5 NFL Teams That Improved Their Super Bowl Chances at the Trade Deadline
With the 2026 NFL trade deadline in the books, several teams have positioned themselves to make a run for the Super Bowl in the second half of the season. A few contenders took all-in approaches, while others made moves on the margins to address weaknesses on their rosters as best they could. Here are five NFL teams that improved their Super Bowl chances following the trade deadline.
5. Minnesota Vikings
After trading for Kirk Cousins, the Vikings have improved their Super Bowl chances this season. Minnesota has the best defense in the league by success rate and expected points added (EPA) per play and sit at 6-2 on the season. The offense, however, has been the complete opposite of the defense; the early returns on the Kyler Murray experiment have been poor, and players like star wide receiver Justin Jefferson have grown frustrated with it.
Adding Cousins back into the mix at Minnesota gives the Vikings’ offense a chance to be average to above-average. In nine games in Las Vegas, Cousins passed for 2,340 yards and is second in the NFL in touchdown passes with 20.
4. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers sit tied for the best record in the NFL at 7-1, and they made some moves around the margins to improve their depth, putting them in position to make a Super Bowl run. The 49ers traded for veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen at the deadline but also added a familiar face in DeForest Buckner to add more stability to their defensive line.
The Niners have a ton of injury problems at the receiver group already, and a savvy veteran like Allen could come in and steady the ship while they wait for other contributors to return.
3. Buffalo Bills
The Bills addressed a weakness on their defense by adding safety Amani Hooker from the Titans. The Bills’ pass defense ranks in the bottom half of the league in drop-back success rate. They recently released veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson in hopes of upgrading the back end, and they were able to do so with Hooker.
If the Bills’ defense can round into shape in the second half of the season, that will do wonders for their Super Bowl chances.
2. Chicago Bears
The Bears might have traded for the best player at the deadline when they traded for Jeffery Simmons. He is widely viewed around the league as the best player at his position, and after trading two first-round picks for him, he has immediately paid dividends for the Bears’ defense in two games.
In two games, Simmons has two sacks, ten tackles, two quarterback hits and two passes defended. Also, the Bears’ blitz rate has declined, with Simmons’ addition allowing them to play with more men in coverage.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are simply shooting their shot and letting the world know. Jaguars were the biggest movers at the deadline, trading for defensive stars Jessie Bates and Jordan Davis. Bates will help the defensive backfield with his instincts and playmaking ability, as he has been one of the more reliable safeties in the NFL since being drafted in 2018. Davis will anchor the Jaguars’ defensive line, which could use the help after suffering key injuries to their starters and depth.
Davis came at a heavy price, with the Jags sending over a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick. Davis, along with Josh Hines-Allen and former top pick Travon Walker, will make for one of the better defensive lines in the NFL. At 6-2, Jacksonville has a real shot at the one seed in the AFC and should be looked at as the favorites to come out of the conference.
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