losing to the Denver Broncos at Bank of America Stadium. Not exactly what fans had in mind, but they are somehow still at the top of the NFC South.
Freefalling Carolina Panthers might not have the luxury of trading for Will McDonald IV
That could lead to aggression, albeit in a controlled form. The Panthers don't have much salary-cap space, but they do have contract control with McDonald until the end of 2027.
They wouldn't need to pay him, but McDonald's cap hit will be more than $13 million. For a team up against it financially, this might be off-putting.
At the same time, the Panthers need another productive edge rusher.
Jaelan Phillips is out due to injury. Nic Scourton tore his ACL during the first practice of training camp. Patrick Jones II is flashing but is out of contract next spring, and Princely Umanmielen hasn't taken the correct leap forward.
The Panthers might decide to ride it out with what they have and hope they can turn things around. Throwing draft picks at one problem when this team has several glaring flaws might not change much, but if Morgan was among those who loved McDonald coming out of Iowa State, nothing should be completely dismissed.
If the Panthers had beaten the Broncos, Morgan could have justified the luxury. Sitting at 3-5 doesn't, so this all comes down to how much Carolina likes McDonald and how much they think he can move the needle.
Watch this space, I guess, but there isn't much time to decide.
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