The New York Jets committed to a significant sell-off at the 2025 NFL trade deadline. Sauce Gardner was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell.
Quinnen Williams was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys for a first and second-round pick and Mazi Smith. But the Cowboys weren't the only team vying for Williams. The Jacksonville Jaguars were interested, but so too were the Buffalo Bills.
As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports, the Bills were trying to acquire Williams before he was traded to the Cowboys. The reason why the Jets and Darren Mougey didn't trade their star defensive tackle to the Bills is very clear.
Why Jets didn't trade Quinnen Williams to Bills
Despite the Bills being one of many teams trying to trade for Williams, the Jets were never going to make it easy for Buffalo to swing a trade. There are a couple of main reasons, but the most obvious one is the likely answer.
The Bills were the high bidder for Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle and also tried to acquire then-Jets DL Quinnen Williams before Tuesday’s trade deadline, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2025
In both cases, their AFC East rivals ultimately gave Buffalo no help in its push for a 6th straight division title. Pic.twitter.com/GQrnJxm6dV
The Jets, even though they've all but been eliminated from playoff contention, don't want to help their division rival in any way. Trading Williams to the Bills would've been a huge help to the Bills' banged-up defensive line.
Buffalo would have had to pay an intra-division tax if they wanted to land Williams, and while they could've benefited from landing such a standout defensive lineman, it likely wasn't worth it at such a heightened cost.
Mougey and the Jets not making this trade was a no-brainer. Not only would it have helped a division rival, it would've been a worse draft pick selection than the ones they got from the Cowboys.
More: Why did Jets trade Quinnen Williams? New York deals Pro-Bowler to Cowboys as selloff continues
Buffalo is a Super Bowl contender, while Dallas might miss the playoffs. Add on that the Jets sent Williams outside the conference, and this decision from the front office makes a ton of sense.
The backlash from trading two of the Jets' key players on defense would've been a lot worse if either had been dealt to a division rival.
Williams' chances of landing in Buffalo were minimal, as the Jets weren't keen on helping a division rival, and the Bills likely wouldn't pay the intra-division trade tax needed to pry Williams from New York.
More Jets News:
- Michael Carter II makes bold $5 million decision to facilitate trade from Jets to Eagles
- Jets send Michael Carter II to Eagles for much needed wide receiver help
- Why Jets' pair of deadline blockbuster trades are great for New York's future
- Jets' final trade revealed an hour after 2025 NFL deadline passed
- What did the Jets get in return for Quinnen Williams? Full trade details on blockbuster deal with Cowboys
- What did the Jets get in return for Sauce Gardner? Full trade details on stunning move with Colts