The 13 Trades That Shook Up the NFL
The NFL may not be known for bombastic trades in the same way MLB or the NBA are, but that’s not to say it isn’t immune from a major shakeup.
Some of the biggest names in NFL history have forced their team’s hand, leveraging contracts and accomplishments to land a trade for a fresh start. Other times, franchises are looking for a fresh start, and are willing to give up major draft capital in order to land a team-altering player in return. While a few of these gargantuan trades have paid off for both sides, that is often not the case.
1. Herschel Walker to the Vikings
Before he tried his hand in politics, Herschel Walker was one of the most feared running backs in all of the NFL. That’s why the Minnesota Vikings went all-in to acquire him.
The largest trade in NFL history went down Oct. 12, 1989, and when expanded to include an eventual third team in the San Diego Chargers, it included 18 players and draft picks. Dallas went 1-15 the year prior, and decided to trade its star back to the Vikings, who believed Walker would be their missing link. The Cowboys acquired eight draft picks, including three first-round picks, and used them to rebuild and become a dynasty in the 1990s. Walker never won a championship with Minnesota, and Dallas used the No. 21 overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft to move up to 17 and take Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.
2. Ricky Williams to the Saints
Mike Ditka’s New Orleans Saints wanted Texas running back Ricky Williams badly in the 1999 NFL Draft, so they made quite the gamble. The Saints dealt their entire draft arsenal that year for him, as well as additional future picks, to move up to No. 5 to take the running back.
Washington pulled the trigger on the deal, swapping first-round selections that year and adding New Orleans’ 2000 first-round pick, which they used to take three-time Pro Bowler LaVar Arrington. Williams played just three seasons for New Orleans, and Ditka was fired within the first season of having him on the roster.
3. Eli Manning for Philip Rivers
Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning was the top prospect in the 2004 NFL Draft, but there was a significant problem: he had no desire to play for the team picking first, the San Diego Chargers. That’s when the wheels got churning.
The Chargers picked Manning No. 1, but then shipped him to the New York Giants in exchange for No. 4 overall pick Philip Rivers. Both teams found their franchise quarterbacks in the deal, and the results were fantastic for both squads. The Giants won two Super Bowl titles with Manning in dramatic fashion, while Rivers threw nearly 400 touchdowns in 16 seasons with the Chargers en route to eight Pro Bowl selections.
4. Steve Young to the 49ers
Steve Young’s NFL career didn’t start off all that strong, tossing just 11 touchdowns in two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They decided to ship him off to the San Francisco 49ers, who were looking for the heir apparent to the legendary Joe Montana.
It was just what Young needed. He became a star under head coach Bill Walsh, making the Pro Bowl every year from 1992 through 1998. Young was named NFL Most Valuable Player twice with the 49ers, and picked up a Super Bowl ring in 1995 as well. Tampa received second and fourth-round picks in return for the future Hall of Famer.
5. Brett Favre to the Packers
The Atlanta Falcons let quarterback Brett Favre play in just two games in 1991, hardly giving him a fair chance to show his worth. They would live to regret that not long after.
Atlanta dealt Favre to the Green Bay Packers in 1992 for a first-round pick Green Bay had acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles. General manager Ron Wolf had intended to take Favre the year prior with the New York Jets, but Atlanta stole him before he could. Wolf would make good on it with the trade, acquiring one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Favre led the Packers to a Super Bowl win, won three MVPs, and threw for nearly 450 touchdowns in Green Bay.
6. Khalil Mack to the Bears
Khalil Mack was already making a case for Canton as a member of the Oakland Raiders, becoming a dominant linebacking force and winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. The problem was, the Raiders weren’t ready to pay him premium money.
Mack held out of training camp in 2018, forcing a deal in which he was sent to the Chicago Bears along with several picks in exchange for a collection of draft picks, including two first-rounders. Mack was superb for the Bears in his first season, earning an All-Pro nod and leading the Bears to an NFC North title. One of the picks the Raiders received did turn into two-time Pro Bowle running back Josh Jacobs.
