Top 10 Worst Decisions in NFL History

There are some decisions in the NFL that one questions in hindsight. Then there are those decisions that automatically become horrible from the outset. These are arguably the worst decisions in NFL history.

The Top Ten

Seattle Seahawks don't use Marshawn Lynch at the one-yard line

I don't think we need to discuss this more, but the situation was this. Seattle stood a few yards away from their second straight Super Bowl title and needed a touchdown to win. The ideal situation would be to hand the ball off to Marshawn Lynch and let the beast score. But Pete Carroll had another idea. He chose to let Russell Wilson throw the ball to the end zone.
While some have speculated that the plan was to throw the ball to get another time stoppage because Seattle had one timeout left, others say that because the Patriots' goal line defense was great combined with Lynch's ability to rush in short-yardage situations not being fantastic, they had to throw. Or perhaps Wilson wanted to throw to have a chance at Super Bowl MVP.
Whatever the case, one thing was clear. The ball was intercepted by Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler, and New England won the game.
New Orleans Saints trade entire draft for Ricky Williams

Ricky Williams was the big name in college football during the 1998 season as the Texas running back won the Heisman Trophy. A lot of NFL teams coveted him, including the New Orleans Saints, who needed running back help. So when it came time to grab him, the Saints and head coach Mike Ditka committed a colossal blunder. They traded their entire draft and one pick from next year to get Williams. Williams, with injuries and a bad contract, would wind up being a bust, and the decision would cost Ditka his job.
Minnesota Vikings trade for Herschel Walker and misuse him

Minnesota was in desperate need of a running back to win a Super Bowl. When Dallas was willing to trade their only Pro Bowl player, Herschel Walker, in 1989, the Vikings pounced on the chance to swoop him up. They gave up five players (each with a conditional draft pick attached) plus a boatload of draft picks to get their guy.
This was a win for the Vikings, right? Wrong! It turned out that Walker wasn't as successful as the Vikings hoped. But Minnesota was also wrong for not being able to work to get plays to help build him. As for those picks and players, the Cowboys were able to cut four of the guys and get a pick in return to turn them into a '90s dynasty.
Miami Dolphins don't sign Drew Brees

The Dolphins were looking to get a quarterback to help them for the 2006 season, and one name that came up was former Charger Drew Brees. However, there were concerns about his injury after he had shoulder surgery following the last game of the 2005 campaign. Miami had doubts about whether Brees would be the same player and ultimately chose not to offer him a deal.
Brees went to New Orleans to help revive the city that had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina and led the Saints to the Super Bowl while putting on a Hall of Fame career. This decision would also have another effect. It led to head coach Nick Saban taking the job at Alabama, where he would lead the program to six national championships.
Buffalo Bills start backup Rob Johnson over starter Doug Flutie in Music City Miracle loss

The Bills traded for Rob Johnson, who also signed a five-year, $25 million deal in 1998. Johnson started the first four games until he suffered a rib injury. Backup Doug Flutie took over and led Buffalo to a 10-6 mark and a playoff berth.
A year later, Flutie was named the starter, and Buffalo went 10-5 to clinch a playoff spot. Flutie was then allowed to rest in the last week of the season, and Rob Johnson played the final game. Johnson played so well that the Bills considered making a change for their first playoff game against Tennessee. They named Johnson the starter and Flutie as the backup despite Flutie carrying the team.
The decision backfired as Johnson struggled, going 10-of-22 for 131 yards, six sacks, and three fumbles, but while the Bills led 16-15, the Titans pulled away with a stunning miracle win. Flutie more than likely would've been back in the quarterback spot the next week had the Bills held on.
Cleveland Browns trade for Deshaun Watson

Cleveland needed a quarterback desperately, and they would get their guy. Except that guy was Deshaun Watson, the former Texan quarterback who was in the midst of an off-field scandal involving masseuses and hadn't played an entire season after a fallout with the franchise over his involvement in management decisions.
The Browns were willing to give up three first-round picks plus more to get him, giving up the chance to build a potential championship-caliber team. They signed him to a massive guaranteed contract, said goodbye to Baker Mayfield, and risked massive backlash from the media and fans who don't appreciate Watson's off-field shenanigans.
This trade has blown up in Cleveland's face to where it has set them back years, and it might take a while to get back to contending while the Texans have started to build a potential championship team with some picks working out for them, including Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr.
Dallas Cowboys pass on Randy Moss in NFL Draft

The Cowboys had the 8th pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and had an opportunity to strike it big when Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss was sliding. Moss was a talented athlete but had off-field issues that concerned teams. Had Dallas taken Moss, they would've paired him with another Hall of Famer in Michael Irvin.
Instead, the Cowboys took North Carolina defensive end Greg Ellis while Moss slid down all the way to Minnesota at 21. It was a decision that came back to haunt the Cowboys as Moss torched Dallas in the Thanksgiving game, won Rookie of the Year, and went on to have a Hall of Fame career without putting a blue star on his helmet.
Chicago Bears draft Mitchell Trubisky instead of Patrick Mahomes

The Bears needed a new quarterback, and they intended to take one in the 2017 NFL Draft. With the second overall pick, the Bears selected North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
How bad was that choice? Eight picks later, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to take a quarterback from Texas Tech who would go on to lead them to five AFC titles and three Super Bowl championships. His name was Patrick Mahomes.
Houston Texans trade DeAndre Hopkins in exchange for hardly anything

Things were horrible in Houston as the Texans were coming off a heartbreaking collapse to the Chiefs in the 2019 AFC Divisional Round in which they blew a 24-0 lead. But just when it couldn't get worse, it did when head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien did the unthinkable. He traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the successor to Andre Johnson and one of the best in the game, to the Arizona Cardinals.
What made it worse was that the return wasn't even valuable. It was running back David Johnson plus a second and fourth-round pick. Not even a minute after it was announced, the trade was considered an all-time bad call. While neither player would be able to reach further heights, the trade doomed the Texans, who went on to have three straight losing seasons of four wins or fewer.
New England Patriots go for it on fourth down in own territory vs. Colts (2009)

Up by six in the fourth quarter, the Patriots were trying to fend off an undefeated Colts team in 2009. However, they faced a critical fourth and two at their own 28-yard line with two minutes to go. Wanting to avoid having Peyton Manning beat them, head coach Bill Belichick decided to go for it and try to pick up the first down to secure the win. The gamble backfired, and the Colts got the ball back with a short field. Indy scored to take the win, 35-34.