NFL Week 10 latest intel, buzz questions, trade deadline news

It’s Week 10 of the 2026 NFL season, and the trade deadline is officially behind us. As the dust settles on all the moves, insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been calling sources around the league for the latest news and notable buzz.

For the past month, there has been plenty of trade speculation on Jonathan Taylor, Daniel Jones and Brian Thomas Jr., among others. But none of those players ended up switching teams. Was there ever any momentum? Why did those three big names stay put? One player who did get traded was Kirk Cousins, and there were plenty of dominoes to fall there. What now for the Raiders, who will turn to Fernando Mendoza? And does this deal fix the Vikings’ offense amid their push to the top of the NFC North?

Jeremy and Dan share what they’re hearing, answer big questions, hand out useful fantasy football nuggets and empty their reporting notebooks heading into Week 10.

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No Taylor, Jones or BTJ deals?
Cousins trade fallout for both teams?
Fantasy advice | More notes, intel

Jonathan Taylor, Daniel Jones and Brian Thomas Jr. were arguably the buzziest names before the deadline but didn’t move. Why not?

Graziano: In Taylor’s case, it’s because the “buzz” never lined up with the Colts’ desire to trade him. Remember, Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner and Keenan Allen were all in the final year of their contracts. Taylor is not. He’s 27 years old and signed for two more years. They didn’t have to trade him. He can be part of the solution next year and beyond. So they held firm on their price, asking for a first-round pick or some package of picks that would be reasonably equivalent to that. And no team emerged that was willing to give them that.

The important thing to remember about Taylor is that the Colts never had an interest in moving on from him to just clear salary or be rid of the player. They like him. He’s the only one of their prominent veterans who were extension-eligible last summer and actually got an extension. (Alec Pierce and Jones were free agents, remember.) So while there were talks, I don’t get the sense the Colts were ever eager or close to trading Taylor.

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Orlovsky perplexed by the Colts not trading Jonathan Taylor

Fowler: The buzz around Taylor persisted because of interest from other teams, the franchise’s teardown tone set by the Nelson/Buckner trades and the sheer mileage on the player (1,712 carries). But he’s a boon for any Indy coaching staff in 2027. He’s also the team’s best player. While Josh Downs clearly wanted out, Taylor wasn’t as dug in (though I’m sure he would have welcomed the chance to play for a contender). My sense in talking to teams is that Indy wanted at least a first-round equivalent in any package, and interested teams couldn’t get there. I believe Denver gave it a run this week but wasn’t comfortable with the return Indianapolis was seeking.

As for Jones, he was likely Minnesota’s backup option to Cousins. It’s worth noting that the Colts’ coaching staff just doesn’t seem eager to play Anthony Richardson Sr. and is much more comfortable with Jones despite his struggles. So I believe that’s a factor in all of this.

Graziano: Jones, who turns 30 next May, will be a decision for the incoming GM and (possibly) next head coach to make in the offseason. He’s scheduled to earn $38 million in 2027. None of that is guaranteed at the moment — $10.51 million of it becomes fully guaranteed if he’s still on the roster on the fifth day of the 2027 league year. If Jones finishes the season playing well, and the team can legitimately talk itself into the idea that he’ll be better next year further removed from his Achilles injury, that price could make him an attractive option. If not, Indianapolis can cut him without too much pain. It would take on $35.2 million in dead money cap charges in 2027, but that’s not as intimidating a number as it used to be.

Fowler: Thomas, meanwhile, garnered significant interest, but in the end the Jaguars, a true contender, didn’t want to subtract. They only wanted to add. And they value Thomas, though his numbers don’t reflect that. He has speed that demands defensive attention.

Graziano: Thomas doesn’t appear to be an important player for the Jaguars anymore when you check the box score, but look around the league. The Rams are almost out of receivers. The 49ers have been scrambling to fill those spots all season. Injuries happen, and if something should happen to Jakobi Meyers or Parker Washington, the Jaguars believe Thomas could help them if he suddenly got thrust into a higher-volume role. The Jaguars are very clearly thinking about getting the top seed in the AFC and winning the Super Bowl. Maintaining quality depth at premium positions is important.

Fowler: What’s tough about Thomas’ situation is he has only one reception in the past four games, and my sense is the player would have welcomed a fresh start had a trade happened. But that’s a lot of talent on which to give up. Thomas was, quite easily, the most gifted athlete on the field when I visited Jaguars training camp. So while Taylor staying in Indy was a matter of the Colts’ high demands, I don’t think that was the case with Thomas. The Jaguars could have gotten a quality pick for him. They just didn’t seem interested in moving him, even though he could have helped recoup some of the lost capital from Monday’s flurry of trades.

