The 2026 NFL season has provided some interesting trades already this season. Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams. Starting Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins was traded back to the Minnesota Vikings, while the Indianapolis Colts traded away key pieces and figures on their team, but held on to perhaps their biggest trade chip in Jonathan Taylor.
There have also been some notable trades that haven’t gone through for one reason or another. We take a look back at three of the biggest deals of the season which ultimately fell through and failed.
1. Maxx Crosby to Baltimore Ravens
The circumstances: The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a blockbuster trade to send star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round
picks in March of this season. Crosby went to Baltimore, met with their top decision-makers, but failed a physical. The trade quickly evaporated, and the Raiders got their star back, while the Ravens retained their two first-round picks.
The result: Since the failed deal, Baltimore has lost quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler "Snoop" Huntley to injury for an extended amount of time, while Crosby has four sacks through nine games. Las Vegas is now starting rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza after trading veteran Kirk Cousins back to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday.
2. Arnold Ebiketie to Cincinnati Bengals
The circumstances: Ebiketie was set to be part of a selloff from the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost starting quarterback Jalen Hurts for the season due to blood clots. At 2-7, the Eagles are three games out of the division, which is still, unbelievably, within the realm of still being able to win the division. Ebiketie was seemingly dealt to the Cincinnati Bengals for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
The result: The deal lasted less than an hour. If Cincinnati would have completed the trade for Ebiketie, they would have lost a compensatory pick they will receive from dealing star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson in the offseason. The long-term risk, in the Bengals' mind, was not worth the short-term reward.
3. Daiyan Henley to Denver Broncos
The circumstances: Henley was a final-hour deal from in-division rivals, which already made this trade unusual. Sitting at 0-8, the Chargers were due for a sell-off, and they agreed to send the fourth-year linebacker to Denver in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Broncos fans and media immediately loved the deal, before the Wednesday wackiness set in.
The result: Henley came to Denver on Wednesday to take a physical, the hinging factor of the deal. Henley was discovered to have arthritis in his knee. Because of the issue, which was downplayed by the Chargers, the Broncos asked for and received approval from the NFL to try and renegotiate the trade compensation of the deal. Los Angeles balked at new terms when coming back to the table, leading to the 11th-hour statement from Denver announcing the trade had fallen through.
Failed trades happen. That's just the way the NFL goes. But these three trades represent some wild circumstances and wild resolutions. Will more trades like this happen in the future? And who will be making those deals?
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Recapping 3 initially-agreed NFL trades that fell through this year
