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Every NFL team’s worst trade of all-time (Updated)

By Randy Gurzi

Steve Young #8, Quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers feeds the ball to Running Back #32 James Wilder during the American Football Conference West game against the Los Angeles Rams on 5 October 1986 at the Anaheim Stadium, Los Angeles, California, United States. The Rams won the game 26 - 20. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
Steve Young #8, Quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers feeds the ball to Running Back #32 James Wilder during the American Football Conference West game against the Los Angeles Rams on 5 October 1986 at the Anaheim Stadium, Los Angeles, California, United States. The Rams won the game 26 - 20. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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31 Dec 1995: Quarterback Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers avoid pressure during a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won the game 37-20. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport
31 Dec 1995: Quarterback Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers avoid pressure during a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won the game 37-20. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport /

Atlanta Falcons: Trading away Brett Favre

There haven’t been many high-profile trades that involved the Atlanta Falcons. Their biggest move in recent years was when they jumped up to the top part of the 2011 NFL Draft to take Alabama wideout Julio Jones.

While that move has worked out well, they had another big deal blow up on them many years ago. In order to find that bad trade from the Dirty Birds, we go all the way back to 1992 when they traded away one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

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Atlanta drafted Brett Favre with the No. 33 pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, but was not a favorite of former coach Jerry Glanville.

Favre threw just four passes in his rookie season — and the only two that didn’t fall to the ground were interceptions.

The Falcons then gave up on him and shipped him to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a first-round pick.

That pick ended up being used on Tony Smith, Favre’s old teammate from Southern Miss. Smith ended up playing just three seasons and had 329 yards rushing.

As for Favre, he went on to throw for 71,838 yards and 508 touchdowns. He made 11 Pro Bowls, led the league in touchdown passes four times and yardage twice. Favre also won a Super Bowl with the Packers, something the Atlanta franchise is still trying to accomplish.

Needless to say, the Falcons lost that trade, as they gave up a Hall of Fame passer for a guy who served them better as a return man than as a running back.

To this day, it’s the worst move this franchise has ever made. Just imagine how much different their history could have been if they chose the gunslinger over the coach who didn’t want him.

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