Updated Oct. 31, 2026
The NFL trade deadline is the last point in the season when teams can swap players and draft picks. After it passes, no more trades are allowed until the next league year, and the waiver system continues to govern released players, with veterans of four or more pension-credited seasons added to it the next day (NFL Football Operations, important dates). This explainer covers how the cutoff works, where the dates come from, and what changes once it passes. Every date below comes from the NFL's own published sources: the NFL Football Operations calendar and NFL.com.
When is the 2026 NFL trade deadline?
The NFL's 2026-27 calendar lists the cutoff in one line: "All trading ends for 2026 at 4:00 p.m., New York time" on Tuesday, November 10 (NFL.com, 2026-27 important dates). That is 1:00 p.m. Pacific. The NFL Football Operations calendar and NFL.com's trade tracker give the same 4 p.m. ET cutoff (NFL.com trade tracker).
Key dates around the deadline
The deadline doesn't stand alone. The NFL calendar sets a few related cutoffs on either side of it.
| Date (2026-27) | What happens |
|---|---|
| March 11, 2026, 4 p.m. ET | 2026 trading period opens with the new league year |
| November 9, 2026, 4 p.m. ET | Salary increases from renegotiations or extensions received after this point are treated as signing bonus and prorated |
| November 10, 2026, 4 p.m. ET | All trading ends for 2026 |
| November 11, 2026 | Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons become subject to the waiver system for the rest of the season |
| March 11, 2027, 4 p.m. ET | Trading period for 2027 begins with the new league year |
Source: NFL.com 2026-27 important dates and NFL.com 2026 important dates.
Why the deadline moved later
The deadline used to fall earlier. According to NFL.com, the 2023 deadline was October 31. During the 2024 offseason, team owners voted to push it back so that it follows Week 9 games, to account for the 17-game regular season (NFL.com trade tracker). A later cutoff gives teams more games to judge whether they are buyers or sellers before they have to decide.
What can be traded
Players under contract
Teams trade player contracts. The receiving team takes on the contract, which is why the salary cap shapes most deadline deals. The November 9 renegotiation cutoff above matters here: a raise added after that point gets spread across the whole contract as signing bonus, which changes how it counts.
Future draft picks
Most deadline deals are built around picks in upcoming drafts. Three trades from late October 2026 show the usual shapes, as listed in NFL.com's tracker:
- Quenton Nelson to Seattle (Oct. 27): the Colts received a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Our write-up: Colts Trade Quenton Nelson to Seahawks for Two Draft Picks.
- DeForest Buckner to San Francisco (Oct. 27): the Colts received a 2027 fourth-round pick. Our write-up: DeForest Buckner Traded Back to 49ers for 2027 Fourth.
- Jeffery Simmons to Chicago (Oct. 29): Tennessee received 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth; Chicago also received a 2028 fifth. Our write-up: Bears Trade for Jeffery Simmons: Worth Two Firsts?
What changes after the deadline passes
Once trading closes, the league calendar does not list any further trading window for the season. The waiver system continues, and on November 11, 2026, "players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons are subject to the waiver system for the remainder of the regular season and postseason" (NFL Football Operations, important dates). In practice, that means those veterans go through waivers when released, rather than simply becoming free to choose a new team.
Trading doesn't reopen until the next league year starts on March 11, 2027, at 4 p.m. ET.
How to read deadline deals
A deadline trade tells you how a team sees its own season. Sellers, like the Colts this October, trade veterans for picks that pay off a year or two later. Buyers, like the Bears with Simmons, give up future picks for help now. When you judge a deal, look at the contract that moved and the years the picks fall in, not only the names.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the NFL trade deadline?
For 2026, trading ends at 4:00 p.m. New York time (1:00 p.m. Pacific) on Tuesday, November 10, per the NFL Football Operations calendar.
What happens to released veterans after the trade deadline?
The waiver system continues. Starting November 11, 2026, players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons are subject to waivers for the rest of the regular season and postseason, per the NFL Football Operations calendar.
When can NFL teams trade again?
The 2027 trading period opens at 4:00 p.m. New York time on March 11, 2027, when the new league year begins.
Sources: NFL.com, 2026-27 National Football League important dates; NFL.com, 2026 National Football League important dates; NFL.com, trade tracker for the 2026 regular season; NFL Football Operations, NFL important dates.
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