NFL trade deadline deals: What is done and what is only on the wish list

The NFL trade deadline deals discussion has already moved beyond speculation in one sense: teams have started making major moves with only one round of games left before Tuesday, Nov. 10. FOX Sports has outlined five additional trades it would like to see before the deadline, while referencing completed deals involving the Colts and Titans.

The key distinction is important for fans tracking the market. Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner and Jeffery Simmons have been part of completed trades, while ideas such as a Jonathan Taylor move to the Cincinnati Bengals are presented as desired scenarios rather than confirmed transactions.

What has already happened before the deadline

The Colts traded away guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for a cache of draft picks. The Titans also made a major move, shipping defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to Chicago for two first-round picks and a fourth.

Those deals form the backdrop for a market that is already unusually active. If no other deal is made before the deadline, the current activity would already be considered one of the most active trade markets in recent memory.

That context matters because it sets a higher bar for what may still happen. The Colts have already shown a willingness to part with top players, while the Titans’ Simmons deal shows that premium defensive talent can still command major draft capital.

FOX Sports frames five trades it wants to see

The FOX Sports article is framed as “five needle-moving trades I'd like to see before the deadline.” It presents the proposed moves as deals that make sense for both sides, not as completed transactions.

One of the central ideas involves the Cincinnati Bengals and running back Jonathan Taylor. The Bengals are described as a team trying to build a more explosive running game around the Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins trio.

The argument centers on explosive-run production. Taylor is credited in the article with 17 runs of 10 or more yards, while Bengals running backs have combined for 12.

That contrast is used to explain why a Taylor-type addition would be appealing for Cincinnati. The Bengals already have high-end passing-game names in Burrow, Chase and Higgins, but the proposed fit points to a running game that could add another dimension.

The proposed Bengals cost

The article states that the Bengals were awarded a compensatory third-round pick in 2027. It also says the Colts would likely want a first-rounder for a player like Taylor, but notes that Indianapolis has already shown it is willing to budge after trading Nelson and Buckner at a reduced cost.

In that scenario, the article says a pair of Day 2 picks should be enough. That makes the idea less about a blockbuster first-round bidding war and more about whether Cincinnati would use mid-round draft capital to add a proven running back.

The same piece also describes one proposal as “the most off-the-wall trade proposal of the bunch,” a reminder that the list is built as a deadline wish list rather than a transaction log.

What happens next

The deadline arrives Tuesday, Nov. 10, with one round of games still to be played before teams make their final decisions. The completed Colts and Titans trades have already made this a busy market, and the remaining question is whether any of the proposed needle-moving ideas become real moves before the window closes.