Can A Player Be Traded Twice In NFL

If you follow NFL rumors, you have probably seen headlines like “Team A trades Player X to Team B,” and a week later, “Player X traded again.” That can feel confusing. Can a player really be traded twice in the NFL? The short answer is yes. The long answer involves timing, rules, contracts, and the trade deadline. This guide explains everything in simple terms so you can understand how and why a player might get traded twice—sometimes even in the same season.

Introduction

NFL trades are not as common as in some other sports, but they have become more frequent and more creative in recent years. With new front-office strategies, analytics, and tight salary-cap management, teams often move quickly to solve roster needs. That speed can lead to one player changing teams more than once in a short span. While it is unusual, it is absolutely allowed under league rules, as long as the timing and conditions are right.

Short Answer: Yes, A Player Can Be Traded Twice

There is no rule that limits an NFL player to only one trade. A player can be traded multiple times in a season, in an offseason, or even on the same day. The key limits are the NFL’s trade window and the trade deadline. As of the 2024 season, the NFL trade deadline is 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the Tuesday after Week 9. All trades must be completed and approved by the league before that time. After the deadline, you cannot trade players until the next trading period opens in the new league year.

How NFL Trades Work (Basics)

Trade Window And Deadline

NFL teams can execute trades during the regular trading period, which runs from the start of the league year in March until the in-season trade deadline. After the deadline, trading is paused until the new league year begins the following spring. This means a player can be traded twice as long as both trades happen before the deadline, or in separate trade windows (for example, once in March and again in August).

League Year Timing

Official trades can only be processed once the league year starts, usually in March. Teams may agree to deals before that date (often reported as “agreed in principle”), but those trades do not become official until the league year opens. After the Super Bowl and before the league year, you might see news of a trade that will be finalized later. A player could theoretically be traded again after that first deal becomes official, as long as it is still within the legal trading window.

Physicals And Official Approval

Almost every trade is “pending a physical.” The acquiring team wants to make sure the player is healthy. Once both teams and the player complete the necessary steps and the player passes the physical, the NFL processes the trade. If a player fails the physical, the trade can be voided. If a player is traded twice, each new team handles its own physical and approval process. A trade is not official until the league office confirms it.

No-Trade Clauses And Player Consent

Most NFL contracts do not include a no-trade clause. Without one, a team can trade a player without asking for the player’s permission. However, some star players negotiate no-trade clauses or trade veto rights into their contracts. In those cases, the player must approve any trade. If a player with a no-trade clause is traded once, he still retains that clause for any future trades, which means he can block a second trade too unless he agrees to it.

Salary-Cap Basics In A Trade

The NFL has a hard salary cap, and trades must make sense for both teams under that cap. When Team A trades a player to Team B, Team A often takes on “dead money” from signing bonuses that accelerate onto their cap, and Team B takes on the remaining salary and future bonus guarantees as written. None of this prevents a second trade, but it affects how likely it is. If the contract is heavy or complicated, a team might restructure the deal before or after the first trade to make a second trade easier.

Can It Happen In The Same Season?

Real-World Examples

Yes, players have been traded twice in the same season. A clear example is quarterback Joshua Dobbs in 2023. Late in August, the Browns traded Dobbs to the Cardinals. Just over two months later, at the trade deadline in late October, the Cardinals traded him to the Vikings. He played meaningful snaps for both teams that season.

Another example is edge rusher Shaq Lawson in 2021. The Dolphins traded Lawson to the Texans during the offseason, and then the Texans traded him to the Jets just before the trade deadline. Two trades, same league year, both allowed by NFL rules.

Factors That Make It Possible

A second trade in the same season often happens because a player’s situation changed quickly. Maybe a starter got hurt on another team, creating urgent demand. Maybe the original acquiring team changed schemes or coaching staff and found a different player was a better fit. Sometimes a player performs well and boosts his trade value. All of these can combine to make a second trade worthwhile.

Can It Happen On The Same Day?

Draft-Day Flips And Deadline-Day Chains

It is rare, but it can happen. On draft day or trade deadline day, you might see a player get traded and then immediately moved again. This is sometimes called a “flip.” If timing is tight, teams coordinate with the league office to ensure all paperwork and calls are completed before the deadline. As long as the league processes both trades in time and each acquiring team is cap-compliant and satisfied with the player’s physical status, it is allowed.

Why Teams Trade A Player Twice

Fit And Scheme

Each team runs its own systems on offense and defense. A cornerback who thrives in press-man coverage may struggle in a zone-heavy scheme. A defensive end used to a 4-3 front might not fit a 3-4 role. If the first team that acquired the player realizes the fit is not ideal, it may move him again to a team with the right scheme.

