Tuesday was pure chaos in the NFL, as the trade deadline came and went with a fury.
In total, 22 trades were completed this season, with two All-Pro players getting moved on Tuesday. It was as active as we've seen the deadline in recent years, but much like we expected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sat things out.
Only twice has Jason Licht made an in-season trade: Jonathan Banks to the Lions back in 2016 and acquiring Steve McLendon in 2020. While there were plenty of hopeful rumors out there, anyone paying attention to the team would know that the precedent simply wasn't there for the Bucs to make a move.
It was the right move, too. Tampa Bay could have added someone, but the price of doing business was steep this year. Four first-round picks changed hands, as well as a slew of mid-round picks that the Bucs have used wisely over recent years.
Getting in on the fun is always entertaining but this deadline is a reminder that the best things typically come to those who wait.
Every trade made at the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline
Here's a look at the final tally:
- Trevor Penning: Saints to Chargers
- Odafe Oweh: Ravens to Chargers
- Sauce Gardner: Jets to Colts
- AD Mitchell: Colts to Jets
- Mazi Smith: Cowboys to Jets
- John Metchie III: Eagles to Jets
- Rashid Shaheed: Saints to Seahawks
- Jakobi Meyers: Raiders to Jaguars
- Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: Browns to Bears
- Dre'Mont Jones: Titans to Ravens
- Logan Wilson: Bengals to Cowboys
- Quinnen Williams: Jets to Cowboys
- Jaelan Phillips: Dolphins to Eagles
- Jaire Alexander: Ravens to Eagles
- Michael Carter II: Jets to Eagles
- Keion White: Patriots to 49ers
- Kyle Dugger: Patriots to Steelers
- Roger McCreary: Titans to Rams
- Greg Newsome: Browns to Jaguars
- Tyson Campbell: Jaguars to Browns
- Alohi Gilman: Chargers to Ravens
- Joe Flacco: Browns to Bengals
The biggest names to be moved were Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, both of whom the Jets traded for a total of three first-round picks. They were siesimc moves, but the team that keeps popping up on that list is the one the Bucs need to keep an eye on.
Philadelphia loaded up at the deadline, adding three players at key positions that could come into play for Tampa Bay down the road.
Right now the Bucs are looking up at only one team in the NFC: Philly. Watching the Eagles add pass rush help and additional cornerback talent is something that doesn't exactly bode well for anyone, let alone a banged up Bucs team that is already struggling to protect Baker Mayfield.
The good news is that if Tampa Bay plays Philadelphia in the playoffs -- again -- it will be far enough in the future that key players will be back in the mix. Luke Goedeke's practice window was activated this week, which means he's on the cusp of returning, while Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving are expected to be back well before the playoffs arrive.
Mike Evans may also return in the postseason, which would give the Bucs a full deck of receiving threats to try and go up against a vaunted Eagles secondary.
Another name on that list of players who got dealt is a familiar one to Bucs fans. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka got traded to the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round pick, which lets you know exactly how well things have been going since he left Tampa Bay to sign in Cleveland this past offseason.
Of course the one name we don't see on the list is the Bucs, but that's not a bad thing. Jason Licht historically doesn't make splashy trades and nothing about this market suggested he'd be interested in getting involved. Philly went all-in to win another Super Bowl, the Jets sold off their best players to the highest bidder, and the Bucs sit among the teams creeping out of the deadline dust happy with the roster they have.