But Jacksonville should probably try to find a way to get Thomas involved more. It will need him in January.

What now for the Vikings and Raiders after Kirk Cousins was traded to Minnesota?

Fowler: Cousins is comfort food for Minnesota. He’s predictable. And more importantly, he’s predictable in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. He removes at least some unknown variables that could derail a promising season. Kyler Murray hadn’t proved to be a fit in this specific scheme (which could have been detected back in, say, March), and Carson Wentz was just bad. In fact, had Wentz simply played passable football Monday night, I’m not so sure Minnesota would have stretched draft capital to get quarterback help. Murray would have been back from injury eventually and perhaps Minnesota could have adjusted to his skill set.

But Monday night was dire, so it’s time to salvage the season with a quarterback who knows the system and played well in Las Vegas. Cousins is essentially a half-season option with a chance to re-sign. His $10 million roster bonus in 2027 is guaranteed. He has a two-year, $80 million extension that kicks in on the fifth day of the new league year, effectively serving as a poison pill. The Vikings most likely won’t pay that, but they can either pay him $10 million to walk away or repackage it in a new deal.

What the Vikings do at backup quarterback will be fascinating. Either Murray or Wentz can serve as QB2. There’s also the option to release one or place one on injured reserve. (Murray already has an injury, and Wentz appeared to hurt his throwing hand Monday night.) Either way, QB1 is solidified, at least for a half-season. And Minnesota didn’t have to give up a pick in the top two rounds to make it happen.

Graziano: I agree with you and honestly don’t believe that the Vikings wanted to trade for a quarterback. They believed Murray would play better than he did in Week 8 in Detroit and obviously didn’t know he’d get injured in that game. And Wentz played considerably worse Monday than anyone in the Vikings’ building thought he would. So they spent the early hours of Tuesday morning examining the landscape and what was possible, looking at options that included Cousins, Daniel Jones and Geno Smith.

From what I have been told, the Raiders weren’t looking to trade Cousins, who has played well for them and allowed them to hold off on playing Fernando Mendoza as long as possible. The Vikings had checked in on Cousins last week to get a sense of what it might cost if they decided to go down that road, but they didn’t get the sense that Cousins was available prior to Sunday.

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Jeff Saturday: Kirk Cousins trade a ‘great fit’ for Vikings and Raiders

Minnesota was desperate enough in the wake of its recent offensive disappointments to offer a third-round pick, and the Raiders decided Mendoza was ready enough that they could afford to move on from Cousins. The Vikings had an extra third-round pick as a result of their trade of Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles. (They traded their original third-round pick in this deal, so they still have the Eagles’ third-rounder, which at this point looks likely to be much higher.)

This is a deal that really came together Tuesday because it was deadline day. Had the deadline been two weeks from now, the Vikings might have decided to roll with their initial plan a while longer, especially if Murray is going to be healthy enough to play in the next week or so. But if they didn’t do a deal Tuesday, they weren’t going to have a chance to fix their problem for the rest of the season. Cousins is expected to step in right away as Minnesota’s starter, and ideally he plays well enough to keep that job the rest of the year. Because the Vikings have already had their bye and the Raiders haven’t had theirs, Cousins could end up playing in 18 games this season.

Fowler: This move helps Minnesota get through the season — and keeps Justin Jefferson happy — but does little to solve the team’s long-term quarterback issues. The Vikings have badly mismanaged the QB room for a few years now. GM Nolan Teasley was hired May 30, and he inherited much of this mess. But the team’s 2024 starter (Sam Darnold) is a Super Bowl winner in Seattle. The 2025 starter (J.J. McCarthy) was booted after 10 starts and is thriving in New York. The 2026 starter (Murray) is injured and essentially soft-benched. And the 2023 starter (Cousins) is the Week 10 starter in 2026.

That’s not how you want to manage a roster at the game’s most important position. And it raises serious questions about where the Vikings go next. Teasley, in his first full offseason with the team, will have a big impact on that process.

Graziano: Yeah, that’s a grim-but-accurate rundown of the situation, and the Vikings are well aware of it. I think that’s one of the reasons they weren’t really excited about having to wade into the QB market again so soon and deal away a pick that could have theoretically assisted them in addressing the situation in a more meaningful way next offseason. This is a move for this season, by a team that won its first six games, has an incredible defense that’s playing out of its mind and boasts two first-round picks at wide receiver.

