The NFL trade deadline officially passed at 4 PM ET on Tuesday, and while there haven’t been as many high-profile deals as in recent weeks, several teams have made moves to boost their playoff hopes.
With that in mind, here are the biggest winners and losers from Tuesday’s crazy trading.
Winner | Washington Commanders
Having a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract can completely change the trajectory of a franchise, and the Commanders are taking advantage of the opportunity that Jayden Daniels presents.
Washington (7-2) The biggest splash at the trade deadline.In a trade with the Saints on Tuesday, they acquired four-time Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round pick. To complete the deal, the Commanders gave New Orleans third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Commanders were one of the most surprising and uplifting stories of the first half of the regular season. But Tuesday’s blockbuster solidified them as a real threat to win the NFC East and a team capable of making a deep playoff run.
After allowing the most passing yards (4,627) and scoring a touchdown (39) last season, Washington’s defense has greatly improved under new HC Dan Quinn. Through nine games, Washington is allowing it. 202.41 Their passing yards per contest are 11th-fewest in the NFL, but that statistic is slightly skewed due to a few underwhelming quarterbacks.
The addition of Lattimore will help the unit continue to evolve. In seven games this season, the former first-round pick has made 30 tackles, two pass breakups and allowed just one tackle. Coverage: 83 yardsFewest of any cornerback who has played at least 400 snaps.
loser | dallas cowboys
Despite owning a 3-5 record and expected to be without QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) for at least the next four games, the Cowboys decided to become buyers before the trade deadline. Dallas on Tuesday Traded a 4th round pick. Acquire second-year WR Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-round pick from Carolina in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It’s not a terrible idea to start building for the future amid a lost season and fling on a player who’s contracted through 2026, but it’s still a questionable deal for Dallas.
Mingo He hasn’t shown much promise since being drafted 39th overall in 2023. Last season, the Ole Miss product caught just 43 passes for 418 yards, and he’s not much better over nine games in 2024. Mingo didn’t just record number 121. He had 12 receptions for yards but lost reps to rookie Jalen Coker, an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross.
Aside from the fact that Mingo might not be a player worth gambling on, the Cowboys overpaid to acquire him depending on how the wide receiver trade market shakes out, making the move even more questionable. Ultimately, the Chiefs traded a conditional fifth-round pick to acquire five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins, while the Ravens sent their fifth-rounder to Carolina for Diontae Johnson and a sixth-round pick.
Winner | Pittsburgh Steelers
Time will tell whether the AFC North-leading Steelers (6-2) are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Still, Pittsburgh needs to win at least one playoff game to consider this season a success (something it hasn’t done since 2016), and the team took strides toward doing so on Tuesday.
The Steelers executed two low-risk, high-reward trades. Send 5th round pick to the Jets in exchange for trade for WR Mike Williams. 7th rounder Landing former Packers edge rusher Preston Smith.
williamsAn impending free agent, he was a non-factor in nine games against New York, catching just 12 passes for 166 yards. Still, the 6-foot-4, 218-pounder is a capable veteran who should improve a Steelers team that features second-leading receiver TE Pat Freiermuth, who ranks 92nd in the NFL in receiving yards.264).
Meanwhile, 31 years old. smith Should serve as a valuable rotation piece for a defense that ranks second in points (14.9) and 9th yards allowed per game (310.25). Averaging 7.5 sacks per season so far this season, Smith has 19 tackles, 2 for loss, 2.5 sacks and 4 QB hits.
loser | Eliot Wolf, Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel
Like many teams, the Patriots (2-7) had a relatively uneventful trade deadline, trading edge rusher Josh Uche to the Chiefs for a 2026 sixth-round pick last week. Although it was a worthwhile deal for New England, Wolfe had to move on to expedite the team’s rebuilding process.
last week, Ian Rapoport According to reports from NFL Media, the Patriots could do a mix of buying and selling, but they have suspiciously decided not to do so. According to Rapoport, the team was interested in acquiring KJ Osborn and Tyquan Thornton, two wideouts who don’t have much of a future in New England. As a team that won’t be in playoff contention for a while, the Patriots should have continued selling assets.
It also would have made sense to buy at least a decent wide receiver to help with the development of promising rookie QB Drake Maye. Maybe there wasn’t a wideout worth overpaying for, but the Patriots probably couldn’t afford to take a big swing for the impending free agent. Especially since they have the most cap space in the NFL. 2025.
Winner | New Lions edge rusher Za’Darius Smith
Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler with five sacks this season, had the privilege of being traded from one of the NFL’s worst teams to one of the best. There was quite a bit of buzz surrounding a potential trade to send Smith to Detroit leading up to the deadline, and the Lions and Browns finally reached an agreement on Tuesday.
As part of the transaction, lions Smith traded a 2025 fifth-round draft pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick to Cleveland, and a 2026 seventh-round pick. This was a smart move for both teams, as the Browns gained much-needed draft capital for the future, while Detroit strengthened its chances of competing for Super Bowl LIX.
With the addition of Smith to the mix, the Lions have found a quality replacement for star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 6. The Lions defense struggled in its first three games without Hutchinson, finishing eighth. – Fewest sacks in the NFL (five) Ranked 26th among teams with a pass rush win rate of 30.6%.
loser | new york giants
The 2-7 Giants have decided to wait until the trade deadline, which could bring them back until April. New York had several interesting trade candidates, including an impending free agent WR. Darius Slayton And edge rusher Aziz OjulariIt attracted interest from teams like Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
It’s impossible to deny that Slayton and Ojulari have had solid performances for the Giants. Slayton He caught 32 passes for 469 yards and one touchdown this season. Ojulari He recorded six sacks, two shy of his career high. The Giants could re-sign both players, but considering they didn’t extend Slayton last offseason and traded for star edge rusher Brian Burns to replace Ojulari, it’s puzzling why they haven’t cashed in on their value now.
If Giants GM Joe Schoen had been on the hot seat, it would have made more sense to hold on to Slayton and Ojulari. But owner John Mara told reporters Last month he said he had no plans to fire Schoen or HC Brian Daboll this offseason. Now that they’ve missed an opportunity to gather potential trade-up ammunition for the 2025 draft, the Giants will be hoping to put together a few meaningless wins and not be out of range to land a top quarterback prospect.
