With the NFL trade deadline coming up in a week, now is a great time to reflect on some memorable midseason trades that have had a lasting impact.

The trade deadline often brings a mix of activity. Because the NFL season is relatively short, adjusting players to new strategies takes time, and the salary cap adds complications, the NFL’s trade deadline is typically less frantic compared to other sports. Some seasons have minimal trades, while others see more moves as teams aim for playoff spots.

While not every midseason trade proves effective, there have been several standout deals in recent years. Some were obvious wins right after they occurred, while others took time to show their true value.

The following seven trades are considered some of the most impactful midseason deals in NFL history.

Top NFL Trade Deadline Deals of All Time

7. Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers (2017)

When Kyle Shanahan stepped in as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2017 season, he aimed to revamp the team’s offensive game plan. Convinced that quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn’t fit his system, Shanahan let Kaepernick go and sought to find a new starter.

Shanahan secured his quarterback through a trade, bringing in Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots. The cost was a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, but it quickly proved to be a pivotal move for the franchise.

Garoppolo made his debut in Week 12 after C.J. Beathard suffered an injury and became the starting quarterback the following week, leading the team to five consecutive victories after they started the season with a poor 1-10 record.

In February, the 49ers rewarded Garoppolo with a five-year contract extension.

Although Garoppolo’s time with the team had its challenges, he helped the 49ers reach the playoffs three times in six seasons, including their first Super Bowl appearance since 2012 in 2019. He also recorded the second-highest win percentage (.684) by a quarterback in the franchise’s history, following only Steve Young.

6. Roquan Smith trades to Baltimore Ravens (2022)

A first-round pick in 2018, Smith was a standout linebacker for the Chicago Bears, leading the team in tackles during his four seasons there. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in both 2020 and 2021 by ranking among the top six in combined tackles each season.

However, it was clear the Bears and Smith were on differing paths when contract negotiations stalled before his fifth season. In August 2022, he requested a trade, expressing that he did not feel adequately valued by the new management.

After eight games, the Baltimore Ravens traded their 2023 second and fifth-round picks to secure Smith. Over the course of the season, he recorded a career-high 169 tackles, along with 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and six pass deflections. His performance earned him his first All-Pro selection.

In 2023, Smith was again named a first-team All-Pro with 158 tackles, including an impressive 21 in one game, alongside 1.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, and a forced fumble.

This trade could continue to yield positive results if Smith establishes himself as one of the premier inside linebackers in the league, marking a significant success for the Ravens, who signed him to a five-year, $100 million deal in January 2023.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick after Week 2 (2019)

The Steelers’ trade for Fitzpatrick was quite similar to Baltimore’s deal for Smith.

Fitzpatrick had requested a trade from the Miami Dolphins just a week into his second season, feeling that he was not being utilized properly by the coaching staff. He managed to make 12 tackles in two games before the trade between the Dolphins and Steelers went through.

In September 2019, Pittsburgh sent multiple picks, including their 2020 first and fifth-round selections along with a sixth-round pick for 2021, in exchange for Fitzpatrick and Miami’s fourth and seventh-round picks for 2020 and 2021. Fitzpatrick made his debut in Week 3 and soon proved himself as one of the league’s elite safeties.

He was named a first-team All-Pro safety in both 2019 and 2020, and he added a third selection in 2022 with a standout year that included six interceptions, tied for the league lead. He has made the Pro Bowl in four seasons: 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023.

The Steelers secured a four-year, $73.6 million extension for him prior to the 2022 season.

4. Dallas Cowboys add Amari Cooper to their receiving core (2018)

As soon as Jon Gruden returned as head coach of the Raiders in 2018, he made significant changes, trading away key players for draft selections. Before the season started, the then-Oakland Raiders traded star edge rusher Khalil Mack, receiving a hefty return including two first-round draft picks from the Chicago Bears.

After starting the 2018 season with a disappointing 1-5 record, Gruden firmly rejected all trade rumors involving Amari Cooper, who had been the Raiders’ top receiver for his first three years in the league. Still, in late October, Cooper was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for the Cowboys’ 2019 first-round pick.

