NFL trade deadline summary: the biggest deals, surprising moves and who got better
The NFL trade market came to an end on Tuesday afternoon and there were some major movings around the league up until the last hour of the deadline.
The NFL trade market closed on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, but before then we had some seismic shifts around the league. There were contenders who got even better by making some important additions, while other teams in the rebuilding process invested in future draft picks as the look down the road.
Pats start shaking things up in September
The first trade came at the end of September when the New England Patriots opened the market by sending Justin Herron and a seventh round pick in 2024 to the Oakland Raiders for a 2024 sixth-round pick.
The Panthers are one of those teams in a rebuilding process and they had a busy trade market. Before making any transactions they fired their coach Matt Rhule, and replaced him with former assistant Steve Wilks. In Wilks first game as interim coach, there was a sideline scuffle with wide receiver Robbie Anderson. Anderson was sent to the locker room, and subsequently shipped off to Arizona as Wilks immediately implemented his no nonsense attitude in Carolina.
A few days later Carolina sent shock waves through the NFC when they sent Christian McCaffery to San Francisco for four future draft picks. McCaffery was traded on Thursday and played on that same Sunday. The former Panther threw, passed and caught a touchdown in his second game as a Niner.
McCaffery to the Bay
With McCaffery set to get most of the snaps, Jeff Wilson was left as the odd man out in San Fran. The 49ers would end up working out a deal with Miami for the running back. The Dolphins gave up a fifth round draft pick in 2023 in order to add yet another weapon to that already potent offensive attack.
The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles got even stronger on the defensive side of the ball when they traded a 2023 fourth round pick to the Chicago Bears for defensive end Robert Quinn.
The Bears defense took another hit when they traded Roquan Smith to Baltimore for LB A.J. Klien and a 2nd round pick and a fifth round pick in 2023. Chicago wasn’t done dealing. On deadline day they picked up WR Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers after making a trade that sent the a second round pick in 2023 to the Steel City.
Jags get suspended Ridley
In other news from the NFC North, Detroit sent tight end T.J. Hockenson to the 6-1 Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2023 second round pick and a 2024 third round pick. Hockenson will provide another set of sure, steady hands to an offense that is already clicking.
One of the most shocking deals of the trade market was Jacksonville trading for suspended WR Calvin Ridley. Ridley will be the entire 2022 season after getting caught gambling on games last season, and the length of his suspension is still undetermined. The Jacksonville Jaguars gave up a conditional fifth round pick in 2023 and a second round pick in 2024.
The rich get richer
Patrick Mahomes saw his armory get even deeper when the Chiefs traded for former Giants WR Kadarius Toney. Toney never caught on in New York, and the Giants decided to traded him to KC for a conditional third round pick in 2023 and a sixth round pick in the same draft. The Chiefs offense has been one of the best in the league this season, and Toney will only make Andy Reid’s offense that much more explosive.
The biggest block buster deal came on the final day of the trade market when the Miami Dolphins went all in for defender Bradley Chubb. The LA Rams made a similar trade last year when they brought Von Miller in from Denver. Miami sent a first round draft pick in 2023, a fourth round pick in 2024 and running back Chase Edmonds to Denver for the star linebacker. LA went on to win the Super Bowl after getting Miller, time will tell if this trade pays off as quickly as it did for the Rams.