The 2026 trade deadline didn’t produce fireworks like last year, when the New York Jets dealt away their two best defensive players, cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The biggest moment of the deadline was the Minnesota Vikings reuniting with Kirk Cousins, who was the team’s quarterback from 2018 to 2023. The Vikings addressed a glaring need at quarterback by acquiring Cousins for a 2027 third-round pick.
The 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars went all-in to win Super Bowl LXI by making an aggressive move a day early. Safety Jessie Bates III was acquired from the Atlanta Falcons for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick. The Jaguars also traded a conditional 2028 sixth-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux.
Here are three other trades that should have been made before the deadline that could have improved the teams’ chances of making the playoffs or embarking on a deep playoff run. The financial consequences of these moves are highlighted. Salary cap space is based on NFLPA data.
An acquiring team would have needed enough salary cap space to absorb the remainder of the player’s current salary. Since the trades would have occurred after the Week 9 games, the acquiring team would have been responsible for half of a player’s base salary in 2026 (9 weeks out of 18 total) and any other applicable salary elements in their contract.
Transactions can no longer be executed before the start of the 2027 championship year, on March 11.
Jonathan Taylor from Indianapolis Colts to New York Giants
Giants get: Jonathan Taylor, 2028 sixth-round pick
Colts get: 2027 second-round pick, 2028 third-round pick
Taylor’s remaining salary for 2026: $3.97 million
Colts 2026 salary cap savings: $4.60 million
Giants 2026 salary cap: $6.18 million
Colts 2027 Dead Money: $10 million ($11.02 million in 2027 salary cap savings)
The Colts went into sell mode after firing general manager Chris Ballard six games into the season. Criticism of the return in the trade for perennial All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner may have contributed to the Colts holding firm on a high asking price for Taylor. The Colts reportedly wanted a first-round pick or something comparable to the 2023 second, third and fourth-round picks and the 2024 fifth-round pick the Carolina Panthers received from the San Francisco 49ers for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey during the 2022 season to part ways with Taylor.
This type of transport was not realistic. McCaffrey was 26 when he was dealt, while Taylor will turn 28 in January. There is also a big difference in mileage. Taylor’s 1,712 career carries are almost double the 866 carries McCaffrey had with the Panthers before his trade.
Taylor joined the exclusive $20 million per running back club in August. He signed a two-year, $44 million contract extension (worth up to $47 million through incentives) with $39.02 million in guarantees and $23 million fully guaranteed at signing. Taylor’s remaining compensation for 2026 includes $3.49 million in base salary and $480,000 in active bonuses per game. Additionally, $625,000 of Taylor’s $1 million in 2026 incentives constitutes a salary cap charge because they are classified as earnable, resulting in a $4.595 million cap hit for 2026 for the acquiring team. Taylor has two years worth $34 million remaining on his contract after this season. He is expected to earn $16.02 million in 2027 and $17.98 million in 2028.
The Colts could revisit a trade for Taylor this offseason. It is likely that Taylor’s trade value will not be higher in the future.
The Giants were reportedly willing to give the Colts a second-round pick, a fifth-round pick and an unnamed player for Taylor before withdrawing the offer. According to ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan, the Giants have called several teams to find a running back as the trade deadline approaches.
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. to Los Angeles Rams
Rams get: Brian Thomas Jr.
Jaguars get: 2027 second-round pick
Remaining salary for 2026: $537,500
Jaguars 2026 salary cap savings: $537,500
Rams 2026 salary cap: $248,672
Jaguars 2027 Dead Money: $1.8 million ($2.8 million salary cap savings)
After his stellar rookie season in 2024 in which he made 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, Thomas has struggled since Liam Coen took over as Jaguars head coach. The 2024 first-round pick has become an afterthought in Jacksonville’s passing game. The Week 9 game against the Baltimore Ravens was the first time in Thomas’ NFL career that he was not targeted at least once. Thomas has 10 receptions, 117 receiving yards and two touchdowns in eight games this season. Josh Cameron, a 2026 sixth-round pick, has more offensive snaps than Thomas since Week 4.
