NFL Trade Deadline Features Huge Fireworks in AFC South

Among the trade deadlines in the various professional sports, the NFL’s  has always lagged behind Major League Baseball’s, in terms of action and intrigue. It shouldn’t be that way, given the immediacy in which draft picks, key currency in almost every NFL deal, can turn into impact players the next season. 

Well, for the 2025 trade season, at least, the liquidity of draft capital resonated with several teams, and the end result was some of the most spectacular trade deadline fireworks that we’ve ever seen, with the action On the two biggest deals hitting very close to home, figuratively and literally. 

Here are four thoughts on what went down on a wild Tuesday morning and afternoon:

The Houston Texans did not make any deals

Before we get to the fireworks show, just know that the Texans chose not to attend. For this particular trade deadline, they decided to stand pat with what they have, which right now, on defense, is elite, and on offense, is horrifying. I am 100 percent confident that Nick Caserio was working the phones tirelessly. That’s what he does. However, at the end of the day, apparently, the price was too rich to acquire running back, tight end, or offensive line help. With a record of 3-5, I can’t really blame the Texans for Not making any splashy, all-in type moves, especially when there were no deals made around the league at their primary positions of need. 

The Colts’ trading for Sauce Gardner is a massive gamble

Now, onto the party! To the shock of people around the NFL and fans everywhere, the Colts traded two first round picks and second year receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets for former All Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. In his rookie season in 2022, Gardner was arguably the best corner in the sport. Since then, he’s been fine, just not close to the elite level he’d established in 2022. Still, he got paid this offseason ($30 million per year for several more years), and I suppose the hope is that he recaptures his form in a less dysfunctional environment than New York. Make no mistake, Colts GM Chris Ballard is making a massive bet that the first nine games of Daniel Jones as the Colts’ starting QB, and their 7-2 record, are real. As we saw when Jones was a New York Giant, he can collapse spectacularly at ANY time. This was the definition of an all-in move. 

The Cowboys’ trading for Quinnen Williams is less of a gamble, and more of a “huh?”

The Jets moved on from Gardner, but they were not done on Tuesday! Later in the day, they moved their other young, former All Pro defensive player, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, to the Dallas Cowboys for a second round pick this spring and a first rounder in 2027. You can completely understand a rebuilding team like the Jets making this deal. They now have five first round picks over the next two drafts, when you add in the Gardner deal. More curious, however, is why the Cowboys, at 3-5-1 on the season, are making this deal. Yeah, their defense is atrocious, but essentially, in the sum total of this trade and the Micah Parsons trade, Jerry Jones has swapped out Parsons for Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. Never stop, Jerry. Never stop.

Jacksonville continued to empty their draft picks chamber

There were a few other smaller deals executed on the margins, but the one that Texans fans should care about would be the Jaguars’ trading a 4th and 6th round pick to the Raiders for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. The Texans play the Jags this weekend, so I would guess Meyers will get out there for a handful of plays. Bigger picture, you can see the lineage of Jags GM James Gladstone coming from the Rams’ GM Les Snead’s hiring tree. Snead’s saying has always been “F them picks,” meaning he will trade picks for players all day. Gladstone has now traded the Jags’ first round pick (Travis Hunter trade), fourth round pick, and sixth round pick in the 2026 draft. 

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