NFL trade deadline 2026: date, rules and top players to watch
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10, at 4 pm ET.
- After that time, no team can trade a player until March 11, 2027.
- The Chargers, Commanders, Cardinals, Titans and Eagles are the seller teams to watch.
The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10. Teams must send their deals to the league office by 4 pm ET.
That is 1 pm PT and 9 pm GMT. After that time, trading stops for the season.
This guide explains the date, the rules, and the names to watch. It is written for fans who are new to deadline week.
What happened so far
Four trades have already taken place this season. DAZN listed all four in its deadline guide.
The first deal came from need. On September 28, the New York Giants traded with the Minnesota Vikings to get quarterback JJ McCarthy.
The Giants paid a 2027 fifth-round pick for McCarthy. The deal followed knee surgery for Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Two days later, the Dallas Cowboys made their move. They got cornerback Joey Porter Jr from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dallas paid a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick. A conditional pick can change based on set terms.
The Philadelphia Eagles then sent center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles also sent a 2027 seventh-round pick in that deal.
Baltimore sent back a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The final early deal sent a star wide receiver to Texas.
The Houston Texans got Marvin Harrison Jr from the Arizona Cardinals. Houston paid 2027 second-round and sixth-round picks.
Houston also got a 2027 seventh-round pick back. These four deals show that teams do not wait for deadline day.
What is a trade
A trade is a swap between two teams. Teams swap players, draft picks, or a mix of both.
A draft pick is the right to pick a young player in a future draft. Picks are the main currency at deadline time.
When a player moves, his contract moves with him. The new team pays the rest of his salary for the season.
Signing bonus money works in a different way. Money already counted stays as dead money for the old team.
Dead money is salary cap space used by a player who has left. The salary cap is the limit on what a team can spend on players.
Last Word on Sports notes that only 2027 and 2028 picks can move now. Teams cannot trade picks more than two drafts ahead.
Why the deadline matters
The deadline comes after Week 9. Week 9 ends with a Monday night game on November 9.
By then, teams know where they stand. Good teams buy help for a playoff run.
Weak teams sell veterans for future picks. A seller is a team that trades away talent to rebuild.
Sportsnaut reported that 10 teams sit at 2-5 or worse. That means 10 teams have lost at least five games.
That is why many sellers could appear this year. A buyer wants one missing piece for a title run.
A seller wants draft picks for the future. Both sides must agree on the price.
The seller teams to watch
Sportsnaut named five teams that should sell. The list starts with the Washington Commanders.
Washington should trade veterans with no long-term future there. Sportsnaut named Stefon Diggs and Daron Payne among them.
The list also named Dorance Armstrong and K'Lavon Chaisson. Rasul Douglas, Amik Robertson and Dyami Brown were also named.
The Los Angeles Chargers are the next big seller name. They are the only winless team left in the league.
Sportsnaut said the Chargers could fall to 0-8 before the deadline. Games against the Rams and Texans come first.
Edge rusher Khalil Mack is the likeliest Charger to move. An edge rusher attacks the opposing quarterback from the edge.
Cornerback Donte Jackson is also likely to move. A cornerback defends against wide receivers.
The Arizona Cardinals are another seller to watch. They already traded Marvin Harrison Jr to Houston.
Sportsnaut said edge rusher Josh Sweat should get the trade he wants. Sweat has wanted a move since the off-season.
Sportsnaut called Sweat arguably the best pass rusher available. A pass rusher is a player who chases the quarterback.
The Tennessee Titans should also sell, according to Sportsnaut. Running back Tony Pollard is the top Titan name.
A running back carries the ball on running plays. Last Word on Sports called Pollard a near guarantee to move.
The Philadelphia Eagles are a surprise name on the seller list. Sportsnaut said the Eagles should test the market for some veterans.
Running back Saquon Barkley was named as a test case. Tight end Dallas Goedert was also named.
A tight end can both block and catch passes. These are ideas from analysts, not done deals.
Ten names on one list
Last Word on Sports published its own top 10 list. It named Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals first.
Baker is a safety. A safety is the last line of defence in the back field.
The list also named Austin Jackson of the Miami Dolphins. Jackson plays offensive tackle and protects the quarterback.
Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants was also named. Thibodeaux is an edge rusher.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel made the list. A quarterback leads the offence on the field.
Dallas Goedert, Tony Pollard and Daron Payne were all named too. So were Tui Tuipulotu, AJ Epenesa and Kristian Fulton.
Tuipulotu plays for the Chargers. Epenesa plays for the Eagles and Fulton plays for the Chiefs.
Not every list agrees on every name. Sportsnaut said it would not consider a Budda Baker trade.
That split shows how deadline talk works. Lists are guesses about what teams might do.
No player on these lists has been traded yet. A name on a list is not a done deal.
What happens after the deadline
Once November 10 passes, trading ends. No trades of any kind can take place until March 11, 2027.
Teams can still sign free agents after the deadline. A free agent is a player without a team contract.
Teams can also claim players off waivers. Waivers is a system where teams can pick up released players.
Claims run in reverse order of the standings. That means the weakest teams get first pick.
Veterans with four or more seasons lose a perk after the deadline. Once cut, they must go through waivers instead of picking a new team.
That rule matters for older players. They cannot just choose their next club after the deadline.
Why prices change near the deadline
Asking prices start high in October. Last Word on Sports said many teams are still in the playoff hunt.
That keeps prices high early on. As the deadline nears, prices tend to fall.
Sellers must decide before the clock runs out. A player kept past the deadline brings no picks back.
Buyers know that sellers face a hard choice. That gives buyers more power late in the process.
One past example shows the stakes. Last year the Jets traded two stars at the deadline.
They got three first-round picks and a second-round pick back. That haul shows what star trades can return.
In 2022, there were a record 10 deals on deadline day alone. Deadline day can still bring a rush of news.
What to watch next
Watch the Chargers first. A winless team with a star pass rusher is a clear seller story.
Watch the Cardinals next. They have already made one big deal this season.
Watch the Titans for a Pollard deal. Two sources named him as a likely mover.
Watch the Eagles for a surprise move. A strong team selling veterans would be a big story.
Also watch for a deal before deadline day. Four deals have already taken place this season.
The NFL overtime rules explain another key part of the game. Overtime rules decide tied games after four quarters.
Monday night games also shape the deadline picture. The Bills against the Rams was one such prime-time test.
The NFL keeps growing outside the United States too. The Steelers against the Saints in Paris shows that global push.
What happens next
The clock runs to 4 pm ET on Tuesday, November 10. Teams have two weeks from now to make their calls.
Buyers will chase pass rushers and cornerbacks. Sellers will chase draft picks for 2027 and 2028.
Expect rumours to grow louder each day. Expect most rumours to come to nothing.
Only the deals filed before the deadline count. When the clock hits 4 pm ET, the market closes.
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