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#3 - Atlanta Falcons (Brett Favre to Green Bay Packers, 1992)
If ever there was a cautionary tale about your coach and general manager being on the same page in the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons in 1992 are it.
Jerry Glanville, the Falcons coach at the time, simply didn't want Favre. He didn't recognize his skillset, arm strength, or potential. He rather publicly thought spending a second-round pick on the future Hall of Famer was a waste of a pick.
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He barely played and threw just four professional passes in his rookie year, completing zero. There were concerns about his off-field activities in Atlanta, and the situation was troubling, although the franchise simply gave up too quickly.
He was traded to the Green Bay Packers after one NFL season, and he would become an elite performer virtually from his first start.
In the 16 seasons, he spent in Wisconsin, Favre would miss just one regular-season game, have just one losing season, win three successive MVP awards between 1995 and 1997 and win a Super Bowl.
The Falcons would fire Jerry Glanville after the 1993 season, and he would never work in the NFL again, and the Georgia franchise would have one winning season from 1992 to 1997, during which Favre thrived.
#4 - Miami Dolphins (Joe Theismann to Washington, 1974)
Miami has a somewhat troubled relationship with starting quarterbacks, and they were burned by their decision to offload Joe Theismann before he ever played a game for them.
Miami drafted Theismann in the fourth round of the 1971 NFL Draft, but negotiations over a contract failed, and he chose to head to Canada, signing for the Toronto Argonauts.
As was the system at the time, Theismann could do what he pleased in his career, but if he should ever decide to return to the NFL, it would be the Dolphins who owned his rights.
Theismann excelled in Canada, while the Dolphins continued to succeed, reaching three successive Super Bowls and winning two.
In 1974 the Dolphins cut ties with Theismann, agreeing to trade his rights to Washington, with the quarterback signing immediately.
It took Theismann four years in Washington to become the team's starter, but then he began to shine.
In 1982 he was established as one of the best passers in football and helped steer the Washington team to a Super Bowl victory before winning the MVP award for the 1983 season.
He threw for 25,206 yards over a 12-year career and had the team's record for most career wins, most career passing yards, most career completions, and most passes attempted.
Perhaps regret is not the most appropriate word regarding the Dolphins here.
The team continued to achieve winning seasons and would eventually draft Dan Marino in 1983, but letting a player go who would on to define another franchise can rarely be viewed as anything other than a lapse in judgment.
#5 - Miami Dolphins (Ryan Tannehill to Tennessee Titans, 2019)
Players seem to improve after leaving the Miami Dolphins, and there has been no better example than Ryan Tannehill, who was traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2019.
In the three years since Tannehill was forced out of Miami, the Dolphins have struggled to find a successor at the quarterback position, while Tannehill has shone with the Titans.
In the three seasons since the trade, the Dolphins have had a reasonable roster, achieving winning records in two of Brian Flores' three seasons.
However, the lack of competency at the quarterback position has hamstrung the team.
Ironically, with Tannehill having won the Comeback Player of the Year in 2019, thrown for over 10,000 yards, and won two playoff games, he is exactly the player who could have tipped the Dolphins over the line.
2019 saw him record the highest ever passer rating in Titans franchise history and the highest completion rate in a single season.
Tannehill is looking towards his fourth season in Tennessee and is a candidate to reach the AFC Championship game. The Dolphins wish they had him throwing passes to newly signed receiver Tyreek Hill.
