The 2022 NFL trade deadline might not have had the same intrigue for those in MLB and NBA. But for the history of the league, this year’s deadline was a thriller.
There were a record 10 trades made on deadline day, not to mention several of the major names changing hands leading up to the final day to make swaps, including deals for Christian McCaffrey, Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith. The fun didn’t stop on Nov. 1, as several major names were flipped to contenders in a league that is experiencing a remarkable amount of parity halfway through the year.
The craziness experienced on Tuesday perhaps only draws more attention to a few potential players or teams that weren’t involved in the roster shifts. Several notable running backs stayed with their current teams, a few struggling contenders were quiet and in an era where passing is all the more important, only a handful of receivers changed hands at all.
MORE: Full list of NFL trade deadline moves
With the dust still settling from the flurry of action on Tuesday, The Sporting News is taking a look at some of the biggest surprises from the deadline of moves that weren’t made at this year’s deadline.
Big-name running backs stay put
Kareem Hunt
Trading Hunt really felt like a given for the Browns. Hunt requested a trade in the offseason as he has looked for an extension prior to hitting free agency at the end of the 2022 NFL season, and with D’Ernest Johnson showing last season that he’s a more than capable backup for star Nick Chubb and the Browns still sitting at 3-5 even after their impressive win over Cincinnati, parting with Hunt felt like a given.
But that wasn’t the case. The Browns reportedly wanted a fourth-round draft pick for Hunt, and there was apparently no team out there willing to meet that demand. That no team was willing to give that up for Hunt is perhaps a bit surprising given that 49ers backup running back Jeff Wilson Jr. netted San Francisco a fifth-round pick, but perhaps just as surprising is that the Browns didn’t budge on their asking price. Unless they plan to extend Hunt, which seems unlikely at this point, he could just walk at the end of the 2022 campaign for nothing.
MORE: Why Kareem Hunt wasn’t traded at the deadline?
Cam Akers
At least Hunt has continued to play for the Browns. The same can’t be said for Akers. The running back has had a bit of a falling out with Sean McVay and the Rams, leading to the team listening to trade offers on him as early as mid-October. Despite major problems running the football as a whole for Los Angeles, it appeared the 2020 second-round pick was about to be heading out.
That turned out not to be the case. Akers is staying put in Los Angeles, and the team and running back will now need to come to a way to salvage the relationship that he reportedly described as remaining “amicable.” There were plenty of teams with a need at running back, and perhaps there might have been someone who would have taken Akers for just about any price. But that didn’t turn out to be the case.
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Alvin Kamara
It was not nearly as big of a surprise to see Kamara stay in New Orleans as it was to see Hunt and Akers remain in Cleveland and Los Angeles, respectively, but that doesn’t mean it was expected that he would stay with the Saints past the deadline. With McCaffrey dealt, there was no bigger star at the running back position than Kamara, and there were several major contenders that felt like they could have used him, including the Bills.
Kamara made his intention clear ahead of the deadline that he wanted to stay in New Orleans, and with the Saints still in the hunt for the NFC South, it appears New Orleans did not want to part with him. It would almost certainly have taken a massive haul for the Saints to part with the star running back, but there certainly might be a few teams that would pay a steep price to add him to their rosters.
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Struggling contenders go quiet
Packers
The Packers defense has certainly looked stout this season. They posted one of the best defensive performances any team has put together against Josh Allen and the Bills, and has largely been responsible for keeping Green Bay in games this season. But that’s not where the issues are for the 3-5 Packers. Instead, it’s at wide receiver. The offseason trade of Davante Adams has left the Packers without a reliable top target for Aaron Rodgers, and while Romeo Doubs and Allen Lazard have stepped up, neither has been able to fill the void of a go-to guy for Rodgers.
But it wasn’t just about not making a move for a wide receiver — of which, there were plenty on the market — or a pass-catching tight end. It was also about watching a pair of division rivals get better. The Bears gave Justin Fields a better pass catcher than any Rodgers has in Chase Claypool, while the division-leading Vikings added tight end T.J. Hockenson to their impressive array of weapons. Those moves, made hours before the deadline, should have revved up the intensity for the Packers. Green Bay isn’t known for making acquiring splashy pieces. But even a few minor improvements could have gone a long way for Rodgers.
