The trade deadline came and went, and for a few AFC teams, the biggest story was what didn’t happen.
In Buffalo, the Bills went after help in the secondary and didn’t settle quickly. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, they made a strong push for Cardinals S Budda Baker before getting turned down and moving on to S Amani Hooker. Fowler says the Titans also initially said no, but Buffalo stayed on it and eventually put enough on the table to get a deal done.
Indianapolis had a different kind of decision hanging over it. ESPN’s Dan Graziano says the Colts were never truly eager to move RB Jonathan Taylor, and he points to the fact that the team extended Taylor this offseason while not doing the same for players such as G Quenton Nelson, DT DeForest Buckner and WR Josh Downs. That, Graziano notes, is a major reason those three were traded and Taylor wasn’t.
There was also the matter of price. Fowler says the Colts wanted a first-round pick or something close to that kind of value for Taylor. The Giants were closely tied to him, but Fowler heard the Broncos made a late push to bridge the gap with Indianapolis and couldn’t get there.
Fowler also says one reason the Colts were hesitant to deal QB Daniel Jones is that the staff doesn’t seem especially eager to move forward with QB Anthony Richardson.
Graziano adds that the next general manager will be the one making the call on Jones. The quarterback still has half a season left to make his case for another year as the starter, and the contract situation gives Indianapolis flexibility: Jones is due $38 million in 2027, but none of it is guaranteed, meaning the Colts could move on with a $35 million dead cap hit.
Jacksonville took a different route entirely. Graziano and Fowler say the Jaguars simply weren’t interested in subtracting from the roster, which is why WR Brian Thomas Jr. stayed put through the deadline.
The two ESPN reporters say Jacksonville could have landed significant compensation for Thomas, but the team wanted to protect itself from injury in a season where it is clearly aiming high. Fowler adds that his sense is Thomas would have been open to a fresh start if that chance had come along.
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Jaguars Just Made One Deadline Bet Fans Can't Ignore
The 2026 NFL trade deadline brought a flurry of activity across the league, but Jacksonvilles move stood out because it was the kind of swing that can reshape a roster well beyond November. The Jaguars landed Jordan Davis from the Philadelphia Eagles in a deal built around future draft picks, signaling a willingness to pay for help now rather than wait for the offseason to address the front of the defense.
Around the league, the deadline also underscored how differently teams approached their own situations, with the Colts choosing to hold onto Jonathan Taylor despite multiple offers. For Jacksonville, the debate is already centered on whether the price was worth it, since some analysts have questioned the deal as unfavorable for the Jaguars. The real answer will come later, but this is the sort of bet that tends to follow a team long after the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Quiet Deadline Left One Frustrating Question About Their Reset
The trade deadline gave the Jaguars a notable addition in Jordan Davis, a move that fits the kind of front-line reinforcement contenders usually chase when they think the moment is right. Around the league, the Bears landed Jeffery Simmons and the Eagles leaned into future draft capital, underscoring how differently teams approached the same window. For Jacksonville, the takeaway was simple enough: while some clubs chose patience, the Jaguars made sure they were part of the conversation.
Elsewhere in the AFC South, the Colts quiet deadline stood out for a different reason, especially in a market where inaction can feel like a statement of its own. The rest of the league had reasons to debate whether teams were buying, selling or simply waiting, but Indianapolis left one frustrating question hanging over its reset and what it was really trying to build. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Sent A Clear Deadline Message About Their AFC Push
The trade deadline around the league brought a few reminders that contenders are willing to make bold moves, but it also showed how carefully some teams are protecting their core. The Giants reportedly checked in with the Falcons about Bijan Robinson, the Colts reportedly passed on moving Jonathan Taylor, and a few notable names changed teams as clubs weighed present-day help against long-term value. For Jacksonville, it was another snapshot of how the AFC race is shaping up, with rivals making decisions that can alter the path through the conference.
For the Jaguars, the bigger takeaway is the message sent by the deadline itself: if a team believes it has a real shot, it has to decide whether to add, stand pat, or resist the temptation to break up what it already has. The leagues activity, from Jeffery Simmons landing with the Bears to Kirk Cousins ending up with the Vikings, underscored how quickly the balance can shift when front offices get aggressive. Jacksonville now has to keep an eye on how those choices ripple through the AFC, because the next move from a rival could matter just as much as anything that happened this week. [Read more 🡒]