Trade buzz is heating up around the NFL, with the combine underway and free agency less than two weeks away. Which players could be involved in deals?

National NFL reporter Dan Graziano and NFL analyst Ben Solak worked together to stack the 15 best players who could be traded this month. This ranking is based on each player’s value to a new team, tying in what he brings on the field and his current contract situation. It is not a ranking of the players most likely to be dealt (though we did include a rough estimated percentage chance for each of the 15 players to change teams). In other words, Kyler Murray is ranked higher than Spencer Rattler here because Murray would bring more to a roster, but Rattler has a higher likelihood of actually getting moved.

For each player, we also have what we’re hearing, what we see on the tape and some team fits that might make sense. We begin with a talented 2024 first-rounder who might need a change of scenery.

Jump to the top-ranked:
QB | RB | WR | TE
Edge | DT | CB | S

The contract: Two more years for a total of $4.9 million, plus a fifth-year team option for 2028

The buzz: A first-round pick two years ago by the previous Jaguars administration, Thomas struggled enough throughout his second season that the team needed to trade for Jakobi Meyers at the deadline then signed him to a long-term deal. The Jaguars also got an impressive season out of Parker Washington. And while the new plan for Travis Hunter might be to focus on the cornerback position, Jacksonville still expects him to contribute something as a wide receiver.

There has been no indication that trading Thomas is something the Jaguars are planning, but there are teams monitoring the situation in case the hypertalented LSU product has fallen far enough down the Jacksonville depth chart that the front office would consider a move. — Graziano

The tape: The expectation for Thomas entering his sophomore season was WR1 production. But he struggled with drops and contact to start the season and ended up in more of a WR3 field-stretching role by season’s end. If another team wants to spend big draft capital on Thomas in the hopes that he returns to his rookie form in a new zip code, I’d get it. Thomas was better as a prospect than any wide receiver in the upcoming 2026 class. He had 707 yards and two scores in 2025, but he went for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 20%
Potential team fits: Patriots, Bills, Steelers, Raiders

The contract: One more year for about $5.9 million

The buzz: The league seems to believe the Dolphins are in a full rebuild, which means they’re getting calls on all of their star players. My sense is that they’re far more likely to extend Achane’s contract than to listen to those trade offers, but in their situation, you answer the phone when it rings. So, call any Achane trade a significant long shot that would take an awfully enticing package to get done. — Graziano

The tape: The Dolphins valued Achane highly at the trade deadline, and they will likely do so again. The 24-year-old running back has game-breaking speed, high-volume receiving ability and much better toughness and tackle-breaking skills than his slight frame might suggest. He’s a better — and younger — talent than anyone in the loaded free agent RB market. Achane ran for 1,350 yards and eight scores last season, and his 5.7 yards per carry ranked first in the NFL. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 10%
Potential team fits: Chiefs, Texans, Vikings

The contract: Three more years for a total of about $57.3 million, with $16.6 million fully guaranteed for 2026

The buzz: There were whispers of a potential Waddle deal at the trade deadline in October, but those might have been generated from the interested teams rather than from the Dolphins. With Tyreek Hill released, a Waddle deal would represent a significant reset in Miami. And if the Dolphins are going to handle a $99.2 million dead money hit for Tua Tagovailoa, they are going to have to cut costs somewhere. (On the third day of the league year, $15.2 million of Waddle’s $23.39 million 2027 salary will become fully guaranteed too.)

But as I said on Achane above, my sense is that the Dolphins see Waddle as a building block who’s under contract and aren’t eager to move on from him. They’ll get calls, no doubt, but it would take a lot for them to deal him. — Graziano

The tape: Waddle has multiple seasons of cost-controlled play on his existing contract, is only 27 years old and can be both a yards-after-catch slot option and a downfield vertical threat. He doesn’t have the frame to be a high-volume WR1, but he would be an excellent, explosive half of a league-leading tandem at wide receiver. He caught 64 passes for 910 yards and six touchdowns last season. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 10%
Potential team fits: Steelers, Chiefs, Raiders, Ravens

The contract: Four more years at about $29 million per year, with $30 million fully guaranteed for 2026

The buzz: Last season ended badly for Crosby and the Raiders, as the team put him on injured reserve with two games left even though he felt healthy enough to play. There has been a ton of chatter around this situation though no public proclamations from Crosby about wanting out. And general manager John Spytek said at the combine Tuesday he expects Crosby to play for Las Vegas next season. Unless Crosby forces the issue and tells the Raiders he doesn’t want to play for them anymore, it’s hard to see the team moving him. But if that does happen, there would be a ton of interest. — Graziano

The tape: The value proposition on Crosby is obvious. One of the league’s best three-down defensive linemen, Crosby is an iron man who creates tackles for loss in the running game and can beat even elite offensive tackles in one-on-one pass-rush situations. Crosby will turn 29 before next season and still has two years of guaranteed money on his deal, so he could be the crowning jewel of a contending defense. He had 10 sacks in 2025. — Solak

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Is it time for Maxx Crosby and Raiders to part ways?

