With the trade deadline having come and gone, several teams have made big moves to bolster their rosters ahead of the Super Bowl.
Many teams in the past have managed to pull off massive moves to add the missing piece during the season, which led them to the Super Bowl the very same year.
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Teams like the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and San Francisco 49ers have made such moves this year, and they will be hoping that these trades have a similar impact to the trades listed below from the past decade:
The New England Patriots traded for Van Noy in late October, feeling that they needed to add more depth to the defensive unit, especially at the linebacker position.
The Lions gave up the standout LB and a seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
The move proved to be an instant success, as Van Noy slotted into the Patriots’ defence with ease, and even had a key sack in the Patriots’ incredible 28-3 comeback and win against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
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After growing frustrated with his form and discipline, not to mention his injury concerns, the Miami Dolphins traded RB Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles on October 31st, 2017, just hours before the deadline.
Ajayi would become an instant success for the Eagles, rushing for 408 yards in his seven regular-season games with them.
And en route to helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, Ajayi delivered key rushing and receiving performances throughout.
Perhaps no example on this list is more prominent than that of Von Miller. The LA Rams gave up their two second-round picks and salary retention to complete the trade with the Denver Broncos.
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Miller had an immediate impact, as he had five sacks in eight regular-season games, with four more sacks in the playoffs.
Of course, two of those four sacks came during Super Bowl LVI, as he helped the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals to win.
The Kansas City Chiefs are no stranger to mid-season trades, and their move for New York Giants WR Kadarius Toney just days before the deadline proved to be a masterstroke.
Despite initial concerns about his availability, as Toney missed some regular-season games for the Chiefs, the dynamic WR proved vital come playoff time.
Many fans will remember his fourth-quarter heroics against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, when he scored a clutch touchdown to help the Chiefs earn the first of back-to-back Super Bowl wins.
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The following year, the Chiefs pulled off a similar move, as they landed Mecole Hardman in a trade with the Jets for the price of one sixth-round pick.
Hardman had just left the Chiefs months prior to signing with the Jets, but falling down the pecking order behind younger receivers, along with the Chiefs’ lack of WR consistency, led to a quick reunion.
As for his impact, Hardman, of course, caught the game-winning touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers to help the Chiefs win their second straight Super Bowl.
The last entry on this list is perhaps the most recent. On trade deadline day last year, the Seattle Seahawks added to their offence and their special teams depth by landing Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints.
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Initially, the return on investment looked modest at best, as Shaheed’s numbers didn’t exactly impress. But he came alive during the playoffs for the Seahawks.
Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in their Divisional Round game against the San Francisco 49ers, which allowed the Seahawks to go on and win the Super Bowl.
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