There have been some incredible trades in NFL history, and there have been some trades that are equally as bad. Here are the top 5 worst trades in the history of the NFL:
5. Tampa Bay trades Steve Young to the San Francisco 49ers (1987)
Tampa received two draft picks for a player who won two MVP awards as well as a Super Bowl ring
4. Carolina Panthers trade for the first overall pick in the 2023 draft and take Bryce Young (2023)
It would be generous to say the jury is still out on Bryce Young, but Carolina gave up D.J. Moore and as well as four early round picks to take him
3. Cleveland Browns acquire Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans (2022)
Not only was it a disaster to trade five draft picks to get Watson, but Cleveland also gave him a $230 million deal hampering the franchise for years
2. New Orleans Saints trade up to take Ricky Williams (1999)
Mike Ditka decided to trade New Orleans’ entire draft (except for a second-round pick) to Washington for Williams who only stayed with the team for three years. Awful overpay.
1. Minnesota Vikings acquire Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys for five players and eight draft picks (1990)
Dallas traded away Walker and essentially reshaped their franchise as most of the players they selected helped set the foundation for their 1990’s dynasty and three Super Bowl wins
