NFL Trade Deadline Grades 2026: Every Team, Graded
The 2026 NFL trade deadline is over, and 23 teams made at least one deal. We graded every one of them on three things: what they paid, how badly they needed the player, and how long that player is under contract.
The short answer: the Titans and 49ers had the best deadlines, the Jaguars made the boldest push, and the Colts, Cardinals and Ravens left us wanting more. Records are entering Week 10, per ESPN and NFL.com standings.
For all 18 trades with dates and every pick involved, see our NFL trade deadline tracker. The grades below are our own opinions, built on the terms reported by NFL.com, ESPN and NFL Network.
NFL trade deadline grades for every team
| Team | Record | Deadline moves | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 1-7 | Sold Simmons and Hooker for two firsts, a second and a fourth | A |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7-1 | Added Buckner and Allen for a fourth and a sixth | A |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-2 | Added Davis, Bates and Godchaux | A- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-7 | Sold Davis and Jurgens for a first and two seconds | A- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-2 | Got Cousins for a third, sold McCarthy for a fifth | B+ |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-1 | Got Hooker for a second | B+ |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6-2 | Got Downs for a fourth and a fifth | B+ |
| Chicago Bears | 7-2 | Got Simmons for two firsts and a fourth | B |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-4 | Got Nelson for a third and a fifth | B |
| Denver Broncos | 7-2 | Got Henley for a fourth and a fifth | B |
| Detroit Lions | 6-2 | Got Cisco for a sixth | B |
| Houston Texans | 3-5 | Got Harrison Jr. for a second | B |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 4-5 | Sold Cousins for a third | B |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-2 | Sold Porter Jr. for a second | B |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-6 | Sold Bates and Neuzil | B |
| New York Giants | 5-2-1 | Got McCarthy for a fifth | B- |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0-8 | Sold Henley for a fourth and a fifth | B- |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-5 | Got Porter Jr. for a second | C+ |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-7 | Sold four veterans, kept Taylor | C+ |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-5 | Sold Godchaux for a conditional sixth | C+ |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4-5 | Got Jurgens, Brissett and Neuzil | C |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-6 | Sold Harrison Jr. and Brissett | C |
| New York Jets | 2-7 | Sold Cisco for a sixth | C |
How we graded each team
Buyers start from price versus need. A contender filling a real hole at a fair price grades well. Paying a premium for a player in a contract year, who could leave in March, costs points. So does buying while the record says the season is slipping.
Sellers start from return versus what they gave up. Turning veterans who are not part of the next good team into picks grades well. Selling a young starter for less than his draft value grades poorly, whatever the record.
Our free NFL plays for Week 10 are on the free picks page.
Buyers: grading the contenders
San Francisco 49ers trade deadline grade: A
The 49ers added defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for a 2027 fourth-round pick and receiver Keenan Allen for a 2027 sixth. Buckner returns to the team that drafted him in 2016. At 7-1, San Francisco got two useful veterans for the price of two late picks.
Both were in contract years, per Schefter and Pelissero, so these are rentals. At these prices that is fine. Allen had 40 catches for 351 yards and a touchdown in Indianapolis, so we see him as depth more than a top target.
Jacksonville Jaguars trade deadline grade: A-
No team pushed harder. On November 9 the 6-2 Jaguars got nose tackle Jordan Davis from the Eagles for a 2027 first and a 2029 second, safety Jessie Bates III from the Falcons for a 2027 second and a 2028 fifth, and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the Saints for a conditional 2028 sixth.
A first-round pick is a steep price for a nose tackle, but Davis is no rental. He signed a three-year, $78 million extension in March that runs through 2029. Jacksonville also kept receiver Brian Thomas Jr. We take it down a step for the total draft capital spent.
Minnesota Vikings trade deadline grade: B+
With Kyler Murray out week to week with a strained hamstring, the 6-2 Vikings got Kirk Cousins back from the Raiders for their original 2027 third-round pick and kept their first and second. Cousins knows Kevin O'Connell's offense, which matters for a team that cannot afford a learning curve.
The grade would be higher without the September trade that sent J.J. McCarthy to the Giants for a fifth. Minnesota ended up paying for a quarterback six weeks later. Cousins is also 38 and tore his Achilles in 2023.
Buffalo Bills trade deadline grade: B+
Buffalo, 7-1, sent the Titans a 2027 second-round pick for safety Amani Hooker and a 2027 fifth. Hooker is tied for the league lead with five interceptions. A second is a real price, but a Super Bowl contender buying a ball-hawking starter is what a second-round pick should buy.
Kansas City Chiefs trade deadline grade: B+
The 6-2 Chiefs added receiver Josh Downs and a 2027 seventh for a 2027 fourth and fifth. Downs wanted Kansas City all along, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, and gives Patrick Mahomes another slot option. He is in a contract year, so this is a rental at a fair price.
Chicago Bears trade deadline grade: B
The Bears paid the biggest price of the season in October: 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth to the Titans for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, with a 2028 fifth coming back. At 7-2, Chicago is using the deal the way a contender should.
We like the player and the fit. The grade reflects the cost: two firsts is the most any team gave for one player this season, and it leaves the Bears short on early picks for two drafts.
Seattle Seahawks trade deadline grade: B
Seattle sent a 2027 third and a 2028 fifth to Indianapolis for guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson is one of the best guards of his era, and he fills a need. He is in a contract year, though, and at 5-4 the Seahawks paid a third for a rental while chasing a wild card.
Denver Broncos trade deadline grade: B
The 7-2 Broncos paid a 2027 fourth and a 2028 fifth to the Chargers for linebacker Daiyan Henley. It is a fair price for a starting linebacker, and it comes from a division rival. Not flashy, but sound.
