6 Trades We Wish We Had Seen at the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone. And while it still doesn't generate the kind of frenzy we see in the NBA or MLB, it's busier than it used to be.

The Chicago Bears sent a pair of first-rounders to Tennessee for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. The Jacksonville Jaguars used their first two picks in next year's draft (and then some) to bolster the defense with the acquisitions of safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackle Jordan Davis. The Indianapolis Colts essentially traded away their wideout corps—but puzzlingly decided not to deal their star running back despite a lost season.

Those were just some of the biggest developments at the deadline. There were plenty of other deals. Some minor. Some with the potential for a major impact. But there were also trades we would have liked to see—deals that made sense but never came to pass.

Trades just like these.

RB Jonathan Taylor to New York Giants

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

New York Giants Receive: RB Jonathan Taylor

Indianapolis Colts Receive: 2027 Round 2 Pick, 2027 Round 5 Pick

The Indianapolis Colts are a ship without a captain right now after the firing of general manager Chris Ballard on October 19.

That didn't stop the Colts from dealing wide receivers Josh Downs and Keenan Allen at the deadline. But it may have contributed to the team holding onto running back Jonathan Taylor—a non-move Indy may come to regret.

Per ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Fox Sports reported that the running back-needy New York Giants offered the Colts a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick for Taylor.

The Giants subsequently withdrew the offer, though head coach John Harbaugh left the door open to further talks while stressing that any deal had to make sense for the team's present and future.

"I'm not just going to go for a short-term fix at exorbitant cost. That's not where we're at," he said. "And usually when you do that sort of thing, it doesn't work out for you."

Now, the Giants still need a running back, and an Indianapolis team staring at a ground-up rebuild has a running back with more than 1,700 career NFL carries on a deal averaging $22 million annually.

The Colts should have taken the best offer they could get for Taylor and moved on. They're unlikely to do better in the offseason.

RB Tony Pollard to Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/John Amis

Green Bay Packers Receive: RB Tony Pollard

Tennessee Titans Receive: 2027 Round 3 Pick

On one hand, it appeared to make sense for the Tennessee Titans to trade veteran running back Tony Pollard. At 1-7, the Titans have little reason to prioritize short-term results. Pollard is in the last year of his contract.

As Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported ahead of the deadline, Tennessee was reluctant to trade Pollard, 29, because of his role in helping the team evaluate quarterback Cam Ward:

"Tennessee, as we've said the last few weeks, values him in how he's helping the team evaluate Cam Ward. So, they're not going to give him away. Thus, it'd take at least a fourth-rounder, and maybe a third to get him out of there—as the offense has improved, it's become harder for the brass to reckon with letting him go."

A late Day 2 pick is a hefty price to pay for a 29-year-old back on an expiring contract. But given the Green Bay Packers' playoff ambitions, the potential short-term upgrade could have justified the cost.

Green Bay ranks last in the NFL in rushing at just 68.2 yards per game. The offensive line bears some responsibility for those struggles, but the backs have also underperformed—and Josh Jacobs is now out indefinitely with a broken finger.

As the Los Angeles Rams have shown—and the Jacksonville Jaguars are trying to demonstrate this year—a willingness to trade draft capital for immediate help can strengthen a contender's chances.

WR Brian Thomas Jr. to Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

Los Angeles Rams Receive: WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars Receive: 2027 Round 2 Pick

With his offensive role all but evaporated in Jacksonville, there was plenty of speculation that the Jaguars would look to deal wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

However, the trade deadline came and went without a deal, and Jaguars general manager James Gladstone told reporters that the team wasn't interested in moving the 24-year-old.

"We have a ton of value when it comes to BTJ," he said. "His role and what I imagine his contribution is going to be [is] notable. He's such a good person to work with, such a good teammate, and so I expect a lot of good that comes in what lies in front."

"Notable" is an interesting word to use when it comes to Thomas' role: His target share has dropped from 25.3 percent in his breakout 2024 season to 9.5 percent this year. Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, he wasn't targeted once—the first time in his career that had happened.

With both Davante Adams and Puka Nacua out indefinitely, the win-now Rams are as desperate as any team in the league for wideout help. This would be an aggressive deal—sending a second-rounder to Jacksonville would wipe out the first two days of the 2027 draft for Los Angeles.