Dan Graziano, Bart Scott and Mike Tannenbaum discuss the best course of action for Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason.

Predicted chance of getting traded: 60%
Potential team fits: Bears, Patriots, Commanders

The contract: Four more years at $28.25 million per year, with $29 million fully guaranteed for 2026

The buzz: Brown made no secret of his frustrations with the Eagles’ offense in 2025. Heck, he made no secret of them in 2024, when the team ended up winning the Super Bowl. Philadelphia has learned to live with Brown’s grousing because of his production. So, the questions are whether he’s unhappy enough there to force the issue and whether the Eagles want to move on from the situation. — Graziano

The tape: Brown’s individual play seemed to fall off a touch last season, but it’s fair to believe his frustration with the offense led to some disinterested play. An acquiring team is risking that Brown is beyond his athletic prime (he will turn 29 this summer), but he has only one year of guaranteed money on his deal, so it would not be too big of a commitment. And the recent ceiling of Brown’s play has been top-five receiver level. He had 1,003 yards last season, and he has tallied at least seven touchdowns in each of the past four campaigns. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 60%
Potential team fits: Patriots, Bills, Ravens

The contract: Four more years at $28.75 million per year, nothing guaranteed

The buzz: When he signed his deal last spring, Metcalf’s $25 million in 2026 salary was fully guaranteed. But his two-game suspension at the end of the season for an in-game altercation with a fan voided that guarantee and could in turn make Metcalf easier to trade, if the Steelers are so inclined. They’ll be installing a new offense under new coach Mike McCarthy, and while dealing Metcalf would weaken them at a spot where they’re already thin, the wideout could end up on the market if he’s not a fit for the scheme. — Graziano

The tape: Metcalf is a team-specific player; not all systems will endure his limited route tree. Those teams that already have a dominant route runner or can feed him a steady diet of vertical routes will value a player who is still under 30 and has a unique blend of size and speed — especially when we consider how much team control he offers. He logged 850 yards in 2025, and he exceeded that number in each of his six prior seasons. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 25%
Potential team fits: Patriots, Commanders, Bills

The contract: Two more years at about $39.4 million per year, with $36.8 million guaranteed in 2026 and a team option for 2028

The buzz: The Cardinals would love to trade the contract, but with that huge guarantee this year and another $19.5 million of 2027 money that fully guarantees on the third day of this league year, it’s going to be tough to find a taker. If Arizona is willing to pay down a big chunk of the money, that could help; but odds are Murray ends up getting released before that 2027 guarantee kicks in next month. — Graziano

The tape: While Murray isn’t as exciting as recent QB trade candidates such as Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, he’s still a starting-caliber passer under 30 years old. Murray has guaranteed money in 2026 and might have some in 2027 depending on when he is traded, so this wouldn’t be a small commitment for any acquiring team. But it’s a shallow offseason at quarterback, and Murray has a high ceiling as a rehabilitation project given his quickness and live arm. He was limited to five games in 2025 with a foot injury, but he threw 21 touchdown passes and ran for five scores in 2024. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 5%
Potential team fits: Dolphins, Jets, Vikings

The contract: One more year at about $5.8 million

The buzz: The Lions have four 2023 draft picks they want to extend — LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch — and there are people around the league who wonder whether they’ll be able to get all of those deals done or if they’d have to trade someone. Even if the Lions can’t extend LaPorta, I think the odds of them trading him are extremely thin, as Detroit still sees itself in a win-now window. — Graziano

The tape: LaPorta had back surgery this past season (489 receiving yards, three touchdowns) and hasn’t looked as explosive as he did as a rookie (889 yards, 10 scores in 2023), but he remains one of the most exciting young receivers at the position. Teams looking for a high-volume receiving tight end might be willing to spend a draft pick now on LaPorta, instead of risking a bidding war in free agency in 2027 should he come back to form. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 10%
Potential team fits: Chiefs, Ravens, Texans

