January 21, 2026
Providence College's Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935
by Connor Whalen ’28 and Dorothée Durivage ’28 on November 6, 2025
The Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East division every single year since the COVID-19 pandemic. With Drake Maye and the New England Patriots taking the division by storm, it will be a tall order for the Bills to continue that streak. Yet, they still are almost a shoo-in to take a playoff spot, and though it will be tough, they have a chance to take the division, which is exactly why they will need to bring reinforcements before the NFL trade deadline.
The Bills will never get a better opportunity than this year to win a Super Bowl under their current personnel. Lamar Jackson’s multi-week injury has seen the Baltimore Ravens suffer to a 3–5 record, potentially now at risk of missing the playoffs. After the Bills’ statement win over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the Chiefs dropped to third in their division. The Steelers look primed to win the AFC North under a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, well past his prime. The Colts have looked great to start the year, but are largely inexperienced, and it remains to be seen if Daniel Jones can be a big-time playoff performer. The bottom line is: the AFC is weak. With Josh Allen’s play style, who knows how many years he has left? The Bills are a great team that can truly win it all if they fill a few gaps, making this trade deadline so crucial.
Their most glaring need is rush defense help. The Bills allow the second-fewest yards in the air per game in the NFL—which has carried their defense this year–but rank the No. 5 worst in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. They will need to bring in at least a couple of defensive linemen and hope they can help to address the problem.
Their other big need is at wide receiver, Allen has not quite been able to put up the same passing numbers as he did before Stefon Diggs left after the 2023 season. Since then, Buffalo has lacked the presence of a clear number one receiver. The Bills have the third-best offensive line in the NFL, an absolutely elite running back in James Cook, some solid offensive weapons, a great pass defense, and one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. If this team can shore up their run defense and give Allen at least one notable receiver to work with, Buffalo Bills fans could end up seeing their team lift the Lombardi Trophy this year for the first time in franchise history.
As the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline approaches, the Pittsburgh Steelers have room to grow and improve. The Steelers acquired safety Kyle Dugger, as well as a seventh-round pick from the New England Patriots, on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Dugger has had 17 tackles in seven games so far this season. This trade will help to fill the Steelers’ need for safeties due to their struggling defense and the high number of injuries that the team has been suffering. Pittsburgh is also looking to upgrade their wide receivers. As of right now, running backs Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren, as well as tight ends Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth, each have more catches than any other wide receiver, highlighting the need to upgrade. There have been talks that the Steelers could acquire Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a free agent who played with Aaron Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers. He had 13 touchdowns in Green Bay and led the league in 2020 with 20.9 yards per reception. Valdes-Scantling had six touchdowns that season, a career-high. Coming back to playing with an old teammate could mean that there is potential for faster growth from Valdes-Scantling, seeing as he has already held the position of Aaron Rodgers’ wide receiver in the past. Another trade candidate for the wide receiver position is Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans. He’s surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark three times in his career, including in 2020, when he made 90 catches for 1,374 yards, which could be exactly what Pittsburgh needs. Ridley has two more years remaining on a four-year, $92 million deal he signed in 2024 with the Titans, but has been heavily involved in trade talks. If the team is able to pull all of this together, the Steelers could be the most improved team this trade season.
