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The NFL Trade Deadline can mean different things for all 32 teams. Contending teams buying sounds good in a vacuum, but not every situation or trade is created equal. The same is true for sellers. But in all honesty, there's nothing worse than half measures at the trade deadline. If it's clear that a team needs to blow it up and they don't do so fully, it makes no sense. Looking at you, Indianapolis Colts.
But now that the deadline on Tuesday has passed, let's dive in and assess every team at the trade deadline by handing out NFL Trade Deadline grades to all 32 teams in the league.
The Cardinals are somewhere in-between when it comes to what they traded away before the deadline. On the one hand, getting a second-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr. earlier in the year looks like highway robbery, and adding a fourth-rounder for Jacoby Brissett is good business. At the same time, I have no idea why Arizona was so steadfast in holding onto Josh Sweat and Budda Baker. Not dealing either player ultimately hurts their grade, despite making favorable deals.
It wasn't a gangbusters trade deadline for the Falcons, but I respect Atlanta not getting enamored by a wide-open NFC South race and still selling where it made sense for them. Getting a second-round pick for Jessie Bates is an absolute win for the Falcons and swapping offensive lineman and gaining a 2028 pick from the Ravens also makes sense, even if it sends away starting center Ryan Neuzil. All told, though, the Falcons added to their future and still aren't completely out of a playoff berth in the division.
Have the Ravens actually watched their team this season? Lamar Jackson might be out for most of the rest of the season and yet they were ostensibly buyers at the trade deadline. Jacoby Brissett for a fourth-round pick makes next to no sense, the same as trading for Ryan Neuzil on an expiring contract. What are we doing here? What's the long-term plan? There doesn't seem to be one and now a roster that needs plenty of help moving forward will be build with less draft capital.
The Buffalo Bills only made one move, but it was a big one for this team. Amani Hooker is exactly the type of player that this defense needs. It's felt like we were trending in a familiar direction with Josh Allen and the offense operating in otherworldly fashion only for the defense to falter. Hooker doesn't fix everything and it's not a full "A" grade because they paid an inflated price, but his ability to improve the run and pass defense over the top will be an immediate upgrade.
It was wise of the Panthers to simply stand pat. There's an argument to be made that they should still be the favorites to win the NFC South this season, but there's also a realistic outlook for this team, and especially the defense, that would say they aren't going to win the Super Bowl. Maybe a soft buy could've helped them fill out some of the margins, but just riding this out and continuing to build with the capital and young talent you already have was the best course of action, which they took.
We shouldn't overlook the Bears just because they traded for Jeffery Simmons a couple of weeks before the NFL Trade Deadline. In fact, they should be lauded for their aggressiveness in that. Ryan Poles wasn't afraid to set the market for an All-Pro-caliber defensive tackle that Chicago direly needed on defense, so he did. I would've liked to see a cornerback or an edge rusher added to the mix, but there's no other way to look at the Bears other than a clear trade deadline winner.
Not only would I have liked to see the Bengals make some sort of defensive addition at the trade deadline, they also had such a deal in place before Duke Tobin realized he didn't know what he was doing. On Tuesday, a trade between Cincy and Philadelphia was reported for Arnold Ebiketie. But that deal was quickly nixed for what seems like the Bengals realizing they would lose their third-round comp pick from Trey Hendrickson if they made the trade. The Bengals are still a good team and will be fine, but that's not exactly a good look for the reputation here.
This is a good example of every team's grade being relative. Cleveland has a winning record and absolutely could've been compelled to try and capitalize on that at the trade deadline. Instead, the Browns stood pat and didn't operate as buyers or sellers. That's exactly what they should've done. There's still a lot to figure out on this roster and maybe some shuffling via trade could've helped the cause, but if the right deals weren't out there, it's not the worst thing to just move forward with a youth movement.
Pick a lane, Jerry Jones. This is one I truly don't understand at the trade deadline. A team that's already burned a ton of draft capital and has been wildly disappointing this season just simply sat the trade deadline out. Seriously? You've already traded for Joey Porter Jr. earlier in the year and were talking a big game about all of the irons in the fire. I'd make the argument that the Cowboys should've been sellers at the deadline, but to do quite literally nothing with this roster is foolish.
People were expecting the Broncos to potentially be movers and shakers at the trade deadline. Only trading for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley was probably not what those people had in mind. Henley will be good depth for the Denver defense as he likely slots in, at least initially, behind Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton. That being said, the Broncos' real needs were on offense, so while I don't hate the Henley trade, there was meat left on the bone here.
