There are plenty of ways to add talent to an NFL roster during the offseason. This includes the NFL Draft and free-agent acquisitions. The other way to add talent during the offseason is through trades, and the 2025 offseason saw tons of big-name stars move from one team to another. Most notably, Micah Parsons was just traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers.
So which trades occurred from the start of the offseason, during the draft, in the midst of training camp, or after 53-man roster cut-down day will have the biggest impact on the upcoming season?
Honorable Mention: Jordan Mason is dealt to the Vikings
Jordan Mason was a little-known backup running back on the San Francisco 49ers heading into last season. He ended up playing a huge role because Christian McCaffrey was limited to just four games because of injuries. Mason dealt with his own injury problems, but when he was on the field, he was dominant.
For example, Mason surpassed 100 yards in three of the first four games last season. Mason was traded in the offseason to the Minnesota Vikings for fifth- and sixth-round picks, and he will once again be one of the premier backup ball-carriers to start the season. With a now 30-year-old Aaron Jones in front of him on the depth chart, don't be surprised if Mason again plays a bigger-than-expected role.
The Vikings are deploying first-year starter J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. Young signal-callers need all of the help they can get, so a play-calling genius like Kevin O'Connell will almost certainly prioritize the rushing attack this season to set up the Vikings' vaunted play-action passing game.
10. Brian Robinson becomes Christian McCaffrey's backup
Speaking of McCaffrey, the 49ers landed his new backup in the form of Brian Robinson. The former Washington Commanders running back was productive during his time with his old team, but they became infatuated with Jacory Croskey-Merritt, so they decided to trade Robinson for just a sixth-round pick.
Now, the 49ers have arguably the best one-two backfield punch in football with the Detroit Lions being the only team giving them any competition in that regard. McCaffrey has multiple 2,000-scrimmage yards seasons to his name, and Robinson has ran for more than 700 yards in all three of his professional seasons.
After an offseason in which the 49ers lost tons of talent and set the record for offseason spending deficit, San Francisco will need players to step up. McCaffrey has to once again play like one of the best running backs in football, and Robinson has to be ready to step up in case the starter ahead of him goes down to injury once again. Rotating in an elite backup frequently in order to keep McCaffrey fresh seems like a smart strategy, too, and Robinson perfectly fits the bill.
9. Superstar defensive backs are traded in Steelers-Dolphins blockbuster
Jalen Ramsey was long arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. He no longer has claim to that title, but he is still an elite defensive player. Likewise, Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the best safeties of the current era. The two players were swapped, with Ramsey going to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Fitzpatrick going back to the Miami Dolphins team that originally drafted him.
It was a surprising move both because Ramsey is past his prime and because the Dolphins are thin at cornerback. Nonetheless, both of these players are expected to play high-level football this season. The Steelers also landed Jonnu Smith in the trade.
Smith has been in the league since 2017, but last year was his breakout season. The tight end had 88 catches and 884 yards last season. Both of these teams needed a boost that could break them out of mediocrity. It is possible that this trade will provide that for one or both of them.
8. Rookie of the Year gets a new weapon with Commanders
Jayden Daniels had one of the best rookie seasons ever last year. The Washington Commanders star won the Rookie of the Year award after throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns. The LSU product added another 891 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. In the process, Daniels set numerous records. To name a few, Daniels broke the rookie points-per-game (28.5) record and had the best completion percentage ever (60%) for a rookie. His rushing yards total was also a record for a rookie QB.
Daniels is well set up to be even better in year two, largely because the Commanders traded for Deebo Samuel. The former First Team All-Pro is elite with the football in his hands. He thrives as a yards-after-catch receiver, and he can even be used as a gadget option out of the backfield.
Samuel will pair well with the recently extended Terry McLaurin to give the Commanders a dynamic offense. All it cost to acquire Samuel was a fifth-round pick.
7. Texans shockingly trade away Laremy Tunsil
The Houston Texans' biggest weakness last year was their offensive line, so it came as a huge surprise when they traded their best blocker. The Texans went on to revamp the trenches but not until after they traded Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders for second-, third-, fourth-, and seventh-round draft picks.
That was quite a return for the Texans, but they will need rookie Aireontae Ersery to have a big rookie season. The Commanders were willing to pay a hefty price of draft picks because they'd gotten Samuel for so cheap. Ensuring Daniels is protected on his blind side was key, especially because the sophomore is a duel-threat quarterback.
6. Defending champion moves on to the Texans
The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59, but the offseason that followed wasn't as glamourous. Their championship-winning players were coveted around the league, so the team lost a lot of talent in free agency. One player they didn't have to lose was C.J. Gardner-Johnson, though.
The Eagles traded the safety to the Texans. In return, all they got was Kenyon Green and a swap of fifth- and sixth-round picks. Green didn't even make the Eagles' 53-man roster. Gardner-Johnson, meanwhile, is another weapon on one of the best defensive units in football. Winning seems to follow Gardner-Johnson, and that shouldn't change this year. The Eagles, meanwhile, have undergone drastic changes in their secondary in back-to-back offseasons.
5. Bears stock up on offensive line help
The Chicago Bears and the football world as a whole had extremely high expectations for Caleb Williams in year one. The 2024 first overall pick was viewed as one of the greatest prospects in recent memory, but he didn't perform as exceptionally as expected.
Part of the problem was that Williams didn't have time to throw behind a poor offensive line. His blockers shouldn't struggle this year after Jonah Jackson, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Ozzy Trapilo, and Luke Newman were added in the offseason. The former two were acquired via trade, and although they weren't included in the same deal, it makes sense to include them together here.
Jackson is the new right guard who was acquired for a sixth-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams. Thuney was added for a fourth-round pick from the Chiefs. Both players are veterans with plenty of starting experience in the NFL, and hopes are high for what the Bears can now accomplish this season.
4. Cowboys add a partner for CeeDee Lamb
The Dallas Cowboys like to have an elite aerial attack, but they've been without a great second option for a couple of seasons now. That changed when the team traded for George Pickens. The Cowboys sent third- and fifth-round picks to the Steelers for Pickens and a sixth-rounder.
Pickens isn't your average receiver. He is a great jump-ball threat and plays with an attitude. He is willing to do the dirty work, including blocking in the running game. Pickens will take some of the pressure off of CeeDee Lamb's shoulders. It was a surprise that the Steelers traded him away, but more on that next.
3. Steelers finally get a new receiving threat
The Steelers' decision to trade away Pickens came after they traded for D.K. Metcalf. Pittsburgh should have kept the two together to form a great one-two punch for Aaron Rodgers, but Metcalf alone is still a great option. Metcalf is a freak of nature who combines speed with size and strength unlike any other receiver in the NFL.
Metcalf has surpassed 900 receiving yards in all six of his professional seasons. He will be the ultimate security blanket for Rodgers, who is aging and most definitely not the bailout artist he once was. The Steelers have never been below .500 with Mike Tomlin at the helm, and it is hard to bet against them winning more than half of their games again now that they have Metcalf at their disposal.
2. Geno Smith is reunited with Pete Carroll
Anytime a starting quarterback is traded, it is a massive deal. The Las Vegas Raiders gave up a third-round pick to make Geno Smith their new man behind center. They re-paired him with Pete Carroll in the process. Carroll was Smith's coach with the Seattle Seahawks when Smith went from a perennial backup to a Pro Bowl-caliber player.
There is a lot of quarterback talent in the AFC West now. In addition to Smith, Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert all play in the division. The Raiders had to do something to keep up, and star tight end Brock Bowers has the potential to go off with better quarterback play on his team.
1. Jerry Jones doesn't pay Micah Parsons, trades him to Packers
Seemingly every year, Jerry Jones refuses to pay his stars the money they demand until the very last second. Cowboys fans saw it with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott. This time, Jones refused to pay Micah Parsons altogether, and he instead traded him to the Green Bay Packers.
Parsons was holding out of training camp and the preseason in search of a deal that would make him one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks ever. It was widely assumed that a deal would get done at the last second. Instead, one of the biggest blockbusters of all time occurred.
Parsons is not just one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but he is one of the best NFL players overall. The Packers are going all in on trying to compete for the Super Bowl, and the addition of Parsons will certainly help in that quest. The Cowboys received defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks in return for Parsons.