Injuries And Depth

Injuries change everything. One injury to a starting quarterback, left tackle, or cornerback can push a contender to trade for immediate help. That urgency can convince a team to trade for a player it had not considered before. If that player had already been traded earlier in the year, it does not matter—if the window is open, they can acquire him again via a second trade.

Cap And Contract Timing

Trades are often driven by the salary cap. A team may acquire a player in March, restructure his deal in June, and then realize by October that it needs more cap space for injuries or extensions. Moving that player a second time can solve the cap crunch. Sometimes the receiving team in the first trade agrees to take on the player temporarily, knowing it may flip him later if a stronger market appears.

Rebuilds And Contention Windows

Teams at different stages of their competitive cycle value players differently. A rebuilding team might collect draft picks by trading away veterans. A contender might give up future picks for a starter now. If market conditions change—like another contender losing a starter—value can rise quickly, making a second trade worth it for the team holding the player.

Limits And Rules You Should Know

After The Deadline

Once the in-season trade deadline passes, no trades are allowed until the trading period opens again in the new league year. If a team wants to move on from a player after the deadline, it must release him. After release, the player goes through waivers. If another team claims him, that team gets his contract without sending compensation. If he clears waivers, he becomes a free agent and can sign anywhere. That is not the same as a second trade.

Practice Squad And Unsigned Players

Practice squad players are not on the 53-man roster and cannot be traded. Any team can sign a practice squad player to its active roster, and the current team cannot block that move. Also, a player not under contract cannot be traded because there is no contract to transfer. Rights to certain players (like exclusive rights free agents or restricted free agents) can be involved in transactions, but the player usually must sign a tender or contract for a trade to happen.

Injured Reserve, PUP, And NFI

Players on Injured Reserve (IR), the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP), or the Non-Football Injury list (NFI) can be traded. The receiving team takes on the player’s contract and his current status. Once traded, the player follows the rules of his list under the new team’s care. A player can still be traded a second time from one reserve list to another team, though it is less common because injured players are harder to move.

Franchise-Tagged Players And Sign-And-Trade

A team can trade a player after giving him the franchise tag. Often, the player signs the tender and is traded immediately, or signs a new deal with the new team as part of the trade. This can happen more than once in a league year if timing allows and both teams agree, though it is uncommon. As always, each trade must meet timing, cap, and approval rules.

No Salary Retention, But Restructures Happen

Unlike some other leagues, NFL teams cannot retain part of a player’s salary in a trade. The contract moves to the new team as written. However, teams can restructure contracts before or after a trade—converting salary into signing bonus, for example—to change cap hits. Sometimes the original team restructures a contract right before trading a player to make the deal easier for the acquiring team. That can make a second trade more realistic later in the year.

Trade-Backs To The Original Team

There is no general NFL rule that stops a player from being traded back to the team that traded him earlier in the same season. It is unusual, but possible, as long as both sides agree and the trade follows all league rules. It must be a new trade with new compensation.

What It Means For The Player

Reporting, Playbook, And Eligibility To Play

After a trade, the player travels to his new team, completes a physical, and gets his playbook. He is eligible to play as soon as the trade is official and he is on the active roster. For a second trade, the same steps repeat. Mid-season, a player might learn a new offense or defense on the fly. Coaches simplify things early—focusing on core assignments—so the player can contribute immediately.

Relocation And Pay Logistics

Trades are disruptive. Players move cities, find housing, and relocate families, sometimes twice in a few months. Financially, base salary and weekly game checks come from the new team once the trade is official. Any future roster bonuses or incentives in the contract also move to the new team. Guaranteed money already paid—like signing bonuses—stays with the old team for cap accounting purposes, even though the player is gone.

Accrued Seasons And Benefits

Being traded does not harm a player’s accrued seasons for free agency or benefits. As long as he remains on an active roster or certain reserve lists for enough time, he continues to build toward veteran status, pension credits, and eligibility milestones. Two trades in one year do not change these basic rules.

Common Myths And Quick Clarifications

Myth: Players cannot be traded twice in one season. Reality: They can, as long as it is before the trade deadline or in separate trade windows.

Myth: A player must approve every trade. Reality: Only if the player has a no-trade clause. Otherwise, the team can trade him without consent.

Myth: Teams can pay part of a player’s salary to help another team in a trade. Reality: The NFL does not allow salary retention. The contract transfers as is, though teams can restructure deals before or after the trade.

Myth: Traded players must clear waivers. Reality: Trades move contracts directly from one team to another. Waivers apply when a player is released, not traded.

Myth: A player traded at the deadline cannot be traded again later that same day. Reality: He can, provided the league processes both trades before the deadline and all rules are met.