MORE: Why the Packers didn’t make a trade at the deadline
Bengals
Heading into the 2022 season, there were concerns of depth for Cincinnati at both wide receiver and cornerback. While the Bengals boasted the top trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd at wideout and had a reliable starting trio of Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Eli Apple at corner, both positions were shallow beyond the top three. The Bengals are already going to be without Chase for at least a few games, and the offense looked stifled without him in a blowout loss to the Browns. Adding injury to insult on “Monday Night Football” was the season-ending injury to Awuzie, adding to Apple’s hamstring injuries that caused him to miss the game.
Like the Packers, Cincinnati has been notorious in recent years for remaining quiet when it comes to major trades, but the depth concerns are only likely to grow as the season wears on. With Awuzie out for the season, Apple and rookie Cam Taylor-Britt will be the team’s starting corners out wide with Hilton in the slot. And if Chase deals with any lingering issues with his hip, they’ll be without not only one of the league’s top wideouts, but the team’s primary deep threat. And doing nothing while watching the AFC North rival Ravens improve on defense is a major blow as the Bengals try to chase them down for the division.
MORE: Why Joe Burrow, Bengals have struggled vs. Browns
Rams
Much like the Packers and Bengals, the Rams watched as a division rival got better. Only in their case, they felt the immediate effects of that improvement. Los Angeles watched as McCaffrey, a potential target for the Rams, was involved in three touchdowns for the 49ers in a 31-14 thrashing on Sunday. The Rams, for their part, didn’t trade Akers, who has wanted out of Los Angeles, and didn’t make any other moves.
And there were moves for the reigning Super Bowl champions to be made. The running game has been ineffective this season from Darrell Henderson, as only the Buccaneers (3.0) have averaged fewer yards per attempt than the Rams (3.3) this season. There’s also the lack of depth at wide receiver behind Cooper Kupp, who appeared to avoid a more significant injury, and the major struggles of the offensive line. The Rams, at 3-4, have the defense to once again be a major threat in the NFC. But those issues on offense could hold them back in their bid for a repeat.
MORE: Latest on Cooper Kupp’s injury
Only two deadline wide receiver deals
Elijah Moore
Moore was ready to be traded. He wanted out due to chemistry issues with Zach Wilson and his lack of touches in the Jets offense. Given his standout rookie season and his age, Moore would likely have brought in a major return that could have had a big impact on the team’s future. With star rookie Garrett Wilson stealing the show and veteran Corey Davis putting together another solid season, the Jets could have moved Moore and still had a strong receiving room.
The Jets, however, are 5-3 so far this season, and despite some potential concerns about the look of their passing offense with Wilson and the injury to running back Breece Hall, New York is clearly not ready to sell out on this year. The team reportedly lacked interest in trade calls to part with the standout receiver, and will perhaps instead seek to keep him more active in the passing game moving forward.
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Brandin Cooks
The Texans would almost certainly have been more than happy to find just about any suitor for Cooks. The veteran wide receiver has a cap hit of more than $26 million in 2023, and the team is certainly not expecting to compete in either this season or the next. He still is a plenty valuable receiver as he’s coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and he already has 32 catches for 354 yards in 2022.
That cap hit appears to be disincentivizing enough for teams, however. The Cowboys reportedly looked into making a swap with their fellow Texas-based team, but the $18 million guaranteed in 2023 was a deterrent. Other teams looking to make a move for Cooks would also likely have to absorb most of his salary, as the main purpose for the Texans of dealing him would be to unload the expense.
MORE: Cooks tweets cryptic message after staying with Texans past deadline
Jerry Jeudy/KJ Hamler
The Broncos aren’t exactly in full sell mode, but the deal sending Bradley Chubb to Miami is a pretty clear indicator that they felt they needed to bolster their selection of picks more than they needed a star linebacker. The only other Broncos that popped up in as many trade rumors as Chubb were a pair of receivers being under-utilized in an ineffective offense this season. Yet neither Jeudy nor Hamler were dealt.
Jeudy is, of course, the big name. He has tallied 1,772 receiving yards in his first three seasons in the league and is second on the team with 449 receiving yards this year behind only Courtland Sutton. Claypool netted the Steelers a second-round pick. The Broncos could have gotten around that, if not more. Hamler hasn’t been quite as explosive with only 165 yards on seven catches in seven games this season, but the former 2020 second-round pick has plenty of upside. Had the Broncos wanted to really bolster on picks, both players would have helped them recoup some of those. But keeping them around is likely a sign of not giving up all the way on what has been a disappointing start to the 2022 campaign.