If you've watched the Lions this season, it's obvious that this team didn't need much at the trade deadline. What little help they did need was in the secondary, and they answered the call cheaply with a trade for veteran Andre Cisco. The now-former Jet is a good player who won't be considered a game-changer but should help ideally for what Detroit's defense is lacking on the back end. It's overall a good-not-great trade deadline for one of the NFC's many contenders.
With the way the Packers have been operating of late, it's at least somewhat reasonable that they would just sit out the trade deadline. That's also just kind of the M.O. for Brian Gutekunst and this front office when it comes to roster-building. Yet, with the Bears, Vikings and Lions all making improvements at the deadline, there are clear weaknesses that Green Bay could've addressed and seemingly chose not to. The optics of their inaction in the NFC North simply aren't great.
Let us never forget that the Texans, for reasons that will remain mysterious for eternity, traded a whole second-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr., who is like the fourth or fifth receiver in this offense. The good news for Houston is that they didn't try to overextend themselves in a season where their dismal start has likely killed their playoff chances and Harrison is a piece that could, in theory, help beyond the 2026 campaign. Even still, what a horrendous singular deal for the Texans.
On the plus side, the Colts were able to recoup a fair amount of draft capital before the trade deadline as they moved on from Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Josh Downs and Keenan Allen. But why is it just those four players? And are we sure they got top value for all of them? Jonathan Taylor should've been traded, the same for Grover Stewart — and Indianapolis had quality offers for both, but either overvalued Taylor or waited too long with Stewart. The fact that they had a fire sale but only did so halfheartedly just doesn't sit right given how bad the situation has devolved for this organization. Oh, and for good measure, trading Nelson and Buckner too quickly seemingly led to them getting poor value there, even if it still brings in assets.
If you're going to go all-in, then go all-in. The Jaguars and young general manager James Gladstone followed that to a T. Had they just pulled off one trade that landed them either Jordan Davis or Jessie Bates III, this would've been a successful trade deadline for Jacksonville. They added both, and Davon Godchaux for good measure. Yes, it cost them their first- and second-round picks in the 2027 draft, plus more. This is a team with a chance to compete for a Super Bowl, though, and they made moves to try and achieve that ultimate goal.
Josh Downs is going to be a good addition for the Chiefs. He's a better slot than Rashee Rice right now and would be Kansas City's leading receiver with the yardage he had with Daniel Jones in Indianapolis. It's a good move for this offense that needed someone to just make the passing offense more functional. That being said, it would've been nice to see a bit of a bigger fish that they landed here and someone who would've been a more obvious upgrade for Mahomes to work with.
The Raiders were honest with themselves, which is something that shouldn't be faulted at the trade deadline. This team isn't a playoff team, but they have a future to look forward to with Fernando Mendoza. And the truth at the heart of that is the third-round pick they got from the Vikings is worth more to them than Kirk Cousins at this point. You could argue that they could've been even more aggressive sellers, which is why I have them at a B+. But I do think it's an overall win for Vegas at this juncture.
What are we doing, Chargers? Have you watched your team play? Do you think that there's real value in holding onto assets? There isn't, just for the record. Khalil Mack should've been traded. Quentin Johnston too. And there's a massive argument to make that should've just been the tip of the iceberg. While trading Daiyan Henley in a vacuum was a good trade for Los Angeles, it doesn't even qualify as a half measure. It was an abject failure on the Chargers part and not recognizing who they are this season.
On one hand, the Rams spent so much draft capital this offseason with the acquisitions of Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie. On the other hand, with Davante Adams out for most of the rest of the season and Puka Nacua now hitting IR, it felt like LA had to do something at the trade deadline. It would've been understandable for the Rams to stand pat if they were healthy, but that's just not the reality of where this team currently sits.
The reality of the Dolphins is that they don't have a ton of trade assets that are super valuable right now, especially with defensive tackle Zach Sieler hitting IR on Tuesday. For that reason, it's hard to be truly harsh toward Miami about the fact that they were largely inactive ahead of the trade deadline. They could've gotten creative, especially with some defensive pieces, but overall, the Dolphins are just staying the course.
The Vikings have quite clearly been missing a competent quarterback this entire season. Brian Flores has the defense performing at an all-world level, but they've been unable to match that on the other side of the football. Kirk Cousins isn't an MVP candidate, of course, but he is a stabilizing force for Minnesota's offense, someone who can distribute to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and legitimately help them to push for the NFC North crown. My nitpick would be they could've explored a running back addition as well, but Cousins was the bigger priority, without question.
