Commanders’ biggest mistake at 2026 NFL Trade Deadline

On the NFL trade deadline day, the Detroit Lions remained unchanged. The Lions did not make any roster changes before the 4 p.m. trade deadline on Tuesday, opting to keep their current roster despite one of their key competitors for the NFC North title making a significant move. The Lions' sole transaction came on Monday, November 9, when they acquired safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick.

Cisco, who played four games for the Jets this season, is expected to fill a depth role for Detroit. Despite rumors of interest in cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Lions coach Dan Campbell confirmed that the team had not finalized any additional deals before the deadline expired without making any moves to address needs in the linebacker and cornerback positions.

Across the NFL, several teams made bigger additions during the deadline and in recent weeks, including the Minnesota Vikings sending a third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Chicago Bears sending two first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, and the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver Broncos all making significant moves.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes has been active at the trade deadline over his six seasons in Detroit, but he has yet to secure a blockbuster deal. The Lions face Germany for their first international game since 2015, followed by a challenging stretch of games including a visit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a home game against the Chicago Bears, and three division road games in their final four weeks.

With four NFC North teams above .500, the division is currently the toughest in the NFL. As the playoffs approach, the Lions, Vikings, and Packers would all be wild cards if the season concluded today.