Mini Case Studies

Joshua Dobbs In 2023

In late August 2023, the Browns traded quarterback Joshua Dobbs to the Cardinals. Two months later, near the trade deadline, the Cardinals traded Dobbs to the Vikings after Minnesota lost its starting quarterback to injury. Dobbs famously played right away and helped the Vikings win games. This is a perfect example of how need, timing, and opportunity can lead to a player being traded twice in a short span.

Shaq Lawson In 2021

Edge rusher Shaq Lawson moved from the Dolphins to the Texans in the offseason. As the season developed, the Texans traded him to the Jets in late October. This shows how a team that is retooling can acquire a veteran, reassess its plans, and decide a second trade makes sense given market interest and roster needs elsewhere.

Randy Moss In 2010 — Close, But Different

Randy Moss was traded from the Patriots to the Vikings in October 2010. A few weeks later, the Vikings released him. He was then claimed by the Titans. That second move was not a trade; it happened through waivers. This story is often brought up when people discuss repeat moves, but it is important to understand the difference between trades and waiver claims.

Practical Scenarios And Q&A

Example: Two Trades Before The Deadline

Suppose a wide receiver is traded from Team A to Team B in September for a mid-round pick. He plays well, and Team C loses a starter to injury in October. Team C calls Team B and offers a higher pick than Team B paid. Team B agrees and trades the receiver to Team C on deadline day. Both trades are valid and common-sense: Team B got short-term help and then a better pick, and Team C filled a need.

Example: Offseason Flip

In March, Team A trades a linebacker to Team B as part of a multi-player deal. In July, during training camp, Team B realizes a young player is ready to start and that the veteran is now expendable. Team D needs a veteran leader. Team B flips the linebacker to Team D for a late-round pick. Again, both trades are valid if they fit under the salary cap and the player passes his physical.

Example: Failed Physical And A Second Trade

Team A trades a player to Team B. The player fails his physical, and the trade is voided. Team A still wants to move the player and finds Team C, which is comfortable with the medical report. Team A then trades the player to Team C. The first trade never happened; the second one did. The player was not traded twice here, but this scenario highlights how medical checks affect deals. A player could also pass his first physical, be traded again weeks later, and pass a second physical with the new team.

Tips For Fans Following Trade News

How To Read Reports

When you see “agreed in principle,” remember the trade is not official until the league processes it and the player passes a physical. If another report says a player is being flipped to a third team, check for timing. Is it before the deadline? Is the second trade also pending a physical? Reputable reporters will note these details.

Cap Numbers To Watch

Look at base salary for the current year and any guaranteed roster bonuses. These are the cash items the new team takes on. Also watch for mention of “dead money.” That is a cap charge that stays with the team trading the player and can influence a team’s willingness to move him again later.

Extra Details For Beginners

Do Players Get A Choice Without A No-Trade Clause?

Usually no. If a player does not have a no-trade clause, the team can trade him. A player could refuse to report, but that would come with fines and possibly hurt his career. Most players report and try to make the best of a new opportunity.

Can A Player Be Traded Right After Signing?

Yes. There is no standard waiting period after signing in the NFL. A team can sign a player and then trade him, if it makes sense for both teams and the player’s contract allows it. This can also set up a second trade later if market conditions change.

Do Draft Picks Affect Double Trades?

Yes. If a team pays a modest price in the first trade and then finds a better offer later, it might trade the player again for more value. Teams constantly compare offers to see if flipping a player will improve their draft capital or roster balance. The rules allow it, as long as the timing and cap work.

Putting It All Together

The Main Checklist For A Player To Be Traded Twice

First, the trade window must be open. Second, each trade must be approved by the league and comply with the salary cap. Third, the player must pass physicals unless a team explicitly waives that condition. Fourth, if the player has a no-trade clause, he must agree to each trade. If those boxes are checked, a player can be traded twice, even within a single season.

Why It Is Happening More Often

The NFL has become more flexible and aggressive with roster building. Teams are quicker to correct mistakes, find better fits, and take advantage of short windows to contend. Analytics staff help teams assess value in real time, and communication with the league office is faster than ever. All of this makes two-step trades more possible than in the past.

Conclusion

Can a player be traded twice in the NFL? Yes. It is legal and practical under the right conditions. The biggest factors are timing around the trade deadline, the player’s health, contract details, and salary-cap space. We have seen it happen in recent seasons, and as teams continue to manage rosters more actively, you may see it again. For fans, the key is to watch the calendar, read the fine print about physicals and no-trade clauses, and understand that the NFL’s salary-cap rules shape every decision. With that knowledge, double trades make sense—they are just another tool teams use to adapt, compete, and chase wins.