Biggest Nfl Trade Deadline Deals In Football History

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The 2025 NFL waste and acquisition deadline is little than 24 hours away.

For contenders, nan waste and acquisition deadline is an opportunity to get players that could perchance thief them spell connected a playoff run. For struggling teams, it offers nan chance to get draught picks aliases clear immoderate of their net cap.

Compared to nan NBA and MLB waste and acquisition deadlines though, nan NFL waste and acquisition deadline is simply a alternatively underwhelming yearly affair. While a number of trades return place, nan NFL waste and acquisition deadline seldom lives up to nan hype. There have, however, been a number of monumental midseason trades that person shaken up nan NFL.

Before nan waste and acquisition deadline takes spot connected Tuesday astatine 4 p.m. ET, here’s a look backmost astatine immoderate of nan biggest midseason trades successful NFL history.

Fred Dean: During nan mediate of nan 1981 season, a statement conflict led to Hall of Fame protect extremity Fred Dean getting traded from nan Chargers to nan 49ers. Dean went connected to go a first squad All-Pro for nan 2nd twelvemonth successful a statement successful 1981, and helped nan 49ers triumph their first 2 Super Bowls successful 1981 and 1985.

Mike Haynes: Two years aft nan Chargers traded Dean to nan 49ers, nan Patriots traded Mike Haynes to nan Raiders successful different move that helped a squad triumph a Super Bowl nan aforesaid play of nan trade. The Hall of Fame cornerback recorded an interception successful nan Raiders’ Super Bowl triumph complete Washington. He intercepted 18 full passes complete his six-and-a-half seasons pinch nan Silver and Black, and was named first squad All-Pro twice.

Bobby Layne: The twelvemonth aft winning his 3rd NFL title successful six years, nan Lions traded Hall of Fame backmost Bobby Layne to nan Steelers successful nan mediate of nan 1958 season. For Lions fans that are superstitious, this is possibly nan astir impactful waste and acquisition of each clip arsenic fable has it that Layne said aft nan trade, "The Lions won't triumph for nan adjacent 50 years." Indeed, they didn’t. The Lions only won 1 playoff crippled complete nan adjacent 50 years and stay 1 of 4 teams that person ne'er reached nan Super Bowl.

5. Jalen Ramsey jumps from nan Jags to nan Rams (2019)

Jalen Ramsey won a Super Bowl aft getting traded from nan Jaguars to nan Rams. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Rams cemented their motto of “F— them picks” by trading for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey successful nan mediate of nan 2019 season. Los Angeles sent 2 first-round picks and a fourth-round prime to nan Jaguars to bring successful Ramsey, who made 2 first squad All-Pros and helped nan Rams triumph Super Bowl LVI during his clip pinch nan franchise.

Two years later, nan Rams made different impactful midseason move by acquiring Von Miller from nan Broncos for a 2nd and third-round pick. Miller recorded 4 sacks during that Super Bowl run.

Eric Dickerson collapsed records pinch nan Rams earlier getting traded to nan Colts. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While fanfare surrounding nan waste and acquisition deadline has accrued successful caller years, immoderate of nan biggest midseason acquisitions successful NFL history really took spot decades ago.

The Rams trading Eric Dickerson to nan Colts connected Halloween successful 1987 proved to beryllium 1 of nan biggest trades successful NFL history. The three-team waste and acquisition pinch nan Bills progressive 10 full players betwixt draught picks and players sent to different squad successful nan trade. Dickerson had a mates much 1,000-yard seasons successful Indianapolis and helped them scope nan postseason successful 1987, but nan Colts would not make nan playoffs again during his tenure there.

The underrated victor of nan waste and acquisition mightiness beryllium nan Bills, who acquired three-time All-Pro linebacker Cornelius Bennett arsenic portion of nan deal, a subordinate that helped Buffalo scope 4 consecutive Super Bowls successful nan early 1990s.

3. 49ers nab Christian McCaffrey from Panthers (2022)

The 49ers sewage their modern-day Roger Craig by trading for Christian McCaffrey successful 2022. / Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

The biggest waste and acquisition of nan past 5 years, nan 49ers became a juggernaut erstwhile they acquired Christian McCaffrey from nan Panthers for a second, third, 4th and fifth-round prime connected Oct. 20, 2022. The 49ers were already a Super Bowl contender erstwhile they acquired McCaffrey, but nan summation of nan NFL’s champion rushing and receiving moving backmost took their violative to different level.

While nan 49ers person yet to triumph nan large 1 since bringing successful McCaffrey, he helped nan 49ers scope NFC title games successful 2022 and 2023, and a Super Bowl quality successful 2023. That twelvemonth McCaffrey besides led nan NFL successful rushing and won Offensive Player of nan Year. McCaffrey is connected gait again successful 2025 to decorativeness pinch 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards, which would people different historical play for nan All-Pro back.

“Beastmode” was nan heartbeat of nan Seahawks offense. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

A mates years earlier nan Seahawks became a Super Bowl contender, they group up their discourtesy to win by acquiring moving backmost Marshawn Lynch from nan Bills successful speech for a 4th and fifth-round prime connected Oct. 5, 2010.

With nan Seahawks, Lynch went connected to unreserved for complete 1,000 yards successful 4 consecutive seasons from 2011-15 and besides led nan convention successful rushing doubly 2013 and 2014. He helped Seattle scope nan Super Bowl successful some of those years, and assistance nan Lombardi Trophy aft nan 2013 season. Though nan Seahawks had an unthinkable defense pinch nan Legion of Boom, it’s difficult to spot them having specified occurrence without trading for Lynch.

1. Cowboys waste and acquisition Herschel Walker to Vikings successful franchise-altering move (1989)

The Herschel Walker waste and acquisition remains nan biggest woody successful NFL history. / Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

The astir important waste and acquisition successful NFL history took spot successful nan mediate of nan 1989 season, erstwhile connected Oct. 12 of that year, nan Cowboys sent Herschel Walker, 2 third-round picks and a 10th-round prime to nan Vikings for cornerback Issiac Holt, protect extremity Alex Stewart, linebackers Jesse Solomon and David Howard and a bevy of draught picks.

Through nan trade, nan Cowboys would extremity up drafting Hall of Fame moving backmost Emmitt Smith, four-time All-Pro information Darren Woodson, and cardinal players successful protect tackle Russell Maryland and cornerbacks Clayton Holmes and Kevin Smith. These players were instrumental successful nan Cowboys’ dynasty of nan 1990s, and a large logic why Jerry Jones still has a grip connected nan convention to this day.

The waste and acquisition besides emphasized nan worth of draught picks, and made clear nan pitfalls that tin travel pinch moving excessively galore picks successful a azygous trade.