For Buffalo Bills’ fans, it’s been mighty easy to laugh at the New York Jets– not that that’s anything new, of course.
While most of the laughter centers around the quarterback position and their thin options for a competent starter in 2026, head coach Aaron Glenn gave fans around the league something to laugh about at the NFL Combine, as the 53-year-old second-year coach was spotted taking a nap during drills on Thursday.
To be fair to Glenn, his top needs weren’t on the field, and the Combine is a grueling exercise for all involved. That said, a recent blockbuster trade proposed for his team should jolt him back awake while giving Bills Mafia a nightmare they couldn’t have seen coming.
AFC East balance of power could shift away from Buffalo Bills overnight with stunning trade proposal
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon recently took a stab at projecting some blockbuster quarterback trades, and while it’s hard to imagine most, if any of them coming to fruition, the slight possibility is enough to unnerve Bills fans. Among those proposed trades was the Jets acquiring Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow.
As Bills Mafia is well aware, Burrow voiced some frustrations late last season after coming back from injury only to be pushed out of the postseason picture by Buffalo. Fans and analysts quickly began wondering if Burrow might push his way out of Cincinnati in favor of a franchise that takes winning more seriously.
Since then, though, there’s been little trade buzz surrounding Burrow. Nonetheless, the faint possibility is why Gagnon suggested the Jets sell the farm for Burrow with an offer the Bengals can’t refuse. In his projected trade, the Jets would send both of their 2026 first-round picks and a 2027 first-round pick to Cincy in exchange for Burrow.
“I still don't know if the Bengals would cave, even if the savings and reset could be a game-changer. They'd need to separately acquire someone like Malik Willis or Mac Jones in hopes that they could explode with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and all of those draft resources,” he said in his analysis of the trade projection.
No doubt, Burrow heading to the Jets would be a nightmare scenario for Buffalo. Sure, the Jets have a ton of holes to fill on their roster, but Burrow is the type of elite quarterback who raises the play of those around him. New York has solid pieces in the ground game, but needs a passing threat to unlock its full potential. Beyond that, Burrow would still have a promising young receiver to lean on in New York with Garrett Wilson.
Of course, even getting three first-round picks from the Jets would be a risky move for Cincinnati. The fallout of trading Burrow would no doubt lead to an expedited exit for Ja’Marr Chase, his college teammate, and present the franchise with the same dilemma that existed in Cincinnati for years before they drafted Burrow No. 1 overall in 2020. After all, those two 2026 first-round draft picks won’t help them too much in finding Burrow’s replacement with a weak quarterback class, and going from Burrow to Malik Willis or Mac Jones won’t play well with Bengals fans whatsoever.
Thankfully, it’s not the likeliest of things to happen this offseason-- Ian Rapoport said earlier this month he doesn't expect Burrow to be traded. But the trading block is expected to heat up this offseason, and if that can fan the flames in New York and Cincinnati to turn the NFL landscape on its head, then Bills Mafia will have to prepare for the worst.