The contract: Two more years at a total of $3.04 million, nothing guaranteed

The buzz: He is still only 25 and would have value in a trade. The Niners have a new defensive coordinator in Raheem Morris, and Green might not be a scheme fit. The 2024 second-round pick has just one interception in two NFL seasons, and he seemed to fall out of favor a bit with the coaching staff at times last season. — Graziano

The tape: Green isn’t a particularly big outside corner, but he makes up for it with quickness and aggressiveness. Double-digit pass breakups in each of his first two seasons is a testament to that. The coaching staff got frustrated with mental lapses and unnecessary aggressiveness last season, and teams will call accordingly to see if Green has run out of time in San Francisco. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 80%
Potential team fits: Cowboys, Falcons, Eagles

The contract: Two more years at a total of $2.27 million, nothing guaranteed

The buzz: Rattler started 14 games for the Saints during his first two years in the league, and New Orleans lost 13 of them. He has 12 career touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, and he has been supplanted as the starting quarterback by promising 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough. But Rattler showed the Saints enough the past two offseasons that they were willing to give him a shot, and there could be teams out there that think enough of his talent to bring him in to see if they can coach him up into a more consistent starter. — Graziano

The tape: The Saints don’t want to trade a young quarterback on a rookie contract who improved as a sophomore, but teams need developmental passers, and Rattler is the best candidate this spring. Rattler excelled as more of a quick-distribution point guard last season, but he also showed good creation ability on longer, movement dropbacks. He could fight — and easily beat out — a free agent veteran in training camp for a rebuilding team. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 70%
Potential team fits: Dolphins, Chiefs, Rams, Raiders

The contract: One more year at $15.6 million

The buzz: He is 29 years old and definitely slowing down, but he has plenty of high-level experience and a reputation as a strong locker room leader. The Dolphins have a new coaching staff and will be installing a new defense under incoming coach Jeff Hafley. It’s possible they’d need to pay down some of the salary to make a deal work, but they also could do the kind of player-for-player deal that brought them Fitzpatrick last summer. — Graziano

The tape: Fitzpatrick will turn 30 next season and his best play is behind him, but he’s still an impactful single-high coverage defender with enough size and coverage ability to step into the box. Fitzpatrick has one year left on his deal and is only attractive as a mercenary option for contending teams, but the floor and ceiling of his play are high enough to demand solid return. He registered 82 tackles and an interception last season. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 65%
Potential team fits: Bills, Cowboys

The contract: Three more years at about $47 million per year, with $54 million guaranteed for 2026

The buzz: Benched at the tail end of last season for Quinn Ewers, Tagovailoa no longer looks like the future in Miami. The Dolphins have a new GM and a new coach, and they could turn over the roster significantly this offseason. The problem is that $54 million guarantee, which would transfer to whichever team trades for Tagovailoa and likely prevents any deal from getting done unless the Dolphins are willing to pay down a massive portion of it.

More likely, Miami will end up having to cut Tagovailoa and swallow $99.2 million in dead money cap charges as a result of a long-term extension that looks extremely ill-advised in retrospect. — Graziano

The tape: The strengths and limitations of Tagovailoa’s play are clear at this point, so it’s unlikely a team trades for him as a long-term starting option. But as a bridge, his quick release and pinpoint accuracy in the run-pass option work well for a team looking for an easy identity on offense. So long as the Dolphins work with the contract to make it more palatable, Tagovailoa should have a solid market. He threw 20 touchdown passes and a career-high 15 interceptions last season. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 5%
Potential team fits: Vikings, Falcons, Cardinals

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Dolphins GM: ‘Everything is on the table’ with Tua

Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan explains how the team is evaluating Tua Tagovailoa’s future in Miami.

