NFL Trade Deadline Could Be More Exciting Than Ever

The deadline will now take place on the Tuesday following Week 9.

NFL / Ryan Kang/GettyImages

There are multiple rule changes for the 2024 NFL season being unveiled this week. Monday brought news that the hip-drop tackle will be banned. Tuesday morning, the committee approved dramatic changes to kickoffs that will have a significant impact on strategy next year. The league has also approved a change several teams were pushing hard for — moving the NFL trade deadline.

The deadline is now on the Tuesday after Week 9. In previous seasons it was after Week 8. A few teams wanted the deadline to take place after Week 10 but that was too big of a change for the competition committee's blood, it would seem, so Week 9 was the compromise.

It's a logical change. Previously the deadline took place at the halfway mark of the season. But the NFL added an extra game to the schedule starting in 2021, extending the season by one week.

The NFL trade deadline isn't as active as in other sports, since it's hard to find true difference-makers available on the open market. A team's fortunes can change drastically from year-to-year and trading away top talent because it's a down year is not smart long-term roster management. This is the league's attempt to change that. Teams now get an extra week to determine if they want to be buyers or sellers, with the hope that it'll inspire more transactions.

One week doesn't seem like a big change but we all know how quickly fortunes can reverse in football. It could also lay the groundwork for pushing the deadline back even further, heightening potential drama as contenders load up for playoff runs. The NFL clearly wants more buzz around the trade deadline and they should get it with this new rule.

Liam McKeone is a staff writer at The Big Lead.