The Jaguars' Perfect Trade Target Isn't Actually Even an Option

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There is one NFL Trade Deadline target that makes perfect sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars ... who also seemingly has zero chance of landing in Jacksonville.

The Indianapolis Colts are in a complete tailspin, and their fire sale began on Tuesday as they sent future Hall of Fame guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks for a third-round pick and a future fifth-round pick. As a result, it only makes sense for the Colts to make the perfect trade deadline target available: defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

With that said, Buckner's talents should not be expected to land in Jacksonville for a simple reason: the Colts and Jaguars do not do business with each other when it comes to trades.

Why Buckner to Jaguars Won't Happen

There are a million reasons why Buckner would make sense for the Jaguars. Even at 32, he is still one of the best interior pass-rushers in the NFL, and he would lead the Jaguars in both pressures and sacks. The Jaguars have lacked any sense of an interior rush for years now, and Buckner would be a more appealing option to boost the Jaguars' pass-rush than most other interior defenders. He is also in a contract year and would likely help the Jaguars earn a compensatory draft pick in March if he serves to only be a rental for the rest of 2026.

Buckner is exactly the kind of player the Jaguars need in the middle of their defense, the Colts are seemingly set to be willing to move on from all top players, and the Jaguars have the picks to make a compelling case and offer. With that said, there just isn't a chance the Jaguars are going to land the veteran defensive tackle. Whenever Buckner is traded (likely to the San Francisco 49ers or Chicago Bears), one should not question why Jaguars general manager James Gladstone didn't make it happen.

Instead, it is clear that the Jaguars' AFC South connection with the Colts makes them disqualified from the Buckner sweepstakes to start. Buckner looks like he is bound to be the next player the Colts and placeholder general manager Ed Dodds deals, but that does not mean the Colts are going to help Jacksonville anytime soon.

Yes, the Colts have already conceded their place in the AFC South race. And yes, the Colts will likely lose to the Jaguars twice in 2026 even if Buckner wasn't on the Jaguars' defense. But history says that a Buckner trade to Jacksonville isn't just unlikely, but it it would break all historical precedents the AFC South has set over the last few decades.

The Jaguars have engaged in player trades in the AFC South just twice: in 2025 when they traded Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans for a seventh-round pick, and in 2020 when they traded the Tennessee Titans a sixth-round pick for linebacker Kamalei Correa, who played six games for the 1-15 Jaguars and made seven tackles.

So trades have happened, but it has only been trades that contain absolutely zero consequences. The Jaguars knew that Kirk was never going to impact their race for the AFC South title, just like the Titans knew that giving Correa to a bad Jaguars team would make no difference. A Buckner trade wouldn't fall into this category at all, though. It would be a legit game-changer in the short-term, and Dodds doesn't want to be the interim general manager who helped the Jaguars find playoff success in a wide-open AFC.

In a perfect world, Buckner would make a ton of sense for the Jaguars. He fits everything they need on and off the field. But in this world, Buckner to the Jaguars is nothing more than a pipedream and a wish upon a star.