Ranking the Least Desirable NFL Trade Destinations Ahead of 2024 Training Camp

The grass is not always greener when an NFL player requests a trade. That’s an important concept to keep in mind for those who might be unhappy with their contract situation and team role as we head into training camp.

Every week it seems there’s a new notable contract extension. That’s bound to have some players looking at their own contract situation, and some are going to come to the conclusion it’s time for a change of scenery.

That scenery isn’t always as kind as their current conditions, though.

A variety of factors can make a team a poor landing spot. Here, we’ll break down some of the worst landing spots based on some universal factors such as quarterback and head coach situation, chances at competing within their division and for a Super Bowl and the team’s ability to sign a player to a big extension.

Teams are ranked from best (No. 5) to worst (No. 1). 2025 salary-cap space projections via Spotrac.

B/R Power Rank: No. 17

Head Coach: Robert Saleh

Starting Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers

2025 Cap Space: $34.9 million

Stability is an alluring quality for a player. So while the Jets are a much better 2024 team than most on this list, their lack of stability makes them a questionable trade destination.

For one, there’s an awful lot riding on Aaron Rodgers returning to top form. The Jets’ coaching and offensive depth were unable to put together a respectable offense when Rodgers went down in Week 1 of last year.

Their biggest moves were grabbing two veteran offensive linemen who are injury risks. Tyron Smith hasn’t played more than 13 games since 2015, and Morgan Moses has been durable, but he’ll be 33 this season.

The best-case scenario is a 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers comes back from an Achilles tear and makes the Jets a Super Bowl contender. Even in that scenario, there would be questions about if he can carry that into 2025.

The worst-case scenario is that Rodgers gets hurt again or isn’t the same quarterback he once was and Nathaniel Hackett has to make things work as the offensive coordinator.

The Jets have talent on both sides of the ball, but another season with injuries and no playoffs would lead to major changes—definitely at head coach, possibly at quarterback and maybe at some of their talented core.

There are a lot of unknowns that make it a less appealing destination.

B/R Power Rank: No. 32

Head Coach: Jerod Mayo

Starting Quarterback: Drake Maye/Jacoby Brissett

2025 Cap Space: $115 million

The New England Patriots are a great destination for a player who wants to be featured and get paid. Someone like Tee Higgins or Brandon Aiyuk would immediately become the focal point of the offense and the Patriots are flush with cash to pay a premium.

That’s about where the positives end right now.

Jerod Mayo has been the coach-in-waiting, but that doesn’t make it any easier to follow a legend in Bill Belichick. Mayo is going to have the difficult task of establishing himself after serving as an assistant under Belichick for his entire NFL coaching career.

It won’t help Mayo that the Patriots have one of the worst rosters in the league. Drake Maye is going to have a hard time having success as a rookie with the concerns they have at left tackle and across the receiving corps.

The Patriots have had cap space over the last two offseason but haven’t attracted top-tier talent. They missed out on Calvin Ridley this cycle, and JuJu Smith-Schuster was their biggest free-agent acquisition in 2023.

This is an incredibly young roster on offense. Acquiring one player via trade isn’t going to change that, and there’s going to be more losing before things get better.

B/R Power Rank: No. 26

Head Coach: Sean Payton

Starting Quarterback: Bo Nix/Zach Wilson

2025 Cap Space: $52.2 million

The Broncos’ best selling point, and the reason they aren’t higher on this list, is the opportunity to play for Sean Payton. The former Saints head coach has a long enough track record of success to have the benefit of the doubt.

But Drew Brees isn’t walking through that door, and a quarterback battle between Bo Nix and Zach Wilson doesn’t exactly sell the idea of playing for the Broncos.

Nix was the 61st player overall on our big board and the sixth quarterback off the board on draft day. Wilson threw more interceptions (23) than touchdowns (21) in three years with the New York Jets.

Fortunately, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has reported that Nix is impressing in the quarterback battle, so there’s hope. However, Nix has a long way to go to lead the Broncos to contention in an AFC West that features the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, along with a Chargers team that should be more dangerous with Jim Harbaugh at the helm.

The Raiders have more answers on defense, so it’s not hard to argue that the Broncos are the worst landing spot in their division.

If the Broncos were able to trade for a player, they would have room for a big contract extension. However, they also have Patrick Surtain II to pay.

B/R Power Rank: No. 31

Head Coach: Dave Canales

Starting Quarterback: Bryce Young

2025 Cap Space: $28.1 million

The Carolina Panthers don’t check many boxes when it comes to being an attractive trade destination.

It starts with ownership. David Tepper has fired coaches during the last two seasons, leaving an interim coach to step in and finish out the season. The Panthers received a “D” in the ownership category of the latest NFLPA report card.

The coaching turbulence and key roster-building mistakes have led to the Panthers having six consecutive losing seasons. After coming in second-to-last in our post-draft, it would be quite the feat for first-year head coach Dave Canales to snap that postseason drought in 2024.

Despite a lack of talent in several key spots, the Panthers don’t have a ton of cap room to give out a big contract. They have seven players set to make over $10 million next season, including Jadeveon Clowney, Damien Lewis and Taylor Moton.

The silver lining for the Panthers is that they may have the answer at quarterback. Bryce Young’s rookie season was a massive disappointment, but his environment wasn’t conducive to thrive right away.

Canales has a history of getting the best out of quarterbacks. He had a hand in saving the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. If he can do the same for Young, then the Panthers suddenly have rising stars at two of the most important positions in football.

Still, the positives lie in hypotheticals, while the hard evidence points to the Panthers being one of the worst places to be in the league right now.

B/R Power Rank: No. 30

Head Coach: Brian Daboll

Starting Quarterback: Daniel Jones

2025 Cap Space: $35.5 million

The Brian Daboll era got off to a promising start, but it didn’t take long to reach hot-seat status.

The 2022 campaign resulted in the Giants’ only winning season since 2016. However, that season has turned out to be a mirage. The Giants went 6-11 last season and are locked in to pay Daniel Jones for at least one more season and will have to pay $22.2 million in dead money if they part ways with him in 2025.

The Giants offense became more promising with the addition of Malik Nabers, but it’s going to take more than an electric rookie receiver to get things going. Darren Waller’s retirement leaves this team down another weapon, and the G-Men are going to have a hard time replacing Saquon Barkley’s production.

There are a lot of concerns on defense too. Replacing Wink Martindale with Shane Bowen is a transition that could take time, and New York is still looking for answers in the secondary.

The Giants aren’t cash-strapped in 2025, but they aren’t swimming in a pool of coins either. Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas all have cap hits over $20 million, and Jones is due to make $41.6 million.

Getting traded to the Giants would mean going to a team still searching for important answers on offense and defense without the guarantee of coaching stability or a big contract.