Several big names, including Marshon Lattimore, Za’Darius Smith, Mike Williams, Preston Smith, and Tre’Davious White, were traded to teams with winning records. On the other hand, Jonathan Mingo and Khalil Herbert are heading to places where they’ll get more playing time.
NFL teams, especially those hoping to contend, were busy before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. EST trade deadline. The NFC East-leading Washington Commanders made a move to strengthen their position, trading for Lattimore from the struggling New Orleans Saints (2-7).
Lattimore, a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback, adds depth to a defense that’s already ranked 5th in the league against the pass. In exchange, the Saints will receive a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a sixth-round pick that they had previously sent to Washington.
The Commanders also receive a fifth-round pick along with Lattimore. Meanwhile, the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions (7-1) kicked off the trade deadline day by acquiring Smith from the Cleveland Browns (2-7).
Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher, is set to help fill the gap left by star Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a leg injury on October 13. Hutchinson still leads Detroit with 7 1/2 sacks.
The Browns, who are looking to rebuild after a disappointing season, are sending Smith and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to Detroit in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) made some key moves, adding Williams to give Russell Wilson another receiving option and Smith to help strengthen their pass rush.
Pittsburgh, which is leading the AFC North, traded a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft to the New York Jets (3-6) for Williams, who had 12 catches for 166 yards in nine games.
They also sent a 2025 seventh-round pick to Green Bay (6-3) for Smith, who has 2 1/2 sacks this season, after averaging 8 1/2 sacks per year over the past three seasons.
The Baltimore Ravens (6-3) boosted their secondary by acquiring White from the Los Angeles Rams. White, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, had missed the last four games with the Rams.
Baltimore gave a seventh-round pick in 2026 to Los Angeles in exchange for White and a seventh-round pick in 2027, according to two people familiar with the deal. Both spoke on condition of anonymity since the teams did not announce the full details.
The injury-plagued Cowboys (3-5) made a deal with Carolina (2-7) to acquire Mingo and a seventh-round pick in 2025 in exchange for a fourth-round pick next year, according to two people familiar with the trade. These people spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not officially announced the trade.
Mingo, a second-round pick last year, has only caught 12 passes for 121 yards in nine games. He won’t be catching passes from Dak Prescott for a while, as Prescott is expected to miss several games due to a hamstring injury. Dallas has lost three games in a row.
The Bengals (4-5) added depth to their running back position after Zack Moss’ injury, acquiring Herbert from Chicago (4-4) for a seventh-round pick in 2025. Herbert had eight carries for 16 yards and one touchdown with the Bears. He will join leading rusher Chase Brown to add another option in the backfield for Cincinnati.
The San Francisco 49ers (4-4) traded for defensive tackle Khalil Davis from Houston in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2026. Davis has one sack and nine tackles in nine games this season. Some of the biggest trades took place before the deadline.
The Chiefs (8-0), Bills (7-2), Ravens, and Jets all added key players, acquiring wide receivers over the last month. The Vikings (6-2) addressed a major need on the offensive line last week, and the Cardinals (5-4) added defensive help on Monday.
Kansas City, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, added three-time All-Pro receiver D’Andre Hopkins and edge rusher Josh Esche.
Hopkins had an immediate impact in Monday night’s 30-24 overtime win against Tampa Bay. He caught eight passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns in his second game with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Jets picked up three-time All-Pro Davante Adams three weeks ago. In New York’s 21-13 win over Houston last Thursday, Adams caught seven passes for 91 yards and one touchdown.
Amari Cooper caught a touchdown in his first game with Buffalo two weeks ago. Diontae Johnson played 17 snaps in his debut with Baltimore during their 41-10 win over Denver.
Left tackle Cam Robinson had a strong first start in Minnesota’s 21-13 victory against Indianapolis. Arizona (5-4) traded for outside linebacker Baron Browning from Denver in exchange for a sixth-round pick, just a day after taking the top spot in the NFC West.
The NFL extended the trade deadline by one week this year, allowing teams more time to make roster improvements.