Upon joining Dallas, Cooper quickly restored his reputation as a premier receiving threat. Despite playing

In just nine games during the 2018 season, Amari Cooper, a player from Alabama, amassed 725 receiving yards, highlighted by impressive performances of 180 yards against Washington and 217 yards against Philadelphia, scoring six touchdowns – all of which led the Dallas Cowboys that year.

Cooper enjoyed his most successful stint during three and a half years with the Cowboys. Before his trade in 2022, he racked up 3,893 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns on 292 receptions, marking his highest stats for a single team among the four he has played for.

While Cooper was part of the Cowboys, the team did not achieve a significant playoff run, but he played a vital role in the Dallas offense throughout all four seasons.

3. Los Angeles Rams acquire Jalen Ramsey (2019)

Jalen Ramsey quickly made a name for himself as a top cornerback in the NFL. He was the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year behind Joey Bosa in 2016 and earned his first first-team All-Pro honor in his second season in 2017.

Following a successful AFC championship run in 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars struggled the next season with a 5-11 record, starting 2019 at 0-2.

During a Week 2 loss, Ramsey had a heated exchange with head coach Doug Marrone, requiring physical intervention. This fallout resulted in Ramsey’s last game with Jacksonville the following week.

In mid-October, the Jaguars decided to trade Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick for 2021.

Ramsey made the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons with the Rams, receiving two additional first-team All-Pro recognitions in 2020 and 2021. Notably, he contributed to the Rams’ Super Bowl victory in the 2021 season, registering 13 tackles and defending four passes during the playoffs, including one in the Super Bowl.

2. San Francisco 49ers acquire offensive star Christian McCaffrey (2022)

When fit, Christian McCaffrey stood out as one of the leading offensive talents in the NFL while with the Carolina Panthers.

In 2019, his third NFL season, McCaffrey dominated with 403 touches, 2,392 scrimmage yards, and 19 touchdowns, earning his first All-Pro selection, a Pro Bowl invitation, and finishing third in Offensive Player of the Year voting.

Unfortunately, injuries plagued McCaffrey and the Panthers in the two subsequent years, where he only played ten games, with 212 touches resulting in 1,159 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns.

As the Panthers’ chance for playoff contention narrowed, they traded the star running back midway through the 2022 season for future draft picks. The 49ers, eager to make a playoff run, exchanged their second, third, and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024.

In just 11 games with San Francisco, McCaffrey led the team with 746 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. He was also the fourth-leading receiver for the 49ers that year, making 52 catches for 464 yards.

The following season, McCaffrey excelled even more, topping the league with 1,459 rushing yards, totaling 2,023 scrimmage yards, and scoring 21 touchdowns. In 2023, he earned his third Pro Bowl selection, another first-team All-Pro honors, won the Offensive Player of the Year, and placed third in the MVP voting.

His standout performance significantly contributed to the 49ers reaching Super Bowl 58, where he made history as the first player to record at least 75 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards in a Super Bowl.

1. Marshawn Lynch receives a new opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks (2010)

Lynch had a stellar start to his career in 2007 and 2008, with back-to-back seasons exceeding 1,000 rushing yards and a total of 15 touchdowns along with a Pro Bowl selection in 2008.

However, before the 2009 season, Lynch found himself suspended for three games due to a misdemeanor weapons charge. This year also marked the emergence of Fred Jackson, who took over as the starting running back for the Buffalo Bills.

In the 2010 season, Lynch played only four more games for the Bills before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a fourth-round pick in 2011 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2012. His transformation with Seattle soon began.

Lynch quickly built an impressive legacy with the Seahawks, highlighted by a remarkable 67-yard touchdown run during the 2010 playoffs against the New Orleans Saints, known as the “Beast Quake,” which involved breaking nine tackles.

Over the next four years, Lynch solidified his status as one of the franchise’s top running backs, consistently rushing for at least 1,200 yards and scoring a dozen or more touchdowns each season from 2011 to 2014. His efforts earned him four consecutive Pro Bowl selections, a first-team All-Pro honor in 2012, and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2014.

Additionally, Lynch played a pivotal role in helping Seattle secure its inaugural Super Bowl title in 2013.

Throughout five full seasons with the Seahawks, Lynch played 70 games, logging 1,292 carries for 5,774 rushing yards and 51 rushing touchdowns, alongside 137 receptions for 1,171 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.