Nate Tice & The Athletic's Robert Mays reunite for a very special episode of trade deadline takeaways & midseason awards. The duo start by reacting to the biggest moves of the NFL trade deadline, including Sauce Gardner's fit with the Indianapolis Colts, Rashid Shaheed bolstering the explosiveness of the Seattle Seahawks offense, Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys and Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Later, Nate & Robert dive into their midseason awards, deciding who deserves the nod for MVP, Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive & Defensive Rookie of the Year, Protector of the Year and Coach & Assistant Coach of the Year, plus a live reaction to the Cowboys acquiring DT Quinnen Williams.
(3:10) - Trade deadline reactions & takeaways!
(31:35) - Midseason awards: MVP
(43:45) - Midseason awards: OPOY & DPOY
(57:30) - Midseason awards: OROY & DROY
(1:05:40) - Midseason awards: Protector of the Year
(1:14:50) - Breaking: Cowboys trade for DT Quinnen Williams
(1:18:05) - Midseason awards: Coach of the Year & Assistant Coach of the Year
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - SEPTEMBER 29: Sauce Gardner #1 of the New York Jets walks off of the field after an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 29, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Chargers long snapper Rick Lovato retires with Josh Harris set to replace him
Chargers long snapper Rick Lovato has retired, just before he was likely to be released.
The Chargers announced today that Lovato has been placed on the reserve/retired list. It's a surprise any time an active player retires in the middle of the season, but in the case of Lovato, who was likely about to get cut, it's not a huge surprise.
Lovato is not a big loss for the Chargers because they only signed him in August when their starting long snapper, Josh Harris, suffered an injury. Harris hasn't played yet this season but is expected back this week, so Lovato was likely to be released to make room for Harris anyway.
The 33-year-old Lovato played for the Eagles from 2016 to 2024. He had brief stints with in Chicago, Green Bay and Washington before going to Philadelphia. He won two Super Bowl rings with the Eagles and was a Pro Bowler in 2019.
NFL trade deadline: Jets trade away All-Pros Gardner and Williams in franchise teardown
Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets walks off the field prior to a December game against the Bills.Photograph: Kara Durrette/Getty Images
The Indianapolis Colts have acquired two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets in a stunning trade ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline, according to multiple reports.
In exchange, the Colts will send two first-round picks to New York, marking one of the most significant deals of the season. Gardner, the No 4 overall pick in the 2022 draft, has quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier defenders, earning All-Pro honors in each of his first two years.
“New York it’s been real,” Gardner posted with a green heart emoji on X.
The move comes just months after Gardner signed a four-year, $120.4m extension with the Jets – a deal that made him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in NFL history. His departure signals a major shift for New York’s defense, which was built around his lockdown coverage skills. The Jets look set for a rebuild after slumping to a 1-7 record this season. The franchise has not made the playoffs since the 2010 season, the longest drought in the NFL.
For the 7-2 Colts, the trade represents a clear push toward Super Bowl contention. With Gardner joining a secondary that already ranks among the league’s top units, Indianapolis are betting big on an elite defense to power their playoff run.
It was the first of two massive trades by Jets general manager Darren Mougey before the deadline Tuesday. New York also agreed to trade defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a second-round pick in 2026, a first-round pick in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith, two people with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the trade.
Elsewhere, the Cowboys acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round pick on Tuesday. Hours before the Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night to fall to 3-5-1, owner Jerry Jones said the team had a deal in place to add a player who could improve the defense.
Wilson had requested a trade after his playing time decreased for the Bengals, who have the league’s worst defense. The Cowboys traded two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay before the season, leaving a huge void that Wilson doesn’t fill.
“Some guys have the ability to see a certain key and, at the same time, take a step up in the hole,” Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan. “He knows how to get in the gaps right now. ... For what we need right now, he can come in immediately and help us at linebacker.”
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who led the Cowboys to three Super Bowls in the 1990s, mocked the deal during the ESPN broadcast of Monday’s loss to the Cardinals.
“He may want to cancel that trade,” Aikman said. “I don’t think one player from what I’ve seen tonight is going to make a difference for this group.”
NFL teams have until 4pm EST on Tuesday to make a trade.
Meanwhile, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have been aggressive. General manager Howie Roseman continues adding players to a talented roster to improve the team’s chances for a repeat.
Since the Eagles (6-2) last played a game, they’ve acquired edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and cornerbacks Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander.
Phillips, who came from Miami on Monday for a third-round pick, immediately bolsters the pass rush. The 2021 first-round pick had three sacks in his last five games for the Dolphins. All of Philadelphia’s edge rushers combined have three sacks this season.
Carter gives the defense a veteran slot cornerback to allow defensive coordinator Vic Fangio more flexibility to use Cooper DeJean outside. Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.
The Baltimore Ravens also added an edge rusher, getting Dre’Mont Jones from Tennessee for a conditional fifth-round pick. Jones has 4.5 sacks this season so he’s an upgrade for the Ravens (3-5) at a position of need.
Several trades already went down last month. The Bengals acquired Joe Flacco. The Rams got cornerback Roger McCreary. Defensive end Keion White went to the 49ers. Safety Kyle Dugger was traded to the Steelers. The Jaguars and Browns swapped cornerbacks Greg Newsome II and Tyson Campbell.
The Chargers added edge Odafe Oweh in a deal that sent safety Alohi Gilman to the Ravens.
There are some high-profile players who could be on the move. Bengals All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Jets running back Breece Hall are among the biggest names being mentioned in trade speculation.
