Pride of Detroit
For teams making one last push to make the Super Bowl, the NFL trade deadline is often the final opportunity to add talent to get a roster over the top. At times it can be costly, but no one will mind if it helps bring home a championship.
In 2024, the Lions were in desperate need of pass rush and traded a 2025 fifth and sixth-round pick for Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick. The move certainly helped the Lions’ pass rush down the stretch without Aidan Hutchinson, but ultimately the move busted when Detroit failed to win a playoff game.
This year, the Lions were somewhat criticized for staying put. Despite similar questions at defensive end, injuries and issues on the offensive line, and maybe even some questions at safety, the Lions opted not to make a move this year.
Now that we’re into the second round of the 2025-26 NFL playoffs, let’s revisit the big trades made in November to see how the active teams fared in their trade deadline moves—and if the Lions missed out on any golden opportunities.
Trade #1
How the team did:
The Eagles got bounced in the first round of the playoffs after losing the San Francisco 49ers
How the player did:
Phillips did bring a lot of extra pass rush juice to the Eagles. Though he only finished with 2.0 sacks in eight games, he did post 41 pressures in those games while also being a plus in the run game (69.2 PFF grade).
Will he be sticking around?
Hard to say, but this feels like a one-year rental. Phillips was on his fifth-year option with the Dolphins, making his acquisition not very costly for the Eagles in terms of cap space. Phillips will be looking for a big payday this offseason, and the Eagles are working within a tight budget.
Trade #2
How the team did:
Still bounced in the first round.
How the player did:
He lasted less than two weeks with the Eagles before he announced he’s stepping away from football to focus on his physical and mental health.
Will he be sticking around?
Probably not.
Overall
The Eagles were active at the trade deadline, but not at the right place. Their offense was terrible and cost them the season. The one-year rental on Phillips certainly made their defense better, but it certainly wasn’t worth it when the other side of the ball was so poor that they were never going to make a championship run.
Trade
How the team did:
Bounced in the first round of the playoffs in an uncompetitive game vs. the Patriots.
How the player did:
Not great. In five games with the Chargers, he allowed 11 pressures,...
