2026 NFL trade deadline winners, losers: Downs, Bengals, more - ESPN

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone. I will forever remember it as the trade deadline in which the Bengals nearly accidentally traded a third-round pick for Arnold Ebiketie (more on that below).

Identifying winners and losers on deadline day is always tough. The Titans, Howie Roseman and Josh Downs will be made winners and losers for their efforts not by my words but by the picks they make or games they win over the next two or three years. Of course, we can grade the quality of their work now (spoiler, they are winners) — but this isn't the real test. The real test is what comes next.

I have six winners and four losers from this year's trade deadline ranging from players to GMs. Let's dive in.

Jump to:
Cousins | Jefferson | Bengals
Downs | Roseman | Taylor | Poles
Titans | Chargers | Cardinals

Cousins is about to have a quarterbacking season for the ages.

No, he won't set the passing touchdown record or anything. But let's trace the arc here.

Cousins started nine games for a 4-5 Raiders team that was waiting to turn the page to 2026 No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. The entire time he started, he comported himself with the exact attitude and perspective you'd hope to see from a veteran bridge starter.

«If I'm not the best option, then I don't want to be out there,» Cousins said in late October after the Raiders' fourth straight loss. «The organization will do what they feel is best, but I feel that Fernando's done a great job and has a bright future ahead. I'm going to try to go out there and play as well as I possibly can to help us win and give him a great example to learn from until he does go out there eventually.»

A beautiful quote. And it echoes what Cousins has said from the beginning: He was in Las Vegas to help