Blockbuster Trade Ideas Before Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season: Terry McLaurin, Jauan Jennings, Kirk Cousins, Micah Parsons, Kyle Pitts

Andersen breaks down five potential blockbuster trade ideas before Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Top rumors and trade scenarios, including Kyle Pitts and more.

August has arrived, which means teams must trim their rosters down to 53 players this month. To reach the 53-man threshold, all 32 teams will make a series of signings, cuts, reserve list placements, and, last but not least, trades.

While the early stage of free agency in March is typically the hottest time for trades, it's no surprise to see deals made in the month of August as rosters begin to take shape.

Here are five blockbuster trades that may be unlikely, but we think they'd be exciting and fun nonetheless!

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Titans Acquire Terry McLaurin

It's hard to imagine the Commanders would let McLaurin get away from them, but the situation is getting more dire as we turn the calendar to August. Earlier this week, McLaurin officially requested a trade.

If Washington were to work the phones and shop McLaurin, Tennessee would be a terrific landing spot. The Titans worked hard to build around rookie quarterback Cam Ward this offseason, adding players to both ends of their offensive line. They also upgraded their defense.

However, the Titans failed to make a major splash at wide receiver. Signing Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson doesn't move the table too much, and rookie draft selections Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, and Xavier Restrepo are major question marks. Calvin Ridley is far from a sure thing at the WR1 slot. McLaurin, on the other hand, is a known commodity who could make Ward's transition to the NFL as seamless as possible.

McLaurin is a two-time Pro Bowler with five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, so he won't come cheap. However, the Titans may be able to get him at a slight discount if he and the Commanders aren't close on a new deal. The Titans have their own picks from Rounds 1 through 5 next year, plus a pair of seventh-rounders. They have enough draft capital to get Ward a dominant WR1.

Terry McLaurin in contested situations in 2024:

💥 94.3 PFF grade (1st)
💥 24 catches (1st)
💥 9 touchdowns (1st)
💥 134.1 rating when targeted (1st) pic.twitter.com/5fqCZArjO2

— PFF (@PFF) July 30, 2025

Raiders Acquire Jauan Jennings

There's been plenty of discourse surrounding Jennings, who has seemingly flirted with the idea of being traded in lieu of signing an extension with the 49ers. San Francisco appears disinterested in trading Jennings just a few months after parting with Deebo Samuel Sr., but it's possible that Jennings, who has all the leverage, could demand a trade and refuse to play for the Niners.

Jennings showed major flashes of upside during his first three pro seasons but had limited opportunities to shine in his role behind Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. His chance came last season, and he took full advantage of it, catching 77 passes for 975 yards and six touchdowns.

The 49ers could survive a Jennings trade, as they would still have Ricky Pearsall and Aiyuk atop their depth chart (plus talented pass-catchers George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey). The Raiders would be wise to add the 28-year-old, too, as he'd complement Jakobi Meyers nicely in that Las Vegas offense. He'd give Geno Smith another weapon, and the Raiders' offense could soar to the next level under new head coach Pete Carroll.

Jennings represents a nice drop-off from McLaurin in the sense that he's cheaper, both to acquire via trade and to extend, as a new contract would be inevitable. Vegas still has each of its own seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they could land Jennings without giving up a first-rounder.

Despite reports of frustration with his contract situation, Jauan Jennings has been taking all of the WR1 reps at the first day of 49ers training camp. pic.twitter.com/RLXDKIUSgh

— Jakob Brooks (@Jakobrooks) July 23, 2025

Saints Acquire Kirk Cousins

Let's get something out of the way here: No, the Falcons probably won't trade Cousins within their division. It's uncommon (and unwise) for a team to trade a starting quarterback to a division rival, especially in a division that remains so wide open. The Falcons don't want Cousins beating them twice in 18 weeks, even if they can get the Saints to slightly overpay.

But where's the fun in that? Divisional logistics aside, we think a Cousins-to-Saints trade makes perfect sense, so let's dissect it a little further.

