When the NFL trade deadline passed last Tuesday, Bills fans were waiting for any kind of last-minute trades that the Bills might have pulled off. At one point, there was a rumor about Buffalo and Washington potentially involving WR Deebo Samuel and/or DE Von Miller, per Tim Graham. However, no trade was made and the Bills stayed put at the deadline.
Fans were furious as Brandon Beane has shown that he can be aggressive at the deadline but this year, it seemed like he wasn’t. Now, we are learning that the Bills didn’t pull off a trade but not because they didn’t try to.
Bills tried trading for multiple in-division players before trade deadline
According to Tom Pelissero, the Bills tried to trade for Dolphins’ wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and also tried to trade for ex-Jets (now Cowboys) defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Not only did Buffalo make a run at Waddle, but Pelissero reported that they were the highest bidder. Ultimately, the Dolphins kept Waddle on the roster and now he will suit to face the Bills today down in Miami.
The Bills were the high bidder for Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle and also tried to acquire then-Jets DL Quinnen Williams before Tuesday’s trade deadline, per sources.
In both cases, their AFC East rivals ultimately gave Buffalo no help in its push for a 6th straight division title. pic.twitter.com/GQrnJxm6dV
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2025
Pelissero then reported, per Ian Rapoport, that the Bills’ offer included a 2027 1st-round pick and a 2026 3rd-round pick, but the Dolphins were reportedly looking for a first round pick in 2026.
It’s kind of ironic that this news is coming out the day that the Bills and the Dolphins are set to face off against each other. Imagine a world where not only did the Dolphins trade away their best receiver within the division, but to the team that they were set up to face next. That would have been quite the storyline.
It’s not a total surprise that Miami refused to trade Waddle away within the division, but you can’t blame Buffalo for being aggressive. In-division trades are rare, but they do happen. It’s already happened once this season when the Browns traded away QB Joe Flacco to the Bengals and Flacco has been amazing for Cincinnati.
Waddle and the Dolphins are set to host the Bills today for a 1PM kickoff. The Bills will look to go 7-2 while the Dolphins will just be looking to get through this game without being totally embarrassed.
