The 2026 NFL trade deadline is set for Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET, and for a handful of teams, the smartest move is clear: stop pretending, start selling, and stockpile picks for what comes next.
Arizona is one of the first clubs that has to take a hard look in the mirror. The Cardinals already moved Jacoby Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens just days after shifting him from starting quarterback to third-string behind Gardner Minshew III and Carson Beck, but that shouldn’t be the end of their deadline work.
Josh Sweat is drawing plenty of attention on the market, with the Dallas Cowboys reportedly among the teams interested, and Arizona should be able to land strong draft value for the edge rusher - possibly as high as a second-round pick, with at least third-round value - after he posted 12 sacks and four forced fumbles last season. Eight-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker and two-time Pro Bowl running back James Conner are also names that could bring back interest.
The Cardinals are 3-5 and just pulled off a stunning comeback road win at Dallas, and Mike LaFleur’s first year as head coach has been better than expected. Even so, this is still a team far from true contention in a loaded NFC West, and the long-term play is to gather as much draft capital as possible.
Baltimore belongs on this list too, even if that feels a little strange at first glance. Lamar Jackson might be done for the season after surgery on his right thumb, and Tyler Huntley is out for the year with a turf toe injury.
Brissett gives the Ravens a real quarterback option, and certainly a better one than undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who started in Thursday night’s 33-10 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. But Baltimore is 4-5, and the math is ugly: they likely need to go 6-2 the rest of the way just to sneak into the postseason.
That’s a steep climb, especially with the ESPN Football Power Index giving them just a 3.3 percent shot at making the playoffs. If contenders come calling, Derrick Henry could be the kind of player that gets serious interest, and the Ravens would be wise to listen on a running back who turns 33 in January.
Indianapolis has already started the process, and it needs to keep going. The Colts traded guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, so the direction is already obvious.
Still, there’s been talk that they may hold onto Jonathan Taylor unless they get a package headlined by a first-round pick. That’s the wrong place to get stubborn.
Taylor turns 28 in January, and the Colts are not close to contending for titles. The comparison writes itself: aging running backs on teams going nowhere are like closers on bad baseball teams.
It’s hard to move the most popular player on the roster, but the Colts need to make the tough call if they want to accelerate the rebuild. That matters even more because they don’t have a first-round pick in 2027 and need to keep piling up premium draft capital.
Indianapolis also needs to move wide receiver Josh Downs, who has reportedly requested a trade.
The Chargers are another team stuck in denial. Reports over the past few weeks have said Los Angeles isn’t eager to trade players like 35-year-old edge rusher Khalil Mack and instead wants to keep trying to win games.
But 0-7 is 0-7. The season has already gone off the rails, and the sooner Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers accept that reality, the better.
At this point, the focus should shift to 2027 and beyond.
Philadelphia rounds out the group, and the situation there is just as bleak. The Eagles were supposed to be a contender, but instead they’re in last place at 2-6 and riding a six-game losing streak.
Jalen Hurts is done for the season because of blood clots in his lungs, Tanner McKee didn’t get the job done in relief, and now Joe Milton is next up at quarterback. That’s a rough spot.
Still, there are pieces on the roster that should attract interest before the deadline, including defensive tackle Moro Ojomo, cornerback Riq Woolen, and tight end Dallas Goedert. For Howie Roseman and the Eagles, the move is to collect draft capital now and keep the bigger picture in mind, with a chance to get back into the mix in what should be a wide-open division in 2027.
In Other News...
Lamar Jackson's Future With The Ravens Suddenly Feels Less Certain
Lamar Jacksons long-term place in Baltimore has become a lot harder to read, and the timing could hardly be worse for a Ravens team built around his presence. A thumb injury has put his availability in doubt, while his contract situation keeps the front office boxed in with a hefty cap figure and a no-trade clause that gives him control over where this goes next.
Around the league, the uncertainty is already drawing attention, with some clubs doing their homework on what a future pursuit might look like if Jackson ever becomes available. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have been mentioned among the teams that could monitor the situation, but for Baltimore the bigger issue is simpler and more immediate: the franchises most important player suddenly feels less tied to its future than he once did. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Make A Desperate QB Move With Playoff Hopes On The Line
The Ravens have moved quickly to shore up the quarterback room, reaching a deal with the Arizona Cardinals for Jacoby Brissett after injuries left the position suddenly thin. With Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both sidelined, Baltimore had little choice but to add another veteran arm, and Brissett gives the team an experienced option at a moment when the season cant afford much more uncertainty.
What happens next will say a lot about how Baltimore intends to keep its playoff hopes alive. Analysts around the league have already weighed in on the move and what it could mean for the Ravens outlook, but the real question is how soon Brissett can be folded into the mix and whether this stopgap solution is enough to steady a team trying to survive a brutal stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Secondary Nightmare Just Got Worse With Kyle Hamilton
Baltimores secondary took another hit on Thursday night when Kyle Hamilton went down with a hip injury against the Jaguars and was ruled out for the rest of the game. The Ravens were already trying to navigate a thin defensive backfield, and the injury came with the team trailing, adding more strain to a unit that has been under pressure all night.
Hamilton had already been working through a knee issue before this matchup, which had limited his practice time last week and left his availability in question entering the game. Now the bigger concern is how he responds in the days ahead, with the Ravens facing the Chargers next and another important piece of the secondary suddenly uncertain. [Read more 🡒]