The Vikings owed it to this season’s roster to make sure they weren’t caught short again at quarterback. They will be back on this hamster wheel next spring, but it was important to them that they stop it from spinning for the rest of this season at least. Cousins helps them do that in theory. He has 20 touchdown passes this season. The Vikings have scored a total of 13 touchdowns as a team, and five of those were in Week 1.

What is your best piece of fantasy football advice for this week?

Graziano: I would add Texans receiver Tank Dell if he’s available on your league’s waiver wire. Houston’s receivers room suddenly feels crowded and unpredictable, but C.J. Stroud is playing his tail off, the Texans’ offense seems to be hitting its stride, and Dell sure looked all the way back from injury, catching four passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s beatdown of the hapless Chargers.

It’ll be tougher sledding this week against the Browns, but Dell was targeted nine times Sunday; no other Texan was targeted more than five times. He can threaten deep and do some of the stuff they had planned for Jaylin Noel before Noel got hurt. We know that Dell and Stroud have a deep friendship and connection from the early part of their careers before Dell’s injury. He could be a high-volume helper the rest of the way.

Fowler: Packers running back Kaleb Johnson seems worth the play this week. While Johnson is splitting carries with MarShawn Lloyd because of Josh Jacobs‘ injury, the Packers like the vision Johnson showed last week vs. New England in producing 68 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. They could give Johnson an extended look this week vs. the Vikings. I’m not confident in Green Bay’s rushing attack, but at least the offense could choose to ride the hot hand here.

What else are you hearing?

Graziano: The Steelers were in the market for wide receiver help, and I was told they were in discussions with Tennessee about Calvin Ridley. But while the Titans dealt away a couple of key defensive players in Amani Hooker and Jeffery Simmons, they stayed true to their word about holding the offense together to give Cam Ward a chance to continue his development.

Fowler: A Ridley deal for a late-round pick would have made sense, but the player’s recent incident at the Nashville airport gave some teams pause in recent days. The Steelers were also interested in now-Chiefs receiver Josh Downs, but their lack of a fourth-round pick in 2027 complicated any pursuit. The Steelers wanted to preserve their draft capital within reason, in part because of their long-term quarterback uncertainty.

Consider: The teams that made aggressive trades in recent days have star quarterbacks in place. But if the Steelers need to acquire a passer in the future via the draft or free agency, that requires a reserve of capital. Plus, veterans Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman Jr. should return from injury soon.

Graziano: Edge rusher Josh Sweat and safety Budda Baker were a couple of names people around the league thought could get dealt at this deadline. Teams checked in on both, but nothing ever got to the point of a deal for either.

Fowler: The Cowboys did not receive any trade calls on receiver George Pickens, who is happy in Dallas and didn’t want to be traded. Teams in the receiver market weren’t shopping in the high-end aisle, either, so the idea of a Pickens trade was a nonstarter. Plus, Dallas had no plans to deal him.

Graziano: With all the defensive tackles moving around, teams called the Panthers about Derrick Brown — but were told no.

Fowler: The Browns looked for an extra edge rusher and a blocking tight end and put out several feelers, but nothing came together. This was the rare cycle in which Cleveland did not make a move.

Graziano: People around the league thought what the Jaguars gave up in the Jordan Davis deal was too high, but it’s worth noting that Jacksonville had a few more hurdles in this year’s defensive tackle market than other teams did. The Jaguars had interest in Jeffery Simmons and DeForest Buckner, but they played for teams in Jacksonville’s division, so they were understandably either off-limits or far more costly for the Jags than they were for the Bears and 49ers.

Fowler: Part of the reason the Jaguars were comfortable giving up those premium picks is because they plan to work the compensatory pick formula and hopefully hit on their middle-round picks. For example, the Jaguars gave up second- and fifth-round picks for Jessie Bates III, but should Bates walk in free agency, he would most likely net a third- or fourth-round comp pick. General manager James Gladstone came from the Rams, who offset trading away first-round picks by shrewd evaluation in the middle to late rounds. Jacksonville will employ a similar strategy.

Graziano: Buffalo was scouring the league for help on the back end of its defense. Baker was among the names on the Bills’ list. But they ended up with Hooker, who somewhat hilariously gets to play against the Jets for the second — but not final — time this season in his first game with the Bills on Sunday. Hooker and the Titans lost to the Jets in Week 1, but Buffalo hasn’t played either of its games against the Jets yet this season, so Hooker will get two chances to avenge that loss.

