Late in the 2023 NFL season, the public learned about the fallout that’s been building for weeks between quarterback Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos. Since then, many are claiming this as one of the worst trades in NFL history.
The Seattle Seahawks dumped a declining Wilson on Denver, which in turn gave up 3 players and 5 draft picks, including a pair of 1st-round picks. Wilson was only 11-19 as a starter in Denver, leading one of the worst offenses in the league in 2022-23. Throw in some large financial contributions to Wilson, and it is no doubt one of the worst trades in NFL history.
But the Wilson trade may not even be among the 5 worst trades involving quarterbacks in the NFL’s long history. While Wilson did not meet expectations, at least there was some logic to thinking he would continue the Hall of Fame path he started in Seattle in his first 10 seasons in the league. It just did not work out.
Some teams traded away a quarterback they knew they could win multiple championships with. The Detroit Lions won the NFL championship again in 1957 with Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne, but they traded him in October 1958 to Pittsburgh. Legend has it Layne cursed the Lions and said they would “not win for 50 years” after the move, and he was basically right, as the Lions have just a single playoff win from 1958-2022.
There have been instances of teams trading away young quarterbacks who would develop into legends on their new teams such as Brett Favre (from Atlanta to Green Bay) and Steve Young (from Tampa Bay to San Francisco).
There have also been times when a team traded a king’s ransom of draft picks to move up in the draft to select a quarterback who was not even the No. 1 overall prospect, such as Ryan Leaf (1998 Chargers), Robert Griffin III (2012 Redskins), and Trey Lance (2021 49ers).
But our top 5 worst trades in NFL history include moves that probably raised red flags immediately even at the NFL betting sites, and someone with common sense should have stepped in to stop them before they went through.
The beauty of this list is that we are barely using any hindsight because these trades were doomed from the start.
5. Colts Trade for Cleveland RB Trent Richardson (2013)
As you will see, several of the worst trades in NFL history involve a team trying to acquire a running back. Back in 2013, it was only just becoming mainstream to think that the running back position was easily replaceable and that teams should not use high draft picks to get them.
Up until the late 2000s, teams still loved using workhorse backs, running them for 1,500-yard seasons and quickly running them into the ground, often before a 2nd contract could be earned.
But outside of the selection of Adrian Peterson in 2007, there were not many great running back prospects entering the league at the time. One prospect receiving such high praise was Alabama running back Trent Richardson, who was selected with the 3rd overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2012 draft.
That was a draft led by quarterbacks Andrew Luck (Colts) and Robert Griffin III (Redskins). Oddly enough, Russell Wilson ended up being the top quarterback in the draft, but something you could see clearly after 1 season was that Richardson was not a dominant back. He only averaged 3.6 yards per carry, his longest run was 32 yards, and he finished shy of 1,000 yards as a rookie.
But 2 games into the 2013 season, the NFL world was stunned when Colts general manager Ryan Grigson sent a 2014 1st-round pick to Cleveland for Richardson. Luck had a very successful rookie year in carrying the Colts to the playoffs, but it was clear he needed help.
However, a running back like Richardson was never going to be the solution, as Luck needed more help along the offensive line and at wide receiver. Richardson finished 2013 averaging 2.99 yards per carry, lost his job to Donald Brown, and fumbled on his 1st touch in a playoff game that year.
Things did not get any better in 2014 with Richardson again being outplayed by other backs on the team, including Ahmad Bradshaw. In a game against the rival Patriots, Richardson ran the ball 6 times for 0 yards. In that same game, the Patriots had an undrafted practice squad back named Jonas Gray run for 202 yards and 4 touchdowns. More proof that running backs can be found anywhere and their success is more dependent on scheme and offensive line blocking.
Richardson’s tenure ended with him being suspended for the AFC Championship Game after missing the team walkthrough. In that game, the Colts watched LeGarrette Blount, an undrafted free agent, run for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Patriots.
The Colts waived Richardson in March 2015 and he never appeared in another regular-season game in the NFL. The trade was so bad it hopefully has taught other general managers some lessons to not trade for running backs, especially ones who find averaging 3.0 yards per carry a struggle.
The Colts never did quite find Andrew Luck a running game, and he retired before he was 30 years old in 2019. The trade for “T-Rich” is a prime example of how the Colts botched building a team around Luck, a generational quarterback prospect.
4. Bears Trade Up to Draft QB Mitch Trubisky (2017)
There is a reason the Chicago Bears are still looking for their best franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman, who was drafted in 1939, or just before the start of World War II.
It looked like the Bears would have their choice of passers in the 2017 draft where they held the No. 3 pick. But in a surprise move, general manager Ryan Pace traded with the 49ers to move up just one spot from No. 3 to No. 2 to take North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
To move a single spot, Pace gave up a 3rd-round pick (which became Saints running back Alvin Kamara), a 4th-round pick, and a 2018 3rd-round pick (which became 49ers linebacker Fred Warner).
