New York Jets made two of the largest in-season trades in recent history. Star cornerback Sauce Gardner went to the Indianapolis Colts who were looking to improve their defense in preparation for a potential playoff run. Standout defensive tackle Quinnen Williams went to the Dallas Cowboys who were hoping to find some defensive spark. Jets received multiple draft choices as a result of both deals. Was it the most expensive season-long trade in NFL history or not? Here are the five priciest in-season trades, in terms of assets moved, in NFL history. 1. Herschel Walke to Vikings (1989). Herschel was traded to Vikings, but they weren’t able reach the promised land. The Cowboys, however, used the haul that they received for him to begin a dynasty. Cowboys got LB Jesse Solomon and LB David Howard (all released to obtain five conditional picks), DE Alex Stewart, CB Issiac Holton, three draft choices (first round pick, second round pick, sixth round pick), as well as three draft picks. Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson made a bold decision to trade Walker to the Minnesota Vikings during their first year together in Dallas. The Vikings were hoping that Walker could be the key to a Super Bowl run. The Cowboys received four players as part of the deal. However, they then released all of them to get five more draft picks. Two first-round draft picks and two second-round draft picks were added on top of their three original draft picks. The Vikings were in the playoffs when they acquired Walker, but soon faded. Cowboys had a 1-15 record that year and used their draft picks from the trade for Emmitt Smith. The trade is considered one of the most lopsided in sporting history. It even has its Wikipedia page. How many trades can say that? 2. Eric Dickerson from Rams to Colts in 1987 Eric Dickerson’s Hall of Fame football career began with the Rams. He continued his strong seasons at the Colts. Rams got RB Greg Bell and RB Owen Gill as well as three first-round draft picks and three second-round draft picks (Photo by E. Bakke/Getty Images). It turns out that the Colts have no problem making big in-season deals. The Colts swooped on Dickerson in 1987 in a three team deal that included the Buffalo Bills, as the future Hall of Fame runner was unhappy with his contract. Dickerson had a productive first year with the Colts, rushing 1,011 yard in nine regular season games. This helped the team make it to the playoffs. He ran for nearly 3,000 yards over the next two seasons before struggling in his final two years with the Colts. 3. Jets trade Sauce Garden to the Colts. Is this a fair trade? Jets got two first round picks (2026,2027). WR Adonai MITCHELLGardner is the fourth player who has been traded for multiple picks of first rounds in a mid-season transaction on Tuesday. Gardner was a first-team All Pro in both of his first two years in the league. The Colts had to give up their 2026-2027 first-round draft picks to acquire Gardner. In 2022, Gardner was named Defensive Rookie Of The Year, which helped him to earn a four year, $120.4 Million contract in July, making him the highest paid cornerback in NFL History. Gardner will receive the minimum salary for the rest of the 2025 campaign. The Colts then pay him $25.5M in 2026 and $24.95M in 2027 before paying him $20.2M in 2028. As part of the trade, the Colts gave up Mitchell as well as a pick from the 2024 second round. When the deal was made, the wide-receiver had 32 receptions and 464 yardage in his career. Jalen Rams won a Super Bowl in two years, after he was acquired by the Rams in a move made during the season. Jaguars received 2 first-round picks for 2020 and 2021, 2021 fourth-round pickPrior until Tuesday, Ramsey’s move from the Jaguars to Rams was the most costly in-season cornerback deal. The Rams were hoping to return to the Super Bowl following their 2018 appearance and gave up two first-round selections. These picks went to edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, as well as running back Travis Etienne. Although the Rams failed to make the playoffs when they acquired Ramsey in their first year, the trade eventually paid off. They won the Super Bowl in Ramsey’s second full season with the team (2021), with the cornerback being named first-team All-Pro twice in his four seasons with the team. 5. Quinnen Williams is headed to the CowboysJets have traded Quinnen Williams from Jets to Cowboys in exchange for a 2nd-round draft pick (2026), 2027 1st-round draft pick (the better selection between Cowboys first-round and Packers first-round) and DT Mazi.The Cowboys make major deals all the time. It’s not surprising that they traded for Williams despite a 3-5-1 season. Williams will at least help the defense which is ranked second to last in terms of yards and points this season. In 2022, the seventh-year defensive guard was named All-Pro. He also earned Pro Bowl nominations in each of the three previous seasons. Other notable in season trades that involved first round picks include:Raiders traded for Patriots CB Mike Haynes in exchange for 1984 first-round and 1985 second-round selections (1983); Cardinals traded for Bengals QB Carson Palmer in exchange for 2012 first-round, 2013 second pick (2011); Cowboys swapped for Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper in return for 2019 first-round choice (2018); Steelers swapped for Dolphins S Minkah fitzpatrick in return for 2020 first-round, Sign up for a FOX Sports account or login to get a daily newsletter!
2025-11-05 00:43:36
NFL Trade Deadline: Where do the Jets Trades Rank Among Priciest In-Season Deals?
