The NFL trade deadline is over, and several big-name players are set to suit up in different uniforms.
The Jacksonville Jaguars pushed their chips to the middle of the table by making three trades to acquire defensive talent. The Minnesota Vikings are hoping a reunion with quarterback Kirk Cousins will allow them to get on track after back-to-back losses. And despite making several deals that stripped the roster in the last few weeks, the Indianapolis Colts decided they're better off keeping running back Jonathan Taylor during their rebuild.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of the deadline.
Winner: Jaguars
There's already been some pearl-clutching over the price Jacksonville paid to acquire defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux and safety Jessie Bates. For that trio of defensive players, the Jaguars ditched first- and second-round picks in 2027; second-, fifth-, and sixth-round selections in 2028; and a 2029 second-round choice. The Jaguars are clearly better than they were last week, though - and they were already pretty darn good.
Did they maximize the value of those picks? Probably not. Between Davis' expected snap count and Bates' age, the Jaguars overpaid.
Davis played 52% of Philadelphia's defensive snaps this season, down from a career-high 61% last year. That's not an unusual share for a run-stuffing defensive lineman. Jacksonville will probably get a similar volume of part-time contributions from Davis, especially with Godchaux in the rotation.
Is Davis' usage worth first- and second-round picks? It's tough to say yes. To be fair, however, the first-rounder that Jacksonville is sending to Philadelphia should be at the tail end of the round. And the second-rounder that was part of the deal is three years away, which means it mostly equates to a mid-round selection now.
None of that will matter if Davis and Bates help the Jaguars reach the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Bates has somewhat quietly been one of the NFL's best defensive backs for the last decade, and the 29-year-old still has a knack for huge plays. He already has three forced fumbles this season, as well as an interception.
The Jaguars are loaded with young talent and can afford to swing for the fences. They did just that, and now they look like an even more terrifying contender.
Loser: Bengals
The Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs all made trades to add talent and gear up for the race for the AFC crown. The Bengals still look like a contender in that race, but they didn't make any moves to improve Tuesday.
And the only reason they didn't was front-office incompetence.
On Tuesday morning, the Bengals agreed to a trade with the Eagles to acquire edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie for a sixth-round pick. While far from a blockbuster, the move aimed to improve a pass rush that's generated most of its pressures from the interior. However, Cincinnati nixed the deal after it was reported that acquiring Ebiketie would erase the third-round compensatory pick the Bengals are expected to receive in the spring for losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency.
Perhaps if the Bengals had been paying closer attention, they could've spent their time pursuing edge help that wouldn't nullify their third-rounder. Instead, the deadline passed without a move in Cincinnati.
Winner: Vikings, Raiders, and Cousins
A day after Carson Wentz produced one of the most putrid performances imaginable in a loss to the Bills, Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota simply made too much sense. Cousins is far from an elite passer, but he's a competent quarterback and a significant upgrade for the Vikings.
Minnesota's defense is spectacular. The Vikings couldn't sit back and allow that unit - as well as playmakers like Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison - to go to waste. The Vikings have managed to win two games this season without scoring a touchdown, but they can't expect to keep getting away with it.
Cousins, who has 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions so far this campaign, should provide a boost. A third-round pick isn't exactly cheap, but Cousins is well worth the cost if he helps the Vikings take advantage of the opportunity in front of them.
It's a great deal for the Raiders, too.
After five losses in the last six weeks, it looked like it was time to pass the torch to rookie Fernando Mendoza, whether or not Cousins was on the roster. Getting a Round 3 pick for a 38-year-old bridge QB your team signed earlier this year is a coup.
It's officially Mendoza time in Las Vegas, and now the Raiders have a little extra draft capital.
Loser: Kyler Murray
Make no mistake: Minnesota didn't trade away a third-round pick to have Cousins back up Murray.
Although Murray hasn't exactly played horrible football, the Vikings aren't scoring points. In six games, Murray has five touchdowns. If he'd stayed healthy, maybe Minnesota would have looked to add a more explosive running back to give its offense a jolt and help Murray find the end zone more often.
But Murray was sidelined by a concussion early in the season and recently suffered a hamstring injury. Then Wentz hammered a stake into the Vikings' entire QB room with his play Monday. The team had no choice but to acquire a starting-quality passer, and that meant benching Murray.
Winner: Former Colts and Titans players
It's pretty ugly in the AFC South cellar.
If Cam Ward's 304-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Bengals was a turning point, the Tennessee Titans may have the tools to get things on track sooner rather than later. But if the 24-year-old returns to the play he showed in September and October, the Titans may be a long way from being competitive.
The Colts, on the other hand, have no reason to be optimistic. Not only are they a terrible team with no clear future at quarterback, but they don't even have a first-round pick next year to address the problem.
For the handful of players who escaped those rosters at the trade deadline, it had to be a dream come true. Former Titans defensive stars Jeffery Simmons and Amani Hooker are now members of the 7-2 Chicago Bears and the 7-1 Bills, respectively.
Former Colts guard Quenton Nelson is with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Indianapolis also sent defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and wide receiver Keenan Allen to the 7-1 San Francisco 49ers. Finally, Josh Downs is set to catch passes from the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes.
Maybe poor Jonathan Taylor will be traded during the 2027 offseason and get to use his skills for a contender. He isn't winning many games anytime soon, though.
Loser: NFC South
No team in the NFL's worst division has more than three victories. Still, someone has to win it.
The only trades made by teams in the NFC South were moves to sell off talent, and none of the clubs added even a little firepower to take advantage of the division's weaker competition. The most egregious was the Atlanta Falcons' decision to ditch Bates, one of the NFL's best safeties - even if the move earned them a second-rounder.
It wouldn't have been wise for any NFC South team to make blockbuster deals. However, even light tinkering could've been enough for one of the division's teams to patch a hole or two and emerge as the favorite to pull away from the pack. Instead, the NFC South has even less talent than it did last week.
Winner: Eagles
The Eagles are toast this year after a bevy of injuries, including season-ending blood clot issues for Jalen Hurts. They've turned the page to 2027 and now have several draft picks to reload and jump back into contention sooner rather than later.
Davis was a great player on the Eagles' defense, but they have no shortage of those. In addition to game-wrecker defensive tackle Jalen Carter, former seventh-round pick Moro Ojomo has also developed into a problem for opposing offenses.
Philadelphia still has more than enough young defensive talent to rebuild quickly, and trading Davis for premium draft picks accelerates that.
The Eagles are set to make five first-round and five second-round selections in the next three drafts. For general manager Howie Roseman - who has proven to be one of the league's best at using draft picks - that's more than enough ammunition to get Philadelphia back in business.
Adam Stites is a contributing writer for theScore.