But the compensation was not the worst part of the trade. The Bears passed on a couple of superior prospects (Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes) to take Trubisky, who was a 1-year wonder at North Carolina.
Statistically, there is evidence that experience (games started and pass attempts) matters in projecting a college quarterback’s success in the pros. This is why someone like Trey Lance was such a risky pick given his lack of college experience and at a lower level of competition. But with Trubisky, he only had that one standout year in 2016 when he threw for 3,748 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. But he only threw 125 passes in 2014-15.
Meanwhile, Watson had just passed for 420 yards and a game-winning touchdown against Alabama to win a national championship for Clemson where he threw 90 touchdowns. This was a quarterback you can lean on and build around, and he passed the eye test and there weren’t any off-field issues at the time to worry about. He ended up going 12th overall to the Houston Texans in the draft.
Patrick Mahomes did not have a great record at Texas Tech, but he was a 3-year starter, he passed for 93 touchdowns, and he had no defensive support to speak of. He kept that team competitive with masterful performances such as the time he threw for 734 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 66-59 loss to Oklahoma in a shootout with Baker Mayfield.
Mahomes was drafted 10th overall by Andy Reid and the Chiefs. With the way the Bears never can develop quarterbacks, maybe the football world is better off that Mahomes didn’t go there, and we get to see the best quarterback in the game flourish.
We could not have predicted what would come of Watson’s career off the field, but he would have likely been better on the field in Chicago than Trubisky was.
Like in college, Trubisky was a bit of a 1-year wonder with the Bears. He was bad in his rookie season, then did a solid job in 2018 thanks to his scrambling ability and being carried by the best defense in the league. But he never won a playoff game and was out of Chicago by 2021. He’ll likely be out of Pittsburgh after this season too where he’s been bad as a backup.
The 2017 draft is a great example of why experience matters, and why there should be extra caution over a 1-year wonder from college.
3. Vikings Trade for Dallas RB Herschel Walker (1989)
Back in the 1980s, running backs were still heroes to many football fans as the league was only just starting to transition to more passing with the likes of Dan Marino and Joe Montana leading the way as elite passers.
That did not mean running backs were safe from the trade block, as even the Rams moved Eric Dickerson, a dominant runner who just won another rushing title in 1986, to the Colts in 1987.
But to this day, the largest player trade in NFL history is still the Herschel Walker trade, which happened on October 12, 1989. The Dallas Cowboys were 0-5 and in a transition period after new owner Jerry Jones fired beloved coach Tom Landry and replaced him with his old buddy Jimmy Johnson, who was a highly successful college football coach for the Miami Hurricanes.
At 0-5, Johnson could see this team was not ready to win right now with a young Michael Irvin at wide receiver and quarterback Troy Aikman was just a rookie they drafted No. 1 overall. Johnson wanted to acquire more draft picks, so he sent Walker, the team’s best player at the time, to the Minnesota Vikings, a team that thought it was a running back away from a Super Bowl after some battles with the 49ers in the playoffs the previous 2 seasons.
Fans thought Johnson was crazy, and the Cowboys did finish that year 1-15. But it was a smart move, as they were able to fleece the Vikings for a trade that eventually involved 18 players and a slew of draft picks.
In the trade, the Cowboys received 5 veteran players, who all came with a conditional draft pick should Dallas not retain them beyond the 1989 season. The Vikings were fooled by this move as the Cowboys did meet those conditions with the veterans to secure more draft picks from Minnesota in 1991 and 1992.
The Cowboys turned these picks around and drafted players such as running back Emmitt Smith, No. 1 overall pick Russell Maryland, corner Kevin Smith, and safety Darren Woodson. The Cowboys essentially built up a dynasty that would win 3 Super Bowls in the 1990s from this trade.
Meanwhile, the Vikings never won a playoff game with Walker. When they faced the 49ers again in 1989, Walker had 9 carries for 29 yards in a 41-13 loss. Walker barely cleared 1,000 scrimmage yards for Minnesota in 1990 and 1991, and by 1992, he was with the Eagles.
There was evidence even back then that a running back could be replaced rather easily. We mentioned the Dickerson trade for the Rams, but in 1987, his replacement, Charles White, finished that year with 1,374 yards and was 1st-team All-Pro. A year later, Greg Bell rushed for 1,212 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Rams. In 1989, Bell rushed for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns and the Rams reached the NFC Championship Game.
The year after the great Jim Brown retired in Cleveland (1966), Leroy Kelly, another future Hall of Famer, rushed for 1,141 yards, a league-high 15 touchdowns, and he was 1st-team All-Pro for the Browns.
The year after the beloved Walter Payton retired in Chicago (1987), Neal Anderson waited his turn and made 3 straight Pro Bowls with over 1,000 rushing yards each year in 1988-90.
