The 2026 NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching. NFL teams have until November 10th at 4 p.m. ET to swing any last-minute trades for the remainder of the 2026 season. The deadline seems to be becoming more and more active with each passing year. That trend only intensified in 2026 with a number of important already happening before the month of November.
Entering the start of the season, Joey Porter Jr. looked like an obvious trade candidate at the deadline. But the Cowboys pulled off the huge acquisition just weeks into the season, taking Porter out of the conversation.
Since then, several other important NFL players have been moved in a flurry of trade activity. The Eagles sent Cam Jurgens to the Ravens and the Texans reunited Marvin Harrison Jr. with his college teammate C.J. Stroud. Indianapolis also kicked off their fire sale, sending Quenton Nelson to Seattle and DeForest Buckner to San Francisco.
The most shocking deal came on October 29th when Chicago acquired Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee in exchange for two first-round picks. The Bears went all in to make themselves Super Bowl contenders in the NFC for the foreseeable future. That shows the true power of the trade deadline, as it can completely change the trajectory for a team.
So are there any more elite players who will be traded in the next week? And which teams are most likely to come buyers at the deadline?
Here are five more blockbuster deals that would shake up the NFL at the 2026 trade deadline.
Bengals pay a premium to acquire Jonathan Taylor
The Bengals may not seem like an obvious team to make this move. But this all-in move could turn Cincinnati into a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that multiple teams have checked in on possibly trading for Taylor. Those teams include the Vikings, Giants, Broncos, Packers, and Bengals. So Schultz is saying there's a chance.
The biggest missing ingredient in Cincinnati's offense in recent seasons is a strong running game. Nothing has been the same since Joe Mixon's time with the Bengals ended after the 2023 season. This is meant as no disrespect to Chase Brown, who has held down the starting job admirably over the past few seasons. But he's only gone over 1,000 rushing yards once and has never had a double-digit touchdown season on the ground. It is no coincidence that Cincinnati's Super Bowl run in 2021 came during a season where Mixon had 1,205 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.
Could Taylor help them recapture that magic?
Taylor has gone over 1,400 rushing yards and 10 touchdown in back-to-back seasons. He is pacing towards a similar season in 2026. That is hugely impressive because the Colts do not have a multi-faceted offense where he can get lost in the equation. So just imagine what he could do if he isn't the best player on the field.
From a financial perspective, this trade could totally work. The Bengals would only need to create ~$1.5 million in cap space to have enough room to bring on Taylor. Cincinnati also has enough cap space in future seasons to take on Taylor's new contract.
The biggest hurdle could be the price. In order for Cincinnati to stand out from the pack and pry Taylor from Indy, they may need to pay through the nose.
The Bengals should be willing to part ways with a first-round pick, plus a little extra, to get their hands on Taylor.
Is Brian Thomas Jr. the perfect trade candidate for the Rams?
Sometimes the deadline simply comes down to desperation. The Rams feel like a pretty desperate team right now.
LA is 4-4 on the season after taking care of the Chargers in Week 8. It is impressive that they've dug themselves out of a hole, but there's still a lot of work to do. The NFC playoff field is quite competitive this season, so simply going .500 won't be enough to make the dance.
The Rams have a brutal schedule this season, so adding reinforcements on offense should be in play for them. Especially after losing Davante Adams to an extended injury.
Jacksonville should be willing to trade BTJ after he's been completely phased out of the offense. A change of scenery would do him good, and the Rams could certainly use the help at wide receiver.
The trickiest part of a potential Rams trade is what are they willing to give up?
LA only has four picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, with their second-round pick being the best one. They are also missing a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2029. That being the case, the Rams may need to be very confident in Thomas in order to part ways with another draft pick. Or they could simply be very desperate.
If the Rams can get BTJ for a Day 3 pick, they need to make the move. But if the Jaguars want more than that, GM Les Snead will need to be careful. Weighing the future of the organization against what Thomas could provide is tricky, especially in an all-in season like this one.
Ultimately, this situation warrants taking another risk. LA needs to add Thomas, or someone else, at the deadline to solidify their chances of making their Super Bowl run this season.
Packers make another all-in move, acquire Josh Sweat from Cardinals
The easy money is on the Cowboys to pull off a trade for Sweat. But it would be much more exciting if he went to a different NFC team.
Yes, Green Bay already has a nice situation on the edges to begin with. Micah Parsons will hopefully be back soon, joining Lukas Van Ness during what's becoming a breakout season. If the Packers added one more incredible pass rusher then their defense could become truly unstoppable.
Sweat reunites with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who was his head coach in Arizona in 2025. The 29-year-old pass rusher logged 12 sacks and four forced fumbles last season, both career highs. If Gannon can get the same production out of him in Green Bay, this could end up being a massive move for the organization.
