The NFL’s trade deadline is here, with teams having until 8am AEDT to make moves to either improve their roster or offload surplus talent as they look to tank their way to a high draft pick.
Watch an average 6 games per week and every game of the NFL Postseason, LIVE with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Follow along for live updates ahead of the deadline as teams scramble to make moves!
JETS TAKE OVER THE DEADLINE… AND THEY MAY NOT BE DONE
The New York Jets have taken over the trade deadline after pulling off two blockbuster moves — and they may not be done either with one star still wanting out.
In the first of the major moves, the 7-2 Indianapolis Colts — one of the NFL’s surprise early contenders — pulled off a stunning trade with the Jets for two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner in exchange for two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell.
It came just four months after the Jets signed Garnder to a four-year, $120.4 ($A185m) million contract extension along with receiver Garrett Wilson, signalling that the pair would be key cornerstone pieces for a rebuild under first-year coach Aaron Glenn.
Instead, Gardner is out the door and has a chance to contend for a Super Bowl.
“New York it’s been real,” Gardner posted on X after the trade news broke.
Gardner was drafted fourth overall by the Jets in 2022 and won Defensive Rookie of the Year while also making first-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023.
His play regressed in 2024 but the same could be said for a lot of New York’s defensive talent after a tough year which saw the offence continually struggle, putting a lot more pressure on the defence to come up with stops.
For the Colts, while they have emerged as a surprise Super Bowl contender with one of the most efficient offences in the league, their secondary had been a major concern until now.
Gardner will be an immediate upgrade, having earned a reputation early in his career for being a true lockdown corner. He has not allowed more than two receptions to a single receiver in a game this season.
“Having the opportunity to acquire a talented player like Sauce Gardner was one we did not want to pass on,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said.
“He was a player that we scouted heavily coming out of college and there’s a reason he was the fourth overall pick. Sauce is a proven cornerback. His skill and competitive nature will elevate everyone’s play on the defensive unit. We’re thrilled he’s a Colt.”
As for the Colts, Mitchell has largely been a disappointment since being drafted in the second round of the 2024 draft.
He has undeniable talent and has flashed the ability to separate, particularly on deep routes, but inconsistent play and mental mistakes have made it tough for him to earn a role.
The Colts also already have three established top receivers in Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce while rookie tight end Tyler Warren has been a stud, particularly off play-action.
Mitchell will have a chance to revive his career in a receiving room at New York which is wide-open outside of having Wilson as the clear top option.
As it turned out, the Jets weren’t done there either.
In a second blockbuster move before the deadline, they dealt three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys.
New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams tackles Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Source: AP
The Jets reportedly receive a first-round pick, second-round pick and DT Mazi Smith as part of the deal.
It came after Jerry Jones hinted in a radio interview on Tuesday that the Cowboys, who traded superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons in the offseason, had a deal in place.
While it looked an underwhelming result at first when the Cowboys acquired veteran linebacker Logan Wilson earlier in the day, Jones ended up making good on his promise.
The Cowboys owner said that the player would “address some of the things that have been our shortcomings.”
Williams will added a much-needed physical presence to Dallas’ defensive line, which has struggled all season and looked particularly fragile against the Cardinals in Tuesday’s loss.
He won’t address their issues in the secondary, however.
Williams signed a four-year, $96 million ($A148m) contract extension with the Jets in 2023 that would keep him in Dallas through to the 2027 season.
The Jets reportedly also have offers on the table for defensive end Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall.
Hall is a free agent at the end of the year, which makes it more likely he will be moved since Johnson still has one more year left on his rookie deal.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Hall “wants to be out” and his activity on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday morning has suggested as much.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said the Jets want a third-rounder for Hall and that while no team is willing to pay that yet, it may change.
RAIDERS MOVE TOP RECEIVER AFTER TRADE REQUEST
After requesting a trade in the offseason, Jakobi Meyers finally got his wish — and he could’ve just joined his new team on the flight home it turns out.
The Las Vegas Raiders confirmed they traded their top receiver to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who they played on the weekend, for a fourth and sixth-round pick.
Meyers was wanting out of the Raiders after a contract dispute with the team in the summer.
He will be a free agent after the season so any team trading for him was doing so with the understanding it may only be a short-term rental and for a Jaguars team missing two-way star Travis Hunter (knee) for at least the next three weeks, it makes sense.
Further to that, second-year star Brian Thomas was limping after the Raiders game and has reportedly suffered a low-grade ankle sprain that may have his status this weekend in doubt.
Thomas has also struggled this season, particularly making catches over the middle of the field, and Meyers should provide Jacksonville with a reliable option there.
Jakobi Meyers was traded. Candice Ward/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
As for the Raiders, they sit dead-last in the highly competitive AFC West with a 2-6 record and look no chance of making the playoffs so moving off Meyers now makes sense, although they could have got a compensatory pick for him if he left in free agency.
Either way, look for Las Vegas to lean into more 12 personnel (two tight end sets) now that Meyers has left with Brock Bowers being the focal point of the passing game and Michael Mayer playing a supporting role.
It will also allow them to better evaluate rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton, while speedster Tre Tucker steps in as the top wide receiver.
SEAHAWKS ADD SPEEDSTER TO POTENT OFFENCE
They already have one of the most explosive offences in the league, and now the Seattle Seahawks have added another weapon for the much-improved Sam Darnold to throw to.
Seattle traded 2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks to land the speedy Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans.
The move sees Shaheed reunite with Klint Kubiak, who was his offensive coordinator at New Orleans last season.
Shaheed is a perfect fit for the Seattle offence under Kubiak and will be fielding plenty of deep shots from Darnold, who had it on a dime against the Commanders on Monday.
He will immediately slot in as the third option in the passing room and potentially the second should Cooper Kupp’s hamstring injury be serious, while rookie Tory Horton’s breakout has been placed on pause for now after his two-touchdown game against Washington.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is off to Seattle. (AP Photo/Ella Hall)Source: AP
But either way, this Seahawks offence just got even better and that is a terrifying prospect for the rest of the NFL.
As for the Saints, they are one of the worst teams in the league and trading Shaheed, who was a free agent at the end of the year, makes sense.
Chris Olave has also been a trade candidate, although it appears more likely he will be signed to an extension to operate as the trusted number one option for whatever rookie New Orleans drafts at quarterback next year.
LIVE BLOG
Follow along for the latest updates from NFL insiders in our blog below!
Can’t see it? Click here!
