Oct 29, 2026 · 1h 9m
NFL trade market tests teams’ appetite for bold resets
Trade season is upon us
The episode maps a potentially historic deadline onto a deeper question: whether struggling teams should sell stars or preserve hope.
- 1Indianapolis and Tennessee face defining decisions about whether to trade core players and embrace a broader reset.
- 2San Francisco, Chicago, and other contenders could use defensive additions to turn early trade activity into an arms race.
- 3Younger front offices, expensive free agency, and a later deadline are making in-season NFL trades more common.
Don't miss
The hosts debate whether Tennessee should trade Jeffery Simmons, its best player, despite contract complications and the risk of deepening organizational uncertainty.
The brief
Daniel Popper joins Robert Mays with a board of movable players, using Indianapolis and the wider league to frame a deadline that could become historically busy.
Seattle’s acquisition of Quenton Nelson and San Francisco’s return of DeForest Buckner show contenders addressing immediate weaknesses while reshaping the season’s trade market.
The hardest decisions belong to sellers: Indianapolis weighs Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs, while the Chargers and Titans confront whether to move valuable players during losing seasons.
Potential fits for Khalil Mack, Budda Baker, and Jeffery Simmons reveal the price of defensive help, especially for Chicago and San Francisco as contenders weigh future picks.
The episode’s broader case is that younger front offices, costly free agency, and a later deadline are turning NFL in-season trading into a more consequential strategy.
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