The NFL trade deadline is a time for teams to confront their midseason realities.
The annual cutoff for swaps frequently compels franchises to take a closer look at their roster and determine if they need any reinforcements for the stretch run. But the deadline can also serve as a last exit ramp for struggling organizations to part with veterans and shift their focus to affording themselves more flexibility in the offseason. With the Indianapolis Colts already having sent off a couple of former cornerstones in Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, more front offices could soon follow their lead.
Here are five teams that should be sellers at the Nov, 10 deadline, even if it's unclear whether they'll follow through on those plans.
Arizona Cardinals
- Trade chips: DE Josh Sweat, S Budda Baker, DT Roy Lopez
Mike LaFleur's first
year has featured some promising stretches. But there's still significant work to do on a drastically underdeveloped roster. And while it might seem counterintuitive to send off two of the biggest standouts on a defense short on top talent, doing so could help Arizona realign its resources with the timeline of its build.
Things haven't worked out as either side envisioned when Sweat signed a four-year, $76.4 million deal with the Cardinals in March 2025. Now, an expeditious split might be the most reasonable outcome. Sweat's production has tailed off, but the 29-year-old could be revitalized in a new setting. With few clear-cut edge rusher options on the open market, he should intrigue teams looking to make a late-season splash. Arizona might be picky about its price point, but an early enough Day 2 pick could help the Cardinals reload.
Baker is the longest-tenured Cardinal, so bringing an abrupt end to his 10-year run with the franchise might seem jarring. But Arizona should listen to offers if suitors come calling. The 30-year-old doesn't come cheap, and he might no longer be the coverage solution he once was. Still, he could be a tone-setting presence for a defense that tries to leverage him as a blitzer and all-purpose playmaker.
Lopez has quietly continued to do stellar work against the run while also stringing together some occasional disruption in the pass game. He might be a valuable addition for teams looking for bargains at the deadline.
Indianapolis Colts
- Trade chips: RB Jonathan Taylor, WR Josh Downs, DT Grover Stewart
In dealing away Nelson and Buckner on Tuesday, Interim general manager Ed Dodds has already gone to work pursuing the organizational pivot his ousted predecessor Chris Ballard never did. And his retooling efforts might not – and should not – stop there.
The biggest question facing Indianapolis is whether to part with Taylor. Doing so would represent a full razing of this roster. Yet for a team still starved for premium draft picks after last year's Sauce Gardner trade, pulling the trigger would unquestionably allow for the team to bring in more top talent in a hurry and truly start from scratch. Still, with so much change already afoot, this might be too drastic for the top levels of leadership to embrace.
Regardless of how Indianapolis proceeds on that front, it should make every effort to find a buyer for Downs and Stewart. The former, who already has requested a trade, offers plenty of utility as a safety valve and high-volume target who operates in the underneath area. The latter also should be distinctly valuable to a contender in need of a forceful presence to stonewall opposing run games.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Trade chips: OLB Tuli Tuipulotu, OLB Khalil Mack, WR Quentin Johnston, CB Donte Jackson, DT Dalvin Tomlinson
Of all the NFL's potential sellers, the league's only winless team likely has the most potential pieces of interest to other teams. Whether the Chargers will willingly subtract pieces, however, remains unclear.
The top player listed might be off-limits. Tuipulotu, a pending free agent, waged a brief hold-in during training camp when he and the team couldn't agree to an extension. If the Bolts are still reticent to meet his demands, moving him would meet a sizable return. But a 24-year-old who has a consistent track record of pressuring opposing quarterbacks and leads all edge rushers in run-stop win rate, according to ESPN, is the kind of figure that should be considered a cornerstone of any build.
The Chargers' other trade targets might be more reasonable candidates to be moved. At 35, Mack might need to head elsewhere if he is to record his first career playoff win. His pressure rate and work in stopping the run have remained steady into the twilight of his career, and eventual successor Akheem Mesidor could take on additional work after coming on strong early as a rotational weapon. Cornerback help is typically in short supply at midseason, making Jackson an appealing rental. If it's willing to deplete its receiving corps further, Los Angeles could cut its losses on Johnston and send him to a team looking for a complementary target. Tomlinson, meanwhile, might be more relevant as a run-plugging presence for a potential playoff team.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Trade chips: DT Moro Ojomo, OLB Nolan Smith, CB Riq Woolen, G Landon Dickerson, TE Dallas Goedert
After trading interior offensive lineman Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman insisted he wasn't looking to shed more veterans. Amid his team's 2-5 start and pervasive injuries, however, standing pat would be a remarkable display of stubbornness.
Moving Ojomo should be a top consideration, as Philadelphia's prior investments along its defensive line suggest it's highly unlikely that the team will pay handsomely to keep the pending free agent. Another playoff-caliber outfit might covet his disruption. The Eagles similarly might have boxed themselves out of any long-term future with Smith, who's signed through 2027 but might still take a backseat to Jonathan Greenard and Jalyx Hunt. Woolen is coming off a dreadful outing against the Cowboys in which he allowed a career-high 111 receiving yards on seven targets, but he still might be able to assist another zone-heavy team.
Goedert and the Eagles have kept extending their nine-year run together, but a separation makes sense given that the 31-year-old is set to be a free agent after this year. He'd be an appealing option for a team looking for an instant lift to its pass-catching crew. Dickerson already cast doubt on whether he was part of Philadelphia's long-term plans, and it might make sense for a team with a retooling line to recoup what it can from a contender. Saquon Barkley also warrants mention here, but it might be difficult to field a proper return for such a critical player – and one who carries some health concerns and would incur a $26.4 million dead cap hit if moved.
Tennessee Titans
- Trade chips: DE Jermaine Johnson II, S Amani Hooker, RB Tony Pollard, WR Calvin Ridley
A furious offseason spending spree saw Tennessee trying to patch up its myriad roster holes with established veterans. That effort has produced mixed results at best, so a further retooling might be necessary.
Given Cam Ward's continued woes and lack of support, the Titans might be reticent to deprive the 2025 No. 1 overall pick of any useful resources. Pollard, however, is on an expiring contract and might be an attractive budget option if big-ticket ball carriers aren't available to top teams. And Ridley, who has just five catches for 81 yards this season, might rediscover some sense of relevance in a different offense.
The biggest questions might loom on defense. The Titans reunited Robert Saleh with Johnson via a trade this offseason, but he's not signed beyond this year. Opening up a bidding war for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons might be the fastest way to supercharge a build through the draft, but shipping off a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber talent might be a non-starter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL trade deadline sellers: Which 5 teams should try to move veterans?
