Debating Week 9 overreactions -- and what they mean for the trade deadline

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Week 9's early Sunday window was an overreaction factory. The Steelers can play defense now? The old Daniel Jones rears his head? Are the Packers bad again? J.J. McCarthy is going to be just fine? The Falcons won't stop Falconing? The Bengals won't stop Bengaling?

With the NFL trade deadline only a couple of days away -- 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday -- it felt like several teams were waiting to see what happened Sunday to decide whether to try to add or deal players away. The deadline is probably too early, since things change so much week to week in this league, but it's there and it's going to occupy a lot of our attention over the next couple days.

So, we decided to make the Week 9 Overreactions column all about the trade deadline. How were teams' deadline plans impacted by what happened on Sunday, and how much should they have been? In some ways, these next couple of days are the most important time of the year not to overreact.

So while we sort through the weekly overreactions to try and figure out which ones might hold up and which ones are mirages, we're here to help teams assess themselves at this critical juncture. I'm sure they appreciate it.

Jump to:
Dolphins should be open to trading anyone?
Patriots need to trade for a running back?
Should Bears try to trade for Hendrickson?
Vikings don't need Cousins, another veteran QB?
Saints should be open to trading Olave?
Five fantasy-related overreactions

The Dolphins should be taking calls on everyone they have

Miami lost to the Ravens on Thursday night in a game that showcased its wide array of issues. The Dolphins fired general manager Chris Grier the next morning, a possible indication that ownership is interested in trading away players and offering interim GM Champ Kelly a mandate to do so.

Miami has several players of interest to other teams ahead of the deadline, including edge rushers Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Matthew Judon along with running back Jaylen Wright, linebacker Jordyn Brooks and even wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. With the Thursday night game offering Miami extra pre-deadline days to work, by Tuesday they should have a good sense where things stand and what they might be able to get for the players on their roster.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

This looks like a team headed for a complete overhaul, perhaps including the quarterback position (even though Tua Tagovailoa has $54 million in guaranteed money coming next year). If they can get decent draft picks in return for anyone who they aren't sure will be part of their future, they have to consider all possible deals.

Head coach Mike McDaniel kept his job, and part of the reason is ownership's hope that the team will play hard for him down the stretch. Trading away players isn't necessarily going to help with that, which could make it tougher for McDaniel to stay on for 2026. But the Dolphins haven't won a playoff game since 2000 (the longest streak in the NFL) and need to be thinking about major changes to everything they do. A 2-7 start is license to consider everything, and they should.

The Patriots need to add a running back at the trade deadline

With starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson out with a toe injury, the Patriots turned the backfield over to rookie TreVeyon Henderson and second-year man Terrell Jennings. They did fine. Jennings had 35 yards and his first career touchdown on 11 carries and caught one 9-yard pass. Henderson had 55 rushing yards on 14 carries and caught four passes for 32 yards. The Patriots escaped an uncharacteristically sloppy game in which they lost the turnover battle 2-0 when the Falcons missed an extra point that would have tied the game in the final minutes. They've now won six games in a row to move to 7-2, tied with the Colts and Broncos for the best record in the AFC.

If Stevenson is out for more than just this game, it you could make the case that the Patriots need more than these two young guys in the backfield, and they have been making calls in recent weeks to gauge the availability of veteran backs. Those who could be available for various reasons include Cleveland's Jerome Ford, Tennessee's Tony Pollard and the Jets' Breece Hall. The Patriots have 10 picks in the 2026 draft and a ton of cap space, so they're positioned to make moves.

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Terrell Jennings scores his first NFL TD

Terrell Jennings forces his way into the end zone and gives the Patriots a lead.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

It wouldn't be a mistake to add to the running back room if the price is right. You can't be too deep at that position, given how often injuries strike. But I don't think this is something the Patriots need to do. I've covered three of their games this season, including the past two, and I can tell you this is a team that feels really, really good about itself. Even after Sunday's game, coach Mike Vrabel was talking about the importance of joy in the postgame news conference and saying things like, "We have to learn from winning so we don't have to learn from losing."

The vibes around this team are outstanding, and there was never a point when they felt like they couldn't cover Stevenson's absence enough to beat Atlanta. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye is piloting a high-level offense with a medium-level receiving corps, and if the Pats are going to add someone on offense it would probably be better to make it a game-breaking wide receiver. But you can also make the case that it's going too well in New England right now to risk messing with things.

The Bears should ask the Bengals if they will let Trey Hendrickson get on the plane back to Chicago with them

Chicago beat Cincinnati in the wildest game of the week, because they apparently passed a rule at the last owners' meetings in which Cincinnati is required to play in the wildest game of the week every week. Down 14 points in the final two minutes, the Bengals scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 1:43 left, recovered an onside kick and scored another touchdown and a go-ahead PAT with 54 seconds left.

Unfortunately, the Bengals' defense (which was playing without Hendrickson, its best player, due to injury) cannot stop anyone, and 54 seconds was more than enough time for Caleb Williams to hit rookie tight end Colston Loveland for the go-ahead touchdown -- a 58-yard, tackling-optional, catch-and-run that gave the Bears the lead and handed the Bengals a second brutal last-minute loss in as many weeks. Cincinnati is probably done, but the Bears are 5-3, tied with the Lions for second place in the NFC North, just a half-game behind the first-place Packers. As the 47-42 final score indicates, the Bengals weren't the only team in this game that could use defensive help.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

It's probably moot, since the Bengals have been telling everyone who's asked since the offseason that they aren't interested in trading Hendrickson. But if he does turn out to be available, Chicago should at least ask. It's a two-month rental, since Hendrickson is not signed beyond this season, and the Bears might have the feel of a rebuilding team long-term with Williams in his second season and coach Ben Johnson in his first.

