10 NFL Stars We’d Trade Right Now If We Were GMs
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The general manager of an NFL team often has a tough yet invigorating job, as they have to work over 100 hours a week and face relentless media scrutiny. The general manager is also key in hiring an NFL head coach and is responsible for personnel decisions, managing the salary cap, trades, and negotiating players’ contracts for their respective teams.
If we were a general manager of an NFL team, we would try to right the ship of a struggling team and either build a win-now roster or fix one that is constantly rebuilding.
There are plenty of rosters we, as fans, would love to be general managers for and make moves that could be controversial at first, but we understand that long-term success involves trading star players.
Which NFL stars would be traded if fans became GMs?
Dak Prescott
If Prescott were to somehow decide to waive the no-trade clause in his contract, we would love to trade him to an NFL team that has a roster with a better chance of making it to an AFC or NFC Championship game.
Teams we would trade Prescott to include the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Minnesota Vikings, as both of those teams have the offensive weapons ready for Prescott to work with.
The Steelers would benefit from Prescott, as Aaron Rodgers is retiring after the 2026 season, and the quarterbacks on their roster are not ideal for long-term success.
Prescott would boost the Steelers’ offense and form incredible on-field chemistry with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.
Oh, and not to mention, he would reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy, who coached Prescott for five seasons.
However, the Vikings would be a better fit for Prescott, as the team currently has a quarterback dilemma with J. J. McCarthy struggling and Kyler Murray on a short-term deal.
Prescott would be given the best wide receivers to throw to in his career with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the offensive lineup.
It would upset Cowboys fans to see Prescott go, but it would be incredible fireworks to see Prescott join a team like the Steelers or Vikings and lead them to a Super Bowl.
Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa recently signed a short-term, minimum one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons to back up and compete for the starting job against Michael Penix Jr.
Similar to Penix Jr., Tagovailoa has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career.
The Falcons have a great roster of weapons for Tagovailoa to work with if he is healthy, including Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, should he earn the starting job.
However, if we were the general manager for the Falcons, we would trade Tagovailoa to teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, or Los Angeles Rams for draft compensation to further build around Penix Jr.
Tagovailoa, on a team like the Cardinals, would look like a team rebuilding around him and providing him with the protection he needs in an incredibly competitive NFC West.
Tagovailoa on a team like the Vikings sounds more interesting, as Kevin O’Connell is a quarterback guru who got the best out of Kirk Cousins and revived Sam Darnold’s career.
O’Connell would have an incredible time coaching Tagovailoa, and he would have a very talented cast of offensive weapons to work with.
If we could trade Tagovailoa to the Rams, he would be a great insurance option for Matthew Stafford in case he gets hurt, and be groomed to be his successor for long-term success under Sean McVay.
These scenarios would be enticing for Tagovailoa if we could trade him to an NFL team that has the pieces in place for him to succeed.
George Pickens
Going back to the Cowboys, Pickens had a very productive 2025 season with them, as he caught 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and scored nine touchdowns, outperforming CeeDee Lamb.
However, Pickens was franchise-tagged for the 2026 season, while Lamb is under contract through 2028.
If we were the Cowboys’ GM instead of Jerry Jones, we would trade Pickens to the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, or San Francisco 49ers.
Pickens on the Ravens would be lights out, as he would join a passing attack that already has Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews in the lineup, and give Jackson a true number one wideout to work with.
Not to mention keep the Ravens’ Super Bowl window further open with an elite passing unit.
Pickens on the Rams would be like adding a cheat code to an already overpowered video game character, as he would likely join an impressive championship-caliber offense led by Matthew Stafford.
Pickens getting traded to the Seahawks would be interesting, as he would be a thorn in the side of NFC West teams vying for division control and could help the Seahawks repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Hiring him on the 49ers would give Brock Purdy a true game-changing receiver to work with and make the Niners’ passing attack more threatening.
All of these trade scenarios are exciting to imagine, but we highly doubt they could happen during the NFL season.
Alvin Kamara
Although Kamara wants to finish his NFL career with the Saints, the team is still in rebuilding mode and recently signed Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $52 million deal.
Having Kamara and Etienne Jr. in the Saints’ rushing attack could be the final piece the team needs to become more competitive during the 2026 regular season.
However, if we were the Saints’ General Manager, we would explore trade options that would get Kamara to a championship-caliber team.
Teams like the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Green Bay Packers would benefit from Kamara’s production.
The Packers trading for Kamara would be a game-changer for the team, as he would dominate on the ground and in the passing attack.
The Jaguars would gain a veteran Pro Bowl dual-threat running back who would further elevate Trevor Lawrence’s game and fit into Liam Coen’s schemes.
And the Broncos would strongly benefit from Kamara, as he would provide Bo Nix with a dual-threat rusher who can also catch passes in one of the league’s best offenses coached by Sean Payton.
One of these trades would make the NFL world go nuts, as Kamara provides either of the three teams mentioned a minute ago a major boost on offense.
