NFL Trade Deadline 2026 Winners and Losers: Grades for Every Major Deal

The 2026 NFL trade deadline is over, and it delivered. A quarterback went home to Minnesota, the Bills got their safety, the Jaguars went all-in on defense, and the Colts kept selling right up to the 4 p.m. ET buzzer on Tuesday. One deal even got called off an hour after it was reported.

Here’s our full breakdown of deadline week: the winners, the losers and a grade for every major trade from Oct. 27 through Nov. 10. For a running list of every move, see our NFL trade deadline 2026 guide.

Every major trade of deadline week

Trade terms are from NFL.com, ESPN and The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero. The Bengals-Eagles deal for Arnold Ebiketie was agreed to Tuesday and then canceled, so it’s not on the list.

Winners

Buffalo Bills

The Bills had one glaring hole, and they filled it with the best available option. Buffalo sent a second-round pick to Tennessee for Amani Hooker, who leads the NFL with five interceptions, and got a fifth back, ESPN reported.

The best part for Buffalo is the contract. Hooker is signed through 2028, so this isn’t a half-season rental. A 7-1 team with an MVP-level quarterback just added a ball-hawking starter at its weakest position. That’s how contenders should use the deadline.

Jacksonville Jaguars

No team pushed more chips in. In one day, the Jaguars traded for safety Jessie Bates, defensive tackle Jordan Davis and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. Yahoo Sports said the Jaguars left no doubt they’re going for a Super Bowl this year.

The cost was steep. Davis alone cost a 2027 first and a 2029 second, and Bates cost a 2027 second and a 2028 fifth. But Jacksonville turned a deadline into a full defensive rebuild on the fly. We broke down all three moves in our Jaguars trades breakdown.

Chicago Bears

CBS Sports called the Bears the biggest winners of the deadline after they landed All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in late October. It cost two first-round picks and a fourth, but elite interior pass rushers almost never hit the trade market. Chicago got one with a full stretch run ahead.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders turned a 38-year-old quarterback into a 2027 third-round pick and cleared the way for their future. With Kirk Cousins gone, No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza takes over as the starter, NBC Sports reported. Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report both gave Las Vegas an A for the deal.

Fernando Mendoza

Speaking of Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner finally gets his shot. He opened the season as Cousins’ backup. Now the Raiders get eight games to see what they have before the offseason.

Indianapolis Colts’ draft board

The Colts were the deadline’s busiest sellers. They moved Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Keenan Allen and Josh Downs in a span of two weeks and stacked 2027 and 2028 picks in return. Whether that’s a winning plan depends on what they do with those picks, but the Colts committed to a reset and didn’t flinch.

Losers

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers spent weeks saying they wouldn’t sell. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, they didn’t like the message it would send. Then, an hour before the deadline, they traded their leading tackler, Daiyan Henley, to the division-rival Broncos for a fourth and a fifth.

At 0-8, selling makes sense. Doing it late, for modest picks, and to a team they play twice a year is a rough look.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers were linked to Josh Downs for two weeks and came away empty. Steelers Depot noted Pittsburgh didn’t have a 2027 fourth-round pick to match Kansas City’s offer. Kansas City got the receiver instead.

Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles (the Ebiketie mess)

The Bengals agreed to trade a 2027 sixth to the Eagles for edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie on Tuesday morning. About an hour later, Cincinnati backed out because the move would have cost it a projected third-round compensatory pick. We covered the called-off Ebiketie trade as it happened.

Cincinnati protected a valuable pick, which is smart. But agreeing to a deal before checking the comp pick math is the kind of mistake front offices try hard to avoid. The Eagles lost a small return in the process.

Jonathan Taylor watchers

Every deadline needs a big name that doesn’t move. This year it was Taylor. The Colts turned down offers of a second-round pick and more because they wanted a blockbuster, Pelissero reported. Taylor stays in Indianapolis, and the teams that needed a running back stay without one. He headlines our list of the biggest names not traded. More on that in our Jonathan Taylor trade suitors story.

Trade grades for every major deal

Grades below are ours. Where other outlets graded the same deal, we note it.

