NFL front offices are about to hit top gear as the trade deadline nears.
Teams will make moves to acquire players and strengthen their teams. The trade deadline period is always one of the most hectic times of an NFL season, and some trades will shock fans and pundits. The NFL history books sport plenty of shocking and unexpected trades. Here are the five most shocking trades of all time.
Herschel Walker - Dallas Cowboys to Minnesota Vikings
In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys had hit rock bottom. They were one of the worst teams in NFL history. New head coach Jimmy Johnson needed to rebuild the team, and he decided to move superstar running back Herschel Walker.
A USFL star, Walker recorded three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in the USFL and tallied another in 1988 for the Cowboys in the NFL. Walker was a phenomenon.
On October 12, 1989, the Cowboys initiated a trade that involved 18 players and three teams. The Minnesota Vikings traded for Walker, believing he was the final key to unlocking a Super Bowl title. Dallas also sent three draft picks to Minnesota. The Vikings sent Dallas five players, plus three draft picks and a handful of conditional picks. Walker did not want to leave Dallas; but the Cowboys paid him $1.25 million to get him to go.
This is still the biggest trade in NFL history regarding players and picks swapped. Furthermore, the ramifications were far and wide. The Cowboys used all those draft picks to build a dynasty. The Vikings fell apart, and Walker would never notch a 1,000-yard rushing season for Minnesota.
This trade set a precedent for struggling teams to trade top players for picks and reload the roster. It changed how the NFL saw draft picks and their value.
Khalil Mack - Oakland Raiders to Chicago Bears
The Raiders and Khalil Mack endured a tumultuous summer in 2018. Mack was the jewel on the Raiders' roster, and new head coach Jon Gruden said Mack was one of the reasons why he took the job. Mack was the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of The Year and in his prime. But he was disgruntled. Unhappy with his contract, Mack thought about not playing in 2018, and his relationship with Gruden and owner Mark Davis had broken down.
The Chicago Bears offered the Raiders four draft picks for the 2019 and 2020 drafts, while the Raiders packaged Mack with a 2019 and 2020 pick.
Mack then enjoyed an epic 2018 season in Chicago. The Bears won the NFC North, they finished with the best defense in the NFL, and Mack earned All-Pro honors. Meanwhile the Raiders flatlined and failed to use their increased draft capital in the subsequent seasons.
Jimmy Garoppolo - New England Patriots to San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo was Bill Belichick's succession plan and insurance policy. Drafted from Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo became more than Tom Brady's stuntman when he filled in for Brady when the legend served his suspension for deflategate.
Garoppolo's performance caught Belichick's eye and worried Brady. Throughout 2016 and early 2017, tensions were high in New England. Brady felt threatened and asked owner Robert Kraft to intervene. Kraft issued Belichick an ultimatum, and the head coach traded Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers.
A disgruntled Belichick sent Garoppolo to San Francisco in exchange for one round-two draft pick. Jimmy G instantly settled in San Francisco as the 49ers went 5-0 in his first five games. Garoppolo would pilot the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance at Super Bowl 54 while the Patriots rode Tom Brady to another Super Bowl title. However, Brady's departure in 2020 left Belichick without a viable succession plan.
This trade brought the 49ers back to relevance and left the Patriots without a plan for the post-Brady era. And the ripple effects are still being felt to this day.
Von Miller - Denver Broncos to LA Rams
Von Miller was a Denver Broncos legend. His playoff performances that took Denver to the win at Super Bowl 50 have gone down in history. And he was happy to finish his career in Denver.
All that changed when, in November 2021, the Broncos sent Miller to LA. The Rams sent two 2022 draft picks to Denver. Miller did not want to leave but had no choice. He bid an emotional farewell to Denver before joining the Rams.
Miller would go onto turbo charge LA's season and propelled them to a Super Bowl win. Miller was one of the final pieces in LA's Galacticos-style roster.
Christian McCaffrey - Carolina Panthers to San Francisco 49ers
It felt pre-determined that Christian McCaffrey would be a Carolina Panther for life. Drafted by Carolina in 2017 and then given a lucrative contract by them in 2020, everything pointed towards McCaffrey becoming a Carolina legend, but a rash of injuries and plummeting Panthers performances changed everything.
Carolina fired head coach Matt Rhule during the 2022 season, and in the ensuing chaos, the 49ers swooped in for McCaffrey.
San Francisco sent four draft picks to Carolina and took on McCaffrey's $64 million contract. It seemed risky due to McCaffrey's injury history and the money attached to the contract.
However, it now looks like an inspired move. Perhaps one of the best trades in modern history. McCaffrey has played MVP-level football, scoring at least one touchdown in the last 15 consecutive regular season games. The 49ers are the best team in the NFL, and it is down to one of the best running backs and offensive players the NFL has seen.