Fans often dream about their favorite teams making big-swing moves to bolster their Super Bowl chances at the NFL trade deadline.
But in reality, there are rarely many moves of consequence for the NFL’s version of the event.
While the other major North American sports leagues – the MLB, NBA and NHL – all tend to see plenty of movement among star players, the NFL’s transactions are comparatively mild. Sure, the volume of them has increased over the years, but most of the blockbuster NFL trades occur during the offseason.
There are several reasons this is the case. Chief among them are the draft capital is extremely valuable in building an NFL roster and that it is difficult for players to quickly acclimate to new schemes during football season.
Nonetheless, NFL teams remain willing to make smaller-scale deals ahead of the deadline. That will lead a handful of role players to swap teams ahead of Week 10 in trades that figure to be more pragmatic than dramatic.
With that in mind, here’s a look at seven trades that could realistically happen before the 2025 NFL trade deadline on Nov. 4.
Saints trade WR Rashid Shaheed to the Broncos
NFL fans may be hoping that one of A.J. Brown, Chris Olave or Jaylen Waddle is traded ahead of the deadline. In reality, Shaheed may be the most likely wide-out to be traded, as the veteran speedster is playing on the final year of his contract with the Saints.
The Broncos should be interested in adding Shaheed to their offense. The team’s receiver room has gotten a boost from the emergence of Troy Franklin, but Marvin Mims Jr. hasn’t been as consistent as he was in 2024. That could prompt Denver to add more deep speed to its big-bodied receiving room, and Shaheed would compliment Courtland Sutton and Franklin well with his field-stretching abilities.
Shaheed never overlapped with Sean Payton in New Orleans, but he played in Pete Carmichael Jr.’s offense for two seasons with the Saints. Carmichael is now a senior offensive assistant with the Broncos.
Saints trade TE Taysom Hill to the Broncos
Here’s another trade the Saints and Broncos could consider. The Saints just signed 41-year-old Marcedes Lewis to the practice squad because they are thin at tight end. Could that prompt Sean Payton to acquire his former do-it-all, gadget weapon to provide depth at the position?
Hill is 35 years old and coming off an ACL tear. He’s not as explosive as he was pre-injury – he has just 20 yards on 14 touches this season – but his unique skill set as a passer, runner and receiver would give Payton a fun weapon with which to work in an already solid Broncos offense.
The Saints wouldn’t likely ask much for the veteran. It’s just a matter of whether the Broncos are willing to pay whatever remains of the final year of Hill’s four-year, $40 million deal with the Saints.
Dolphins trade DE Matthew Judon to the 49ers
Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips have drawn attention as high-end trade targets the Dolphins could try to offload. However, Miami may have an easier time offloading the 33-year-old Judon, who is on a much cheaper deal and can serve as an experienced depth piece on a playoff team.
The 49ers are desperate for help on the edge after losing Nick Bosa (torn ACL) for the season. They traded for former Patriots second-round pick Keion White but could still use a high-end starter given the injuries they have at the position.
San Francisco could try to pry Chubb or Phillips away from the Dolphins, but Judon would be the easier and cheaper alternative to consider. Perhaps they will value adding his experience after adding White’s upside in the trade with the Patriots.
Browns trade RB Jerome Ford to the Patriots
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported running back is one of the ‘most likely’ areas the Patriots will target ahead of the trade deadline. It’s easy to understand why. Antonio Gibson is out for the season with a torn ACL, Rhamondre Stevenson is dealing with a toe injury and Mike Vrabel doesn’t seem to fully trust second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson in a major role.
Who could the Patriots target? Perhaps they could get the Panthers to give up pending free agent Rico Dowdle, or for the Titans to move on from veteran Tony Pollard. Short of that, however, they will likely be stuck shopping around for veteran backups.
Ford has averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry during his NFL career and has caught 102 passes across 52 games. He’s presently just a third-stringer with the Browns, so the Patriots can get him cheap and install him as a veteran depth piece who can help take pressure off Henderson.
Bears trade OT Braxton Jones to Chargers
Jones lost his starting job with the Bears to undrafted rookie Theo Benedet. Ben Johnson also has rookie second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo on the roster, so it’s hard to imagine Jones finding a considerable role with the Bears long-term.
There aren’t often tackles with high-level starting experience available on the trade market, though Jones was placed on injured reserve last week, meaning he’ll miss at least three more games. Buyer beware with his injury history, but Jones has made 44 at left tackle and would provide top-tier swing tackle depth for the Chargers, who have dealt with numerous injuries to the tackle position and could immediately find a starting role for Jones.
Giants trade QB Russell Wilson to Vikings
Carson Wentz is going to miss the rest of the season because of a left shoulder injury. That leaves the Vikings with little experience at quarterback, as J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer will enter Week 9 having combined to make just two NFL starts.
That could lead the Vikings to buy low on Wilson. It wouldn’t be to install him as a starter, but it would provide McCarthy with a veteran sounding board as he looks to establish himself as Minnesota’s quarterback of the future.
The Giants should be willing to part with Wilson on the cheap, and the Vikings would only have to take on a prorated version of the 36-year-old quarterback’s $2 million salary for the 2025 season.
Saints trade LB Demario Davis to the Steelers
It’s no secret the Steelers need help fortifying their defense. Pittsburgh already traded for Kyle Dugger to bolster its weakness at safety, but adding another linebacker with Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson playing inconsistently would be sensible.
Davis is 36, but he is still playing at a high level, grading as Pro Football Focus’ 11th overall linebacker heading into Week 9. He fits the Steelers’ all-in approach with 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so they shouldn’t be afraid to get the 2019 All-Pro first teamer to shore up the middle of their stop unit.
(This story has been updated with additional information.)