Fowler: The Bills were clearly the most aggressive team on a somewhat slow deadline day. Word surfaced early Tuesday that Buffalo was clearing cap space via contract restructuring. Teams believed Buffalo was seeking impactful safeties and/or defensive tackles. The Bills made a play for Baker with what one source considered a compelling package. Arizona did not want to trade him because he’s viewed as the heart and soul of the team. But the Bills were also working on Hooker, and it took a counteroffer of sorts to make that deal happen. The Titans originally resisted an offer for Hooker, whom they planned to keep; coach Robert Saleh loves him on the roster. But Buffalo tried again, pushing it to the finish line. It has been a busy few days all around for Bills GM Brandon Beane.

Fowler: The Chargers said no to at least one Ladd McConkey inquiry. Teams I spoke to believe the Rams were the ones to make that call. Overall, though, the Rams didn’t seriously consider a receiver move because they expect both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams to return this season. And in the short term, they believe Matthew Stafford can maximize the supporting cast of receivers.

Graziano: The Rams certainly could have used help at receiver, where Adams and Jordan Whittington are on IR, and Nacua might be headed there as well. But remember, because of the Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie trades, the Rams are extremely short on future draft capital relative to the other teams that were looking to add. The Rams have only four picks in next year’s draft. They’re without their first-, third- and seventh-round picks in 2027. They’re also without their second-round pick in 2028 and their third-round pick in 2029 because of the Garrett trade. Frankly, they made their big moves in the offseason and were always going to have a tough time doing one at the deadline.

I found it interesting that the Rams placed Whittington on injured reserve Tuesday but did not do the same with Nacua. Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that Nacua was likely to land on injured reserve because of knee and toe injuries, but so far he has not. If the Rams put him on IR, the soonest he could return is Week 15 against the Cowboys.

Being on IR means you must miss at least four games, not weeks, and the Rams have a bye in Week 11. So if they think it’s possible Nacua might only have to miss four weeks, they could refrain from putting him on IR and possibly have him back in time for their Week 14 game at San Francisco. This all becomes moot if they put Nacua on IR this week, but just keep an eye on the situation if they don’t. Speaking to people close to this situation Monday evening, they were very adamant that Nacua’s injury isn’t season-ending and that they hope to get him back for Week 14 or 15.

Nacua was targeted 19 times Sunday in a game in which Stafford threw 43 passes. He caught 14 of those passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. To say he’ll be missed is an understatement. One note to keep in mind, though: The Rams went through their entire week of game prep planning to have a fully healthy tight end Terrance Ferguson against Washington. He was a big part of their game plan, and they left the practice field Friday — less than 48 hours before kickoff — feeling good about it. Then they found out that Ferguson had pulled a hamstring in Friday’s practice and had to miss the game.

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Does Puka Nacua’s injury put the Rams’ season in jeopardy?

So, “just throw it to Puka” was a pretty good recovery plan given how little time they had to revise everything. I would expect the Rams to have a very different plan this week in Arizona. They were very happy with the way Blake Corum was running the ball Sunday and would feel pretty good about having to lean on the running game in the short term, particularly if Garrett is going to have the effect on the defense he had Sunday.

Fowler: The 49ers looked around for tight end help, and the Broncos’ Evan Engram was on their radar. But they landed on Keenan Allen, who’s a bigger receiver and perhaps serves some of the same functions in the offense.

Fowler: The Broncos received some interest in running back J.K. Dobbins. Had they moved on Jonathan Taylor, perhaps they would have entertained trading Dobbins. But Denver has two running backs on IR, so it needs both Jonah Coleman and Dobbins right now.

Fowler: Right tackle Braden Smith was a trade candidate in recent days. He’s out of the rotation in Houston. A handful of teams showed interest in a potential deal, but nothing materialized.

Fowler: The Commanders received multiple calls on corner Mike Sainristil, a 2024 second-rounder who’s out of the rotation in the Washington secondary. The Commanders were parting with Sainristil only for a quality pick, though.

Fowler: Seattle defensive tackle Jarran Reed was a trade candidate. Several teams had him on their lists. But Seattle was not motivated to move him. And the Bucs had strong interest in veteran defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, but they rarely trade at the deadline and are still in the NFC South race.

Fowler: The Chiefs’ search for a wide receiver came down to the wire. As of last week, the leaguewide sentiment was the Chiefs were willing to part with a fourth-round pick for Josh Downs. But Indianapolis held out for more, even waiting until around 3:30 p.m. ET Tuesday to finally consummate the deal. The belief is that Indy wanted a third-round pick. It eventually got fourth- and fifth-rounders in exchange for Downs and a seventh-round selection. Downs would have gone to Pittsburgh, which had interest, but definitely wanted Kansas City. The Chiefs also had interest in Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. but were told no by the Jaguars. And the Chiefs also looked at the cornerback market but ultimately didn’t do a deal there.