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We're still a week out from the NFL’s trade deadline, but after an incredibly messy Sunday around the league, plenty of teams can’t afford to wait any longer to improve their roster for the second half of the season. The Baltimore Ravens lost their starting quarterback; the Dallas Cowboys blew a two-score, fourth-quarter lead to the Arizona Cardinals of all teams; and the Kansas City Chiefs lost their second straight game and still can't find a receiver for Patrick Mahomes to target downfield.
All of the above entered the 2026 capmaign with Super Bowl-or-bust expectations. But it's clear at this point that they won't realize them unless they swing big between now and Nov. 10 — and they're not alone.
Lamar Jackson is out for at least the next four weeks, and his thumb injury could well keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. That’s why the Ravens have to be swift in getting a competent quarterback in to fill in. Nothing against Tyler Huntley, but he’s won just one game since taking over, and after consecutive blowout losses, it’s time for a change — especially if Baltimore wants to be playoff contenders when Jackson might be able to return. There aren't a lot of compelling backup options out there, but they do have a chance to land one in Jameis Winston or even Gardner Minshew. I’d caution against going after Jacoby Brissett because he did get benched, but Minshew leading the comeback win should definitely make him a favorite target.
The Bengals are not ones to make drastic moves, and truthfully, they probably won’t even budge despite Cashius Howell’s wrist injury keeping him out indefinitely. But Cincinnati’s defense got torched by Tennessee (of all teams) on Sunday, and though they were able to pull off the win, they still need to add some depth to this defensive line. Realistically, they aren’t going to take a big swing — but they could look at someone like Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack as a stopgap to keep this defensive front afloat. They invested too much into this roster to let an injury hold them back. The defense is still the priority, and they have to think about all their options if they want to remain among the top teams in the AFC.
Dallas’ loss to Arizona was flat-out embarrassing. The NFC East is up for grabs, and losing to teams like the Cardinals is the difference between being a contender and letting another season slip through your fingers. The Cowboys have way too much at stake to take the current state of this defense into the second half of the season. The Las Vegas Raiders have already made it clear they don’t want to trade Maxx Crosby and the Cowboys' depleted draft capital makes it impossible to change their minds. That said, Josh Sweat is still up for grabs and has long been rumored to be in Jerry Jones’ crosshairs. This probably shouldn’t be the only move Dallas makes, but it definitely needs to be the first.
The Chiefs have lost the last two games and the offense has been a large reason for that. Kansas City hasn’t been bad offensively, but it’s clear they miss not having a true No. 1 target for Patrick Mahomes to go to. Travis Kelce is a shadow of what he used to be and neither Rashee Rice or Xavier Worthy have turned into the top targets the Chiefs would have hoped for. As a result, it’s time to get aggressive in adding a real outside receiver to this offense.
Dare I say trade for Stefon Diggs? The Washington Commanders might not be keen on making that move seeing as they could technically still win the NFC East division after a win over Philly on Sunday night. That doesn’t mean other options aren’t available, though. Brian Thomas Jr. makes the most sense simply because he’s young. He’s being underused in Jacksonville and could benefit from a change in scenery.
Yes, Seattle’s running back room is getting healthy with Jadarian Price back and Zach Charbonnet set to make his 2026 debut. But if there’s one thing Sam Darnold needs right now, it’s a running game. Jonathan Taylor has been rumored to land with the Minnesota Vikings, but the Seahawks have to realize he’s too valuable to let him go to an NFC foe. Taylor would give Seattle the Super Bowl offense it had a year ago with Kenneth Walker III. Relying on Charbonnet, who’s recovering from an ACL, and Price, a rookie who's been on IR already this year, is not conducive to late-season success. Adding Taylor is, and the Seahawks better realize that now before another team swoops in and steals the key to their title defense.
Jonah Coleman carried the run game in Sunday’s win for the Denver Broncos, but there’s no way Denver is actually thinking this will be a winning recipe moving forward. He’s a great change-of-pace option, but he’s not yet a reliable feature back. Tony Pollard is, which is precisely why the Broncos need to make quick work of adding him (or someone like him) to this banged-up position room. Pollard had yet another big game on Sunday, rushing for more than 100 yards and three touchdowns for the second straight week. All the talk has been about Taylor at the deadline. Pollard could be a sneaky addition that will make whatever contender he lands with even more dangerous.
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