The 2026 NFL trade deadline is now in the books. The Chicago Bears got a jump on the proceedings by making their big move to acquire defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans, and general manager Ryan Poles set the bar for his NFC North peers to meet.
The Bears stood pat for the rest of the time all the way through Tuesday's trade deadline. A move to add a cornerback sure would've been nice, but Poles may have been hesitant to part with any more noteworthy draft capital after giving up his next two first-round picks for Simmons.
Let's take a look at what happened for the other three NFC North teams at or around the trade deadline.
NFC North trade deadline roundup: Vikings make the biggest move by any rival
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has made trade deadline moves before, with one addition of note in prior years. A deal to acquire veteran safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets was done the day before this year's deadline, but a cornerback addition before the deadline (much like the Bears) did not happen like it should have.
The Green Bay Packers were rumored to be interested in Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, and Josh Jacobs' upcoming absence due to a finger injury only fortified the potential for that all-in move. But they didn't land Taylor before the deadline, or anyone else at any other position.
The big trade elsewhere in the NFC North came on deadline day. Out of sheer necessity, after Carson Wentz's ugly performance on the Monday night stage in Week 9, the Minnesota Vikings sent a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to bring quarterback Kirk Cousins back to where he spent six seasons (2018-2023).
Bears are still the biggest NFC North trade deadline winners
While adding Cousins should give them at least acceptable quarterback play to go with what looks to be a Super Bowl-ready defense, the Vikings couldn't sit idle when it came to trading for a quarterback. That they only gave up a third-round pick to get Cousins, when general manager Nolan Teasley had zero leverage in the rush to make calls about trading for a quarterback after they played Monday night to close Week 9, should be considered a big win.
Meanwhile, the Lions had a typical risk-adverse trade deadline when they needed to do way more than add a backup safety. Time will tell if that proves costly, as their Super Bowl window continues to narrow.
The Packers stood pat at the deadline, but shy of adding a running back there's wasn't a lot they really needed to do with their passing offense rolling and the defense playing well before Micah Parsons is able to return from injury. The top two running back options, Jonathan Taylor and Tony Pollard, didn't seem to be greatly available anyway. An attempt to overturn the offensive line has already happened, so adding any further help there was unlikely.
The Bears definitely needed to add help defensively leading up to the trade deadline, in whatever form they could. They went all-in on Simmons, and the impact of the move was maximized by getting two very impactful games from him before the deadline.
The Bears set the trade deadline bar for the rest of the NFC North early with the trade for Simmons. Poles surely tried to follow that by trying to add a cornerback, it just didn't come together. It's worth noting that no cornerbacks around the entire league switched addresses at the deadline, so that particular position market just didn't move at all.
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