The NFL trade deadline was on Tuesday. We witnessed eight trades on the actual deadline day and 17 in total leading up to the landmark. Players moved before the early November cut-off included DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, and Baron Browning.
With the 2024 NFL trade deadline now officially in our rearview mirror, we've identified four winners and losers from the midseason festivities.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals entered Tuesday's deadline desperately needing help at running back. Zack Moss is sidelined indefinitely with a neck injury and has been generally ineffective this season. The offense is currently fielding the 27th-ranked rushing attack, averaging 94.2 yards per game.
The Bengals responded to those struggles by acquiring running back Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round selection. Herbert should immediately become the primary starter in the backfield, with change-of-pace support from an in-form Chase Brown. The Bengals are back in the postseason hunt at 4-5 and just improved the weakness of their offense at an inexpensive cost.
Loser: Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones just can't help himself. Despite being 3-5 and trailing the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) and Washington Commanders (7-2) in the NFC East by a sizable margin, the Dallas Cowboys, for some reason, decided to be buyers at Tuesday's deadline. Furthermore, starting quarterback Dak Prescott is going to miss multiple contests with a hamstring injury. What exactly are the Cowboys doing?
Making awful trades, that's what. Jones acquired wide receiver Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers for a fourth-round pick. The 2023 draftee has 12 catches for 121 yards this year and has been losing playing time to Xavier Legette. Mingo somehow fetched the Panthers more than Diontae Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins were dealt for.
Winner: Washington Commanders
It's incredible what a franchise quarterback can do for an organization. It would've been difficult to envision Washington being deadline buyers prior to the 2024 season kicking off. Jayden Daniels is that special and has his surging Commanders playing like legitimate postseason contenders.
The Commanders made Tuesday's biggest deal, getting four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints. The investment is undeniably big, with Washington general manager Adam Peters parting with third, fourth, and sixth-round picks for Lattimore and a fifth-rounder. The proven boundary corner immediately becomes the No. 1, allowing Mike Sainristil to play the nickel permanently. It’s a move that should greatly improve Dan Quinn's secondary.
Loser: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were the busiest team on deadline day, executing two trades. At 6-2 and in first place in the NFC North, their aggressive positioning was understandable. The decisions and/or value of acquiring wide receiver Mike Williams and outside linebacker Preston Smith were questionable, however.
Better receivers than Williams were acquired elsewhere for the price tag of a fifth-round pick. Williams has performed like a shell of his former self this season, catching just 57.1% of his targets (12-of-21). Smith will be appropriately cast as a deep-cut rotational rusher behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but the soon-to-be 32-year-old rusher has just 10 pressures in nine games this season, hence why the playoff-contending Green Bay Packers didn't mind moving him.
