2022 NFL Trade Deadline Winners & Losers

The 2022 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and we saw some notable activity in the days leading up to Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET cutoff.

The big names started moving on October 20, when the Carolina Panthers dealt star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers. The Chicago Bears traded Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, while the Bears sent Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday.

As is often the case, though, some of the biggest buzz to come out of the trade deadline involved players that weren't traded.

While we may not know which teams and players came out on top for some time, it's never too early to evaluate the trade deadline transactions. Here, we'll dive into some of the noteworthy deals and non-deals and sort out the early winners and losers of the 2022 NFL trade deadline.

The San Francisco 49ers acquired Christian McCaffrey nearly two weeks ago, but we're already beginning to see the impact of that deal. In McCaffrey's second game as a Niner—against the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, no less—it became clear just how San Francisco can utilize him.

McCaffrey did a little bit of everything for the 49ers, finishing with 94 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards and 34 passing yards. He had rushing, receiving and passing touchdowns in the 31-14 blowout victory.

According to ESPN's Field Yates, McCaffrey became the first player to record the triple-touchdown feat since 2005.

"Absolute game-changer," Yates tweeted.

Because McCaffrey is already making such a big impact, it's hard not to consider San Francisco a big winner—at least for this season. The 49ers did surrender second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 to acquire the 26-year-old, though, so the big-picture implications of this trade remain unclear.

If McCaffrey can help spark a Super Bowl run, he will have been worth the price for the Niners.

Players can be trade-deadline winners, too, and you can bet that several players are envious of Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith right now.

With all due respect to the 3-5 Chicago Bears, they don't appear likely to make the playoffs this year. By getting away from Chicago, Quinn and Smith each have their own opportunities to chase a Super Bowl this season.

Quinn joined a Philadelphia Eagles team that remains undefeated. He saw his first action with the Eagles against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, and while he played only 20 defensive snaps, he did log a quarterback hit.

It has to feel good contributing to perhaps the NFL's most complete team.

Smith joined the 5-3 Baltimore Ravens, who haven't been as dominant as Philadelphia but are in first place in the AFC North. With a defense ranked 24th overall and 20th in points allowed, Baltimore needed a player like Smith.

The 25-year-old leads the league with 83 tackles, and he has 52 solo stops, three passes defended, two interceptions, 2.5 sacks and five quarterback pressures. He has allowed an opposing passer rating of only 73.2 in coverage.

Thanks to Quinn's contract restructure, both players have a chance to chase the playoffs and then cash in during free agency this offseason.

The trades of Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith may ultimately be good for the Chicago Bears. They got back a 2023 fourth-round selection for Quinn and received 2023 second- and fifth-round picks in the Smith trade, along with Baltimore Ravens linebacker A.J. Klein.

That's valuable draft capital that the Bears can use to rebuild, presumably around second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

"It's going to allow us to continue to build a highly competitive roster," general manager Ryan Poles said in a press conference after the Quinn trade (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook).

The Bears did trade for Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Chase Claypool, which should aid the quarterback's development.

However, Quinn and Smith were defensive leaders, and their absences will be felt for the rest of the season.

"He left me with a lot of tips and tendencies," defensive end Trevis Gipson said of Quinn, per Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago. "You know, I’m just soaking up everything he gave me. It was sad. It was down. But it’s also part of the business."

One has to feel for players like Gipson who believe that Chicago could dig itself out of a 3-5 hole and still push for a playoff berth. One feels for the fans, too, who now know that their team is playing for next year.

By trading two of their top defensive stars, the Bears have essentially admitted that they're punting on the 2022 season. That's tough for anyone who hoped to see Chicago win now.

While Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins may never be mentioned among the NFL's elite signal-callers, he's having a solid season in 2022. The 34-year-old has thrown for 1,734 yards with 11 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 90.7 passer rating.

More importantly, Cousins has the Vikings sitting at 6-1 and with a strong lead in the NFC North.

On Tuesday, Minnesota added 2020 Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson to a receiving corps that already includes Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and dual-threat running back Dalvin Cook. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Vikings are sending a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick to the rival Detroit Lions for Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2024 conditional fourth-round pick.

This was a logical trade for the Vikings, as tight end Irv Smith Jr. is expected to miss 8-10 weeks with a high ankle sprain, per Schefter. Hockenson gives Cousins another high-level pass-catcher at tight end and should help keep Minnesota rolling toward the playoffs.

It's especially great for Cousins because he's eligible to reach free agency in 2024.

The Vikings have been quick to extend Cousins—he signed a new one-year extension in the offseason—even though they've made the playoffs only once during his first four years in Minnesota. If Cousins can make another Pro Bowl and spark a deep playoff run, another hefty payday could be in his not-too-distant future.

The Chicago Bears dealt their second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday for wideout Chase Claypool, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. While the former Notre Dame star will be a welcome addition for the Bears quarterback Justin Fields, the trade isn't the best development for Steelers rookie signal-caller Kenny Pickett.

Pickett hasn't been particularly good this season. He has completed 67.9 percent of his passes, but he's thrown only two touchdowns with eight interceptions and posted a dreadful 66.8 passer rating.

Of course, Pickett hasn't had a ton of help. He's been sacked 12 times in five games (four starts), and the Steelers have supported him with a rushing attack that is averaging only 4.0 yards per carry on the year.

Claypool is a dual-threat player who has caught 32 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown and run eight times for 55 yards. Trading him away gives Pickett one less weapon with which to work.

