NFL Trade Deadline: 30 greatest trades in NFL history

17. Trading draft picks lead Bears to Dick Butkus

When it comes to the greatest Chicago Bears of all time, there’s no question that Dick Butkus ranks right near the top. Look at the impact he made on defense during his nine seasons with the team.

Sure, some football fans are questioning why Butkus would be mentioned on a list like this since he was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 1965 NFL Draft. That being said, it was how the Bears earned the pick that makes this such a great story.

The year before, Chicago agreed to a deal in which they acquired a 1965 first-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bears in turn used that pick to draft Butkus out of Illinois. All the Bears had to give up in exchange for that pick was a second and fourth-round pick.

Little did the Bears know when this deal took place that it would help them land an outstanding linebacker in Butkus. He would go on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the team.

Not only did Butkus earn eight trips in a row to the Pro Bowl to start his NFL career, but at the time of his retirement after the 1973 season, the Chicago legend held the record for fumbles recovered with 27.

Once again, it’s tough to imagine what kind of career Butkus would have ended up with somebody else. If it wasn’t for that decision by the Bears in 1964 to earn a future first rounder from the Steelers, Chicago’s storied history at linebacker could be totally different. He set the tone for dominating in the middle of the defense in the Midway.