The 2025 trade deadline has officially come and gone in the NFL, and of all teams, the Jets managed to make the most headlines. New York is in full fire sale mode amid their 1–7 start, and traded off two All-Pros in former first-round picks Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to the Colts and Cowboys, respectively, prior to Tuesday's final buzzer.
Elsewhere across the league, the juice didn't quite match the squeeze, as most teams opted to play it safe rather than swing for the fences. The NFL's deadline has never been as action-packed as some other professional leagues, but '25 saw enough buzz, rumors, and big moves leading into it to have many believing there could be even more.
On that note, there were plenty of deals that would have been worth making. Here are five that should have been completed prior to the deadline.
RB Breece Hall to Texans
The Jets are going nowhere amid their 1–7 start to the season, and even after Breece Hall finally scored his first touchdown of the year against the Bengals in Week 8, the running back should be on his way out of New York.
Hall is in the final year of his rookie contract after being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. He’s had a solid career to this point, tallying just over 4,000 total yards and 24 total touchdowns over his first three-plus seasons, but the Jets should be looking towards the future—not at the present—and with Hall potentially leaving in free agency this spring, the time to get value out of him was now.
One team that could have been a fit for Hall is the Texans. Joe Mixon remains on injured reserve, Nick Chubb has been far from the back he once was, and rookie Woody Marks has yet to truly pop. Houston had an opportunity to take advantage of their league-leading defense by boosting their offense for the stretch run of the 2025 campaign.
DE Arden Key to Patriots
A reunion between Arden Key and Mike Vrabel felt inevitable up until Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. ET deadline.
Key was signed by the Titans and their then-coach in Vrabel ahead of the 2023 season, and has racked up 78 tackles and 14 sacks over his two-plus years in Tennessee.
Vrabel, now with the Patriots, and his New England defense are in desperate need of a pass rusher amid their surprising 7–2 start to the season. Unfortunately, it will now need to come in-house, and not from the 29-year-old Key.
WR Chris Olave to Steelers
The Steelers were reportedly in the market to add a wide receiver alongside offseason trade acquisition DK Metcalf, and the Saints' Chris Olave would have made plenty of sense.
A former first-round pick of New Orleans in 2022, Olave has tallied two 1,000-yard seasons to begin his young NFL career, but is stuck in the Bayou on a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is 5–3 to begin the Aaron Rodgers era and fresh off a win over the AFC-leading Colts. They could have used an additional target for the 41-year-old. Instead, they’re sticking with what they’ve got.
TE David Njoku to Packers
The Packers lost 2025’s top-performing tight end in Tucker Kraft to a season-ending ACL injury last week, and will now look to 25-year-old Luke Musgrave in his place for the remainder of the year. While Musgrave—a former second-round pick—is a viable option, Green Bay could have used an extra boost for quarterback Jordan Love down the stretch of what many still consider a Super Bowl-contending year.
An easy answer would have been Browns pass catcher David Njoku. The 29-year-old has been with Cleveland since 2017, is in the final year of the $57 million extension he signed in 2022, and could be considered expendable given the emergence of rookie Harold Fannin.
With the deadline having come and gone, this match made in heaven is now just wishful thinking.
G Evan Neal to Chargers
Evan Neal remains in New York after NFL insider Josina Anderson reported earlier on Tuesday that the Giants would have liked to trade the former first-round pick. One landing spot that would have made sense for Neal was the Chargers.
L.A. lost left tackle Joe Alt to a season-ending ankle injury last week, joining right tackle Rashawn Slater on injured reserve. While Neal is a guard, current Chargers linemen Mechi Becton and Trey Pipkens III have positional versatility, and he would give them plenty of options to help keep quarterback Justin Herbert upright and protected for the remainder of the season.
The Chargers ultimately decided to make a deal for tackle Trevor Penning from the Saints.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Trades That Should Have Happened at the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline.