The Colts acquiring Sauce Gardner in mid-season trade comes as a huge surprise!
With Week 10 of the 2025-26 NFL season nearly upon us, the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline also came to an end on Tuesday, November 04. Now that half of the regular season is already over, teams have a fair understanding of whether or not they have a shot at the postseason.
Midseason trades give those teams that have an opportunity for postseason success a way of acquiring more talent at positions of need. Teams likely to miss out on the playoffs are able to trade away their talent, mostly in the form of better draft capital, as they start to turn their attention towards the draft next year.
The 2025 NFL trade deadline saw some exciting names joining new teams midseason. The Indianapolis Colts have quite possibly pulled off the biggest trade of this season after acquiring top cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets.
The New York Jets traded their number one cornerback, Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, to the Indianapolis Colts. In return, the Colts sent their wide receiver Adonai Mitchell the other way, along with two first-round draft picks, one for the 2026 and 2027 NFL drafts, respectively.
This trade is a win-win for both teams, as the Colts are currently one of the three teams with the best record in the league. Offensively, the Colts have been playing at a high level throughout the season, with Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor being the standout players.
However, defensively, the Colts needed to improve their pass defense as they are currently 29th in the league, allowing 244.8 passing yards per game.
As for the Jets, the addition of wide receiver Adonai Mitchell could work out well, as he will pair up with Garrett Wilson. However, the two first-round draft picks will be of utmost importance for the Jets heading into the next couple of seasons as they try to rebuild their roster.
The New York Jets were involved in yet another massive trade as they also sent one of their top defensive players, Quinnen Williams, to the Dallas Cowboys. In return, Dallas sent them defensive tackle Mazi Smith, along with a 2026 second-round pick, as well as a 2027 first-round draft pick.
This is an excellent move by the Cowboys, who are in dire need on the defensive side of the ball. While the offense has been putting up points in most of their games, the defense has lacked any punch, especially after trading Micah Parsons to the Packers at the start of the year.
The Jets, on the other hand, continue to stack up draft capital, earning more first and second round draft picks. As a matter of fact, the Jets currently hold 5 first-round and 2 second-round picks for the 2026 and 2027 NFL drafts.
The Cowboys made another move to shore up their defense as they continue to chase a playoff spot. Currently, faltering with a 3-5-1 record, thanks largely to their defensive incapabilities, the Cowboys also brought in linebacker Logan Wilson. In exchange, Dallas sent a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Bengals.
It has already been more than 3 weeks since Joe Flacco was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Cincinnati Bengals. Yet, this trade remains one of the top trades of the season. With both teams struggling, the Bengals needed an upgrade under center as backup Jake Browning struggled to lead the offense.
The Bengals gave up a 2026 fifth-rounder to the Browns, but ever since the veteran quarterback has taken over the offense, Cincinnati has looked much sharper. The fact that their defense is in tatters is a different matter altogether.
The Seattle Seahawks acquired yet another wide receiver in Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints. Seattle gave up two picks for the upcoming 2026 NFL draft, a fourth-rounder and a fifth-rounder, as they look to increase their firepower through the air.
Already one of the top passing teams in the league this season, Sam Darnold and the Seahawks have added another weapon, this time a vertical threat, where Shaheed has proved to be quite effective. Darnold has been balling out with his WR1 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and adding Shaheed to the receivers room that also boasts of Cooper Kupp means Seattle is going all out in a bid for another Super Bowl.
The Jacksonville Jaguars traded for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and sent a 2026 fourth-round and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders. Meyers had requested a trade months earlier, but the Raiders were looking for better draft compensation.
This trade can prove to be a savior for the Jaguars, who have lost rookie wideout Travis Hunter for the upcoming few games due to injury, while second-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has yet to hit his stride.
The Eagles first traded for veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, parting ways with just a 2026 sixth-round pick. Philadelphia also received a 2027 seventh-round pick along with Alexander, who they see as a potential low-risk, high upside type of player. The Eagles needed help in the secondary opposite Quinyon Mitchell at the other cornerback position.
Philadelphia also traded for linebacker Jaelan Phillips in order to bolster its pass rush. The Eagles were one of the most dominant pass-rushing teams the last few seasons, but this year they are near the bottom of the league with just 16 sacks. The Eagles sent a 2026 third-round pick to the Dolphins as compensation.
With the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline now over, it is time to focus on the field once again. Week 10 will start with Thursday Night Football (TNF) as the Denver Broncos host their divisional rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, on prime time.
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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