Reported push to expand NFL trade limits reignites Joe Burrow trade chatter

A major report from ESPN's Adam Schefter indicates that teams will be pushing for the limit on NFL trades to go from three years' worth of draft picks to five. in an effort to score Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

OK the last part of that isn't 100% confirmed to be true, but it might as well be. Who else is of that much importance whose name has been bandied about in wild trade rumors of late?

That's right. Per Schefty, NFL is becoming the NBA to some degree, where superstar players can be had by mortgaging a half-decade's worth of future draft picks.

if you don't think the cheap-minded Bengals brass would consider a ridiculous offer that features, say, five first-round picks, or four first-round picks and a player or two, I don't know what you've been watching all these years.

Adam Schefter's bombshell report will only feed Joe Burrow trade buzz

Here's what Schefter had to say about the situation, which quite obviously implies Burrow could be on the move in the event that trade limits expand:

"I'm gonna tell you right now, there are gonna be people in the NFL, this offseason, that push to have that limit grown to five years. There's going to be a push by at least one team this offseason to extend the NFL trade limits from three years of picks to five years of picks."

Do people not remember how wild the Deshaun Watson trade market was once upon a time? He had multiple suitors in serious pursuit of him despite problematic-to-say-the-least off-field allegations of sexual misconduct.

The Cleveland Browns won that bidding war, acquiring Watson and a sixth-round pick in a trade with the Houston Texans in exchange for three first-round picks, two third-round picks, and a fourth-round pick. The rest is history.

You're telling me Joe Burrow can't fetch a modest amount of greater compensation than that?

Mendoza is really the only QB in the draft who looks like a viable franchise guy, or so the consensus suggests. The 2027 class could be led by the likes of Arch Manning, along with several other promising prospects.

That could lead to an absolutely chaotic Burrow sweepstakes, if he had any openness to leaving Cincinnati. He's publicly said he's happy as a Bengal for now.

But NFL insider Ian Rapoport recently reported that teams are still going to call the Bengals to inquire about a Burrow trade. He didn't 100% dismiss the possibility of a deal going down. They're not expected to oblige. However, now that this "trade limit increase" narrative is in the wind, well...

I'm not saying the Bengals should trade Joe Burrow. What would trade offers for him look like, though? Here's what I got.

3 reckless-abandon Joe Burrow trade packages that would tempt Bengals

Raiders convince Maxx Crosby to stay in Vegas with king's ransom for Joe Burrow

• Bengals receive: 2026 No. 1 overall pick & 36th overall pick, plus four additional 1st-round picks
• Raiders receive: QB Joe Burrow

If the Raiders cut Geno Smith, restructure Kolton Miller, acquire Joe Burrow, and still keep Maxx Crosby, they'd have $112.9 million in 2026 salary cap room, along with $188.3 million in 2027 space.

Can you imagine how many top-market free agents would be drawn to Vegas in the next two years if this went down? Plus, the Bengals would have a QB solution thanks to landing the No. 1 pick, which is projected to be Indiana star Fernando Mendoza.

A Burrow-for-Crosby package would break the NFL. Burrow landing in Sin City alongside Crosby would vault the Raiders into AFC contention and make them the most attractive landing spot in the NFL for free agents in the coming years.

Jets cash in on immense draft capital to score their modern Broadway Joe

• Bengals receive: 2026 No. 2 overall pick & 16th overall pick, plus three additional 1st-round picks & DB Malachi Moore
• Jets receive: QB Joe Burrow

The New York Jets are the New York Jets. They would do something outlandish like this — especially with so much draft capital:

Joe Burrow in the greater New York City area, trying to resurrect a second floundering franchise, would be quite something to behold. The media circus would be on full tilt.

If Burrow somehow brought a Super Bowl to the Jets, it might be more impressive than doing so in Cincinnati. Plus, the massive market would only enhance his exposure, endorsement opportunities, and all that jazz.

Were I Joe Shiesty, following in the footsteps of Joe Namath would be cool, but the Jets are such a disastrous organization that I'd kill any deal in its tracks. In this scenario, Cincinnati would need at least two of the three additional first-round picks to come from 2027 as a means of acquiring a new QB of the future in that draft.

Then again, some crafty contract restructures for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, in tandem with signing free agent QB Malik Willis, could be enough of a bridge for the Bengals to stay competitive sans Burrow.

Vikings put J.J. McCarthy drama behind them in Joe Burrow blockbuster deal

• Bengals receive: Top four 2026 picks (18th, 49th, 82nd, 97th), plus three additional 1st-round picks & QB J.J. McCarthy
• Vikings receive: QB Joe Burrow

This is the team that's been most heavily linked to Burrow of late. The speculation didn't die down once the Vikings fired GM Kwesi Mensah-Adofo, either.

Hot take: J.J. McCarthy shouldn't be given up on after 10 NFL starts. That is, unless you can get Joe Burrow to replace him. I believe McCarthy still has a lot of upside and will play at a high level in 2026 and beyond. We'll see if Minnesota gives him a chance to see that through.

The Vikings could use a power play like this to wash away the gaffe of letting Sam Darnold walk, only to win Super Bowl LX as the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback. Tough look!

To be clear once again: I don't want the Bengals to trade Joseph Lee Burrow. Do I trust the front office to avoid temptation if a team dangles five first-round picks or thereabouts in front of them? Absolutely not. Hence preparing for this potential reality.