2025 NFL Trades Show Mixed Results

The NFL trade deadline arrives on Nov. 10, but teams are already reviewing the ledger from last year. In 2025, 27 players changed clubs during the season, the highest volume in a quarter century. A year of hindsight reveals that the deals produced a wide spread of results, with some teams gaining value and others absorbing heavy costs.

The worst outcome belongs to the Indianapolis Colts, which received an F for trading away cornerback Sauce Gardner. In exchange, the New York Jets sent Adonai Mitchell, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick. The Jets earned an A. Gardner has played his worst football in 17 games for Indianapolis, and the move contributed to the midseason firing of general manager Chris Ballard. The Colts surrendered a 2027 pick that may land high in the draft order as the team’s fortunes decline.

The Dallas Cowboys received a B for acquiring defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, while the Jets took a C. Williams has recorded six tackles for loss in six games, the most by a Cowboys defensive lineman since 2013. He signed a three-year, $105.9 million extension. However, the Jets released Mazi Smith, and D'Angelo Ponds, selected with a traded-down second-round pick, has played only 59 snaps. The Jets retain a 2027 first-round pick from the transaction.

Smaller transactions generally yielded positive returns. The Pittsburgh Steelers earned an A for adding safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots for a seventh-round pick. The Patriots, which paid $5.4 million in cash and roster bonuses to buy out his extension, received a C. Dugger replaced injured DeShon Elliott, recording two interceptions, one sack, and a safety in nine games.

Philadelphia earned an A for acquiring pass rusher Jaelan Phillips from Miami for a third-round pick, while Miami received an A-. Phillips helped the Eagles reach the playoffs before signing a four-year, $120 million deal with the Carolina Panthers. That move should return a third-round compensatory pick to Philadelphia in 2027, offsetting the initial cost.

Other deals showed mixed value. The Cincinnati Bengals received a B- for trading for quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns, which got a B. Flacco threw for 470 yards in one game and helped score 33 points in three consecutive outings, but went 1-5 as the starter. The Los Angeles Chargers received a C- for acquiring tackle Trevor Penning from New Orleans, which earned a C+. Penning holds the worst pass-blocking grade among 74 qualified guards this season.

The Seattle Seahawks earned a B+ for acquiring receiver Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans, which received a B. Shaheed returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including one in the playoffs, and signed a three-year, $51 million extension. Coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday that early reports on Shaheed's knee injury from Sunday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs are positive. The Saints received fourth- and fifth-round picks in the deal.

The remaining transactions also graded out favorably. The Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans both earned B's for the Roger McCreary trade. Jacksonville received a B+ for adding Jakobi Meyers from Las Vegas, which got a B. Meyers signed a three-year, $60 million extension. San Francisco earned a B+ for acquiring Keion White from New England, which received a B. White is on pace for 3.5 sacks through seven weeks, marking the best season of his career.