Bills get Amani Hooker

Bills: A- | Titans: B

A second-round pick is a real price for a safety who has never made a Pro Bowl, and Bills On SI called it an overpay. We think the contract control and Buffalo’s Super Bowl window justify it. Bleacher Report gave both sides a B. Tennessee adds another Day 2 pick to an already big draft haul.

Vikings get Kirk Cousins

Vikings: B | Raiders: A

Minnesota had to do something. Through nine weeks, only Tampa Bay averaged fewer passing yards per game than the Vikings, KSTP reported. Cousins has 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine starts this season and knows Kevin O’Connell’s offense. The question is age and how much he has left. Yahoo graded the Vikings a B, while Bleacher Report went A-. We covered the background in our Cousins reunion story.

Chiefs get Josh Downs

Chiefs: B | Colts: B-

Kansas City needed a receiver, especially after Xavier Worthy’s hamstring injury in Week 9, per Yahoo Sports. A fourth and a fifth for a 25-year-old slot receiver is fair. He’s a rental, and he had a rough final stretch in Indianapolis, but he gives Patrick Mahomes a dependable short-area target. Full details in our Josh Downs trade story.

Broncos get Daiyan Henley

Broncos: B+ | Chargers: C

Denver added a starting-caliber linebacker with coverage skills for Day 3 picks, and the bye week gives him time to learn the defense. Henley is a rental, but the Broncos get half a season to decide on an extension. The Chargers needed to sell but got a modest return.

49ers get Keenan Allen

49ers: B | Colts: C+

San Francisco’s receiver room has been wrecked by injuries, and a sixth-round pick is a small price for a six-time Pro Bowler who still knows how to get open on third down. Outlets were split on Indianapolis: USA Today gave the Colts a B+, while Bleacher Report gave them a C. Our full story: Keenan Allen trade to the 49ers.

Jaguars get Jordan Davis

Jaguars: B- | Eagles: B+

A first and a second is a lot for a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Bleacher Report also gave Jacksonville a B-. For Philadelphia, the timing raised eyebrows, coming a day after Lane Johnson’s surprise retirement, Yahoo noted. CBS Sports said the Eagles now have 10 picks in the first two rounds of the next three drafts.

Jaguars get Jessie Bates

Jaguars: B | Falcons: B

Bates is still a playmaking safety, and a second plus a fifth is fair value for a team trying to win now. Atlanta gets a Day 2 pick in a lost stretch. Our story: Jessie Bates trade to Jacksonville.

Jaguars get Davon Godchaux

Jaguars: B | Saints: B-

A conditional sixth for veteran depth on the defensive line. Low risk, low cost.

Lions get Andre Cisco

Lions: B | Jets: C+

Detroit added a 26-year-old safety for a 2028 sixth. Cisco’s contract runs out after the season, so the Jets got something for a player they might have lost anyway.

Ravens get Jacoby Brissett

Ravens: B | Cardinals: B

Baltimore needed a quarterback after injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley, according to NFL.com. Brissett is the kind of steady veteran who can keep a season afloat. More on Jackson’s status in our Lamar Jackson injury update.

Bears get Jeffery Simmons

Bears: A- | Titans: A-

Two firsts and a fourth is a huge price, but Simmons is an All-Pro in his prime. Tennessee got exactly the kind of haul a rebuilding team wants.

Seahawks get Quenton Nelson

Seahawks: A- | Colts: B-

An eight-time Pro Bowl guard for a third and a fifth is strong value for Seattle. The Colts got less than Nelson’s résumé suggests, but older interior linemen rarely bring big returns.

49ers get DeForest Buckner

49ers: B+ | Colts: B-

Buckner returns to the team that drafted him in 2016, per ESPN. A fourth-round pick for a three-time Pro Bowler is a good deal for a 49ers defense that needed help up front.

What’s next

The trade window is closed until the new league year opens on March 11, 2027. Teams can still add players through free agency and waivers. Players released from now on generally go through waivers first, which matters for situations like Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers.

The biggest deadline buyers now have to prove it on the field. Buffalo visits the Jets on Sunday, and Kansas City heads to Atlanta. We’ll update our NFL power rankings to reflect the deadline moves.