NFL Logs 10 In-Season Trades Before 2026 Deadline as Midseason Dealmaking Becomes New Normal
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Nov 9
NFL Logs 10 In-Season Trades Before 2026 Deadline as Midseason Dealmaking Becomes New Normal
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Nov 9
Summary
Ten in-season trades were already complete 24 hours before the Nov. 10 deadline, putting the NFL on pace for another unusually busy finish after last year's record 22 deals.
Week 9 timing is a major driver: the deadline now falls effectively at midseason, giving teams a clearer read on contention than when it used to arrive after Week 6.
That clarity is pushing contenders to buy and strugglers to sell—Indianapolis, now 2-7 after a five-game skid, dealt Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner once its playoff hopes faded.
Front offices have also grown more willing to spend draft capital for immediate help, following models popularized by the Rams and aided by pick swaps and compensatory-pick structures.
The result is a structural shift in a league once resistant to trades, with deadline activity increasingly resembling the NBA and MLB rather than an annual afterthought.