The Jaguars, who are in win-now mode, have rebuffed trade interest in Thomas despite his diminishing role. Moving Thomas would have allowed the Jaguars to recoup some draft capital from Monday’s trades. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. trade in October could have served as a model. The Arizona Cardinals received a 2027 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the Houston Texans in exchange for Harrison, the fourth overall pick in 2024, and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
A 5-4 record didn’t seem imaginable when the Rams were the heavy favorites to win Super Bowl LXI before the season started. Injuries have decimated the Rams receiving corps. Davante Adams was put in reserve for the wounded after rupturing a hamstring tendon in the Week 6 game against the Cardinals. His estimated recovery time is six to ten weeks, which likely places his return in early December. Puka Nacua suffered an MCL sprain, PCL sprain and turf toe on his right leg late in the Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders. He is expected to be out for at least a month but has not been placed on IR.
Of the wide receivers’ 26 targets against the Commanders, 19 went to Nacua. The remaining receivers on the Rams’ 53-man roster have caught 18 passes for 261 yards with one touchdown this season.
Thomas would have been a major short-term upgrade with Adams and Nacua out. He also could have been a potential younger, less expensive replacement for the soon-to-be 33-year-old Adams, whose contract is expiring. Thomas, 24, is under contract through 2027 for a fully guaranteed amount of $2,794,089. A fifth-year option for 2028 could be acquired by May 1 of next offseason for approximately $19.5 million.
The big problem is that the Rams would have had no picks in the first two days of the 2027 NFL Draft if they had acquired Thomas. The 2027 first-round pick was part of the acquisition cost to obtain reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns in June. The 2027 third-round pick was one of four draft picks the Kansas City Chiefs received for cornerback Trent McDuffie in March.
Restructuring a contract would have been necessary given the Rams’ tight salary cap situation to handle Thomas’ remaining $537,500 base salary in 2026. Quarterback Matthew Stafford would have been a prime candidate since he has the largest 2026 cap hit at $48,267,348.
Tony Pollard from Tennessee Titans to Green Bay Packers
Packers receive: Tony Pollard
Titans receive: Conditional fourth-round pick for 2027 (becomes third-round pick if Packers advance to Super Bowl LXI and Pollard leads Packers in rushing after trade)
Remaining salary for 2026: $3.61 million
Titans 2026 salary cap savings: $3.64 million
Packers 2026 cap room: $5.67 million
Titans 2027 Dead Money: None (expiring contract)
The Packers are one-dimensional offensively, ranking second in the NFL with 279.7 passing yards per game and last with 68.2 rushing yards per game. Running back Josh Jacobs’ broken right ring finger, suffered in Week 9 win against the New England Patriots, required surgery. He could be out for three weeks.
Jacobs has been ineffective since being removed from the commissioner’s exempt list. He missed the first six games of the season on the exempt list as the league investigated a possible personal conduct policy violation related to an alleged domestic violence incident. Jacobs gained just 80 yards on 36 rushing attempts and scored one touchdown in three games. He’s averaging 2.2 yards per carry this year, the lowest average of his career.
Pollard would have given Green Bay’s running game a boost. He’s coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. Pollard averages 3.53 yards after contact per carry, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Packers have plenty of draft capital for 2027, owning 11 picks. This includes four expected compensatory picks. The Packers already have two fourth-round picks.
The Titans aren’t going anywhere fast with a 1-7 record. Dealing franchise cornerstone All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for two first-round picks (2027 and 2028) and a 2027 fourth-round pick last week, then safety Amani Hooker and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a 2027 second-round pick on the trade deadline only increases Tennessee’s chances of securing the league title. worst record and 2027 first-round pick.
Pollard is making $7.25 million this year in the final year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract (worth up to $24 million with incentives) signed in 2024 free agency. The $7.25 million consists of a base salary of $6.74 million and a $510,000 roster bonus ($30,000 per active game). There is also $750,000 in incentives that are unlikely to be won, primarily based on Pollard’s statistical accomplishments. Given that Green Bay’s bye is in Week 11 and Tennessee’s is in Week 9, Pollard would have missed out on $30,000 in per-game bonuses, allowing him to play a maximum of 16 games this season.
It might not make sense for a rebuilding Titans team to re-sign Pollard, who turns 30 in April. The Titans will at best get a 2028 third-round compensatory pick for Pollard if he leaves elsewhere in free agency this offseason.
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