The Packers only have $6.38 million in cap space approaching the deadline. That means they would need to make a few roster adjustments after acquiring Sweat to become cap compliant. One possible solution could be to restructure Jordan Love's contract. He has the largest cap hit on the team with $36.12 million in 2026. That jumps up to $44.03 in 2027, when Green Bay is expected to be in the red for the salary cap.
Therefore, any restructuring would need to take next year's cap situation into account. Perhaps the Packers simply give Love a short-term extension, allowing them to perform some salary cap gymnastics to improve their 2027 cap situation too.
But what should Green Bay send in a hypothetical Sweat trade?
The Packers should have 11 selections in the 2027 NFL Draft, though they lack their own first-round pick. Assuming Green Bay holds onto their second-round pick, they could offer a third-round pick and more to acquire Sweat.
It would be thrilling to see Green Bay make another aggressive move to upgrade their pass rush.
Buffalo reinforces their defense by plucking Budda Baker from Arizona
Another Cardinals player could soon be on the move.
The Bills put in a lot of work upgrading their defense this offseason. Buffalo finally has the front seven looking stacked and some nice pieces in the secondary. But if the Bills really want to go all the way this season, they could use a bit more talent at the safety position.
Cole Bishop is still a promising player, but he is not producing like he did in 2025. Meanwhile, C.J. Gardner-Johnson is more of a distraction than a playmaker at this point in his career. Damar Hamlin and Geno Stone are solid depth players, which is great news. The one missing piece is a superstar-level safety who can elevate the talent of the other players around him.
Budda Baker could be the guy that changes everything for the Bills.
The 30-year-old safety is stuck on a rebuilding team in Arizona and does not have much time left to win a Super Bowl. Joining the Bills would give Baker the best chance he's ever had to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. So this trade certainly makes sense both for him and the Bills.
But would the Cardinals be willing to part ways with him?
The answer should be yes, especially after Arizona sent away Marvin Harrison Jr. so quickly. Arizona may be a competitive team in the future, but that won't happen during Baker's time in the desert. So why not get something in return for him? And give the vet a chance to win it all in the process.
It would require some salary cap tricks, but the Bills could definitely make this trade happen. Go get him, Brandon Beane!
Eagles are buyers at the deadline, acquire Shemar Stewart from the Bengals
Everyone expects the Eagles to be sellers at the deadline after Jalen Hurts' season-ending blood clots revelation. But what if they are actually buyers?
It's not as crazy as it sounds.
Philly already declared that they won't trade Saquon Barkley despite their awful 2-5 record and mounting injuries. Insiders around the league also think the Eagles could be buyers, at least if GM Howie Roseman can find the right deal. In theory, he could make an addition if the Eagles are adding a player who could contribute for multiple seasons. That player may also need to be acquired at quite a discount. One player fits that description like a glove.
Article Continues BelowBengals former first-round pick Shemar Stewart is a player who multiple teams are keeping an eye on ahead of the deadline. Stewart has fallen out of favor in Cincinnati, sitting on the bench while guys like Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy, and Cashius Howell take more and more snaps.
Stewart has that first-round pedigree and does not have much wear and tear on his body. That makes him the ideal reclamation project who could thrive in a different location.
Meanwhile, the Eagles desperately need to add some juice to their pass rush unit. Jonathan Greenard is not playing like he did in Minnesota and Nolan Smith, Arnold Ebiketie, and Jalyx Hunt are not a great supporting group. Make no mistake, Stewart is not an immediate solution. That said, it's worth taking a shot on him if the price is right.
If the Eagles can acquire Stewart for a Day 3 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, they should jump at the opportunity.
Jaguars add some juice to their defensive interior with huge Daron Payne addition
This trade would certainly shake up the AFC playoff race.
The Commanders are flailing after starting the season 1-4-1 with back-to-back brutal endings. At this point, it feels like the Dan Quinn era is already over, so why not prepare for the future?
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler named Daron Payne as a top trade candidate in a recent article ahead of the deadline. His high level of play and his expiring contract could make him expendable for Washington.
“Washington dealt key defensive pieces at the deadline three years ago and could be faced with a similar predicament this time with Payne, who's 29 and still has value,” Fowler wrote. “Payne is a 2027 free agent with a $16.4 million base this year. But the NFC East is also winnable, despite Washington's 1-4-1 record, so that could be a point in favor of the Commanders keeping him.”
Fowler even named Jacksonville as a potential fit for Payne.
“Jacksonville is a potential fit, with some in the league noting the Jaguars could use a versatile interior player with pass-rush ability and have looked for that since the offseason,” Fowler added.
Payne has flashed some elite pass rush potential in the past. But he simply hasn't had the help around him to put up big numbers in recent seasons. That would all change by joining the Jaguars.
Jacksonville already has Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker getting after the quarterback. Adding Payne on top of Arik Armstead in the interior would make their front even more dangerous.
The biggest hurdle is the financial side of things, as Payne has large cap hits in 2026 and 2027.
If the Jaguars truly think they are a Super Bowl contender, they need to seriously consider making this move.