Top Ten Worst Trades in NFL History

In 1989, the Cowboys were terrible. The Vikings were just desperate. This is probably a trade we will never see again, one in which the Vikings lost and made the Cowboys into a '90s dynasty. Thanks a lot, Minnesota.

In the trade, they sent three, yes, three first-round picks (1990, 1991, and 1993), three second-round picks (1990, 1991, and 1992), a third-round pick (1992), a few other picks, and a few players. In return, the Vikings got Herschel Walker, Dallas' third-round picks (1990 and 1991), a tenth-round pick, and another low-round pick.

While in Minnesota, Walker never went over 1,000 yards rushing, scored 20 rushing touchdowns, and was just average to slightly above average. Dallas, however, got a better running back in Emmitt Smith and safety Darren Woodson, and started a dynasty.

Well, they really traded for the pick to take him, but nevertheless, it was a huge one. Trading with the Redskins, the Saints got the 5th overall pick in 1999 and took the running back. But Washington got a huge haul, getting New Orleans' other first-round pick, and third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round picks in 1999, and the Saints' first and third-round picks in 2000.

Williams was average for the Saints and was traded to the Dolphins after three seasons, where he later got his career on track, having a career year in 2002. Meanwhile, the Redskins somehow screwed up with all those picks and didn't get much better from them.

They didn't trade for him, but traded up to draft him. So, they gave the Cardinals two first-round picks (1998 and 1999), a second-round pick (1998), and Eric Metcalf and Patrick Sapp. The Chargers certainly didn't get much out of this trade, getting arguably one of the biggest busts in NFL history. But it's not like the Cardinals benefited much from this either.

The 2nd overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft, Mirer was already a below-average player with the Seahawks. But somehow, they actually got a profit out of trading Mirer to the quarterback-desperate Chicago Bears. The Bears gave the Seahawks a first and fourth-round pick for a guy that eventually only started three games for them.

Since the trade, the Bears' best quarterback has been Jay Cutler, which isn't saying much.

As of right now, this is the most recent trade. Before this trade, the Texans were viable playoff contenders, with a talented offense finally built around Deshaun Watson. He had a decent offensive line, two good running backs, and a great receiving corps consisting of Will Fuller V, Kenny Stills, and, of course, arguably the NFL's top receiver, DeAndre Hopkins.

But, for some really odd reason, head coach turned general manager Bill O'Brien said, "meh, we don't really want you anymore," and, to the surprise of every NFL fan, traded him away for basically nothing. Wait, what? You have a top five receiver in the NFL for your top ten quarterback, and not only do you trade him away, but you also trade him for a half-eaten bag of Doritos and a paperclip.

What did the Texans really get from the Cardinals? Just a 2020 second-round pick and a one-hit wonder in running back David Johnson. They didn't even really have a big hole at running back. The Cardinals, meanwhile, got someone to pair with future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and a 2020 fourth-round pick.

I think it is safe to say that the Cardinals won this trade, while the Texans put themselves in place for an entire offseason of pain.

One of the more recent trades, the Raiders traded a third and fifth-round pick (2019) to the Steelers for All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown. Of course, it didn't go so well. Over the course of the offseason, Brown clashed with management and the coaching staff, and he was eventually released, having not played a single game for the Raiders.

The Patriots picked him up a few weeks later, and he played his lone game of 2019 in Week 2, scoring a touchdown, before being released the next week. The Raiders wasted resources for nothing.

The Falcons drafted him in 1991, but they had issues with him and got the Packers' first-round pick in exchange for the troubled quarterback. Big mistake for a franchise that doesn't have a Hall of Fame quarterback. Favre went on to win three MVP awards and a Super Bowl in Green Bay, while the Falcons trudged on with nothing gained from the trade and still without a truly elite quarterback.