Pittsburgh could be gearing up for a run at one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 draft. Yes, the Steelers just used a first-rounder on Pickett, but taking first-round quarterbacks in consecutive years isn't unheard of. The Arizona Cardinals bailed on Josh Rosen after a year to snag Kyler Murray.

A second-round pick isn't insignificant, and it could help Pittsburgh trade up for a prospect like C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young in the 2023 draft. Even if that isn't the Steelers' plan, Pickett can't be thrilled about losing one of his top pass-catchers.

Trades that benefit everyone involved are rare in the NFL, but we might have witnessed one between the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Denver will get the San Francisco 49ers' 2023 first-round pick (acquired in the Trey Lance trade), Miami's 2024 fourth-round pick and running back Chase Edmonds for Chubb and a 2025 fifth-rounder.

Miami gets a standout pass-rusher (5.5 sacks this season) to boost a defense that has logged only 15 sacks this season. The Dolphins are also expected to ink Chubb to a long-term contract soon, per Schefter.

The Dolphins should now have a fine young tandem in Chubb and 2021 first-round pick Jaelan Phillips for years to come. For a 5-3 franchise looking to build a perennial contender, that's great news.

The Broncos also get valuable draft capital back for a player who was slated to become a free agent this offseason. That's big for Denver, who traded its 2023 first- and second-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson back in March.

Meanwhile, Chubb is set to get long-term security from the aforementioned extension in Miami. Even Edmonds should benefit by getting a chance to revitalize his career on a Broncos team that has lost both Javonte Williams (ACL) and Mike Boone (high-ankle sprain).

Edmonds seemingly fell out of favor in Miami and hasn't started or logged more than seven carries over his last five games. And Miami made a subsequent trade to replace Edmonds. The Dolphins reunited Jeff Wilson Jr. with head coach Mike McDaniel by sending a fifth-round pick to San Francisco, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

The Los Angeles Rams likely weren't thrilled about missing out on McCaffrey and seeing him land with the rival 49ers. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports noted, the 49ers and Rams were both vying for the chance to acquire McCaffrey via a trade.

"The Panthers pitted the Rams and Niners against one another as the two teams continue to battle for NFC West—and NFC, and NFL—dominance," Jones wrote. "The 49ers' ability to include a 2023 fourth-round pick took them over the top, as the Rams had traded their 2023 fourth last year to acquire Sony Michel."

The Rams may have missed out on another top target when Bradley Chubb landed with Miami. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, the Rams and Dolphins had been linked to the Broncos in trade talks. While Florio didn't clarify that L.A. was seeking Chubb, we know that the Rams were looking for pass-rushing help.

According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the Rams already made "a substantial offer" for Panthers pass-rusher Brian Burns. We can assume that L.A. would also have been happy to land Chubb a year after dealing for former teammate Von Miller.

However, the Rams didn't come out of the trade deadline with a big-time offensive or defensive contributor. That has to be disappointing as the defending champions look to right the ship after a middling 3-4 start.

The Rams also appear unlikely to have running back Cam Akers in the lineup again this season. After Akers wasn't traded by the deadline, Josina Anderson reported that the 23-year-old "feels suiting up for them again this season isn’t in the best interest for his NFL path."

It was a rather anticlimactic day for a struggling Rams team in need of reinforcements.

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke took a bit of a risk when he selected late-rising prospect Travon Walker with the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Walker, who already has 32 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 11 quarterback pressures and an interception this season, is making Baalke look smart for that decision.

On Tuesday, Baalke made another risky move that could pay big dividends—eventually.

The Jaguars traded a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder to the Atlanta Falcons for suspended wide receiver Calvin Ridley, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 2024 selection could go to as high as a second-rounder if Ridley is reinstated, hits specific incentives and signs an extension in Jacksonville.

The NFL gave the 27-year-old an indefinite suspension for betting on games last year, but he emerged as a legitimate No. 1 receiving threat in 2020. That season, Ridley caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns.

This is a relatively low-risk, high-reward move that could benefit Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence tremendously. Baalke comes out a winner because the potential reward far outweighs the potential risk.

Ridley has proved himself at the NFL level, while any prospects taken on Day 3 will be completely untested. If Ridley hits all of the necessary incentives in the deal, Jacksonville will have its new No. 1 receiver at the cost of fourth- and second-round picks.

While the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars came out of the trade deadline with new pass-catchers, the Green Bay Packers did not. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, it wasn't for a lack of trying.

"No deals for the Packers either, though they tried," he tweeted just after the deadline.

There had been rumblings leading up to Tuesday that Green Bay was in the market for a new receiver.

"A few general managers I've spoken to are certain Green Bay is looking for potential receiver help on the trade market," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote last month.

That reported pursuit of a receiver made perfect sense. The Packers offense has struggled without Davante Adams—whom they traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason—and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers has not performed like the best quarterback in football.

The 3-5 Packers rank 17th in total offense, 22nd in passing yardage and 26th in scoring. Rodgers has 13 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 94.5 passer rating, but he hasn't been able to carry Green Bay the way he has in years past.

Since opponents don't have to try to win shootouts against Rodgers anymore, they aren't afraid to grind out games on the ground against the Packers. They have instead exploited a run defense that is allowing 4.9 yards per carry.

Green Bay didn't address its run defense at the trade deadline, either.

The Packers' lack of moves probably frustrates Rodgers, who has publicly lamented his team's lack of execution in recent weeks. You can bet that it doesn't sit well with Packers fans, either, especially as all three division rivals made deals on deadline day.

Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.