The NFL Trade Deadline Just Turned Into a Madden Franchise Mode
Adam Schefter reported a massive wave of in-season NFL trades, including DeForest Buckner returning to the 49ers, Jeffery Simmons to the Bears, and Jacoby Brissett to the Ravens.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 2 min read
Finding live odds…
The NFL trade deadline used to be a myth where teams swapped conditional seventh-round picks for a guy who would be cut by Tuesday. Now, it is a full-blown fantasy football group chat. ESPN insider Adam Schefter just dropped a list of in-season trades that looks like someone playing Madden with the salary cap turned off.
The Baltimore Ravens decided their roster needed a midseason overhaul, grabbing center Cam Jurgens and bringing in veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Brissett leaves behind a 3-5 Arizona Cardinals team where he threw for 1,719 yards and 10 touchdowns this year, escaping a brutal 5-17 career run in the desert to back up the operation in Baltimore.
"Adam Schefter dropped a list of in-season trades that looks like someone playing Madden with the salary cap turned off."
Meanwhile, the rich are getting terrifyingly richer. The 6-2 Chicago Bears added defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who already has four sacks this year. Not to be outdone, the 6-1 San Francisco 49ers reunited with DeForest Buckner. Buckner has four sacks of his own and just got back from a high ankle sprain, meaning the NFC front-runners are loading up for a heavyweight fight.
The 4-4 Seattle Seahawks decided to protect their backfield by trading for offensive line anchor Quenton Nelson. On the weirder side of the ledger, the 2-5 Houston Texans somehow landed Marvin Harrison Jr., while the 4-2-1 New York Giants took a swing on quarterback J.J. McCarthy to figure out their future under center.
If you are looking at the NFC futures market, the arms race between Chicago and San Francisco is the only thing that matters right now. The Bears and 49ers are treating draft picks like expired coupons, pushing all their chips in while teams like the 3-5 Dallas Cowboys try to save face by adding cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
We will see how quickly these guys can learn a playbook on a cross-country flight. With Week 9 kicking off, including a massive Ravens matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, these front offices just turned the second half of the season into an absolute gauntlet.
Key stats
Key statsJacoby Brissett threw for 1,719 yards and 10 touchdowns for Arizona before the trade.
Jeffery Simmons and DeForest Buckner both have 4 sacks on the season.
The 49ers are 6-1 and the Bears are 6-2.
What's next
Newly acquired players will have to quickly learn their playbooks as Week 9 kicks off, including a Thursday night matchup between the Ravens and Jaguars.