Because the Patriots are sitting at 5-4 and coming off a horrendous loss to the Packers, it was fair to think that they could've gotten aggressive at the deadline to buy more assets. I'm giving them credit for not doing that. Despite the highs that Drake Maye has shown this season, New England doesn't have the juice that they did a season ago and it's showing. The A.J. Brown trade was a flop and doubling down with more trades to mortgage more capital would've been a mistake.
The truth of the matter is that the Saints are quite short on assets, which is not the place you want to be as a team that's trying to start a youth movement. Maybe they could've moved Alvin Kamara, maybe Justin Reid or Pete Werner, but there really aren't many assets at all. The one move they did make was getting a sixth-rounder for Davon Godchaux, and I'm going to give them positive marks here for selling on one of the few viable trade chips they actually had.
The Giants ultimately came up empty at the trade deadline, despite being connected to a bevy of running backs, including Jonathan Taylor. It would've been nice to see New York add something, but I also don't hate a more cautious trade deadline for this team overall. Yes, they might be the best team in the NFC East — but much like with the teams in the NFC South, does that really matter all that much? They're still not a Super Bowl contender, and holding onto draft assets probably benefits the G-Men more in the long run.
Trading Andre Cisco was a good move for the Jets, but that's unfortunately where the niceties stop. I can understand the reasoning behind New York not going full fire sale more so than I can with a team like the Chargers. At the same time, I still disagree with it. Yes, the Jets are already rich in draft capital. But Breece Hall was a tremendous asset to sell, Nahshon Wright could've been a hot commodity, and there were other avenues as well. Being so inactive feels like a mistake for a team that's already reaping rewards from loading up on draft capital in 2026 before this.
Well done by the Eagles. This season has devolved in ways that, frankly, no one could've seen coming. So the fact that they were willing to part with Jordan Davis and get a massive haul for him is huge. Let's also not forget somehow snaking a second-rounder from the Ravens for Cam Jurgens earlier in the year as well. The only reason they aren't getting a top grade is because they could've sold a bit harder for more draft capital, but it's definitely a positive deadline for Philly — even if one that Eagles fans would like to forget because of the team's situation.
The Steelers were expectedly and reportedly in the market for a wide receiver. It seemed they had zeroed in on Calvin Ridley, but the recent incident at the airport forced them to move away from that. With that being the case, Pittsburgh not making a move ultimately feels right for them. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they need draft capital for a relatively uncertain future. Going for it full-on this season would've been a long-term miscalculation.
The 49ers did make two additions amid the slew of injuries that has plagued this team all season, trading for DeForest Buckner and Keenan Allen. They didn't have to give up a ton to get either player and both should be immediate help for San Francisco. However, are we sure that Allen in particular is someone who really changes the calculus for this offense? He's well past his prime and, while useful, isn't a high-impact player anymore. They needed depth, but it would've been preferable to see them add closer to the top of the depth chart with a siimply better player.
We're not going to use hindsight here because Quenton Nelson is currently on IR after he was traded to the Seahawks. That was a terrific move by Seattle, especially considering that John Schneider might've fleeced the Colts and gotten the All-Pro guard for way cheaper than he should've been traded. However, Seattle not following that up with any other moves does leave you wanting a bit if you're a Seahawks fan, as there was more aggression that could've been shown.
The same refrain for the Panthers and Falcons earlier, there is no issue with a team in the NFC South, the Buccaneers in this case, not really moving in either direction. The division is a complete and total mess right now and, while someone has to win it, it's quite clear none of the teams, Tampa included, are good enough to make a playoff run this season. Baker Mayfield and the Bucs can very well make it into the postseason, but there's enough work to do on this roster that they shouldn't be in the business of buying assets, nor are they quite bad enough for a fire sale in that division.
Everyone in Tennessee is probably ready to send Joe Burrow a fruit basket for throwing three picks to Amani Hooker and boosting the veteran safety's trade value, because the Titans getting a second-round pick in that deal is pretty impressive. And they got an absolute king's ransom for Jeffery Simmons. However good those trades are, though, they should've been more gung-ho to trade guys like Tony Pollard from this roster. You can understand why Calvin Ridley is still there given his legal issues, but the Titans need as many draft assets as possible with the state of this roster.
Unfortunately for the Commanders, their best trade asset was rendered unavailable with Daron Payne being ruled out for the rest of the season. When you combine that with the injuries that Washington has endured this year, their hands were pretty tied at the trade deadline. There were moves that still could've been made on the margins, sure, but it's hard to really fault a team that's just in a bad spot and didn't have too many meaningful routes forward to make impactful trades.
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