For many years, the NFL trade deadline generated very little buzz compared to that of other sports leagues. Teams tended to swap players in the offseason, especially close to the draft, but not so much once the season began.
That trend started to change in recent years thanks to shorter contract lengths, voidable years and a preference for stockpiling draft picks. Last season, 15 in-season trades occurred.
Impact wide receivers have been on the move this year ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline. Davante Adams was traded from the Raiders to the Jets, Amari Cooper from the Browns to the Bills, DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans to the Chiefs and Diontae Johnson from the Panthers to the Ravens. New England also sent edge rusher Josh Uche to Kansas City.
All the acquiring teams hope these moves translate into impactful contributions that will help position them for Super Bowl glory, but how many will actually deliver the desired results?
If history is an indicator, not many. Of the 15 trades made during the 2023 season, only a handful helped truly elevate the teams that brought in the talent. Other squads experienced minimal impacts, and others wound up wasting those draft picks they parted with in exchange for veteran talent.
Here’s a look back at last year’s in-season trades from first to last, and how things played out for the teams involved. The first deal was completed Sept. 20, 2023, and the last six were done on deadline day, Oct. 31, with others falling between those dates.
The trade: Vikings get RB Cam Akers and conditional 2026 seventh-round pick from Rams for 2026 conditional sixth-round pick
The verdict: Solid. The Vikings needed depth in their backfield and Akers chipped in with an average of 23 rushing yards and 11.7 receiving yards per game. He signed with the Texans in the offseason, but the Vikings re-acquired him in mid-October to help improve depth once again.
The trade: Patriots get CB J.C. Jackson and 2025 seventh-round pick from Chargers for 2025 sixth-rounder
The verdict: Disappointing. The Patriots hoped Jackson’s familiarity with the team (he played four seasons in New England after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2018) could position him to help improve the secondary. But Jackson’s impact was minimal and the Patriots eventually put him on the non-football illness reserve list before releasing him in March. He remains a free agent.
The trade: 49ers get LB Randy Gregory and 2024 seventh-round pick from Broncos for 2024 sixth-rounder
The verdict: Solid. As far as rentals go, Gregory didn’t cost the 49ers much. He served as a solid member of their rotation, recording 2 1/2 sacks off the bench in 12 regular-season games. He was essentially a non-factor in the postseason, though, recording only three solo tackles, no sacks and no quarterback hits. Gregory is now a free agent.
The trade: Dolphins get WR Chase Claypool and 2025 seventh-rounder from Bears for 2025 sixth-round pick
The verdict: Wasted move. Claypool had fallen out of favor with Chicago, but Miami hoped the player that recorded nine touchdowns as a rookie in Pittsburgh in 2020 could find a place in its offense. Claypool managed only four catches for 26 yards and no touchdowns in nine games. He walked in free agency and remains unsigned.
The trade: Falcons get WR Van Jefferson and 2025 seventh-rounder from Rams for 2025 sixth-rounder
The verdict: Meh. Jefferson made minimal impact on Atlanta (12 catches for 101 yards and no touchdowns in 12 games, including five starts). Subpar quarterback play could have been a factor, but those numbers weren’t much different from the production that caused the Rams to deem him expendable. Jefferson left Atlanta for Pittsburgh in the offseason.
The trade: Chiefs get WR Mecole Hardman and 2025 seventh-round pick from Jets for 2025 sixth-rounder
The verdict: Slam dunk. Thanks to his familiarity with the playbook from four seasons with the team that drafted him in the 2019 second round, Hardman was able to make a smooth transition back to Kansas City. He contributed on offense and special teams, and became one of the heroes of Super Bowl 58. Hardman had three catches for 57 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime that secured the Chiefs’ second straight Lombardi Trophy.
The trade: Eagles get S Kevin Byard from Titans for S Terrell Edmunds and 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks
The verdict: Wasted move. Byard was supposed to bring veteran experience and leadership to the Eagles’ secondary, along with elevated play. After a strong initial impression, however, his effectiveness waned and he was burned repeatedly down the stretch of the season. Edmunds, meanwhile, started only one game for Tennessee. Both players departed via free agency this offseason, with Byard joining the Bears and Edmunds the Steelers.
The trade: Seahawks get DE Leonard Williams from Giants for 2024 second-round and 2025 fifth-round picks
The verdict: Win. Williams came right in and helped solidify Seattle’s defensive front. He started 10 games, recording 41 tackles, 11 quarterback hits, four sacks and a pass deflection. He then signed a three-year, $64.5 million contract extension with the Seahawks. The Giants, meanwhile, used that second-round pick to draft safety Tyler Nubin, who has 52 tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in eight starts.
The trade: Falcons get DL Kentavius Street and 2025 seventh-round pick from Eagles for 2024 sixth-rounder
The verdict: Solid. The Eagles used Street sparingly, but the Falcons thought he could help fill the void caused by Grady Jarrett’s season-ending injury. Street met an immediate need and started five games, recording 14 tackles, a sack, fumble recovery and pass deflection. He then signed a one-year deal to remain in Atlanta and has appeared in four games this season.
The trade: Vikings get QB Joshua Dobbs and 2024 seventh-round pick from Cardinals for 2024 sixth-rounder
The verdict: Solid. When Kirk Cousins’ 2023 season ended with a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Vikings traded for Dobbs, who came in and helped lead them to two victories right off the bat. Dobbs finished his stint as Vikings starter with a 2-2 record, but Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens went a combined 1-4 in the last five weeks of the season after Dobbs suffered an ankle injury. Dobbs is now a backup for the 49ers.
The trade: Bears get DE Montez Sweat from Commanders for 2024 second-round pick
The verdict: Win. Pass rushers are hard to come by, and the Bears pounced when the Commanders put Sweat on the block to begin their rebuilding efforts. Sweat came to Chicago and recorded a team-high six sacks in half a season, reached the Pro Bowl and landed a long-term contract extension.
The trade: Jaguars get OL Ezra Cleveland from Vikings for 2024 sixth-round pick
The verdict: Solid. The Jaguars hoped Cleveland could have helped fortify their line for a playoff run, but Jacksonville’s season went up in flames as it lost five of its last six games. Cleveland did start five of his nine games in Jacksonville in 2023, and he has started all eight games for Doug Pederson’s struggling 2-6 team this season.
The trade: 49ers get DE Chase Young from Commanders for 2024 third-round pick
The verdict: Mediocre. The deal wasn’t entirely a bust. Young did start all three playoff games for the Niners, and he recorded a sack and two tackles in the Super Bowl. However, the 49ers probably would have liked to have gotten a little more production and consistency out of Young given the third-rounder they forked over for him. San Francisco let Young walk in free agency and he joined the Saints.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
The trade: Lions get WR Donovan Peoples-Jones from Browns for 2025 sixth-round pick
The verdict: Wasted move. Peoples-Jones started just one of his eight games last season for the Lions, for whom he recorded five catches for 58 yards and no touchdowns in the regular season (and no receptions in three playoff appearances). Unlike in Cleveland, he wasn’t used on Detroit’s special teams. He’s now on the Lions’ practice squad.
The trade: Bills gets CB Rasul Douglas and 2024 fifth-round pick from Packers for 2024 third-rounder
The verdict: Win. Douglas stepped right in as a starter and recorded four interceptions in nine games last season for Buffalo. He remains a starter a year later and has 33 tackles, four pass breakups and a forced fumble for Buffalo, which leads the AFC East.
(Top illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photos of Leonard Williams, Mecole Hardman and Montez Sweat / Thearon W. Henderson, Steph Chambers and Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
