Worst Trades in NFL History

The trade market gives NFL teams the opportunity to improve their rosters. We have seen plenty of successful trades over the years, but what about the worst trades in NFL history?

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Teams will give everything to acquire the next football superstar, but high-profile trades can often backfire. Without further ado, let’s relive the worst NFL trades of all time.

San Diego Chargers Move Up for Ryan Leaf

The San Diego Chargers were on the hunt for a quarterback in the 1998 NFL Draft, with Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf both up for grabs. In order to secure one of the highly-rated prospects, San Diego traded away three drafts picks and two players to the Arizona Cardinals, moving up one place in the draft.

If you already know a thing or two about football, you will know that the Chargers made a catastrophic mistake by selecting Leaf over Manning. While Manning went on to become of the greatest quarterbacks ever, Leaf is widely regarded as one of the biggest flops in NFL history.

Leaf posted a 4-17 career record with 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. Unfortunately for San Diego, Manning won two Super Bowl Championships and five NFL MVP Awards while setting countless offensive records.

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Minnesota Vikings Trade for Herschel Walker

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones traded away star player Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in 1990. However, the Vikings ended up on the wrong side of the deal, while Dallas profited in a big way.

Walker lasted just two years in Minnesota, failing to reach 1,000 yards in both seasons. On the flip side, the Cowboys received five players and eight draft picks, selecting legends such as Darren Woodson and Emmitt Smith before going on to win three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s.

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New Orleans Saints Give Everything for Ricky Williams

During the 1999 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints traded away eight drafts picks to Washington – including two first-round picks – in order to move up in the draft to get their hands on highly-rated running back Ricky Williams.

It is no secret that New Orleans overpaid for Williams, as the California native was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2002. Williams then left Miami to play in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts, cementing his status as one of the worst trades in NFL history.

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Houston Texans Trade DeAndre Hopkins for David Johnson

It would not be unfair to say that Bill O’Brien made many controversial decisions while in charge of the Houston Texans. That said, the decision to trade DeAndre Hopkins for David Johnson in 2020 has to be O’Brien’s craziest move.

At the time, Hopkins was one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, while Johnson was seen as a declining running back. Unsurprisingly, O’Brien didn’t get many more opportunities to ruin Houston’s roster, as he was fired shortly after.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Trade Away Steve Young

Steve Young managed just 11 touchdowns and 21 interceptions across two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Giving up on the quarterback, the Bucs traded Young to the San Francisco 49ers in 1987 in exchange for a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick.

Following the departure of Joe Montana, Young won two Super Bowl championships with the 49ers before becoming a Hall of Famer. Yep, that’s right – Tampa Bay traded away a Hall of Fame quarterback for a fourth and sixth-rounder.