The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. After that, players can no longer be traded without first approving waivers. It's one of the ripest stretches of the NFL calendar for overreactions. Fans of teams not included want to see trades for useful draft picks. Fans of teams on the fringes of contention want to see moves that show these teams are trying. And fans of the league's top teams want to see the Rams/Von Miller-style move that turns contenders into Super Bowl champions.

It's an exciting time. There have already been a number of trades – Davante Adams to the Jets, Amari Cooper to the Bills, DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs, etc. – and there will be more in the next 48 hours. We may even see deals involving positions other than wide receiver!

That's why we thought we'd dedicate Week 9's overreactions – where we judge a few potential insights as legitimate or irrational – to the trade deadline.

Jump to:
Giants/Raiders trade for Young?
Do the Bengals add before the deadline?
Trade with the Chargers to bring Williams back?
Cowboys dealing out players?

The Giants or Raiders should trade for Bryce Young

I'm including both teams here because it makes sense for both – and for similar reasons. The Raiders really don't have a quarterback right now. Both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell are already on the bench this season, with O'Connell (thumb) playing on injured reserve and Desmond Ridder ending Sunday's loss to the Bengals. Whatever happens for the Raiders moving forward, they need to find a QB in the offseason.

Of course, the Giants still have Daniel Jones at quarterback. But his guaranteed money is running out after this season, and the Giants didn't seem to trust him to pass on Sunday until they got into the second half and had no other choice. He had zero passing yards in the first half (although he did throw a touchdown pass… think about it), and 121 of his 174 yards on the day came in the fourth quarter of the loss to Washington. The Giants have said they would give Jones a year to show if he can still be their franchise quarterback, but considering they are 2-7 and he is unranked, It's likely they'll also be looking for a new signal-caller this offseason.

Verdict: NO OVERREACTION

The Panthers have made it clear that they do not want to trade Young. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft but was benched for Andy Dalton earlier this season and only played the last two games because Dalton has an injured thumb. Carolina picked up its second win of the season on Sunday, beating the undermanned Saints, with Young completing 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards, one touchdown pass and one interception. If they plan on going back to Dalton once he's healthy, that means they may be done with Young entirely… so why not get something for him while they can?

It may not be more than a fourth-round pick (the price the Cowboys paid last year to pry former No. 3 pick Trey Lance off the 49ers' hands), but it's something. And the Panthers will need draft capital to find Young's replacement this offseason.

No, I'm not saying Young is definitely the answer for the Giants or Raiders. But again…he was the first pick in the draft just 18 months ago. He has talent. If you know you're going to be looking for a new solution at QB in a few months, what's the harm in bringing a guy like that into your building now? Either New York or Las Vegas could spend a few months trying to figure out if that can get him back to what the Panthers thought he would be as a pro.

And if it’s a “yes,” one of these teams could get a bargain. If it's a “no,” it's not that expensive to find out.

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The Bengals will add at the deadline for a change

Cincinnati is not a team that makes trades. It is extremely conservative with draft picks and generally loathes paying premium prices for players that are not its own. But people around the league believe Cincinnati is at least exploring the idea of ​​signing a defensive player and/or possibly a running back before Tuesday's deadline.

It would be out of character, but the talk is out there and it's real. The Bengals have seen the contending Chiefs, Ravens and Bills (as well as the Jets, whose record is worse than theirs) acquire big-name veteran receivers, and they still believe they're in their Super Bowl window.

Verdict: NO OVERREACTION

As bad as things have been for the Bengals this season, they're still 4-5 after beating the Raiders – half a game out of the final spot in the AFC playoffs. They still have Burrow, who they believe gives them a chance to defeat him someone. They have a Thursday game this week against the Ravens and believe they should have beaten them in the first game. (They lost a heartbreaker in overtime after botching a potential game-winning field goal.) If they could win Thursday and get to 5-5, everything they hoped for this season would still be ahead of them and attainable .

Again, it would be out of character for the Bengals to trade midseason for a potential difference-maker player. But this isn't just any season. This could be the last time in Cincinnati for receiver Tee Higgins and/or edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, and wideout Ja'Marr Chase's future there remains unclear until he gets the contract he wants. The Bengals are in go-for-it mode, even if they're still under .500.

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The Chargers should bring back Mike Williams

In their first offseason with Jim Harbaugh as coach and Joe Hortiz as GM, the Chargers exuded a sense of optimism. Facing difficult cap issues, they traded franchise mainstay Keenan Allen and released Williams, giving up their wide receiver room in the middle of QB Justin Herbert's prime.

But what looks like a rebuild to us in March isn't always that. Harbaugh isn't a coach who loses a lot, and it's possible we've underestimated these Chargers, who play good defense, run the ball well and each other just improved to 5-3 with a dominant win over the Browns on Sunday. The Chargers are a surprise AFC contender and could be looking at a new addition next Tuesday, and Williams is a guy the Jets have seemed eager to offload in recent weeks after acquiring Davante Adams.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

Do the Chargers really need him? Quentin Johnston, a 2023 first-round pick, bounced back from his injury to rush for 118 yards and a touchdown on four catches Sunday. Rookie Ladd McConkey had a huge two-touchdown game in Week 8. Joshua Palmer is in his fourth season with the Chargers and has been a reliable third receiver virtually the entire time. They also have DJ Chark Jr. and Jalen Reagor.

The chargers may need to be added someone if they want to contend for the AFC playoffs, but a) maybe not, and b) their young wide receiver group might just be good enough as it is now. We underestimated the Chargers in March, so we shouldn't repeat November's mistake.

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The Cowboys will actually trade away players at the deadline

Things are getting worse every week in Dallas. In the 27:21 loss to the Falcons, the offense seemed listless again. They fell to 3-5 this season and it's the first time in five years they've lost three straight starts to Dak Prescott. Prescott injured his hamstring and couldn't even finish that game. Their next three games are against the Eagles, Texans and Commanders, all of whom have winning records, and it's possible that the Prescott injury could cause them to play some (or all) of those games without their starting quarterback must.

Cowboys fans always want the team to add more than they actually do. But if they're honest with themselves about this season, it might make more sense to trade a few guys and look at adding draft picks to avoid ending up with a thin roster again anytime soon.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

Yes, I don't see it. I don't think Jerry Jones is giving up on a season in early November. After Sunday's game, he actually hinted that the Cowboys could be active at the deadline. And maybe they will, but I'll believe it when I see it.

They'll say they'll bring back edge rusher Micah Parsons and other guys at some point and continue to hope the young players on the roster improve. And honestly, unless they make the seemingly unthinkable decision to put someone like Parsons on the market, I'm not sure how many Dallas players would even return enough in return to justify the White Flag season. I'm more willing to believe that the Cowboys will sign a running back or defensive lineman before Tuesday afternoon than to assume that they will. It just doesn't sound like them.