With the NFL trade deadline looming on Oct. 31, now is probably a good time to backtrack and look at some of the biggest trades in league history.
Of course, football is not really known for trades. It’s not like basketball or baseball when major deals are expected at the deadline and in the offseason. Generally, the only player movement we see is when guys change teams via free agency.
However, in recent years, trades have become more commonplace in the NFL, and it has certainly made things a bit more exciting.
So, let’s take a look at the 10 biggest blockbuster trades in NFL history. As a trade that almost made the list, we would be remiss to not mention that the San Francisco 49ers acquiring Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers came in at No. 11 and just missed making the cut.
10. Houston Texans Trade Deshaun Watson to Cleveland Browns
After growing tired with the Texans’ front office not providing him with what he thought was adequate help, both in terms of coaching and roster personnel, Deshaun Watson wanted out.
He got his wish and was ultimately traded to the Browns in 2022, who then proceeded to give him the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history at $230 million.
Houston sent Watson and a fourth-round draft pick to Cleveland for five draft picks, three of them being first-round choices.
While it’s still far too early to determine who won the deal, it’s the magnitude of the surrounding elements of the trade that make it so colossal.
Handing that much money guaranteed to any player at any position—even quarterback—is unheard of, and it may very well be something we will never witness ever again.
Watson only played in six games during his debut season for the Browns due to an 11-game suspension, and during that time, he was not good.
While he has not been great so far this year (he has played in three games and has missed the last two due to a shoulder injury as of this writing), he has certainly looked considerably better than he did in 2022.
9. Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos Swap Champ Bailey and Clinton Portis
This trade is on this list not just because it involved two star players, but because it occurred at a time where trades were very rare in the NFL.
It happened in 2004, when the Redskins sent future Hall-of-Fame cornerback Champ Bailey to the Broncos for Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis.
During that era, halfbacks were still a prized commodity and were regarded as one of the most important positions in the field. Today, you would probably never see a team trade an elite cornerback for a very good running back, but it was a different time 20 years ago.
To be fair to Washington, Portis was coming off a monster 2003 campaign in which he racked up 1,591 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He also posted nearly identical numbers during his rookie year in 2002.
Meanwhile, Bailey was establishing himself as one of the NFL’s very best defensive backs and had made four straight trips to the Pro Bowl prior to the trade.
The deal ended up being a fairly lopsided victory for the Broncos, as Portis never regained his form from his first two seasons. He logged just 3.8 yards per attempt in his first year with the Redskins and made just one Pro Bowl in seven seasons with the club.
Conversely, Bailey made eight Pro Bowl appearances in 10 seasons in Denver and notched First-Team All-Pro honors in each of his first three years in the Mile High City.
In 2006, Bailey racked up 10 interceptions in one of the most dominant seasons we have seen from a cornerback in recent memory.
8. Oakland Raiders Trade Randy Moss to New England Patriots
Arguably the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, Randy Moss was actually traded twice in his NFL career. Once from the Minnesota Vikings to the Raiders, and then from the Raiders to the Patriots.
There is little doubt which trade was more significant.
Moss spent three seasons in Oakland but was a massive disappointment there, posting 1,000 receiving yards only once before ultimately being dealt to the Pats in 2007.
Moss would go on to set the single-season receiving touchdown record in his debut season with the Patriots, hauling in 23 touchdown grabs from Tom Brady. Brady himself set a single-season record with 50 passing touchdowns that year, but that mark has since been broken.
The duo of Brady and Moss pushed New England to an undefeated regular season. The Pats also ran their record to 18-0 overall on their way to a Super Bowl, only to see their dream of a 19-0 campaign shattered by Eli Manning and the Giants.
Overall, Moss spent three-plus seasons with the Patriots before eventually being traded back to the Vikings in 2010.
Moss led the NFL in receiving touchdowns twice with New England and made one Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection.
7. Seattle Seahawks Trade Russell Wilson to Denver Broncos
This may go down as one of the most regrettable trades in NFL history for the Broncos.
Perhaps it’s payback for Denver fleecing the Colts for John Elway, but the Russell Wilson trade has been nothing short of an abject disaster for the Broncos ever since completing the deal in March 2022.
Not only did Denver trade five draft picks and three other players to Seattle for Wilson, but it also handed the nine-time Pro Bowler a massive $245 million contract extension upon acquiring him.
Wilson was horrendous in his debut season with the Broncos, posting the worst numbers of his career. While he has been noticeably better in 2023, Denver has been terrible as a team, and now, many are speculating that the Broncos could merely cut Wilson in the offseason.
What was supposed to be a franchise-altering trade for Denver has ended up handicapping the club both now and for the foreseeable future.
6. Indianapolis Colts Trade Marshall Faulk to St. Louis Rams
The Colts have been involved in a lot of big trades, huh?
While most people know Marshall Faulk for his prolific run with the Rams, many casual observers may not know that Faulk also had a solid run with Indianapolis beforehand.
As a matter of fact, Faulk spent five seasons with the Colts and made three trips to the Pro Bowl there before being dealt to St. Louis for a couple of draft picks in 1999.
While Faulk was very good in Indy, he didn’t truly separate himself from other running backs in the NFL until he got to the Rams, where earned three consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections in his first three seasons with the club.