But the standings say what they say, and Johnson has said he has no interest in making this a slow build. Bears GM Ryan Poles is usually active at the trade deadline, and it would be no shock (nor a bad idea) if he made an aggressive move to improve his pass rush for the stretch run.

The Vikings don't need to trade picks for Kirk Cousins or any other veteran QB

McCarthy made his third start of the season (and of his career) Sunday and looked ... pretty good? He was 14-for-25 for 143 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and also ran for a touchdown. McCarthy made a fantastic throw to ice the game on the final drive, and the Vikings won in Detroit 27-24.

It has been a rocky season for Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell and his QB situation. McCarthy looked terrible for three quarters, then brilliant in the fourth in a season-opening victory over Chicago, then he and the offense did absolutely nothing in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons. McCarthy got hurt in that game, so Carson Wentz started the next five, but then Wentz got hurt and McCarthy got healthy, so it was the youngster again Sunday in a vital division game. He might not have dazzled, but he looked up to the task.

With Wentz on injured reserve, McCarthy and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer are the only two quarterbacks on the Vikings' active roster. (They signed John Wolford to the practice squad last week.) So, there's been some chatter about bringing back Cousins, who's a backup in Atlanta, or at least adding some veteran to the room.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

I'd still do it. Whether it's Cousins or someone else, McCarthy and the Vikings would benefit from having a veteran in the QB room. Even if McCarthy is going to be just fine and start the rest of the way -- which we really can't know for sure, even if Sunday was an encouraging sign -- having a veteran around can only help as he navigates the ups and downs of his first active NFL season.

The Vikings are spending more money on their roster this year than any other team in the league, and it's pretty loaded. They're in last place in the NFC North, but Minnesota is 4-4 and only a game and a half out of first. The Vikings won 14 games last season and need to do whatever they can to maximize their chances of getting back to the playoffs. Go get the vet.

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J.J. McCarthy keeps it for a 9-yard rushing TD

J.J. McCarthy rolls to his right and turns up field for a 9-yard rushing touchdown.

The Saints should be more open to trading Chris Olave

Teams have been calling the Saints about their wide receivers -- Olave, Rasheed Shaheed, Brandin Cooks -- and are being told that New Orleans doesn't want to trade Olave. The Saints' first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Olave is signed through 2026 and is scheduled to earn $15.493 million next year on his fifth-year rookie contract option. He's struggled with concussion issues during his career but has been healthy this season, and the Saints have said they're more interested in signing him to a long-term contract than trading him. They still haven't signed him, which is why teams keep asking. Well, that and because he's a great player.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Of all of New Orleans' receivers, Olave is the one who'd certainly bring back the best return in a trade. And the Saints look like a team that should be trading players for draft picks and thinking rebuild. If you're going to sign him long-term, then go ahead and sign him so people will stop calling. There's no rule prohibiting the Saints from extending Olave's contract tomorrow.

But for a team like New Orleans, the trade deadline isn't about ditching good players, it's about maximizing the value of your assets. And Olave is a player for whom teams would give up a lot in a trade. The Saints are doing their franchise a disservice if they're not even open to having the conversation. Again, I'm not saying to trade him. I'm saying that as long as he's only signed for one more year, there ought to be some return that would make it worth considering.

Quick-hitter fantasy overreactions

• Falcons running back Bijan Robinson isn't going to carry you to the playoffs: OVERREACTION. Sure, the last couple weeks have been underwhelming. But the whole offense underwhelmed in Week 8 without Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London, and Sunday they played the Patriots, who haven't allowed a running back to rush for 50 yards in a game yet this season. Don't do anything rash. Unless you want to trade him to me.

• Bears running back Kyle Monangai will continue to be fantasy-relevant even once D'Andre Swift is back healthy: NOT AN OVERREACTION. No, he's not going to rush for 176 yards every week, but the seventh-round rookie out of Rutgers had carved out a role even before Swift missed Sunday's game with an injury. Monangai still be part of the plan. And here's where everyone says something about Ben Johnson and how he made both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery fantasy-relevant in Detroit.

• You can trust Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams in your lineup moving forward: OVERREACTION. Hey, you knew what you were getting into when drafting Williams. Yeah, he can get you 16.6 points like he did Sunday, but he can also get you zero like he did in Week 7, or two like he did in Week 5. If someone else wants to buy in, go ahead and trade him. Otherwise, you're riding the roller coaster. There are too many mouths to feed in Detroit to expect week-to-week consistency from a player whose production is this volatile.

• Pick up Jerome Ford now: NOT AN OVERREACTION. If your league allows you to pick up players on bye weeks, go ahead and take a shot here. Ford could be on a new team by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, and depending on which team that is, he could have a major fantasy role. Imagine him on the Chiefs? The Patriots? No harm in taking a shot if you have the roster spot to spare.

• The 49ers' George Kittle isn't a top-five fantasy tight end anymore: OVERREACTION. Game-by-game point totals in the three games since returning from injury: 0.0, 14.3, 6.9. Yucko. I'm still holding, though. Quarterback Brock Purdy coming back will help, as will the Niners getting healthier at wide receiver and not needing to lean on Kittle as a run blocker quite so much. Buy low!