Denzel Ward
Ward is one of the league’s most talented cornerbacks patrolling the Browns’ secondary, even though the team has seen a massive decline from awful quarterback play, lack of offensive explosiveness, and crippling injuries.
If we were general manager Andrew Berry, we would trade Ward to a title contender, as he did with Myles Garrett to the Rams.
Teams that would benefit from getting Ward include the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys.
If Ward got traded to the Bears, he would fit right into their secondary and make it more explosive against competition in the NFC North.
The Packers have the necessary draft capital to make a trade for Ward, and he would fit into their secondary and create a threatening, championship-caliber roster ready to make noise.
The Cowboys love having elite cornerbacks and safeties on their roster, and Ward would make the Cowboys’ secondary shine against the NFC East’s best wide receivers.
These trades would cause Browns fans to pull their hair, but it would be incredible to see Ward play for a championship-caliber roster.
Cole Kmet
Kmet may have had a down year for the Bears in 2025 statistically during the regular season, but he still displayed some great heroics during the playoffs, catching a game-tying touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
With the Bears drafting Sam Roush, we would potentially trade Kmet if we were the team’s general manager.
Teams that Kmet could be traded to include the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Carolina Panthers.
The Chiefs would immediately integrate Kmet into their offense and pair him with Travis Kelce, with Patrick Mahomes or Justin Fields passing to him.
The Panthers need a new tight end for their roster, and he would make some noise with Bryce Young and help the team potentially repeat as NFC South champions.
And the Dolphins would benefit from Kmet, as he would bring short-term success to the team’s rebuilding offense for the season.
Out of these options, the Panthers would be the best fit for Kmet, as they have the capital to trade for Kmet, and we, as the NFL GM, would make it happen.
James Conner
Conner is a talented veteran running back who has made two Pro Bowls so far in his career, but will have some competition with the arrival of Jeremiyah Love from the 2026 NFL Draft.
If we were Cardinals’ GM Monti Ossenfort, we would trade Conner and focus the team’s attention on developing Love.
Teams that would trade for Conner’s services include the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, and Green Bay Packers.
The Giants would need an upgrade in the backfield, as Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. are good running backs, but aren’t Pro Bowl-caliber like Conner is. Conner would be serviceable for the G-Men and improve things in the backfield.
The Colts would utilize Conner similarly to how they used Zack Moss as a tough-shoulder runner for the team’s rushing attack and be a solid backup for Jonathan Taylor.
And the Packers would be able to get Conner adjusted to their offense very quickly, as it would provide crucial depth and veteran presence at the position and put him on a playoff contender.
It would be incredible to see Conner join a title-contender and have the chance to earn a Super Bowl ring.
Josh Sweat
Staying on the Cardinals, another star player we would trade for draft capital also includes Josh Sweat, who had 12 sacks in the desert, but had 30 tackles, down from his 2024 NFL season, when he had 41.
If we were in Ossenfort’s position, we would trade Sweat to a team like the Green Bay Packers or Kansas City Chiefs for draft compensation and focus on rebuilding the team.
If Sweat were to get traded to the Packers, it would reunite him with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who was the Cardinals’ head coach in 2025 and was the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022.
And if Sweat were to get traded to the Chiefs, it would put him on a championship defense led by Chris Jones, making the unit more formidable and possibly putting him in a position to contend for a Super Bowl again.
It would be very interesting and exciting to see where Sweat would go if we were the Cardinals’ general manager.
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Thibodeaux may not be a Pro Bowl-caliber edge rusher, but he provides a strong veteran presence for the defensive line.
However, Thibodeaux hasn’t had a double-digit sack season since 2023 and was overshadowed by Dexter Lawrence before he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.
If we were Giants general manager Joe Schoen, we would potentially trade Thibodeaux to either the New England Patriots or the Kansas City Chiefs.
If the Giants trade Thibodeaux to the Patriots, he would join a solid defense that is coming off a Super Bowl run despite losing to the Seattle Seahawks, and could help get them back to the big dance. Not to mention, Shane Bowen was the Giants’ defensive coordinator from 2024-25, who is now the Patriots’ defensive analyst.
Trading Thibodeaux to the Chiefs would be an ideal trade, as he would join a defense coached by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who coaches a great unit with Chris Jones in charge on the field.
It would be a painful move to trade away Thibodeaux, but the amount of NFL draft picks the G-Men would get would make the potential trade worth it.
Maxx Crosby
Although the Crosby-Baltimore Ravens deal fell flat, Crosby is still a Raider, but he could get traded to another NFL team during the regular season.
Crosby played through a torn meniscus in his left knee, as he had 73 tackles, 10 sacks, and an interception returned for 19 yards.
If we were John Spytek, we would trade him to the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers.
Crosby on the Bears would bolster their defense, as he would be paired with Montez Sweat and Grady Jarrett.
The Patriots’ defensive unit would heavily benefit from Crosby’s presence, as defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr would have an incredible time coaching Crosby.
The 49ers would benefit from Crosby, as he would step in for injured defensive players and provide veteran support when other players go down.
Does Crosby deserve to get traded in real life? Yes, but Spytek won’t just let one of his best players go.
