The 2025 NFL Trade deadline came and went very quickly, a day that arrived with plenty of hype and ended up revealing more about the team’s mindsets rather than blockbuster roster changes. As the race for the playoffs tightens each year the trade deadline is an opportunity for teams to make big roster moves to help solidify their spot in the postseason. Even though the 2025 deadline was quieter than usual it doesn’t mean it wasn’t important. It revealed which teams want to legitimately win now and teams who are happy with their current roster.
There were many reasons why teams didn’t participate in the trade deadline this year even when they have a poor record. Many below .500 teams, which means they have a losing record, hesitated to give up draft picks for players because of the talent loaded 2026 class for this year’s draft. On the flip side, many contenders felt like their team was good enough to get them to the playoffs and make a run for the Super Bowl. The final reason for why many teams don’t participate is because the coaches of those teams don’t want to spend a lot of their time trying to help the new players adjust to their schemes and help boost chemistry.
This year’s deadline was defined by the New York Jets. After an awful 1-7 start to the year, the Jets traded away two franchise defensive stars, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. Gardner was traded to the Colts, who are at the top of the American Football Conference (AFC), so he went from the worst team in the conference to the best. Williams was traded to the Cowboys to bolster their defensive front. Those were the two biggest moves of this year’s deadline but several contenders also made necessary moves to hopefully help them sneak their way into the playoffs.
Even though the Jets trade away two core players, trading them away has shown that they are committing to the rebuild and looking for a good draft in 2026. Another winner is the Cleveland Browns for quietly adding secondary depth which is one of their main holes. The Baltimore Ravens, similar to the Browns, added depth at a few positions without overpaying which is a huge win for a team fighting for a playoff spot. Finally, the Tennessee Titans, a team who also committed to the rebuild, traded away veteran players for draft picks to help build their future.
The biggest losers of the deadline include the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Atlanta Falcons. Dallas needed help at corner and offensive line and they didn’t hit either of those positions which is a huge miss for a win now team. The Steelers offensive inconsistency has been their problem and the team didn’t make any moves this deadline which could be an issue come playoff time. Lastly the Falcons didn’t take advantage of trading away their veterans. With their season trending downward they could have made moves for picks but instead they keep themselves in the middle of trying to win now and rebuilding.
The 2025 Trade deadline was quieter than usual but many teams made moves they needed to make to assure their spot in the playoffs or solidify their build.