6 Shocking NFL Trades That Would Impact Playoff Races in 2026

There was a time when trades were rare in the NFL. They have become more common in recent years, but it's still unusual for true superstars to get dealt.

At least, it was until this year.

In just the past two weeks, there have been a pair of trades that have rocked the NFL. First, edge-rusher Myles Garrett was sent from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams for edge-rusher Jared Verse and a package of picks. Then, three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown was traded from Philadelphia to New England for a first-round pick in 2028.

Those massive acquisitions by Super Bowl contenders have shaken up the playoff picture in both conferences. But what if those megatrades were just the tip of the iceberg? What if there were more huge trades coming that would throw the playoff pecking order in the AFC and NFC into a blender?

What might those trades look like? Which contenders could be involved? What players?

Edge Maxx Crosby to San Francisco 49ers

AP Foto/Maria Lysaker

San Francisco 49ers Get: Edge Maxx Crosby

Las Vegas Raiders Get: 2027 Round 1 Pick, 2028 Round 2 Pick, Edge Mykel Williams

We might as well kick things off with a bang.

To be clear, the Raiders have given no indication they are actively shopping edge-rusher Maxx Crosby after a trade to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks fell through over a failed physical. For his part, the 28-year-old Crosby told reporters he bears the Raiders no ill will and is moving on toward the 2026 season.

"It's water under the bridge," Crosby said. "It's a long time ago. A lot of things I learned about what's going on and what this league can bring. A lot of adversity, a lot of different things you can't really anticipate. But I've been through a lot in my life. It's nothing to me. I'm here and I want to be here and I'm excited to be here. I've got a lot of work to do."

But the reality is the Raiders did try to trade Crosby this offseason. The trajectory of the franchise hasn't changed since then—Vegas is a rebuilding team. And while this offer isn't as good as Baltimore's was, it's not that far off—a first, a day 2 pick and a former first-round selection in Williams.

For the 49ers it's a chance to match the Los Angeles Rams (or come close) in an NFC West arms race that escalated after the Myles Garrett deal and add some pop to a pass rush facing multiple questions as we head toward training camp.

LB Jordyn Brooks to Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Dallas Cowboys Get: LB Jordyn Brooks, 2028 Round 5 Pick

Miami Dolphins Get: 2027 Round 2 Pick, 2028 Round 4 Pick

It has been a dizzying offseason of player moves for the Miami Dolphins, who have cut or traded multiple big names.

Greg Auman of Fox Sports believes there's one more name who could be headed out the door—2025 league tackles leader Jordyn Brooks:

"The Miami Dolphins have garage-sold or cut so many of their best players out of town this offseason, releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and edge rusher Bradley Chubb and trading wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. So, linebacker Jordyn Brooks is essentially the meme of the Fresh Prince alone and looking wistfully around an empty room. He's in the final year of his contract, making a reasonable $8 million. Brooks was a first-team All-Pro after leading the league with 183 total tackles last year, adding 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, so he's a smart target for a linebacker-needy team."

Enter the Dallas Cowboys. They have been wildly aggressive trying to bolster a defense that was the NFL's worst last year. There are two new edge-rushers in veteran Rashan Gary and rookie Malachi Lawrence, two new starters at safety and a new linebacker in Dee Winters.

However, while Winters is a capable pro, he's not the same caliber of player Brooks is.

The Cowboys are perpetually all-in on a Super Bowl run—trading for Brooks would be a nice finish to the team's defensive makeover.

Edge Josh Sweat to Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

Chicago Bears Get: Edge Josh Sweat

Arizona Cardinals Get: Conditional 2027 Round 3 Pick, 2028 Round 3 Pick

Edge-rusher Josh Sweat is another example of a player who has generated all sorts of trade buzz—and a team in the Arizona Cardinals who has said they have no plans to deal him.

Much of that buzz ramped up when the ninth-year veteran was a no-show for voluntary OTAs.

The 29-year-old did show up for mandatory workouts, and new Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters that he hasn't paid any attention to the trade rumors surrounding his best pass-rusher.

"I don't even read into the offers," he said. "I'm just excited about the fact that I don't have to game plan against this guy. I got to know him when I first got this job. He's a good dude. He goes about his process, and he's not the first guy to go about his process the way he is in terms of how he's training and all that."

