NFL trade deadline 2026: Simmons, Nelson moves explained
The Titans got two first-round picks for Jeffery Simmons, and the Colts traded Quenton Nelson to Seattle before the Nov. 10 deadline.
Why the NFL trade deadline is trending
NFL trade deadline buzz hit a new level this week when the Titans sent defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Bears and the Colts traded away guard Quenton Nelson, two of seven deals completed before the Nov. 10, 4 p.m. ET cutoff. The Simmons trade is the biggest of the bunch so far, with Tennessee landing two first-round picks in the deal. Indianapolis is in full sell mode, moving on from Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner within days of each other. ESPN is tracking every trade as it happens, and more moves are expected before the deadline closes.
Jeffery Simmons goes from Nashville to Chicago
The Bears acquired Simmons from the Titans on Oct. 29, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Chicago sent Tennessee a 2027 first-round pick, a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick, while the Titans also sent the Bears a 2028 fifth-round pick to complete the deal. Simmons is 29 and signed a three-year, $105.8 million extension with the Titans in June that includes $100 million guaranteed. He is under contract through the 2030 season, so the Bears are buying a long runway at defensive tackle, not a short-term rental. Tennessee is rebuilding, and two first-round picks for a player in the middle of a big-money deal is the kind of return that sets the tone for the rest of deadline week.
Colts tear it down further: Nelson and Buckner move on
On Oct. 27, the Colts made two moves at once, sending three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to the 49ers, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2016 before trading him to Indianapolis in 2020, and dealing eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks. San Francisco gave up a 2027 fourth-round pick for Buckner. Seattle sent the Colts a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick for Nelson, who is on an expiring contract. Indianapolis chose to collect draft capital now rather than risk losing him for nothing in free agency, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Between the two trades, the Colts turned a pair of established veterans into three future picks as they retool.
The rest of the deadline deal sheet before Nov. 10
Four more trades are already in the books. The Giants acquired Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Steelers sent cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys, and the Eagles moved center Cam Jurgens to the Ravens. The Texans completed their trade for Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on Oct. 11, with Houston sending Arizona a 2027 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick, and the Cardinals sending a 2027 seventh-round pick back to the Texans along with Harrison, head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed. That brings the total to seven trades with the deadline still a week away. ESPN is tracking every deal through 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 10, and more are expected before that window closes.
Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.