The 2026 NFL trade deadline brought movement, but not a frenzy. A few teams made aggressive plays to sharpen their rosters, while others stood pat and seemed comfortable with what they already had. When the dust settled, the clearest winners and losers stood out fast.
Chicago belongs at the top of the winners list after landing Jeffery Simmons a few days before the deadline. He has already made his presence felt, and the Bears clearly believe this defense can carry them to wins.
Caleb Williams also has plenty of options to work with on offense. Chicago paid a heavy price to get Simmons, but the expectation is that he’ll be worth it.
Jacksonville also came away looking strong. The Jaguars were the busiest team heading into the deadline and made a major move for former Philadelphia defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
That addition only deepens an already dangerous defense. Jacksonville also added Jessie Bates III and veteran DT Davon Godchauk, making it a productive stretch for a team that clearly wanted to load up.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, is in a very different place. The Eagles are out of contention and focused on the 2027 draft, and they’ve started collecting picks through the Jordan Davis deal and other moves.
Howie Roseman has shown before that he can turn a bad season into a quick rebound, and the idea here is simple: stockpile assets, hit on the draft, and set up a stronger run in 2027. It was a solid deadline for the Eagles.
On the other side, the Rams drew criticism for doing too little. With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams out long-term, the obvious question was whether they would go after another receiver.
They did not. The 49ers went out and got Keenan Allen, while the Rams apparently felt their current group was enough.
That leaves an offense leaning heavily on Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, which is a tough place to be for an aging Matthew Stafford.
The Colts also landed among the losers for the way they handled their deadline. They moved on from just about everybody except 28-year-old running back Jonathan Taylor, even though they had solid offers for him.
They also declined to move Daniel Jones despite interest from multiple teams. If the plan was to blow things up, keeping Taylor and Jones around only made the approach look more confusing.
The question now is whether Jones is part of their long-term thinking.
Then there’s the Chargers, who have yet to win a game and still chose not to part with any of their players. That left potential draft capital on the table, especially with players on expiring deals.
Instead, they stayed quiet and missed a chance to improve their position. With no guarantee they’ll land the No. 1 overall pick, it was a rough deadline showing for a team that needed to be more decisive.
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Rams Finally Have Injury Hope Before A Brutal Stretch Run
With the Rams already past the halfway point of their 2026 season, the next month looks like the kind of stretch that can reshape a playoff race. A run that includes the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs and 49ers would test any roster, and Sean McVay at least has a little reason for optimism as the team starts to get healthier at a crucial time.
Davante Adams could be back in time for the Chiefs game, which would give Los Angeles a major boost as the schedule stiffens, and cornerback Trent McDuffie is also trending toward a Week 10 return. The bigger question remains Puka Nacua, whose injury timeline is still murky and could keep him out for at least another month, leaving the Rams to navigate the toughest part of the calendar while waiting for more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Sent A Clear Message About Matthew Stafford's Window
The Rams have spent the offseason walking a familiar tightrope, trying to keep Matthew Stafford in a position to win right now without slamming the door on what comes next. Their roster moves have reflected that balance, from aggressive trades for players like Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett to the more measured decision to avoid pushing future draft capital too far down the line.
Drafting Ty Simpson as a potential successor only sharpened the message. Los Angeles is still built to support Stafford, but the front office has also been careful not to mortgage the years beyond 2027, a sign this team is already thinking about a roster reset around the 2028 season even while it keeps chasing wins in the present. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Never Could Afford This Byron Young Trade Idea
A fan-suggested Byron Young trade may have made for easy offseason chatter, but it never lined up with how the Rams have built their pass rush or how they view the second-year edge rusher. Young has carved out a real role in Los Angeles, and the teams decision not to move him at the deadline fit with a front office that has been careful about disrupting a unit it still needs to keep productive.
Young also made it clear he had no interest in the idea, brushing it aside on social media after it surfaced. For the Rams, the bigger point is that general manager Les Snead passed on making roster changes involving Young during the trade period, a sign the club still sees him as part of the solution rather than a movable piece. [Read more 🡒]