Insider Reveals Chiefs Trade Deadline Focus Ahead of Huge Bills Matchup

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HENDERSON, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 07: Chris Jones #95 of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to the media during Kansas City Chiefs media availability ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa on February 07, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching. We’re just a few days out from November 4, at which point no more trades will be allowed until the start of the new league year in March. For contending teams that want to add a final piece or two as they gear up for the stretch run, now is the time.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, they have specific priorities in their approach to the trade deadline. Coming off a Super Bowl loss last season, they addressed many of their flaws through free agency and the draft, boosting weak areas of the roster that were exposed against the Eagles. Though they started the 2025 season 0-2, the Chiefs have won five of their last six and are picking up steam as they enter the heart of their schedule.

Kansas City’s offense struggled a bit early in the season. Rookie first-round LT Josh Simmons took some time to get acclimated, and the Chiefs lost WR Xavier Worthy to a dislocated shoulder early in their first game, a matchup with the Chargers in São Paulo. Plus, top WR Rashee Rice was suspended for the first six games of the season due to his role in a major car accident last year.

Simmons is currently away from the team dealing with a personal matter, but the return of Rice and Worthy has jump-started this offense, and they’re starting to hum. Instead of looking for reinforcements on offense, the Chiefs have a different idea in mind as the trade deadline looms.

Insider Predicts the Kansas City Chiefs will Target the Defensive Line on the Trade Market

David Eulitt/GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – OCTOBER 27: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs scrambles against the Washington Commanders during the fourth quarter in the game at Arrowhead Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

The Athletic’s Diana Russini wrote about the Chiefs’ plans in her Saturday report. According to her article breaking down the intel she’s gotten on the trade deadline, Kansas City is “actively searching” for defensive linemen on the trade market. Her language indicts the Chiefs are more than merely “interested” in such a move — it sounds like they’ve been calling teams to inquire about the availability of specific players.

It’s unclear if the Chiefs are targeting help at edge defender, defensive tackle, or maybe both. We’ve already seen one edge rusher traded when the Patriots sent Keion White to the 49ers. Other trade targets on the edge include the Bengals‘ Trey Hendrickson and the Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Matthew Judon. The only interior defender Russini mentioned in her article is the Jets‘ Quinnen Williams, though he would be a very expensive trade target — if New York would be willing to move him at all.

The Kansas City Chiefs Face a Key Test Against the Bills

The Bills and the Chiefs: Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes. The greatest currently rivalry in the AFC. It’s a huge showdown with massive playoff implications for both teams, but given what the Chiefs have coming up after, it looms even larger.

After the Bills game, the Chiefs face the Broncos, Colts, Cowboys, Texans, and Chargers — and they already have three losses on the year. If they want to stay in the hunt for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, they need to win the most of these games. And that starts in Buffalo on Sunday.

Ethan Woodie is an accomplished sports writer specializing in the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. He’s written for Heavy since 2025 and has years of experience writing for NFL Trade Rumors and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Woodie is an expert in draft scouting and his final 2025 Big Board was included in Arif Hasan’s media consensus board for Wide Left. More about Ethan Woodie