Winners and Losers From the NFL Trade Deadline: Kirk Cousins & Josh Downs Should Thrive in Their New Homes

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone. There were a ton of big trades made in the weeks leading up to the deadline, but we still got some last-minute action with the most notable move being Minnesota sending a third rounder to Las Vegas in exchange for Kirk Cousins.

Was this deadline as entertaining as some of the others in the past? No, but that’s because a lot of the big names were traded weeks ago. But that doesn’t mean some teams didn’t make game-changing or head-scratching moves at the deadline.

Here are my winners and losers from the past 48 hours.

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

KANSAS CITY, MO – NOVEMBER 03: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins 8 and quarterback s coach Klint Kubiak before an NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs on November 3, 2019 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire NFL: NOV 03 Vikings at Chiefs PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxDENxONLY Icon1911030834

I could have five winner spots for the Minnesota Vikings. Kirk Cousins is a winner because he gets to play for a team that’s going to compete for a Super Bowl. Kevin O’Connell is a winner because he finally has a competent QB1. Justin Jefferson is a winner because he finally got the quarterback that helped him become the best receiver in the league back. Brian Flores is a winner because his defense doesn’t have to hold a team to 15 to win anymore. And, of course, Vikings fans are a winner, because they always knew this team wasn’t going to do anything in the postseason unless they got a legit quarterback.

I am shocked that the Vikings pulled this trade off for just a third round pick. If I were Vegas, I wouldn’t have given Cousins up for anything less than a second, because you know that Minnesota was going to break eventually. After MNF where Carson Wentz wet the bed, they HAD to go get, not just a quarterback, but a quarterback that can actually help them win games. With one minute left I would’ve accepted a third, but until then, I would’ve held firm at a second rounder.

Congrats Minnesota, you’re actually a contender now!

Loser: Brian Thomas Jr.

Early in the day on Tuesday, the Jacksonville Jaguars told all the teams interested that they were no longer shopping Brian Thomas Jr. The former first round pick had an incredible rookie season, but ever since Liam Coen arrived, he just hasn’t found his footing in this offense, and ever since last year’s trade deadline, he’s been a name brought up in talks. It felt like this was finally the time where he’d get traded to a team that would use him properly, but he will remain in Jacksonville until at least the end of the year.

BTJ has played under 60 percent of the teams’ snaps in all but one game this season, which includes four games with under 40 percent of snaps played. Look, I’ll give it to the Jags, it’s a smart move. They do not need to trade him, so why not hold onto him just in case someone like Jakobi Meyers or Parker Washington gets injured? Plus, he’s a downfield threat, so when he is on the field, defenses have to respect him.

I hate it for BTJ, but it makes sense for Jacksonville. But Thomas is definitely a loser from the deadline.

Winner: Fernando Mendoza

Apr 24, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (center) poses with jersey with general manager John Spytek (left) and head coach Klint Kubiak at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center after being selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Fernando Mendoza is QB1 in Vegas. We’ve been waiting for it, but Kirk Cousin’s play was keeping the first overall pick on the bench, but with Cousins gone, it’s Mendoza’s time to shine.

Mendoza has attempted a pass in just one game this season, completing six of his eight pass attempts for 48 yards while adding three more yards on the ground against New England. He’s still a bit of an unknown commodity, but the Raiders invested the first overall pick into him for a reason. They believe in his abilities, and now he gets to prove whether or not he’s an NFL quarterback. We watched Tyler Shough sit on the bench at the start of last year, and then by the time he came in, he was completely ready to start. Hopefully the same goes for Mendoza.

Loser: Daniel Jones

The Colts have cleaned house at the trade deadline. Over the past few weeks, they have traded Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Keenan Allen and Josh Downs. Of course, even with these guys Daniel Jones has not been good, but man, without his star guard and his two best receivers, he is really going to struggle.

With Alec Pierce still on IR, the Colts now have just five receivers on their active roster: Deion Burks, Laquon Treadwell, Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Anthony Gould. Yikes. Maybe Burks can become something, but outside of that, there’s not a lot of room for excitement here.

I feel bad for Jones. He hasn’t played well at all this year, but he literally has nobody to throw the ball to now.

Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

January 11, 2026: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence 16 and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen on the sideline in the first half of a wild card game against the Buffalo Bills in Jacksonville, FL. Romeo T Guzman/Cal Media Jacksonville USA – ZUMAcg2_ 20260111_faf_cg2_074 Copyright: xRomeoxGuzmanx

There are a lot of people giving Jacksonville crap for how much they gave up at the trade deadline, but I’m not in that same boat. If you truly think this could be your year, and the Jags obviously do, you do whatever it takes to get the guys that you need to help you chase a Super Bowl. If it works, nobody will ever mention the draft capital you gave up to get a championship.

The Jags made three big moves in the past 48 hours, so here’s a summary. The Jags sent away their 2027 first and second round picks, their 2028 fifth and sixth round picks and their 2029 second round pick to acquire Jessie Bates III, Davon Godchaux and Jordan Davis. They obviously identified safety and defensive tackle as their biggest needs – especially with DaVon Hamilton out for the year – so they went out and spent big to get three players they believe in.

Bates is a former All-Pro safety who is still playing very good football at age 30. Godchaux is going to be more of a rotational depth piece that can help stuff the run. And then there’s Davis, who is an elite run stuffer that can still put some pressure on the quarterback. The Jags already have a top-two defense in football in terms of PPG allowed, and it just got even better.

I’m all for going all in if you think you have a chance, so props to the Jags for having the cojones to do it.

Winner: Josh Downs

NFL, American Football Herren, USA 2026: Titans Vs Colts OCT 18 Oct 18, 2026 Indianapolis, IN, USA Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs 2 runs with the ball during NFL game action against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Mersits-Cal Media Credit Image: Â John Mersits/Cal Sport Media Indianapolis In USA EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20261018_zma_c04_260.jpg JohnxMersitsx csmphotothree535998

Josh Downs requested a trade from Indianapolis a few weeks back, and with less than an hour until the trade deadline, his wish came true. The Colts traded Downs to the Chiefs in exchange for a fourth and fifth round pick, giving the 25-year-old a fresh start.

Downs has been great early in his career, racking up 2,494 yards and 12 touchdowns in 56 games with the Colts, but he’s suffered greatly from mediocre quarterback play. Now, he moves to Kansas City to play with arguably the best quarterback in football, Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs needed a weapon and Downs needed a change of scenery. I’m excited to see Downs thrive with Mahomes throwing him the football.

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