Sweat had 12 sacks last season, and he's under contract through 2028 at a reasonable amount. But the harsh reality is that Arizona may well be the NFL's worst team in 2026—the Redbirds aren't going to be contenders for a while.

The Bears, meanwhile, are the defending NFC North champions and a team that badly needs to upgrade the pass rush after logging just 35 sacks last season.

Pairing Josh Sweat and Montez Sweat would accomplish that goal—and almost guarantee that multiple broadcasters mistakenly call them brothers or cousins, even though they are not related.

RB Alvin Kamara to Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Denver Broncos Get: RB Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints Get: Conditional 2027 Round 6 Pick

From the moment that the New Orleans Saints spent big on running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency, there has been speculation that Alvin Kamara's days in the Big Easy could be numbered.

While identifying potential trade partners for Kamara, Bleacher Report's Alex Kay suggested a reunion with former head coach Sean Payton in Denver makes a lot of sense:

"Reuniting Payton and former pupil Alvin Kamara could be the move that finally pushes Denver over the edge. The back had his finest seasons under Payton during their shared tenure with the New Orleans Saints, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Kamara rekindled that form if his next NFL act is played under the head coach. While rushing production generally wasn't a major issue for the Broncos during the regular season, they hovered around league average with a pedestrian 118.7 rushing yards per game. The ground game truly stalled out in the playoffs, with Denver failing to crack 80 yards rushing in either of its two postseason contests."

Kamara's numbers were down last year, but as recently as 2024 he flirted with 1,500 total yards. Right now, the Broncos have a veteran back in JK Dobbins who can't stay healthy and a youngster in R.J. Harvey who averaged 3.7 yards per carry last season.

Given the modest cost in terms of draft capital it would take to acquire Kamara and the fact that Denver has already been aggressive this offseason in acquiring offensive talent, this is a deal that almost makes too much sense to happen.

Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux to New England Patriots

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

New England Patriots Get: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux

New York Giants Get: Conditional 2027 Round 3 Pick

The New York Giants have maintained throughout the offseason that they have no intention of trading contract-year edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux—at least not for what teams have offered to date.

In fact, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh lauded the way Thibodeaux has handled all the noise this offseason:

"I think he's handling it so well, with so much maturity. I don't know if you see every player handle it the way he has. Everybody's gotta admit he's handled this thing really the right way. He knows he needs to go out and have a great season, and it starts with what Harry Carson was talking about. You do it for the team. You do it to win as many games as you can and you let everything else fall in place the way it's supposed to, and that's what he's planning on doing. Nobody knows what the future holds. But the future holds games that he's going to be playing a lot of plays in, and he's going to play really well."

Of course, if the Giants can get a better deal than the compensatory pick the team will get when Thibodeaux all but certainly leaves in 2027 in free agency, it could be another story. The Patriots have already pushed their chips into the middle of the table with the A.J. Brown trade.

For the opportunity to bolster the pass rush, New England might as well mortgage the future a little bit more. And while Thibodeaux had a down 2025, we are taking about a 25-year-old former top-five pick with an 11.5-sack season on his NFL resume.

WR Justin Jefferson to Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Buffalo Bills Get: WR Justin Jefferson

Minnesota Vikings Get: 2027 Round 1 Pick, 2027 Round 3 Pick, 2028 Round 1 Pick

Might as well end this column as we started it: with a trade that would shake the NFL just as much as the Garrett and Brown deals.

To be clear, it is exceedingly unlikely the Vikings would trade arguably the best wide receiver in the game.

However, it's also worth mentioning Jefferson had nothing but good things to say about new Bills head coach Joe Brady, per Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports:

"He's already been doing a phenomenal job behind the scenes. He's a great guy, he's a great coach. Having him as my offensive coordinator my 2019 year, we had so much fun together just building and working on our craft. I feel like he was mostly the reason why I got picked first round. He's the reason why my hands got better, why a lot of things occurred during that season, so I'm just proud of him to go from the Saints to LSU and now he's back in the league and now he's about to be a head coach."

Jefferson would command a king's ransom—multiple first-round picks plus. It would be the ultimate "win now" move by the Bills. But it is Super Bowl or bust in Buffalo after the offseason firing of Sean McDermott, and the idea of Josh Allen throwing passes to Jefferson and D.J. Moore should terrify the rest of the AFC.