The 2026 NFL trade deadline will be remembered for Kirk Cousins going back to Minnesota and Amani Hooker landing in Buffalo. But the larger story may be everything that didn’t happen.
A star running back, a Pro Bowl safety, a young receiver and a veteran pass rusher all drew real interest and stayed put. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano filled in many of the details in their Week 10 buzz file on Wednesday, and other insiders added more over deadline week.
Here is a team-by-team look at the deals that almost happened, why they fell apart and what it means for the second half of the season.
Week 10 buzz file: Trade deadline
-Why no BTJ, JT and DJ deals
-Cousins fallout for Vikings, Raiders
-Inside Chiefs' deal for Downs
-Why Steelers stood pat
-Bills plotted big swing
-Puka returning
-Players not dealtWith @DanGrazianoESPN https://t.co/izdzpa8HCI
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 11, 2026
Bills: Budda Baker first, then Amani Hooker
Buffalo was the most aggressive team on a slow deadline day, Fowler wrote. The Bills cleared cap space with contract restructures and went after Arizona safety Budda Baker first, with what one source called a “compelling package.” The Cardinals said no because they see Baker as the heart and soul of the team.
Buffalo then went to Tennessee for Hooker. The Titans initially wanted to keep him, but the Bills came back with what Fowler described as a counteroffer of sorts and got the deal done. Read the full story in our Budda Baker report and our Amani Hooker trade breakdown.
Colts: Jonathan Taylor stays
The biggest name that didn’t move was Jonathan Taylor. Graziano reported that the trade buzz never matched Indianapolis’ actual desire to deal him. The Colts wanted a first-round pick or something close to it, and no team met the price.
Indy also had no reason to rush. Taylor is 27 and signed for two more seasons, and Graziano said the Colts like him. Fowler added that the noise came from outside interest, the teardown tone after Indianapolis’ other trades and the 1,712 carries already on Taylor’s legs. Denver gave it a run this week but balked at the asking price, according to Fowler.
Vikings: Cousins, with Daniel Jones as the backup plan
Minnesota got its quarterback, but the Cousins deal had layers. Fowler reported that Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was likely the Vikings’ backup option if Cousins fell through.
Jones would have come with a big bill. He is scheduled to make $38 million in 2027, with $10.51 million becoming guaranteed if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2027 league year, Graziano noted.
Cousins’ deal has its own catch. His $10 million roster bonus for 2027 is guaranteed, and his two-year, $80 million extension kicks in on the fifth day of the new league year, which Fowler called effectively a poison pill. Minnesota will likely pay the $10 million and walk away, or try to rework the deal.
The Vikings paid a third-round pick and still hold Philadelphia’s third-rounder, which Graziano said looks likely to land much higher. Cousins could also play 18 games this season, because Minnesota has had its bye and Las Vegas has not. We covered the trade in our inside story on the Cousins deal, and his first start is previewed in our Vikings vs. Packers story.
Raiders: making room for Mendoza
Graziano reported that Las Vegas wasn’t looking to move Cousins but believed Fernando Mendoza was ready, so it accepted a top-100 pick in next year’s draft. Mendoza makes his first start Sunday against Seattle. See our Seahawks vs. Raiders preview.
Steelers: Calvin Ridley and Josh Downs
Pittsburgh wanted a receiver. Graziano reported the Steelers talked with Tennessee about Calvin Ridley, and Fowler said a deal for a late-round pick made sense until an incident involving Ridley at the Nashville airport gave some teams pause.
The Steelers also chased Josh Downs, but not having a 2027 fourth-round pick complicated any offer, ESPN reported. Fowler said Pittsburgh wanted to protect its draft picks partly because of long-term uncertainty at quarterback. More in our Steelers deadline story.
Chiefs: Josh Downs wanted out
Kansas City ended up with Downs, who “clearly wanted out” of Indianapolis, according to Fowler. Read our Chiefs-Downs trade story.
Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr. was never for sale
Brian Thomas Jr. drew significant interest, Fowler reported, and Jacksonville could have gotten a quality pick. But the 6-2 Jaguars wanted to add, not subtract. We covered the talk in our Brian Thomas Jr. story.
Bears: no Khalil Mack reunion
Chicago pushed to bring Khalil Mack back from the Chargers, but Los Angeles kept him. Jim Harbaugh said publicly that he wanted Mack to stay. Read our Khalil Mack story.
Rams: no receiver despite Puka Nacua’s injury
The Rams lost Puka Nacua to a knee injury two days before the deadline but did not add a receiver. They expect Nacua and Davante Adams back this season, and the Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie trades left them with only four 2027 picks, Graziano wrote, per Yardbarker. See our Nacua return timeline.
49ers: Evan Engram before Keenan Allen
San Francisco had interest in Denver tight end Evan Engram before landing receiver Keenan Allen instead, Fowler reported. Our Keenan Allen trade story has the details.
Bengals: the Arnold Ebiketie deal that fell apart
Cincinnati had a trade for Eagles edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie lined up before backing out over a compensatory pick issue. We covered it in our Ebiketie story.
Players who drew calls but stayed
Fowler and Graziano listed several more names who stayed with their teams:
| Player | Team | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| George Pickens | Cowboys | No calls came in, and he didn’t want to be traded |
| Josh Sweat | Cardinals | Teams checked in, nothing came close |
| Derrick Brown | Panthers | Teams asked, Carolina said no |
| Jarran Reed | Seahawks | Several teams interested, Seattle not motivated |
| Mike Sainristil | Commanders | Washington wanted a quality pick |
| Braden Smith | Texans | Several teams looked, nothing came together |
| J.K. Dobbins | Broncos | Denver needs him with Jonah Coleman on IR |
| Ladd McConkey | Chargers | Los Angeles turned down at least one inquiry |
Fowler also reported that Tampa Bay had interest in A’Shawn Robinson but rarely trades at the deadline, and that Cleveland made several calls without a move.
What it all means
Two themes stand out. First, asking prices stayed high. The Colts wanted a first for Taylor, Arizona wouldn’t move Baker for a strong offer and Jacksonville wouldn’t sell a young receiver in a winning season.
Second, draft capital drove decisions. The Steelers and Rams both passed on receivers largely because of their pick situations, while the Bills spent to fill a need.
The real test comes over the final nine weeks. For every completed trade, see our full deadline tracker, our winners and losers and our list of the biggest names not traded.
Sources: ESPN, Yardbarker, Chicago Sun-Times
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