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It's rare for an elite NFL quarterback to get traded. It's arduous to find a great quarterback, so when teams land one, they rarely entertain the possibility of trading them away.
The most recent occasion when an elite quarterback was traded happened during the 2022 offseason. The Denver Broncos sent a giant package of draft picks and players to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Russell Wilson. Both the Broncos and Wilson are hoping this results in a Super Bowl.
Trading for a top-tier quarterback always comes with the goal of winning a championship, which is why teams will sacrifice a lot to acquire one. Here are five times in NFL history that an elite quarterback was traded from one team to another, eventually resulting in a Super Bowl ring and changing the landscape of the NFL.
Blockbuster trades for NFL QBs
#1 - Matthew Stafford traded from Detroit Lions to Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is a perfect example of how a quarterback can take a team to the next level. The Los Angeles Rams were a regular playoff team with Jared Goff as their quarterback, but after trading for Stafford with the Detroit Lions, they immediately won a Super Bowl in their first season together.
The move was beneficial to Stafford's legacy. Not only did he get his first Super Bowl ring with the Rams, but all four playoff wins of his career came in his first season with the franchise. He made multiple playoff appearances with the Lions but never earned a victory.
#2 - Eli Manning traded from San Diego Chargers to New York Giants
Eli Manning was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick of the 2004 NFL Draft. Manning refused to sign with the Chargers and said he would sit out if they didn't trade him. The Chargers traded him to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers, another rookie quarterback from the same class.
While Rivers had a relatively successful career with the Chargers, he never made it to the Super Bowl despite many playoff appearances. Eli Manning helped the Giants win two Super Bowl rings while being named the MVP of the game in both wins.
Blockbuster QB trades
#3 - Steve Young traded from Tampa Bay Buccaneers to San Francisco 49ers
Steve Young spent two years in the USFL after college before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He struggled during his two seasons with the Buccaneers before eventually being traded to the San Francisco 49ers to be a back-up for Joe Montana.
When Montana suffered an injury, Young stepped in and impressed the organization so much that he won the starting job. Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, while Young helped the 49ers win another Super Bowl, was named the MVP of the game and also won two regular-season NFL MVP awards.
#4 - John Elway traded from Baltimore Colts to Denver Broncos
The Baltimore Colts selected John Elway with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Elway refused to play for the Colts and said that he would go play baseball instead of football if the Colts didn't trade him to another team. They granted his wish, trading him to the Denver Broncos, where he would appear in five Super Bowls and win two of them.
#5 - Joe Theismann traded from Miami Dolphins to Washington
After playing three seasons in the Canadian Football League, the Miami Dolphins traded the rights of Joe Theismann to Washington for a first-round draft pick. Theismann helped Washington win a Super Bowl ring while also winning an NFL MVP award along the way. Unfortunately, his career was cut short in the middle of his prime years by a gruesome injury suffered during a hit by the legendary Lawrence Taylor.