The contract: One more year at $1.9 million

The buzz: The Eagles think very highly of Jalen Hurts‘ backup QB, and that opinion is well-known around the league. Do they think highly enough of McKee to extend him? Would McKee even go for that? Or does he want to play this deal out, go somewhere else and see if he can be an NFL starter? If the Eagles feel as if it’s the latter, they could look to get something for him from a team seeking an affordable upside solution at the QB position. — Graziano

The tape: McKee looks like a young quarterback worthy of development in his preseason and late-season starts. I see good size, good accuracy and comfort reading the field to make aggressive throws from the pocket. McKee has only one year left on his deal, so a trade would only make sense with a team that would start him now to determine if he’s worthy of an extension. He has five career touchdown passes across appearances in six games. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 20%
Potential team fits: Dolphins, Jets, Vikings, Chiefs

The contract: Three more years at about $9.9 million per year, nothing guaranteed

The buzz: Hobbs was a free agent signing for Green Bay just last year. But he dealt with injuries in 2025 and bounced between slot corner and outside corner duties when he was on the field. He seems better cast as a slot corner, but the Packers aren’t short on those, and it’s possible they could see him as a valuable trade candidate who could help them pick up an extra draft pick or two. He has a $6.25 million roster bonus due on the third day of the league year, so if a deal happened after that, it’d be even cheaper for the acquiring team.

Green Bay wasn’t the only team interested in Hobbs during free agency last year, and if there’s a slot corner market out there, it might make sense for the Packers to see what they can get. — Graziano

The tape: Hobbs never settled into either the slot or the outside spot in Green Bay’s defense. He is a better fit in the slot and has a good nose coming downhill in zone coverage. But there are a lot of good slots available in free agency and the draft this offseason, which might limit interest in Hobbs’ services. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 50%
Potential team fits: Lions, Dolphins, Panthers, Bills

The contract: One more year at $14.75 million

The buzz: The Giants have a surplus of impact defensive linemen with Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, and it seems more likely they’ll try to find a trade partner for Thibodeaux than extend the 2022 first-round pick ahead of his fifth-year-option season. The question is whether the Giants can find a taker for him at that salary in a deep offseason edge rusher market, but the chatter at the combine indicates they’re going to try. — Graziano

The tape: Thibodeaux’s motor can run hot and cold, which makes him a difficult player to trust on a down-to-down basis. But a contract year could light a fire under Thibodeaux, who generates quick pressures with hand usage and a killer first step. He posted 2.5 sacks last season but also had 11.5 in 2023. That sort of production can keep a guy in a designated pass-rushing role for a long time in this league. But it’s a loaded offseason for edge rushers in free agency, which might temper Thibodeaux’s market. — Solak

Predicted chance of getting traded: 70%
Potential team fits: Chargers, Bengals, Bears

Honorable mentions

• Jordan Davis, DT, Philadelphia Eagles

• Tyson Bagent, QB, Chicago Bears

• Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans

• Anthony Richardson Sr., QB, Indianapolis Colts

• DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears

• Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers lost to the Orlando Magic 110-109 on Tuesday after a botched sidelines out-of-bounds play between LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the final seconds failed to produce a quality shot.

After Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. scored on a putback with 6.7 seconds remaining to put Orlando up one, L.A. called timeout. On the ensuing play, James passed the ball to an open Doncic, who caught it on the left wing beyond the 3-point line but opted not to shoot.

“I know I was open, but I just thought I was a little bit far,” Doncic said. “Tried to take one dribble closer. And I probably shouldn’t have picked up the ball and just tried to attack.”

Once he stopped his dribble, Doncic was immediately double-teamed by the Magic’s Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black. He paused, pivoted and passed the ball back to James, who was covered by Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac on the wing.

James caught the pass with 2.9 seconds left, turned away from Isaac and shot a 27-foot fadeaway 3-pointer that missed at the buzzer.

“I thought he had a good look, and it looked like he kind of just lost his balance,” James said when asked for an explanation of what broke down. “Didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be. And it kind of allowed [Orlando’s defense] to get back in front of him. And I was kind of off-balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look. That’s my POV.”

Doncic, who was 8-for-24 for the game and 2-for-10 from 3, was asked if his shooting struggles entered his mind when he turned down the initial shot.

“Maybe a little bit,” he said. “I think I thought it was more time. It was, what, six, seven seconds. It was enough time to get a better look, try to drive the ball, so that’s why I picked [up my dribble].”

Doncic said he did not speak to James about the play after the game.

When asked if he believed James would have a good shot to win it when he passed it, Doncic — who had a season-high 15 assists — said he thought James did.

“I mean, I just saw him open, and I didn’t want to lose the ball,” Doncic said. “We didn’t have timeouts. … [But] I shouldn’t have picked up the ball. I should have attacked. … That’s on me.”

The inbounds play was one of several missed opportunities that caused L.A. to blow a 12-point second-half lead and lose for the first time all season when leading after three quarters after being 25-0.

