The New York Jets entered the trade deadline with several questions about their roster as they tried to turn around a difficult season. One of those involved edge rusher Will McDonald IV, who was frustrated with his role in Aaron Glenn's defense.
McDonald requested a trade because of his limited playing time, but the Jets decided to keep him. The fourth-year defender addressed the situation Wednesday, making it clear that he still wants to help the team.
“I just want to clear everything up,” McDonald said. “There's no hard feelings with the coaches and staff or anybody here. I just want to play and I just want to help the team win.”
Glenn also made his position clear. The Jets head coach said McDonald remains an important part of the team's plans and suggested his playing time should increase.
“Will’s a huge part of what we’re doing. It’s my job to make sure that I continue to put him in positions to help this team be successful. Obviously, there are some things that he needs to improve on. I think he’s done an outstanding job of doing that. I think we all can look forward to seeing him, his play time improve because he’s earned the right to be able to do that,” Glenn said.
McDonald has recorded three sacks, 16 tackles, seven quarterback hits and a forced fumble through nine games this season. He has played 46% of the Jets' defensive snaps, a notable drop from the 66% share he received in each of the previous two seasons.
The former first-round pick recorded 10.5 sacks in 2024 before finishing the 2025 season with eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He also ended last season on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury.