2022 NFL Trade Deadline Takeaways: All the Big Deals, Surprising Moves, More Than a Record-Setting Day

It’s no exaggeration to say that the 2022 NFL trade deadline was the craziest deadline in league history. By the 4pm ET deadline on Tuesday, 12 trades had been made, which was Very well made On the last day. Not only did a large number of deals happen, but there were also several blockbuster moves, including Bradley Chubb heading to Miami and TJ Hockenson staying in the NFC North but joining the Vikings.

Here’s a quick list of some of the more popular deals that have happened:

The most amazing business

I don’t think it’s much of an argument to say Calvin Ridley to the Jaguars is the most surprising deal of the season. Did anyone even care about the former Falcons receiver recently? After all, Ridley was suspended this season after being caught betting on NFL games when he wasn’t in football. He can apply for reinstatement in February and it’s a very complicated deal because of the uncertainty of his situation.

If Ridley is reinstated at a certain date, the Falcons will receive a 2023 fifth-round pick. If he doesn’t return that day, he’s a 2023 sixth-round pick. After that, Atlanta will receive a 2024 pick that could move up to the second round if it reaches certain milestones.

On top of that, simply being an attractive trade from a logistical standpoint, it has the potential to be a game-changer for Jacksonville’s offense in 2023. Ridley was considered one of the brightest young pass rushers in the NFL. It now has the potential to be Trevor Lawrence’s go-to toupon.

Big picture story

Two of the more notable trades of the era were Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins and Chase Claypool to the Bears. One thing those two trades have in common is the seal of approval they give to quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Fields.

Along with Tagovailoa, the Dolphins traded their 2023 first-round pick (among others) to get Chubb. That pick (from the 49ers) was their first round pick the following spring after theirs was revoked due to the Tom Brady tampering investigation. Not only is being willing to give up the first round a sign that the front office believes this team can make a push this season, but it also puts them out of the quarterback market in this draft. This is as big of a stamp of approval as you’d see from the front office with Tagovailoa outside of a contract extension.

Likewise, the Bears appear to be rewarding Justin Fields’ strong play of late by giving him a much-needed pass-rushing weapon in Chase Claypool. Their willingness to give up their second-round pick — arguably a high price — is a testament to their faith in what the young quarterback can do.

So, we have two quarterbacks that we asked going into the year.

To refresh everything that went down as it happened, check out our live blog below. Also see how CBS Sports is He rated each business.