7. Randy Moss to the Patriots
The Raiders have a history of trading unhappy star players, and Randy Moss was no exception. Moss was electric with the Minnesota Vikings before making his way to Oakland in 2005. But after two letdown years, the Raiders shipped him to the New England Patriots.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady needed a playmaking weapon, and Moss became just that. Brady and Moss combined in 2007 to make maybe the greatest QB/WR duo in league history, with Moss setting the single-season touchdown receptions record with 23. The Pats went undefeated in the regular season and were barely squeaked out by the Giants in the Super Bowl.
8. Marshall Faulk to the Rams
“The Greatest Show on Turf” needed a dynamic running back, and the Indianapolis Colts helped make that possible when they traded Marshall Faulk to the St. Louis Rams in 1999.
Faulk was a three-time Pro Bowl running back with Indy, but they had their eyes on Edgerrin James to replace him. So he was dealt to St. Louis in exchange for two picks. James would become a Hall of Famer in his own right, but Faulk was the missing piece the Rams needed to make a Super Bowl run, as they would go on to defeat the Tennessee Titans that year. Faulk won the MVP Award the following season with St. Louis as well.
9. DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was a stud with the Houston Texans, making four Pro Bowl teams while with Houston and becoming one of the NFL’s most lethal weapons. So when Houston gave him up for chump change, it was a startling move.
Bill O’Brien and the Texans dealt Hopkins and a draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the 2020 season in exchange for running back Dave Johnson and two draft picks. The Texans immediately went into rebuilding mode, while Hopkins made the Pro Bowl for Arizona. He also set the team’s single-season franchise record with 115 receptions, cementing himself as one of the NFL’s best receivers.
10. Joe Montana to the Chiefs
Joe Montana’s run with the San Francisco 49ers is iconic, but even the GOATs have their expiration dates. At least, that’s how the 49ers felt, bringing in Steve Young to replace him.
San Francisco dealt the four-time Super Bowl Champion to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 1993 season, where he signed a three-year deal. Montana made the Pro Bowl his first season in Kansas City, and took the Chiefs to the NFL Playoffs. He led them to two comeback wins, but they fell to the powerhouse Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game. Still, Montana’s short run with Kansas City showed he still had plenty of gas left in the tank, and he became a fan-favorite during his tenure.
11. Matthew Stafford to the Rams
Some late-career trades do produce championships though, as is the case with Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Detroit Lions traded their franchise quarterback to the Rams for former AFC Champion Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick. It was a startling move at the time, but viewed by many as a chance to hit restart for both teams while remaining competitive. Stafford was tremendous in his first season with Los Angeles, throwing 41 touchdowns and leading them to a Super Bowl win. Goff has also developed into a great quarterback for Detroit, signing a four-year extension in 2024 with more than $170 million of it guaranteed.
12. Jay Cutler to the Bears
Jay Cutler looked certain to be the long-term face of the Denver Broncos after they drafted him in 2006. But both sides were looking for a fresh start in 2009, so he found himself on his way to Chicago.
Cutler and a draft pick were traded to the Windy City for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and quarterback Kyle Orton. Cutler never made a Pro Bowl for Chicago, but he still was productive for the team, notching 23,443 passing yards en route to becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards. He also threw 154 touchdowns, the most in franchise history.
13. Eric Dickerson to the Colts
Eric Dickerson won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 1983 with the Los Angeles Rams, and followed with the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award in 1986. But after a few seasons of contract disputes with Los Angeles, he was sent to Indianapolis for a fresh start.
The deal was a massive three-team trade between the Rams, Colts, and Bills, with multiple big names and draft picks switching teams due to Dickerson’s equity. He led the NFL in rushing in the 1988 season, but more contract disputes would follow. Dickerson and the Colts rarely saw eye to eye, and he has described the experience in Indianapolis as the worst time of his career.