James missed a free throw with 44.7 seconds left that would have put L.A. up by 3, and Orlando’s Desmond Bane made a 3 on the next possession to give the Magic a one-point lead.

After Banchero missed a pull-up shot with 10.5 seconds remaining with L.A. up by one, the Lakers failed to secure the defensive rebound, leading to Carter’s go-ahead putback.

The loss to Orlando dropped the Lakers’ record to 4-4 over their eight-game homestand. They head on the road to play the Phoenix Suns on Thursday followed by the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

“It’s a bit upsetting,” Lakers center Deandre Ayton said of the home losses. “We still got a lot of chances to just get in as good of a position as we can. Did feel weird in the homestand, just being 4-4. It was tough losses and played against some really good teams. But … just get back in the lab and just get ready for the next game.”

This is shaping up to be one of the great Premier League seasons. The title race looks set to go the distance, the battle for Europe is heating up and the relegation scrap is wonderfully poised. Last weekend, we saw Spurs slip closer to the mire, Arsenal and Manchester City continue pushing the pace at the top, and the battle for Champions League places remain hotly contested. We also witnessed notable performances from strikers Viktor Gyökeres and Raúl Jiménez.

There are plenty of takes around after the weekend, and ahead of the next batch of fixtures — like we’ve done with NFL and rugby union — we look at some snap judgements before weighing up whether they are overreactions or legit takes.

Let’s start with the battle for the title.

Jump to:
Man City, Arsenal title race will go down to wire?
Spurs in relegation battle?
Chelsea least disciplined side in PL history?
Gyökeres has lived up to transfer fee?
Jiménez one of PL’s great stories?

The title race will go down to the wire

Manchester City are five points and a game in hand behind Arsenal with three months to go. The Gunners stuttered against Wolves last Wednesday in a 2-2 draw, then demolished Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday. It’s developed into the classic game of cat and mouse.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

You can reduce this title race to a handful of words: If either team wins its remaining matches, it will claim the Premier League. The date to circle is April 18, when Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City, but you can expect many twists and turns until we get our eventual winner.

Arsenal have been in the driver’s seat for much of the season, but the ghosts of near-misses are peering over their shoulder. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s Man City have title-winning acumen throughout. In mid-January, Arsenal had a eight-point lead. Then came the draws at Brentford and Wolves, which opened the door for City. They strode straight through it, getting a late win over Liverpool, easing past Fulham, then hurdling Newcastle United last weekend on the back of Nico O’Reilly‘s pair of goals. Guardiola said his team would celebrate that 2-1 win with a cocktail or two. But Arsenal responded, obliterating rivals Spurs.

Opta still gives Arsenal a 82.8% chance of winning the league, predicting them to finish six or so points ahead of City. But the stats don’t account for the psychological aspect. Arsenal had an eight-point lead in April 2023, but ended up surrendering the title to Manchester City just a month later. It is going to be a fascinating, but excruciating, end of the season for the two teams.

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Marcotti: Tottenham would be idiotic to wait for Pochettino

Gab & Juls discuss the potential of Mauricio Pochettino joining Tottenham after the World Cup.

Spurs are in the thick of the relegation battle

Too good to go down? Perhaps not. After their derby defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, Tottenham are in a precarious situation, sitting in 16th and just four points out of the relegation places.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Tottenham’s injury list is extensive: Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro are all sidelined. Cristian Romero is suspended. They’ve also had to navigate relentless upheaval behind the scenes. And amid all of that, they’ve forgotten how to win; their last league victory was against Crystal Palace on Dec. 28. Oh, and they also have Europe in the equation.

New Spurs manager Igor Tudor has played one, lost one in the Premier League, but says he is 100% convinced Spurs will be a Premier League team next season. Regardless of what he thinks will happen, Spurs are in a relegation scrap. Worryingly, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest are showing signs of improvement and resilient beneath them.

Spurs look low on confidence: These are players who are accustomed to playing in Europe and trying to reach the summit, not scrapping around at the base of the league. Tudor is well versed in getting top players to think his way, and he has managed big clubs (Juventus, Lazio, Marseille) to then steer them through choppy waters, but this could be his greatest ask yet.

Key to survival will be their ability to rally and fight for one another. Take this from Jarrod Bowen after West Ham’s 0-0 draw with Bournemouth: “That’s a pleasing thing in the changing room when you can look around and say: ‘He’s got my back and I’ve got his.'” Can the same be said for Spurs?

