The New England Patriots have had an interesting start to the 2026 NFL season. After a tragic start on offense over the first few games, they managed to right the ship with a three-game win streak, which eventually ended with a loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football.
While the Patriots enter Week 8 with a middling 4-3 record, they face the lowly Dolphins on Sunday with an opportunity to move to 5-3 on the season and 3-0 in the AFC East.
The Patriots' record is especially impressive considering the laundry list of injuries they've had over the first seven weeks. It's been rough sledding for New England, but they've managed to make the most of it.
Naturally, the injuries piling up have led to speculation regarding what the team might opt to do at the trade deadline. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been linked to New England the most thus far, and while adding the superstar would certainly help the Patriots' offense, departures from rivals would also make the team's path easier.
Most recently, Bleacher Report's Alex Kay suggested that the Jets may look to continue to add draft picks to their cache, sending Garrett Wilson out West as they look to further their rebuild.
Garrett Wilson leaving the AFC East would remove a major obstacle from Patriots' path
In Kay's article highlighting five blockbuster trades that could be made before the deadline, Wilson is sent to the 49ers in exchange for first- and fourth-round picks in the upcoming draft.
The Niners, 6-1, currently have 2023 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, veteran Demarcus Robinson, and De'Zhaun Stribling, the 33rd pick in April's draft, on injured reserve. The same goes for tight end Jake Tonges, who scored five touchdowns last season. After sending a fourth-round pick to Indianapolis to reunite with DeForest Buckner, the Niners have clearly shown they're in win-now mode.
Aaron Glenn's Jets looked to have potential toward the beginning of the season, with steady veteran play from Geno Smith in his second stint with the team. The Jets have dropped their last two, however, both to divisional opponents. Smith has thrown an interception in each of those games after a strong 6-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the first five games. The veteran has played well, but it may be time for the 2-5 Jets to look towards the future.
Wilson didn't play for much of last season due to injuries and didn't feature in either game against the Patriots. So far, he has 37 catches for 444 yards and a trio of touchdowns this season. He's on pace to break the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his five-year career and has shown superstar ability in spite of suboptimal quarterback play.
While Wilson hasn't done much damage against New England in his career, quarterback play and Christian Gonzalez have been major factors. Despite his lack of production against New England, he's managed 80-plus yards in 23 of 63 career games and has hit the century mark twice this year.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson on his battles with #Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) October 17, 2026
“I wouldn’t even say we’ve really had battles. He’s got the better of the matchup throughout these years for different reasons. He’s a really good player. Every time I get to play against a top player in… pic.twitter.com/wYDXSZVDhc
The Jets had a strong draft this April, adding David Bailey and Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round, who appear to be stars. Kenyon Sadiq is also coming on, while D'Angelo Ponds was crowned a national champion with the Hoosiers in January. The Jets showed a willingness to trade stars in Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner last season, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them do the same with Wilson.
While the Jets acquiring more draft picks isn't ideal, seeing Wilson leave the division would be a welcome sight for Patriots, Bills, and Dolphins fans alike.
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