The ability to trade players is something that all professional sports leagues share. This is always a very important time of year for NFL franchises. Teams out of the running can look to ship a player away in exchange for future draft capital, while hopeful Super Bowl contenders can make a splash move to capitalize on their championship window.
Last year, we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers get really aggressive right at the trade deadline. Their decision to send WR Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears ultimately resulted in the 32nd overall pick in the draft (which they turned into CB Joey Porter Jr.). They weren't the only team active at the deadline as others were busy making proactive moves.
The NFL trade deadline has been pivotal to teams looking for a last-ditch effort to improve their roster before an all-important late-season stretch. So when is the trade deadline this year and what does it mean for NFL teams?
When is the 2023 NFL trade deadline?
The 2023 NFL trade deadline will come on Tuesday, October 31st, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, according to Football Operations. If it helps you to remember, the deadline will occur just hours before kids prepare for trick-or-treating on Halloween.
This trade deadline comes immediately following Week 8 of the NFL regular season. This means that there are still 10 weeks to go until playoffs begin. In order to avoid teams stacking the deck in their favor or bottom dwellers dumping talent for draft picks late in the year, this deadline always falls near the start of November.
All 32 teams will have important decisions to make at this time. Do they try to load up on draft capital for the future or get aggressive and attempt to land a star player before the deadline? On occasion, we even see player-for-player trades depending on team needs and depth at certain positions.
You can be sure that NFL teams will have us on the edge of our seats once again as time ticks down on the 2023 trade deadline. Halloween Day should be an exciting one for football fans this year.