The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. ET, the day after Week 9’s Monday night game. Trades have to be agreed and submitted to the league office before that minute; after it, the only way to add a player from another team until the 2027 league year opens on March 11 is a waiver claim or a free agent signing. The deals have already started: the Giants sent a 2027 fifth round pick to the Vikings for quarterback J.J. McCarthy on Sept. 28 after Jaxson Dart’s knee surgery, and the Steelers traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys on Sept. 30 for a 2027 sixth and a 2028 second after extension talks collapsed. Here is how the deadline works and what to watch.
2026 Trade Deadline at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, 4 p.m. ET |
| Point in the season | After Week 9, with nine weeks left on the 18 week schedule |
| What counts as done | The trade paperwork must reach the league office before 4 p.m.; a verbal agreement at 4:01 does not count |
| After the deadline | No trades of any kind until the 2027 league year begins March 11, 2027 at 4 p.m. ET. Teams can still claim players on waivers and sign free agents |
| Waivers | Players released after the deadline go through waivers in reverse standings order; veterans with four or more accrued seasons are also subject to waivers after the deadline, not just before |
| Roster limits | 53 man active roster and 16 man practice squad rules apply to any acquired player |
| Salary cap | The acquiring team takes on the remaining prorated salary for the season; guaranteed money and signing bonus proration stay with the trading team as dead cap |
| Draft picks | Picks in the 2027 and 2028 drafts are the currency; teams cannot trade picks more than two drafts out |
| 2027 free agency | Franchise tag window opens in February; combine March 1 to 8 in Indianapolis; new league year and free agency March 11 at 4 p.m. ET |
Deals Already Made This Season
| Date | Trade | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 28 | Giants acquire QB J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings for a 2027 fifth round pick | Jaxson Dart had knee surgery; McCarthy was Minnesota’s third quarterback behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz |
| Sept. 30 | Cowboys acquire CB Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers for a 2027 sixth round pick and a 2028 second round pick | Extension talks between Porter and Pittsburgh broke down; Dallas adds a starting corner in his fourth season |
This table is updated as trades are announced through Nov. 10.
How the Deadline Usually Plays Out
| Pattern | What it means |
|---|---|
| Buyers are 6-3 or better | Contenders trade Day 3 picks for expiring veterans; the classic move is a receiver or edge rusher on the last year of a deal |
| Sellers are 3-6 or worse | Teams out of the race move pending free agents rather than let them walk in March for a compensatory pick at best |
| Quarterbacks move early | Injuries force quarterback trades in September and October, not at the deadline; McCarthy is this year’s example |
| The last hour | Most deadline day trades land between 2 and 4 p.m. ET, when sellers accept the market instead of waiting for a better offer |
| The 2025 precedent | The Jets moved Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the 2025 deadline, the biggest in season deals in years, and reset expectations for what teams will do in November |
Related
NFL Week 5 schedule · NFL injury report · NFL injured reserve tracker · J.J. McCarthy stats · Fantasy waiver wire · MLB trade deadline explained
Dates from the NFL 2026-27 league calendar and trade details from the ESPN deadline tracker.