The idea of being a running back away just never made sense for the Vikings, and it would make even less sense today. Meanwhile, the Cowboys were able to replace Walker a year later with a back (Emmitt Smith) who went on to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
2. Saints Trade Entire Draft to Washington to Draft RB Ricky Williams (1999)
You might have thought teams learned their lesson from the disastrous Herschel Walker trade by Minnesota. But a decade later, Mike Ditka and the Saints did the unthinkable and sent their whole 1999 draft class to Washington to move up to No. 5 in the draft and select Texas running back Ricky Williams.
In the end, it led to one memorable Sports Illustrated cover of Ditka and Williams dressed as bride and groom, but after a 3-13 record in 1999, Ditka was fired.
Keep in mind this was a trade just to move from No. 12 to No. 5. The Saints gave up all 6 of their picks in the 1999 draft and also traded Washington their 1st-round pick in 2000 (turned out to be No. 2 pick overall) and a 3rd-round pick in 2000.
To make matters worse, Williams did not even prove to be the best running back in the draft. Sure, he had the college hype and was going to be a productive player at the next level. But he also had a lot of tread on those tires already, and it ended up being Edgerrin James, the No. 4 pick by the Colts, who had the Hall of Fame career with 12,246 rushing yards.
Williams did end up playing a long time and broke 10,000 rushing yards in his career. But his best days are remembered with the Dolphins after he left New Orleans following 3 seasons. Williams won the rushing title with Miami in 2002 with 1,853 yards.
While the Saints did win their 1st playoff game in franchise history in 2000, it just so happened to be a game where Williams was inactive. They didn’t even need him for it. He returned a week later in the divisional round and had 14 yards on 6 carries. The Saints lost 34-16.
Unlike Dallas in the Walker trade, Washington did not turn its draft haul into a dynasty or even a steady playoff team. But it was still stunning to think a team would trade an entire draft plus a very high 1st-round pick the next year for a running back.
Not to mention this was months after a 1998 season in which the Super Bowl featured dominant runners in Terrell Davis (Broncos) and Jamal Anderson (Falcons). Davis was a 6th-round pick by Denver and Anderson was a 7th-round pick by Atlanta.
NFL teams, please stop trading away valuable resources for running backs. It is simply not necessary. Not in 1989. Not in 1999. Not in the 2020s.
1. Browns Trade for Houston QB Deshaun Watson (2022)
Time can still change how we ultimately feel about this one. But for now, it checks enough boxes to go down as the worst trade in NFL history. Admittedly, the criteria for such a dishonor is going to be different for each person.
But if you want to talk about the most shameless trade in NFL history, it is Cleveland for offering Deshaun Watson the most guaranteed money ($230 million) in a contract in NFL history after more than 24 women accused him of sexual misconduct. The Browns also gave up 1st-round picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024 as well as a 3rd-round pick in 2023 and a pair of 4th-round picks.
If you want to talk about the grossest trade in NFL history, this has to rank right up there too, as Watson has shown no real remorse for the predatory behavior he’s been accused of by a number of women so high that you could field an entire offense, defense, and referee crew from just his accuser group.
Athletes who are bad people but good at sports have been given opportunities for decades and will continue to do so. But at least someone like Michael Vick served a prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring, then took a minimal contract with no guaranteed money in Philadelphia as he worked his way back up to a starter. Watson jumped right into a massive contract from Cleveland and has shown no accountability upon his reinstatement to the league.
If you want to talk about the most pointless trade in NFL history, Watson is a contender there already, as head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense seems to work better for every quarterback but Watson.
Baker Mayfield had his best season and led the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 when Stefanski was a rookie coach. Mayfield is also playing better in Tampa Bay this year than Watson has done in Cleveland.
Jacoby Brissett had his best season in the NFL last year while Watson served his 11-game suspension, then Watson played worse than Brissett after taking his job.
A 38-year-old version of Joe Flacco just came off the couch to join the Browns and is the 1st player in NFL history to throw for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first 5 games with a team. In a game against the vaunted Jets secondary, and without No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper, Flacco basically passed for 300 yards by halftime. Watson has not passed for 300 yards in any of his 12 games with Cleveland, and his statistics are by far worse for the Browns than they were in Houston.
Cleveland just became the 1st team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting 4 quarterbacks in multiple games. While they were 5-1 in the games Watson started, the defense led the way in almost every victory. The Browns are winning games in spite of Watson, and now with shoulder surgery ending his season prematurely, they are winning without him entirely. Flacco could be the wildest story in NFL history if he leads this team to a Super Bowl for the 1st time after joining the team so late in the season.
So far, all Watson has done is bring the Browns shame, poor quarterback play, and a potential financial nightmare with his cap hit set to hit $64 million in 2024. Cutting him any time soon would result in a disastrous dead cap hit of record-setting proportions, and at this point, who would be foolish enough to trade for him?
If Cleveland does the unthinkable and wins Super Bowl 58 with Flacco and this great defense, then real fans will know they did it in spite of this Watson trade, a move they never should have made.
For shame, Cleveland. For shame.
