The NFL Scouting Combine is meant to spotlight incoming rookies. But this year, the biggest buzz is about established veterans. Several top players — including Maxx Crosby, A.J. Brown, Kyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoa — are all being quietly offered in trades at the same time, with general managers negotiating behind closed doors in Indianapolis. Hundreds of millions in combined contract value, all suddenly available. The assumption was always that stars this talented control their own fate. They don’t.
Fractured Trust
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Crosby wanted to play the final two weeks of 2025. The Raiders shut him down anyway. That decision, made to protect a five-time Pro Bowler with 10 sacks in 15 games, instead detonated the relationship entirely. A.J. Brown scored touchdowns in both the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl for Philadelphia. But after getting into a heated argument with head coach Nick Sirianni on the sideline during a Wild Card playoff loss to San Francisco, none of that mattered. Despite his big-game performances, the Eagles are now looking to trade him.
New Bosses
Jan 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan speaks to reporters during his introductory press conference at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Every name on this list shares one trait: a new coaching staff or front office inherited them. Klint Kubiak in Las Vegas. The Dolphins’ new front office, led by GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, hired from Green Bay’s personnel department. Arizona’s front office, which saw Kyler Murray benched under the previous regime after a foot injury limited him to five games. These decision-makers didn’t sign these contracts. They didn’t draft these players. And they have zero emotional investment in making someone else’s expensive decisions work. The pattern looks less like roster management and more like organizational divorce proceedings, with the paperwork filed months ago.
Everything’s On The Table
Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) leaves the field following a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Sullivan said it plainly about Tua Tagovailoa: “Everything’s on the table right now. A trade is a possibility.” He later added, “I think Tua believes that he can still be a high-level quarterback in this league.” Praise the player. Shop the player. Classic exit language. The Dolphins already released Tyreek Hill to clear cap space. Releasing Tua would produce an NFL-record $99.2 million dead cap hit. Nearly a hundred million dollars. For a player, they’re complimenting them on the way out the door.
The Real Engine
Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) on the side line against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Performance isn’t driving these trades. Contract architecture is. The NFL’s dead cap structure punishes teams for prior front-office mistakes more harshly than it punishes poor play. Trading Brown would cost the Eagles over $40 million in dead cap money, and the Cardinals owe Murray tens of millions, no matter what. Teams only have about six weeks between the combine and free agency to make deals, which drives prices down. That means a franchise quarterback and a five-time Pro Bowler are both being shopped at bargain prices. That’s not a trade market. That’s a clearance rack.
Numbers Don’t Lie
Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Raiders GM John Spytek reportedly wants at least two first-round draft picks in return for Crosby. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension in March 2025, with $91.5 million guaranteed. Trading him would free up major salary cap space for Las Vegas, since he earns over $30 million per year. Meanwhile, Murray’s hefty salary makes him difficult to trade for premium draft capital. Brown posted 1,003 receiving yards in 2025, his lowest output since leaving Tennessee. The gap between what these players cost and what they return tells the whole story of organizational miscalculation.
Domino Effect
Dec 7, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) tackles New York Jets fullback Andrew Beck (47) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Miami isn’t just exploring a Tua trade. Sullivan’s Dolphins have also fielded inquiries about safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, whom Sullivan said has “everything on the table.” However, Sullivan made clear that running back De’Von Achane and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle are viewed as core pieces the team wants to keep. One franchise openly reshuffling its roster forces every other team to recalibrate. Quarterback-desperate teams scramble for remaining options. The edge rusher market inflates if Crosby moves for two firsts. The ripple effects could reshape free agency before it even begins.
The New Rule
Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) leaves the field after the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The last time this many star players were traded was during 2021-2022, when Matthew Stafford was sent to the Rams and Deshaun Watson was dealt to Cleveland. But back then, those players were asked to leave. In 2026, teams are the ones pushing players out to fix their finances. That’s a big difference. Once teams prove they’ll absorb massive dead cap charges to reset a quarterback position, every franchise with a bloated contract from 2021 to 2024 gets permission to do the same. This offseason could set the precedent for 2027’s wave.
Clock Ticking
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) exits the field after the loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The franchise tag deadline is March 3, and the first trades could happen as early as March 5. Free agency opens on March 11, and the window closes. That gives teams just four weeks from the combine to get deals done. The longer they wait, the less leverage they have. New England’s Drake Maye finished as MVP runner-up in 2025 despite limited receiving weapons, making the Patriots a logical Brown destination. Chicago ranked near the bottom of the league in pass rush win rate, making the Bears a Crosby suitor. The buyers are circling, and the sellers are running out of calendar.
The Audit
Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrates first down against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Casual fans will see blockbuster trades and think the league is exciting. But the real story is worse. Every star being traded is paying the price for bad contract decisions made two to three years ago by front offices that are no longer around. Crosby, Brown, Murray, and Tua all kept playing at a high level — their teams just mismanaged the money around them. Their organizations simply mismanaged the money around them, and new regimes would rather eat hundreds of millions in dead cap than inherit someone else’s financial wreckage. The trades will make headlines. The malpractice that caused them won’t.
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Sources:
CBS Sports , “NFL trade rumors swirling: Maxx Crosby, A.J. Brown among seven…” , February 24, 2026
ESPN , “Dolphins GM: ‘Everything’s on the table’ with Tua Tagovailoa” , February 24, 2026
NFL.com , “Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan says ‘everything is on the table’ with Tua Tagovailoa including trade” , February 24, 2026
ESPN , “2026 NFL offseason: Trade proposals that fit for both teams” , February 15, 2026
Bleacher Report , Late February 2026
Heavy Sports , Late February 2026
