Seven Worst Trades in NFL History

The NFL is great, and we all love when a team trades for a player, but there have been several trades that were bad decisions. We wanted to break down 7 trades in NFL history that were horrible. We still are shaking our heads at some of them.

Let’s look at our 7 worst trades in the history of the NFL:

1. Herschel Walker Trade (1989): This is perhaps the most infamous trade in NFL history. The Dallas Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a massive package of players and draft picks. The trade included five players and eight draft picks. The Cowboys used those picks to build a championship team in the early 1990s, while the Vikings struggled for years after the trade.
2. Ricky Williams Trade (1999): The New Orleans Saints traded their entire 1999 draft and first- and third-round picks in 2000 to the Washington Redskins to move up to select Ricky Williams in the draft. While Williams had some success in his career, the cost of the trade was astronomical, and the Redskins benefited greatly from it.
3. Trent Richardson Trade (2013): The Cleveland Browns traded running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Richardson struggled to produce in Indianapolis and never lived up to his potential. The first-round pick the Browns received turned out to be Johnny Manziel, who also failed to become a franchise quarterback for the team.
4. Jay Cutler Trade (2009): The Denver Broncos traded quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears for a package that included Kyle Orton and several draft picks. Cutler had some success with the Bears, but the trade didn’t result in long-term success for either team.
5. Joey Galloway Trade (2000): The Seattle Seahawks traded two first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Joey Galloway. Galloway’s production didn’t justify the steep cost, and the Cowboys used the picks to select players who became significant contributors to their team.
6. Sam Darnold Trade Up (2018): The New York Jets traded up to the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to select quarterback Sam Darnold. Despite high hopes, Darnold struggled during his tenure with the Jets, and the team decided to move on from him after a few seasons.
7. Trey Lance Trade Up (2021): The 49ers traded up from number 12 to number 3 and gave up 3 first round picks and a 3rd round pick. Lance is currently labeled as the third quarterback with the number 6 spot quarterback Sam Darnold listed above him on the depth chart. OUCH

It’s important to note that trades can be evaluated differently over time as players’ careers progress and new information comes to light. These trades were widely regarded as poor decisions at the time they occurred and had significant long-term consequences for the teams involved.