• Washington’s Terry McLaurin and Dallas’ Micah Parsons have reportedly requested trades.
• Parsons would be a transformative presence on the Titans’ defense, while McLaurin would provide a reliable target for rookie QB Cam Ward.
• Acquiring either player would likely require multiple high draft picks and a lucrative contract extension.

Leave it to the NFL to fit this much drama and intrigue into the second weekend of training camp.

Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin and Dallas edge defender Micah Parsons ― two of the most prominent and most productive players in the NFL ― have either reportedly or directly requested trades in the last 24 hours, sparking speculation about the availability of these stars. Multiple national outlets have reported the Commanders have no intention of trading McLaurin and the Cowboys have no intention of trading Parsons, so any and all conversations have to start there.

But if you’re an organization like the Tennessee Titans, what’s there to lose by making a couple calls and checking in on the availabilities of two transformative presences?

Here’s a breakdown of why the Titans should, and shouldn’t, trade for Parsons and McLaurin.

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NFL trade rumors: How good are Micah Parsons, Terry McLaurin?

Over the last four seasons, Parsons is fifth in the NFL in sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits. Only Nick Bosa has logged more quarterback pressures over that timeframe, situating Parsons ahead of the likes of Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby. Parsons is only 26 years old.

McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, has posted five straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and emerged as a serious scoring threat in 2024 when he caught 13 touchdowns. The only other receivers with 1,000 yards every season since 2020 are Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams and Mike Evans. McLaurin put up those numbers despite consistent quarterback turnover in Washington early in his career; he’s caught passes from 13 different quarterbacks in his six-year career.

What could Tennessee Titans offer in Terry McLaurin, Micah Parsons trade?

It’s going to be difficult to envision a world where the Titans could reel in Parsons without a starting point of offering first-round NFL draft picks in 2026 and 2027. Maybe the Titans could sweeten the pot if they were willing to include a bona fide starter like DT Jeffery Simmons in the deal, but even in that scenario the Titans would still have to give up multiple high-end draft picks, and then commit to paying Parsons an extension worth more than $40 million a year to make giving away the assets worth it.

McLaurin, theoretically, could be a cheaper add. In the last year-and-a-half, D.K. Metcalf, George Pickens, Deebo Samuel, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, Jerry Jeudy and Stefon Diggs were all traded, and none cost more than a second-round pick. The question, again, comes down to whether the Titans are willing to commit to a long-term deal with a receiver who’s older than 30 to justify giving away the assets, since there’s only one year left on McLaurin’s contract and the Titans aren’t expected to compete in 2025, with or without McLaurin. Or Parsons, who’s also got one year left on his contract, for that matter.

The case for the Titans trading for Micah Parsons, Terry McLaurin

For Parsons, the argument is obvious. He’s a Hall of Fame caliber pass rusher potentially available as he heads into his prime. Let’s put it this way: Jevon Kearse is the Titans-era leader in career sacks with the franchise at 52. Jurrell Casey and Harold Landry III are right behind him at 51 and 50.5. Parsons, in four seasons, has 52.5 sacks. Throw in all the pressures, forced fumbles and batted passes, not to mention the double teams he draws and the scheming opposing offenses have to do always account for where he’s lined up, and there’s really no underestimating his value as a transformative presence.

Given the Titans’ need at edge rusher, it’s intuitive to guess the team’s going to consider drafting a player there in one of the next two first rounds. Getting a player of Parsons’ caliber is clearly less of a gamble then betting on landing and developing a rookie who, in a best-case scenario, probably can’t end up being better.

The McLaurin argument is a little different. The Titans have Calvin Ridley as a WR1 and invested a ton of assets into revamping the position this offseason, adding veterans Van Jefferson, Tyler Lockett and James Proche II and drafting rookies Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. The main reason to go get McLaurin would be to surround rookie QB Cam Ward with another sure thing; if building Ward’s confidence in Year 1 is the main objective, giving him another established, in-his-prime star to throw to rather than development prospects to grow alongside makes sense.

The case against the Titans trading for Micah Parsons, Terry McLaurin

For both of these cases, it’s important to remember the stated objective for this franchise as outlined by Chad Brinker and Mike Borgonzi. The Titans want to be a “draft and develop” organization. The philosophy of acquiring established talents on their second and third contracts and piecing the roster together is out of vogue, and the plan of stockpiling draft picks and home-growing the roster is in. A trade for either of these players violates that credo.

At 30 years old and heading toward his third contract, McLaurin isn’t the most attractive asset, especially after the Titans went all-in on older receivers in 2024 and ended up with minimal production from DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd. Throw in the recent less-than-stellar returns teams have gotten in recent years when trading for veteran receivers like Allen, Cooper and Diggs (sometimes because of injury and sometimes because of general decline) and there are plenty of arguments against making that trade.

The verdict on the Parsons situation is different. If the Titans truly believe they can be competitive in the next three or four years with Ward on a rookie deal without adding more top-tier young talent, a Parsons trade is a no-brainer. The question is: Is adding one All-Pro edge rusher more valuable than, say, taking two swings at premium positions with what could be back-to-back early first-round picks? Or, how high do you believe the likelihood is that you’ll be picking near the top of the draft in 2025 and 2026?

If either of these players actually do end up on the market, these are the conversations the Titans are going to need to be having.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X@nicksuss. Subscribe to theTalkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.