Ranking top 5 worst trades in NFL history ft. Broncos' $242,600,000 Russell Wilson experiment

Denver Broncos v Seattle Seahawks
Ranking top 5 worst trades in NFL history ft. Broncos' $242,600,000 Russell Wilson experiments

Russell Wilson, who was handed a $242.6 million contract to join the Broncos from the Seahawks, is now on his way out of Denver. What was supposed to bring back Super Bowls instead resulted in two losing seasons and missing the playoffs on both occasions. And his contract structure means that the Broncos will still pay $39 million to Russell Wilson even after cutting him.

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All of this makes it one of the worst trades of all time. Here we recount some other trades in NFL history that were as poorly received.

#1 - The Herschel Walker trade

This remains known as 'The Trade' for a reason. The Dallas Cowboys, having finished 1-15, sent star running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989. In return, the Cowboys got five player, one removed to San Diego, first and secound round picks of the 1990 NFL Draft from the Vikings and mulitple conditional picks in subsequent drafts in the earlier rounds.

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It was a mammoth haul involving 18 players and draft picks. While Minnesota were hopeful of reaching the Super Bowl with that trade, it never materialized. Instead, Dallas rebuilt their entire squad using those selections and embarked on a dynasty in the 1990s, when they lifted three Lombardi Trophies.

#2 - Broncos count Russell Wilson's price

The price tag and the details have already been explained before and the cap hit makes this a particularly bad trade. But the context makes it even worse. The Denver Broncos were supposed to get a quarterback that could take them to the next level. Russell Wilson was supposed to be the player who could replace the void they have had ever since Peyton Manning required.

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Instead, it was Geno Smith, who replaced Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks who won the Comeback Player of the Year Award and took the team to the postseason. Wilson did not manage a single winning season or a playoff appearance with the Broncos.

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#3 - Brett Favre leaves the Falcons to join the Packers

The Atlanta Falcons took Brett Favre 33rd overall in the 1991 NFL Draft. But a spat with head coach Jerry Glanville meant he was traded to the Green Bay Packers. While the Falcons did receive a first-round pick, it was inadequate for what was to come later.

Brett Favre played 16 seasons in the NFL and won three MVP awards. Most importantly for the Packers, he brought the third Super Bowl in franchise history back to Green Bay, after having not won once since the second edition. Atlanta, meanwhile, is still awaiting to celebrate its first World Championship in football.

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#4 - John Hadl struggles in Green Bay

The reason the Packers went so long without winning the Super Bowl was because they could not find a franchise quarterback to take them into the promised land. But that does not mean that they did not try.

In 1974, Green Bay sent five draft picks for a clearly waning John Hadl, who was the quarterback for the Rams. He finished that season with an even 3-3 record. But in his first full season as a starter, he went 4-9.

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#5 - Antonio Brown joins the Raiders

No list of trades will be complete without Antonio Brown. There are countless teams who have harbored the belief that they can help the wide receiver achieve his full potential without the surrounding drama. It is fair to say that every single one of them have failed.

But nothing flamed out so spectacularly as when the Raiders gave up a third-round and a fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers This came ahead of the 2019 season but Antonio Brown never got to see himself in that uniform.

First, he forgot to wear boots that would protect him from cryotherapy. Missing time because of that, he compounte the issue by complaining about and refusing to follow new helmet regulations. In addition to that, he kept missing scheduled prractices and got in an altercation with the general manager. All in an offseason's work for the former Steelers star.

Green Bay Packers Fans! Check out the latest Packers Schedule and dive into the Green Bay Packers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Rit Nanda
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