How Russell Wilson's Denver Broncos deal compares to the worst trades in NFL history

There’s nothing like a blockbuster trade to capture the attention of NFL fans. Whether it’s a team throwing in everything they can in order to land that missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle or trading away a star player for a franchise-altering haul of either talent or draft picks, huge trades are never dull. 

The Denver Broncos this week admitted defeat on the Russell Wilson trade by cutting the veteran quarterback that they moved heaven and earth to land two years ago, but where does that trade rank in terms of the worst NFL trades in history?

Here’s a look at some of the biggest trades that have backfired in recent history…

Russell Wilson to Denver

Two first-round picks, two seconds, a fifth and three players

The Broncos believed that nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII winner Russell Wilson was the missing piece of the puzzle when they pulled the trigger on a huge 2022 trade. A combination of draft picks, players and a salary cap space was sacrificed to land Wilson, but a disastrous 5-12 season followed that saw coach Nathaniel Hackett fired and then replaced by Sean Payton. Year two of the Wilson era saw a slight improvement, but not enough to prevent the franchise from cutting the 35-year-old, who will be paid $39million by the Broncos in the 2024 season. Payton and company, meanwhile, now have to rebuild their side without first and second-round draft picks this year and with limited salary cap space. A disastrous trade all-round.

The Herschel Walker blockbuster

Three-way trade with Dallas receiving four players and six draft picks (including two firsts and two seconds)

A real classic of the genre. The biggest trade in NFL history involved three teams, six players and 12 draft picks, all centred around the Vikings landing running back Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys, who had just come off a 1-15 season. 

Walker did little to move the dial during a three-year spell in Minnesota as the Vikings failed to make the Super Bowl, but smart drafting from the Cowboys saw them construct the basis of the team that dominated the 1990s and won three Super Bowls. 

New Orleans trade away their whole draft

Every Saints 1999 draft pick plus two 2000 selections for fifth overall pick in 1999

Looking back now, the Saints’ decision to trade away more than a whole draft class to move up seven places in the first round to land a running back is simply bonkers. 

Mike Ditka’s side had the 12th overall selection in 1999, but wanted Washington’s fifth overall pick in order to land running back Ricky Williams. They would sacrifice all six of their 1999 draft picks, plus their first and third-round choices in 2000 to get a deal done. And it was a deal that everyone lost as the Saints limped to a 3-13 finish the following season, while Washington failed to make the kind of franchise-altering haul that Dallas had in the Walker trade. 

San Francisco go all-in on Trey Lance

San Francisco traded three first-round picks, plus a third-round for the number three pick in 2021

On one hand, you can argue that the 49ers got away with a huge bust here. But on the other hand, did they miss out on additional talent that could have got them over the line in one of their recent Super Bowl near-misses?

The 49ers believed Trey Lance was the missing piece as they looked to upgrade from Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2021 draft, but injuries and failure to grasp the opportunity meant that Lance was traded to Dallas for a 2024 fourth-round pick last year. Luckily for the Niners, a certain Brock Purdy was drafted with the final pick of the 2022 draft, giving them the QB that Kyle Shanahan craved. 

Atlanta give up on Brett Favre

Atlanta sent Farve to Green Bay for 17th pick of 1992 draft

A change of pace in this trade, as this was a case of the Falcons simply failing to grasp that they had a future Hall of Famer on their roster. Drafted by Atlanta, Favre saw his first NFL pass go for a pick-six, with only three more throws following in his rookie season. 

Head coach Jerry Glanville was not convinced and shipped Favre off to Green Bay in return for the 17th pick of the 1992 draft. Favre would become a Packers legend, winning Super Bowl XXXI and being named NFL MVP three times. 

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