Copyright GIVEMESPORT
The 2025 NFL season is officially halfway through and with that came one of the more memorable trade deadlines in recent memory. Several All-Pros found themselves on new rosters as teams made aggressive movies in hopes of winning Super Bowl LX. Meanwhile, some franchises showed that they are already gearing up for the 2025 NFL Draft amid lost seasons. GIVEMESPORT has subsequently identified four teams/players who should come out of this deadline either super encouraged or perplexed at what the future holds. And it didn't matter whether our selections were sellers or buyers, as one of the worst teams in the league had several franchise-changing moves that should age well. With that in mind, here is who stood out the most after this year's trade deadline. Winner: Sauce Gardner We're going to be talking about the New York Jets a lot in this article, because they were the most active team at this trade deadline. The team with the longest playoff drought in major North American sports were huge sellers, looking to build up their draft capital. Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts was the headline blockbuster. The two-time All-Pro was traded to the AFC leaders for two first round picks and wideout Adonai Mitchell. Gardner now joins an immediate Super Bowl contender who needed an upgrade to their secondary, which has been vulnerable against explosive passing attacks. Whether the deal ages well for the Colts remains to be seen, but this is an ideal situation for the 25-year-old who has never won more than seven games in a season. Loser: Breece Hall Breece Hall was understandably upset to see Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams traded at this deadline, and the New York Jets starting running back will be a free agent after this season. The 24-year-old is on a 1-7 team that is clearly building for the future with its draft capital, and his prospects of re-signing with the franchise still seem unclear. For now, though, Hall will look to have his first 1,000+ yard rushing season, which he's on pace to hit right now. Winner: Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to repeat as Super Bowl champs, and currently sit at 6-2 with firm control of the NFC East. Yet, there was one main weakness on this roster heading into the trade deadline that, fortunately, was addressed; getting to the quarterback. The Eagles subsequently traded a third round pick for Miami Dolphins' linebacker Jaelan Phillips. When healthy, the 26-year-old has shown flashes of being a potential game-breaker in this area. Phillips will now reunite with Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who has coached him before. This is the kind of move that could make Philadelphia the clear-cut favorite in the NFC. Loser: Washington Commanders The Washington Commanders took an aggressive approach in the 2025 offseason by trading for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, shoring up protection for quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington addition landed star wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and re-signed Terry McLaurin, signaling a clear shift toward winning now rather than rebuilding. But, amid a disastrous season and the oldest roster in the NFL, it would've been best for the 3-6 to rebuild their draft war chest as they look to build around their 24-year-old. Even when healthy, there are a lot of flaws on this roster that aren't going to be resolved if this team is more healthy and simply decides to run it back. Winner: New York Jets Some outlets are labeling the New York Jets as losers from this trade deadline, but this franchise is long overdue for a full rebuild and there's still a decent foundation for this team to build on. New York traded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams yesterday in exchange for three first-round picks, a second round pick, wideout Adonai Mitchell and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. The Jets now have five first round picks in the next two years, two promising offensive tackles ( Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou), a good running back (Breece Hall), a No. 1 receiver ( Garrett Wilson), and an emerging tight end (Mason Taylor). Even if the franchise is unable to extend Hall, a foundation is being built with these two trades. Of course, general manager Darren Mougey, and owner Woody Johnson needed to stay out of the way. Loser: Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins is ultimately a winner in life with his successful NFL career and the $27.5 million he's still fully guaranteed by the Atlanta Falcons for this season. That being said, the 37-year-old still believes he can contribute as a starting quarterback, and there are plenty of teams in need of an upgrade under center. Joe Flacco was able to find an opportunity after a few poor weeks with the Cleveland Browns, and now he's thriving with the Cincinnati Bengals. Cousins is likely a little disappointed that he will continue to be Michael Penix Jr.'s backup for the rest of this season. Winner: Sam Darnold The Seattle Seahawks believed in Sam Darnold this offseason by signing him to a three-year, $100.5 million contract and that faith has paid off in spades right now. Mike McDonald's team currently sits at 6-2 overall and in first place in the NFC West. That is largely thanks to their MVP candidate quarterback, who now has another dynamic receiver around him in Rashid Shaheed. The Seahawks traded 2026 fourth and fifth round picks for the fourth-year wideout, who will no doubt feel rejuvenated as a legit NFC contender. Two years ago, it would've been crazy to say that Sam Darnold was an elite NFL quarterback. It isn't anymore. Loser: Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are still Super Bowl contenders, even after making no moves over the trade deadline. But this is a heavily flawed roster with a few positional groups that could've used upgrades. First off, Josh Allen could use another wide receiver, but more importantly, the Bills have a weakness on defense that could ultimately cost them a shot at their first Super Bowl. Buffalo is letting up 141.4 rushing yards per game, which is fifth-worst in the league and by far the worst among the other contenders. Maybe getting a terrific run-stopper like Quinnen Williams was out of the picture since he was on a divisional. Nevertheless, a potential playoff clash with a dynamic rushing offense is still a significant concern for this team.