The writing has been on the wall ever since Atlanta drafted Michael Penix Jr. last year. Barring an injury to Penix, Cousins probably won't play another snap in Atlanta, wasting away his four-year, $180 million contract. The Saints are arguably the most quarterback-needy team in the league right now, entering the 2025 campaign with Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler, and Tyler Shough.

New Orleans seems content with their current quarterback room, but the Saints probably wouldn't hang up the phone if Atlanta offered them a major upgrade. Cousins has $155 million left on his deal, which is a big burden for the Saints, but it also means they could get him for dirt cheap, perhaps a Day 3 pick.

Cousins fits New Orleans because of his experience and arm strength. We know he can put a nice touch on the deep ball, as we saw when he linked up with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison numerous times in Minnesota. That would pair quite nicely with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, two receivers who have been held back by poor quarterback play.

Finally, we'd love to see Cousins play for head coach Kellen Moore and quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, two offensive-minded gurus who have lengthy track records of success with quarterbacks.

Is Cousins going to be a Saint? Don't count on it. But as fantasy football managers, we'd love to see it.

Everyone’s favorite backup QB, Kirk Cousins pic.twitter.com/TQznF2bCva

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) July 27, 2025

Bears Acquire Micah Parsons

The lone defensive player in this article, Parsons' name has been thrown around in a plethora of mock trades and rumors lately. Extension talks between Parsons and the Cowboys have reportedly gone backwards, with the former first-round pick officially requesting a trade Friday.

Parsons has made the Pro Bowl in each of his four NFL seasons, and he was the Defensive Rookie of the Year back in 2021. He is a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate who has nine forced fumbles and 52.5 sacks in his career.

Adding Parsons would be huge for the Bears, who are entering a new chapter of their franchise under flashy head coach hire Ben Johnson. While Johnson is offensive-minded, he comes from a Lions team that was quite well-rounded, and his Bears would benefit from a major defensive addition.

Parsons is still just 26 years old and could be a franchise staple for the Bears if they acquire and extend him. Chicago is trying to climb from worst to first in their division, and Parsons could speed up that process.

Recently-extended general manager Ryan Poles is armed with one pick in all seven rounds of next year's draft; it will likely cost more than a first-rounder to get Parsons to the Windy City.

The best pressure rate in the NFL since 2021:

Micah Parsons - 19.7% ⭐ pic.twitter.com/NQZlMHJDt1

— PFF (@PFF) July 26, 2025

Jaguars Acquire Kyle Pitts

Pitts' trade rumors have been circulating for a while as the former first-round pick continues to underperform at the NFL level. He has just 10 touchdowns over four seasons and hasn't surpassed the 675-yard mark since his rookie campaign. The Florida product has also been a thorn in the side of fantasy managers, finishing outside the top 12 tight ends in each of the last three seasons.

There's still optimism that Pitts can return to his rookie season form — or at least be a serviceable starter in the NFL. However, it will likely require a change of scenery, especially after we saw some signs last year that Pitts and Penix might not mesh together very well.

Trading Pitts to Jacksonville would be interesting, as it would arm the Jaguars with their Evan Engram replacement. Jacksonville currently has Brenton Strange atop its depth chart, and while he can be a fine starting tight end, the Jaguars could probably add some cheap competition in the form of Pitts.

It would also be a full-circle moment as Pitts comes from the same draft class as Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence was the No. 1 pick in 2021. Meanwhile, Pitts was selected fourth overall, and he was the first non-quarterback off the board. Some mock drafts even had the Jaguars, who owned two first-round picks, trading up for Lawrence, but that never came to fruition.

Nevertheless, it would not be unreasonable for young general manager James Gladstone to pull the trigger on a Pitts trade. Atlanta was reportedly holding out for a Day 2 pick, but the Jaguars may be able to negotiate them down to a fourth- or fifth-rounder. Pitts would be a low-end fantasy TE1 option if given a new chapter in Jacksonville.

I can't quit Kyle Pitts.

Below are all of his receptions from the 2024 season. pic.twitter.com/SfHwwonvhn

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) July 19, 2025

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