But at 5-4, the Rams don't have a lot of margin for error this season. And there isn't a general manager in the league who has been more willing to sacrifice the future for the present in recent years than Les Snead.

Edge Danielle Hunter to San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

San Francisco 49ers Receive: Edge Danielle Hunter

Houston Texans Receive: 2027 Round 2 Pick, 2028 Round 5 Pick

To be clear, there was never any real indication that the Houston Texans ever entertained the idea of trading veteran edge-rusher Danielle Hunter.

Despite a woeful start to the season, the Texans actually added a player in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and at 3-5 Houston appears to believe it is still in the hunt for a playoff spot.

However, just because the Texans didn't consider dealing Hunter doesn't mean they shouldn't have—and if the 32-year-old did become available, the 49ers would have been an obvious fit.

At 7-1, San Francisco has the best record in the NFC. But the team's pass rush has been hit-or-miss this year. The team has just 15 sacks this season—only four NFL teams have fewer.

With $35.5 million in cap space, per Spotrac, San Francisco has the wiggle room to absorb Hunter's sizable contract. He has just four sacks in eight games this year, but in four straight seasons from 2022 to 2025 the five-time Pro Bowler recorded at least 10.5 sacks.

Pairing Hunter with Nick Bosa on the edge could have turned San Francisco's biggest defensive weakness into a strength. While losing Hunter would have been a blow to the Texans, trading him could have helped them recoup the draft capital they spent on Harrison.

Edge Khalil Mack to Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Chicago Bears Receive: Edge Khalil Mack

Los Angeles Chargers Receive: 2028 Round 4 Pick, 2028 Round 5 Pick (from Titans)

The Los Angeles Chargers' decision to stand pat at the deadline is difficult to reconcile with their winless start.

The 2026 season has been a catastrophe in Los Angeles. But despite being the only winless team in the league, the Chargers essentially stood pat at the trade deadline. There were rumblings that teams had interest in veteran edge-rusher Khalil Mack, but per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Bolts weren't interested.

"The Chargers never wanted to deal Khalil Mack. They never got close to dealing Khalil Mack," Rapoport said. "They wanted him in their locker room, they want him to help teach some of the young pass-rushers. They just want a good culture, and he is a great guy and a great leader."

Mack's leadership has value, but with the Chargers at 0-8 and the 35-year-old playing on a one-year deal, acquiring draft capital would have been the more practical long-term move.

The Chicago Bears were already wildly aggressive in upgrading the defensive line, sending two first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-rounder to Tennessee for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and a 2028 fifth-rounder.

That fifth-rounder could have been included in a package to bolster the pass rush—with a player who spent four seasons in Chicago.

The Chargers should have been stockpiling picks wherever possible. And the Bears may come to regret not taking their win-now mentality all the way.

S Budda Baker to Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Kevin Ng

Detroit Lions Receive: S Budda Baker

Arizona Cardinals Receive: 2027 Round 3 Pick, 2028 Round 4 Pick

With the Arizona Cardinals struggling, there was reason to expect them to be sellers at the trade deadline.

The Buffalo Bills came to the Cardinals with a hefty offer for veteran safety Budda Baker but were rebuffed, according to Easton Freeze of A to Z Sports:

"The Bills went to the Cardinals first. Bills GM Brandon Beane was dealing with Arizona about Baker, reportedly with an offer centered around strong second-round value. Every single person I talked to yesterday agreed that it was flat-out baffling that the Cardinals turned that down. It reeks of a foolish ownership decision."

The Bills pivoted to Amani Hooker, making a similar offer that the Titans accepted. Arizona, meanwhile, passed up an opportunity to acquire draft capital for the future despite its current struggles.

Still, the Bills aren't the only playoff contender with issues in the secondary. The Detroit Lions recently got Brian Branch back on the field, but their pass defense continues to struggle—they allow more passing yards per game than any other team in the league.

Pairing Branch with Baker wouldn't solve Detroit's issues at cornerback, but it could give the Lions one of the league's best safety duos. The move would also give Baker an opportunity to help a playoff contender down the stretch.