Trade Deadline: Grading Every Move Cardinals Made — And Didn't

Let's grade the Arizona Cardinals' trade deadline moves.

Nov 1, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) and tight end Trey McBride (85) on the field prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ARIZONA — The NFL's trade deadline has officially come and gone.

The Arizona Cardinals opted for a shocking silence following multiple trades in the weeks leading up to today. With so much chatter, a deal for one of their top available players felt more likely than not.

Yet the dust has settled on Arizona's ability to make trades for the rest of the 2026 season, and the Cardinals must live with their decisions for the remainder of the year.

Grading every trade the Cardinals made — and didn't:

Trading Marvin Harrison Jr. to Houston Texans

Nov 8, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Deal: Marvin Harrison Jr. and a 2027 sixth-round pick for a 2027 second-round pick and 2027 seventh-round pick

Grade: B+

Why it graded this way: The Cardinals ultimately notched a second-round pick for Harrison amid minor other picks swapped, which was incredible value for a receiver who caught just five passes for Arizona this season before departing. It was obvious Harrison wasn't going to flourish in the desert, and he hasn't done much since joining the Texans. The only thing holding this from being an "A" grade is Arizona's mountain of injuries at the receiver position after Harrison's departure.

Trading Jacoby Brissett to Baltimore Ravens

Nov 1, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) walks off the field after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Deal: Jacoby Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round pick for 2027 fourth-round pick and 2028 seventh-round pick

Grade: A-

Why it graded this way: Listen, getting anything for Brissett after he was demoted to emergency quarterback status is a win. The fact that the Cardinals essentially jumped from a fifth to a fourth-round pick is a major win, especially for an aging veteran on an expiring deal who wasn't going to see the field again. While the bad contract extension still looms from the summer, we're grading the trade here — and Arizona batted well above expectations here for Brissett.

NOT Trading Trey McBride

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) spikes the ball after a touchdown catch against the Denver Broncos at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The stakes: Denver Broncos reportedly called on Trey McBride

Grade: A

Why it graded this way: Look, everybody would love to have a Trey McBride. And the fact that the Broncos inquired on McBride probably doesn't go far in the "Cardinals are doing things right!" playbook by not trading him. Still — even engaging in trade discussions for McBride at this point in time would have been pretty demoralizing for a Cardinals fan-base that's already suffered enough. Arizona's a much better team with McBride on the field, and unless a king's ransom was offered, that should have been a quick phone call.

NOT Trading Josh Sweat

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat (10) chases after Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The stakes: Sweat has been heavily tied in trade rumors since the offseason

Grade: C-

Why it graded this way: I'd be very intrigued to hear the offers thrown around for Sweat, who clearly hasn't been happy since the Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon. Quite frankly it's been an odd offseason/regular season for Sweat, who was MIA all summer and hasn't produced close to par based on his 2025 totals. Who knows if things have been smoothed over by now, though Sweat is looking for a restructured contract with more guaranteed money (since there's none remaining in his final two years) and that's not something the Cardinals should do based on their current timeline. It feels like we're pushing inevitable trade discussions to next offseason, but for now, Arizona retains its top pass rusher.

NOT Trading Budda Baker

Nov 1, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) walks off the field after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The stakes: The Cardinals reportedly declined a strong offer (Day 2 pick) from the Buffalo Bills for Baker

Grade: D

Why it graded this way: There's a lot to unpack here. The franchise icon wasn't exactly pounding the table for a trade, though he was reportedly open to a move towards a contender. That opportunity came knocking with what was a reported "strong push" by Buffalo with what's believed to be a second-round pick. Baker is a franchise legend and deserves to dictate his future, so if he was the deciding factor — so be it. However, Arizona is not going to get a stronger offer for Baker, who has just one year left on his current contract and will be turning 30. The Cardinals had a rare perfect opportunity to send Baker on a Super Bowl-contending team while getting top value for a non-premium position, and they declined. The love and respect for Baker is admirable, but the failure to stockpile more top draft capital for a loaded 2027 draft is eye-opening given Baker's age, contract and position. This move keeps the fabric of Arizona's defense in the building and continues a legacy of loyalty for Baker, but that's the only positive given how strong Buffalo's offer was.

Other Moves

• Not trading Garrett Williams: B. The Cardinals' once impressive slot cornerback has fallen out of favor with defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, though it might have been tough to trade him given his injury history and status as a free agent next year. Arizona doesn't gain or lose anything by keeping him past the deadline but still has his upside in a room that seems to always be banged up.
• Not using draft picks to get more players: A. The Cardinals have built a draft pick pool that includes six picks in the first four rounds. Arizona isn't quite on par with some other teams in terms of ammo for 2027, though it's still impressive nonetheless. The Cardinals are 3-6 and they were smart to not waste any of their future picks on players that weren't able to make a long-term difference.