Raiders,
daily.

Lists

Lists

The 10 most lopsided trades in NFL history

Ten deals judged on what each side got back, and how far apart those two things turned out to be.

By ·

This is a let's-have-an-argument list. Ten trades, ranked on how far apart the two sides ended up, measured by what the players and picks did afterward: games, titles, MVP awards, Hall of Fame plaques and, in a couple of cases, dead money. Hindsight is the whole method, so a deal that looked fair on the day can still rank high. Draft-day trade-ups count, because a pick is a player the other team didn't get to take. If you think a worse deal is missing, or that one of these was closer than it looks, say so. Every case below is there to be argued with.

  1. 1

    Herschel Walker to Minnesota, 1989

    Oct. 12, 1989: 18 players and picks changed hands; Dallas won three Super Bowls

    Dallas sent Herschel Walker to Minnesota in October 1989 in a deal that moved 18 players and draft picks. The Vikings gave up linebackers Jesse Solomon and David Howard, cornerback Issiac Holt, defensive end Alex Stewart and a stack of picks, including first-rounders in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Dallas turned those picks into, among others, Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Darren Woodson and Kevin Smith, and won three Super Bowls in four seasons. Walker played 42 games for Minnesota and ran for 2,264 yards, and the Vikings didn't win a playoff game with him on the roster. The counterargument is that Dallas still had to draft well with what it got. It did. That's the point: Minnesota handed its future to a team that knew exactly what to do with it.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Herschel Walker trade · Star Tribune · West Central Tribune · Wikipedia: Herschel Walker.

  2. 2

    Brett Favre to Green Bay, 1992

    Feb. 11, 1992: one first-round pick for three MVPs and a Super Bowl title

    Green Bay traded a first-round pick, No. 17 overall in 1992, to Atlanta for Brett Favre. Favre won three straight MVP awards from 1995 to 1997, won Super Bowl XXXI 35-21 over New England, lost the next one to Denver and went into the Hall of Fame in 2016. Atlanta didn't even keep the pick. It sent No. 17 to Dallas, which took cornerback Kevin Smith, and drafted running back Tony Smith at No. 19. Smith carried the ball 87 times as a rookie and never played another NFL game after his third season. The counterargument is short. Kevin Smith turned out to be a useful player, for the Cowboys. Nothing in this trade ever helped Atlanta.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Brett Favre · Packers News · Packers News: the pick · Wikipedia: Tony Smith · Pro Football Hall of Fame.

  3. 3

    Steve Young to San Francisco, 1987

    April 24, 1987: a second, a fourth and cash for two MVPs and a Super Bowl MVP

    San Francisco got Steve Young from Tampa Bay in April 1987 for a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and cash. The Buccaneers used the picks on linebacker Winston Moss and receiver Bruce Hill. Young won MVP awards in 1992 and 1994, led the league in passer rating six times, threw six touchdown passes in a 49-26 win over San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX and was named its MVP, and made the Hall of Fame in 2005. The counterargument is time. Young sat behind Joe Montana for years, and his first MVP came five seasons after the trade. That's a long wait for a return. It was worth it, and Tampa Bay had nothing like it to show for its end.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Steve Young · Buccaneers.com · San Francisco Chronicle · Pro Football Hall of Fame.

  4. 4

    The Chiefs trade up for Patrick Mahomes, 2017

    2017 draft: Nos. 27 and 91 plus a 2018 first for No. 10

    Kansas City moved from No. 27 to No. 10 in the 2017 draft, giving Buffalo the 27th pick, a third-rounder and its 2018 first-rounder, and took Patrick Mahomes. He has since won MVP awards in 2018 and 2022, started five Super Bowls and won three, and been named MVP of all three wins. Buffalo did well with what it got. No. 27 became cornerback Tre'Davious White, and the 2018 first helped the Bills trade up for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The counterargument is that the Bills got two good starters and built a contender, which is more than most teams get from trading down. True. It's still two starters against three championships.

    Sources: NFL.com · CBS Sports · FOX4 Kansas City · Newsweek · ESPN · Wikipedia: Patrick Mahomes.

  5. 5

    Marshall Faulk to St. Louis, 1999

    1999: a second and a fifth for an MVP, three Offensive Player of the Year awards and a ring

    Indianapolis traded Marshall Faulk to St. Louis before the 1999 season for a second-round pick and a fifth. The Colts took linebacker Mike Peterson and defensive end Brad Scioli. Faulk set a record with 2,429 yards from scrimmage in his first season with the Rams, and they won Super Bowl XXXIV. He was Offensive Player of the Year three straight seasons, the 2000 MVP with a then-record 26 touchdowns, and a Hall of Famer in 2011. The counterargument is a good one. The Colts used the fourth overall pick that spring on Edgerrin James, who also made the Hall of Fame. They replaced Faulk. They just didn't get anything like him in the trade.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Marshall Faulk · Pro Football Hall of Fame · Horseshoe Heroes · Colts.com · Wikipedia: Edgerrin James.

