A Look Back at the Major 2026 NFL Trade Deadline Moves

The 2026 NFL trade window brought a flurry of roster shakeups, highlighted by blockbuster deals involving star players and backup quarterbacks. Major outlets including NFL.com, ESPN, Bleacher Report, and CBS Sports tracked the activity leading up to the Nov. 10 deadline at 4 p.m. ET. Team owners voted during the 2024 offseason to push the deadline back to follow Week 9 games to accommodate the 17-year-old regular season structure.

Which quarterbacks moved before the deadline?

The Baltimore Ravens bolstered their quarterback depth on Nov. 6 by trading for 33-year-old journeyman Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals. NFL.com and Bleacher Report reported that Baltimore received Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, while Arizona landed a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick. NFL.com graded the Ravens' return as a B and the Cardinals' return as a B-. Brissett ranked 18th out of 23 quarterbacks in expected points added (EPA) per dropback at -0.11 with a minimum of 200 attempts, following a previous season where he threw for 3,366 yards with a 23-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, a 94.1 passer rating, and a -0.05 EPA per dropback. CBS Sports reported that the Ravens faced quarterback injuries with Lamar Jackson on injured reserve due to right thumb surgery and Tyler Huntley on injured reserve with a right foot turf toe as of Nov. 5.

Earlier in the season, the New York Giants added quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 28 following an injury to Jaxson Dart, sending a 2027 fifth-round draft pick to Minnesota according to NFL.com and Bleacher Report.

What were the biggest defensive and offensive blockbusters?

Date	Player Acquired	Receiving Team	Trading Team	Draft Pick Compensation
Oct. 29	DT Jeffery Simmons	Chicago Bears	Tennessee Titans	Bears get 2028 5th; Titans get 2027 1st, 2027 4th, 2028 1st
Oct. 12	WR Marvin Harrison Jr.	Houston Texans	Arizona Cardinals	Texans get Harrison & 2027 7th; Cardinals get 2027 2nd & 2027 6th (per NFL.com)
Oct. 27	Guard Quenton Nelson	Seattle Seahawks	Indianapolis Colts	Seahawks get Nelson; Colts get 2027 3rd & 2028 5th
Oct. 1	CB Joey Porter Jr.	Dallas Cowboys	Pittsburgh Steelers	Cowboys get Porter; Steelers get 2027 6th & 2028 2nd

For the Jeffery Simmons trade, NFL.com noted that Simmons leads all defensive tackles with 28 quarterback pressures, is tied for second with 4 sacks, tied for second with 21 run stops, and tied for third with 7 run stuffs per Next Gen Stats. NFL.com graded the trade as a B for Chicago and an A for Tennessee. Regarding the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters that the Houston Texans officially completed the deal for the 2024 No. 4 pick, with NFL.com and Bleacher Report listing the date as Oct. 12, while ESPN snippets referenced Oct. 11.

In additional October transactions reported by NFL.com and Bleacher Report, the San Francisco 49ers acquired defensive lineman DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 27 in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick. On the same day, the Seattle Seahawks picked up eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson from Indianapolis for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, though ESPN reported Nelson would miss a game due to a "minor procedure." The Baltimore Ravens also added center Cam Jurgens and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 7 for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Finally, the Dallas Cowboys acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 1.

This is educational information, not legal, financial, tax, or investment advice.