Leeds, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are ready to battle. Spurs must start landing some punches of their own.

Chelsea are the most undisciplined side in Premier League history

Chelsea’s disciplinary record is truly grim. They picked up their sixth red card of the Premier League season in their 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday, with Wesley Fofana getting sent off for two yellows. At this point, the league record for red cards is not that far out of reach.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

We looked at Chelsea’s discipline back on Dec. 2 and whether it would cost them a Champions League spot. Back then, coach Enzo Maresca looked settled, and Chelsea were finding a way to grind matches out with 10 men. We said it wasn’t yet an issue that would scuttle their season, but they needed to sort it quickly.

Well, it’s still a major problem. Chelsea have lost 17 points from winning positions this term, and it happened again against Burnley as they conceded a 93rd-minute equalizer, with Zian Flemming heading home. But their red cards are not helping in the least. On Saturday, Wesley Fofana’s red made it nine total in all competitions (if you count Maresca’s against Liverpool in October). They’ve won just one of the six league matches in which they’ve had a player sent off.

But the Premier League record? Chelsea still have a way to go. Sunderland (2009-10) and QPR (2011-12) managed nine red cards, so they hold the record for the poorest discipline. It would take a lot for them to reach that unenviable mark.

It’s one of the unwanted habits that has crossed from Maresca’s tenure into Liam Rosenior’s. Chelsea have a young squad, but that’s not the sole reason for blame. “We need players you can rely on in the moment to do their job,” Rosenior said. “I know what we need to get there. It’s not down to youth; it’s down to assessing the players and identifying the ones you can rely on in difficult moments.”

Viktor Gyökeres has finally filled his Arsenal shirt

Gyökeres put in arguably his finest performance for Arsenal in the North London derby, scoring a second-half brace. As the Gunners chase their first title since 2003, Gyökeres might finally be living up to his $74 million transfer fee after making the move from Sporting CP last summer.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

In addition to his two wonderful goals, Gyökeres linked well with Bukayo Saka coming off the right wing, and was generally an immense nuisance down Spurs’ left side. His runs also created space for others, drawing defenders away. While he sometimes struggles in holding the ball up, his lethal form in front of goal was what Arsenal fans have been waiting for.

He has faced frequent challenges to his spot in the side. There was that spell when manager Mikel Arteta favored Mikel Merino as a false nine, and Gabriel Jesus‘ return added a further threat. With Arsenal in the driver’s seat of the title race, though, it’s Gyökeres’ shirt to lose. He’s scored more goals across all competitions than any other player in the Premier League in 2026.

But to say he’s finally living up to his transfer fee is premature, as he now faces the challenge of backing it up across the remaining 10 matches of the season. He’s rightly receiving praise for his performance last weekend, but he needs to show consistency over the coming weeks.

Raul Jiménez is one of the Premier League’s great stories

Jiménez suffered a fractured skull in November 2020 and after eight months of rehabilitation, he returned to action the next summer. Since joining Fulham from Wolverhampton Wanderers in June 2023 for a fee of $6.4 million, he has proved to be one of the best signings in Premier League history, with his brace for Fulham in their 3-1 win at Sunderland on Sunday the latest evidence.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

The Jiménez who arrived at Fulham in 2023 was still finding his feet in the sport after that horrific injury. “He was not in a good moment in his career,” Fulham manager Marco Silva said postmatch Sunday. That’s no surprise given doctors told Jiménez he was lucky to be alive.

In his final season for Wolves, Jiménez scored just three Carabao Cup goals. But Fulham believed they could nurture him back to his best. “We showed the confidence that we are capable for him to get to his best level,” Silva said. “We hope there is more to come. For a striker that we signed at the price we signed, he is doing very, very well.”

Jiménez’s brace gave Fulham a priceless win at Sunderland. It’s safe to argue that he must be one of the best points-per-pound acquisitions in the top flight. He has eight league goals this term, after chipping in with 12 last year and seven the season previous. With Rodrigo Muniz having missed so much of this season through injury, Jiménez has been leading the line.

While he doesn’t have the same pace we saw when he broke through for Wolves back in 2018, he still has that lethal touch in front of goal. His first against Sunderland saw him head home unmarked a corner, and his second was a calmly taken penalty. He’s 34 now, and heading into the twilight of his career, but his influence has not diminished.