Faulk amassed over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first three years in St. Louis and was instrumental in the Rams winning the Super Bowl during the 1999-00 campaign. The offense was dominant that year that people called that Rams team “The Greatest Show On Turf.”
Faulk was also remarkably efficient, averaging well over five yards per carry in those aforementioned first three seasons in St. Louis.
However, his longevity was relatively short with the Rams, as Faulk fell off considerably by his fourth season there.
5. San Diego Chargers Trade Eli Manning to New York Giants
Remember earlier when I mentioned Elway’s case was similar to another player’s? That player is Eli Manning.
Back in 2004, the Chargers selected Manning with the first overall pick of the NFL Draft, much to the chagrin of the Manning family. The Mannings wanted Eli in New York, and the look on Eli’s face when San Diego took him No. 1 said it all.
But, the Chargers ultimately traded Manning to the Giants for Philip Rivers (whom New York took fourth overall) and three other draft picks, one of which was a first-rounder that San Diego used to take linebacker Shawne Merriman in 2005.
While many felt the Giants overpaid for Manning, you can’t really argue with the success that Manning had in the Big Apple.
Manning led New York to a pair of Super Bowl wins and won the Super Bowl MVP award both times. Meanwhile, Rivers never led the Chargers to a single Super Bowl appearance.
Even if Rivers was a better pure passer than Manning, there is no question that Manning possessed intangibles that Rivers simply did not have.
Manning retired after the 2019 campaign, going down as inarguably the greatest quarterback to ever put on a Giants uniform.
4. Los Angeles Rams Trade Eric Dickerson to Indianapolis Colts
There is no question that Eric Dickerson is one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game, so when he was traded to the Colts midway through the 1987 season, it sent shockwaves through the league.
Because of an ongoing contract dispute between Dickerson and the Rams, Los Angeles traded him to Indianapolis in a three-team deal that also included the Buffalo Bills. A grand total of 10 players were involved in the trade, which makes it the fifth-largest trade in NFL history.
Over his first four full seasons with the Rams, Dickerson made three Pro Bowls, earned three First-Team All-Pro selections and led the league in rushing yards three times. He remained elite over his first two-and-a-half seasons in Indianapolis, earning trips to the Pro Bowl three times and notching First-Team All-Pro honors twice. He also paced the NFL in rushing yards during his first full campaign in Indy in 1988.
Overall, the Hall-of-Famer spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Colts.
3. Baltimore Colts Trade John Elway to Denver Broncos
Back in 1983, there was a young, promising quarterback by the name of John Elway entering the NFL Draft. The Colts owned the No. 1 overall pick that year, and while Elway had no intention of ever playing for them, they drafted him anyway (which is a similar story to another quarterback further down this list).
Well, Elway refused to comply, and the Colts were forced to trade the Stanford product to the Denver Broncos for offensive lineman Chris Hinton, quarterback Mark Herrmann and a first-round draft pick.
You know the rest of the story.
Elway went on to establish himself as the most legendary figure in Broncos history, making nine Pro Bowl appearances, winning an MVP award and, most importantly, leading Denver to a pair of Super Bowl titles in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 campaigns.
While Elway’s lifetime numbers are more questionable than you would think (he lays claim to a career passer rating of 79.9, completed just 56.9 percent of his throws and threw nearly as many interceptions [226] as touchdowns [300]), there is no doubt that he left an indelible mark on the Broncos and football in general.
2. Atlanta Falcons Trade Brett Favre to Green Bay Packers
The casual football fan may not know that Brett Favre didn’t actually begin his NFL career with the Packers. He actually started out with the Falcons.
Atlanta took Favre in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft, but he threw just four passes (two of which were interceptions) in his rookie campaign for the Falcons before the club ultimately shipped him to Green Bay for a first-round pick.
It seems pretty safe to say that Atlanta gave up on Favre a bit too prematurely.
Favre went on to spend the next 16 years with the Packers, making nine Pro Bowl appearances, earning three First-Team All-Pro selections and leading Green Bay to a Super Bowl victory. He also won the MVP award three years in a row between 1995 and 1997, leading the league in passing touchdowns all three seasons.
1. Dallas Cowboys Trade Herschel Walker to Minnesota Vikings
Not only is the Herschel Walker trade the biggest blockbuster trade in NFL history, but it is also the largest trade from a standpoint of the pieces involved.
This was a ridiculous midseason 18-player trade (yes, eighteen) in which the Cowboys sent Walker and four draft picks to the Vikings in exchange for linebackers Jesse Solomon and David Howard, cornerback Issiac Holt defensive end Alex Stewart and eight draft choices (including three-rounders). Running back Darrin Nelson was also sent to the San Diego Chargers in the deal.
This massive trade helped set the stage for Dallas to build a roster that won three Super Bowls in the ’90s. Meanwhile, Walker, who made two Pro Bowls during his three-plus year stint with the Cowboys, was a massive disappointment for Minnesota. He lasted just two-and-a-half seasons with the Vikings and didn’t register a single 1,000-yard campaign.
The Vikings initially though Walker would help put them over the top, but instead, Minnesota handed the Cowboys a dynasty.