  6. 6

    Russell Wilson to Denver, 2022

    March 2022: two firsts, two seconds, a fifth and three players; $85 million in dead money

    Denver gave Seattle two first-round picks, two seconds, a fifth, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris for Russell Wilson in March 2022, then signed him to a five-year, $245 million extension. He went 11-19 as the Broncos' starter over two seasons, and when they released him they took on $85 million in dead money, then an NFL record. Seattle used the picks on Charles Cross, Boye Mafe, Devon Witherspoon and Derick Hall, among others, and won Super Bowl LX, 29-13 over New England. The counterargument is that Denver recovered quickly and reached the AFC Championship Game after the 2025 season. It did. It also paid $85 million to a quarterback who was no longer there.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Russell Wilson · CBS Sports · NBC Boston · CBS Sports: Seattle's return · Sports Illustrated · Wikipedia: Super Bowl LX.

  7. 7

    Deshaun Watson to Cleveland, 2022

    March 18, 2022: three firsts and three more picks, then $230 million guaranteed

    Cleveland traded three first-round picks, a third and two fourths to Houston for Deshaun Watson in March 2022 and gave him a five-year, $230 million contract, all of it guaranteed. He was then suspended 11 games and fined $5 million. In his first three seasons with the Browns he went 9-10 in 19 starts. Houston used the picks, directly or through further trades, on players including Will Anderson Jr., the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Tank Dell, Dameon Pierce and Kamari Lassiter. The counterargument is that several of Houston's picks became role players rather than stars. Fine. Cleveland paid three firsts and $230 million for those first three seasons, and no number of Texans misses closes that gap.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Deshaun Watson · NFL.com · Dawgs by Nature · CBS Sports · ESPN · HoustonTexans.com.

  8. 8

    Jerome Bettis to Pittsburgh, 1996

    April 20, 1996: a second and a fourth for 10,571 yards and a Hall of Fame career

    Pittsburgh got Jerome Bettis and a third-round pick from St. Louis on draft day in 1996 for a second-rounder and a 1997 fourth. The Rams took tight end Ernie Conwell and, after a swap with Miami, tackle Ryan Tucker. Bettis ran for 10,571 yards as a Steeler, made four Pro Bowls in Pittsburgh, won Super Bowl XL and went into the Hall of Fame in 2015. The counterargument is that the Rams didn't miss him, because they won Super Bowl XXXIV after the 1999 season with Marshall Faulk, fifth on this list. That tells you the Rams recovered. It doesn't tell you they got anything for Bettis.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Jerome Bettis trade · Steelers.com · Steelers Now · Pro Football Hall of Fame.

  9. 9

    Randy Moss to New England, 2007

    April 29, 2007: a fourth-round pick for a record 23 touchdown catches

    The Raiders traded Randy Moss to New England during the 2007 draft for a fourth-round pick. Moss caught a record 23 touchdown passes that season, and the Patriots went 16-0 before losing Super Bowl XLII. Oakland used the pick on defensive back John Bowie. The counterargument is that the trade produced one historic season and no title, and a team that doesn't win it all can't be the big winner of a trade. It can when it paid a fourth-round pick. New England got a record-setting season for a fourth-rounder, and Oakland got a fourth-rounder for a future Hall of Famer.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Randy Moss · Fox Sports · Silver and Black Pride.

  10. 10

    The Falcons trade up for Julio Jones, 2011

    2011 draft: five picks for No. 6; seven Pro Bowls in Atlanta

    Atlanta gave Cleveland five picks to move from No. 27 to No. 6 in the 2011 draft: the 27th, 59th and 124th picks that year plus a 2012 first and fourth. The Falcons took Julio Jones. He caught 848 passes for 12,896 yards and 60 touchdowns in Atlanta, made seven Pro Bowls and two All-Pro first teams, and led the league in receiving yards twice, with 1,871 and 1,677. The Browns' haul ran through Phil Taylor, Owen Marecic, Brandon Weeden and a trade up for Trent Richardson, and none of them lasted in Cleveland. The counterargument is that Cleveland lost this trade by drafting badly, and that Atlanta never won a title with Jones. Both are true. Neither closes a gap this wide.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Julio Jones · Sports Illustrated · Fox Sports · NFL.com · AtlantaFalcons.com.

More lists

Every list →