Cowboys' 'Herschel Heist' No Longer Best Trade in NFL History?

Is someone finally stealing the mantle of "Worst Trade in NFL History" from Herschel Walker? Deshaun Watson is trending toward the title.

Oct. 12 will mark the 35th anniversary of the "Herschel Heist," widely regarded as the most lopsided trade in league history. It not only fleeced the Minnesota Vikings in 1989, but more importantly paved the way for the Dallas Cowboys to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span in the 1990s.

With a new owner (Jerry Jones), first-year coach (Jimmy Johnson) and rookie quarterback (Troy Aikman), the Cowboys were mired in a 1-15 season. They traded their only Pro Bowl talent, Walker, for a package of draft picks they turned into all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Russell Maryland and Ring of Honor safety Darren Woodson.

Walker, meanwhile, played only two full seasons in Minnesota and wound up finishing his career back in Dallas.

There have been other lopsided trades in NFL lore, such as the Denver Broncos sending five draft picks to the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson in 2022.

But here come the Cleveland Browns, with their colossal miscalculation about the performance and pay of Watson. What compounds the Browns' 2021 horrible acquisition from the Houston Texans isn't just his pedestrian play, but the outrageous contract Cleveland gave him upon arrival.

Watson was a Pro Bowl quarterback in Houston in 2020, leading the league with 4,825 passing yards and throwing for 33 touchdowns against only seven interceptions. The Browns were a desperate organization that swooped in and made a desperate move.

In Cleveland, Deshaun's record is only 9-7 including last week's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He's missed 21 of a possible 37 games. This season 23 quarterbacks have thrown for more yards, and his rating (74.4) lives in a downtrodden neighborhood sandwiched between the likes of Jacoby Brissett (77) and Will Levis (72.8).

Not surprisingly, like Brissett's New England Patriots and Levis' Tennessee Titans, the Browns are 1-3. A Cowboys' defense that has been shredded by the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens made him look like a high-school quarterback in a Week 1 victory.

Meanwhile, the Texans are laughing all the way to the bank ... and the playoffs. With the package they received for Watson, they acquired 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., starting receiver Tank Dell, starting left guard Kenyon Green, starting free safety Calen Bullock, starting cornerback Kamari Lassiter, receiver John Metchie III, linebacker Christian Harris, running back Dameon Pierce, linebacker Jamal Hill and tight end Cade Stover.

With a quarterback in C.J. Stroud who is clearly superior to Watson, the 3-1 Texans made the playoffs last season and are trending toward being in the Super Bowl mix. The Browns made the postseason in 2023, but only because veteran Joe Flacco went 4-1 in relief of the injured Watson. In the Wild Card game, Cleveland was smashed, 45-14, by, you guessed it, the Texans.

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But what makes it arguably the worst single transaction in NFL history is - yes, the six draft picks (three firsts) - but also the mind-boggling five-year, guaranteed $230 million contract they award Watson. The cherry on the sad sundae: Watson has been sued 26 times for sexual harassment.

Bottom line: The guy who statistically ranks in the bottom fourth of NFL quarterbacks in 2024 also has the Browns headed for salary cap Hell in 2025 and 2026.

And you thought Jerry Jones overpaid Dak Prescott?