Detroit Lions trade deadline grade: B
Detroit, 6-2, took safety Andre Cisco from the Jets for a 2028 sixth-round pick. That is close to free. Low-cost depth for a contender, with almost no downside.
Houston Texans trade deadline grade: B
Houston landed Marvin Harrison Jr., the fourth pick in the 2024 draft, from Arizona in October for a 2027 second and a swap of late picks. Buying a young receiver below his draft value is good business, even for a 3-5 team. This is a long-term bet, not a playoff push.
New York Giants trade deadline grade: B-
The Giants got quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings for a 2027 fifth on September 28. At 5-2-1 the cheap bet looks fine, but McCarthy has been dealing with a hip injury, so this grade waits on his health.
Dallas Cowboys trade deadline grade: C+
Dallas sent a 2028 second and a late 2027 pick to Pittsburgh for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on October 1. Porter is a young starter, so the deal makes sense on its own. At 4-5, though, the Cowboys spent a second while still fighting to stay in the race.
Baltimore Ravens trade deadline grade: C
Baltimore made three trades in five weeks. The Ravens got center Cam Jurgens from the Eagles in October for a 2027 fifth and a 2028 second, quarterback Jacoby Brissett on November 6 after Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley were hurt, and center Ryan Neuzil from the Falcons at the 4 PM buzzer.
Brissett cost a 2027 fourth and a 2028 seventh, and Neuzil cost guard Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth. Each move fixed a short-term problem. Together they spent a second-round pick and more on a 4-5 team, and two centers in five weeks tells us the line plan did not hold.
Sellers: grading the rebuilding teams
Tennessee Titans trade deadline grade: A
Tennessee had the best deadline in the league. At 1-7, it turned Jeffery Simmons into 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth, sending back only a 2028 fifth. Then it sold Amani Hooker, tied for the league lead in interceptions, to Buffalo for a 2027 second.
Losing its best defender will hurt on Sundays, and we expect a long second half. But two firsts and a second give the Titans the draft capital a rebuild needs.
Philadelphia Eagles trade deadline grade: A-
At 2-7, the Eagles sold well. They got a 2027 first and a 2029 second for Jordan Davis, moving his new $78 million extension, and a 2028 second plus a 2027 fifth for center Cam Jurgens. A planned Arnold Ebiketie deal fell through when Cincinnati backed out, per Schefter.
Las Vegas Raiders trade deadline grade: B
The 4-5 Raiders got Minnesota's original 2027 third-round pick for Kirk Cousins and handed the offense to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. A third for a 38-year-old quarterback is a fair return, and the real value is starting Mendoza's development now.
Pittsburgh Steelers trade deadline grade: B
Pittsburgh dealt cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas on October 1 for a 2028 second and a late 2027 pick. Selling a young starter is a risk for a contender, but a second-round pick is a solid return, and the Steelers are 6-2 entering Week 10.
Atlanta Falcons trade deadline grade: B
The 3-6 Falcons got a 2027 second and a 2028 fifth from Jacksonville for Jessie Bates III, a fair price for a veteran safety on a team out of the race. The Neuzil deal brought back guard Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth, which we call even.
Los Angeles Chargers trade deadline grade: B-
At 0-8, the Chargers moved linebacker Daiyan Henley to Denver for a 2027 fourth and a 2028 fifth. Selling is right for a winless team. The return is modest, and helping a division rival is a small knock.
Indianapolis Colts trade deadline grade: C+
The 2-7 Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard and sold four veterans in contract years: Quenton Nelson to Seattle for a 2027 third and 2028 fifth, DeForest Buckner and Keenan Allen to San Francisco for a fourth and a sixth, and Josh Downs to Kansas City for a fourth and a fifth.
Taking 2027 picks over 2028 compensatory picks, as Pelissero reported, is sensible. But the Colts kept Jonathan Taylor after offers of a second-round pick or more, per Pelissero. For a team starting over without a GM, passing on a second for a running back is the miss that drags the grade down.
New Orleans Saints trade deadline grade: C+
The 3-5 Saints moved defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to Jacksonville for a conditional 2028 sixth. It is a small return for a veteran, though it opens snaps for younger linemen. Not much to grade either way.
Arizona Cardinals trade deadline grade: C
Arizona sold Marvin Harrison Jr., the fourth pick in the 2024 draft, to Houston for a 2027 second and a swap of late picks. Moving a top-five pick in his third season for a second is selling low. The Cardinals also turned down a Day 2 pick for safety Budda Baker.
The Brissett deal was better. Arizona got a 2027 fourth and a 2028 seventh for a backup quarterback, sending a 2027 fifth along with him. At 3-6, the Cardinals needed more out of this deadline.
New York Jets trade deadline grade: C
At 2-7, the Jets got only a 2028 sixth from Detroit for safety Andre Cisco and turned away interest in receiver Garrett Wilson. Keeping Wilson is defensible. A sixth for Cisco is not much of a return.
What the trade deadline grades mean for betting
Grades are not point spreads. Most players who changed teams are role players, and lines rarely move more than a half point for them. Quarterbacks are the exception: Cousins in Minnesota and Mendoza in Las Vegas both change their teams' numbers in Week 10.
We re-line every game in our NFL Week 10 preview, and our prime-time pages cover Steelers vs Bengals and Chargers vs Ravens, where Brissett starts for Baltimore.
For futures, Kalshi's NFL markets and Polymarket both price every contender, a quick way to see whether the market agrees with our grades. Our Super Bowl odds page tracks the sportsbook board.