Herschel Walker trade

The Herschel Walker trade was the largest player trade in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and, many believe, the largest in the history of all professional sports. The deal, completed on October 12, 1989, centered on sending running back Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys to the Minnesota Vikings. After the transaction was expanded to involve the San Diego Chargers, the trade moved a total of 18 players and draft picks between the three teams. At the time of the deal, the Cowboys were one of the worst teams in the league (the team finished the 1989 season with its worst post-merger record, 1–15) while Walker was still regarded as one of the league's premier running backs. In a surprise move, the Cowboys chose to waive, cut, or trade all the players acquired from the Vikings. The Vikings had offered draft compensation for any player who was not on the Cowboys' roster by February 1st, 1990. Coach Jimmy Johnson, also in charge of roster management, had intended throughout the trade to cut all acquired players and take the draft compensation. The Cowboys would ultimately acquire eight draft picks through the trade, including Minnesota's next three first-round picks. Today, the trade is regarded as the start of Dallas's dynasty of the 1990s and one of the most lopsided trades in sports history. Despite initial negative reception from Dallas fans, the draft picks acquired in the trade were used for further transactions to acquire several key players and win three Super Bowls soon after; Johnson claims the team made 51 trades in the following year, with Minnesota's picks acting as a key resource throughout negotiations. The Vikings, meanwhile, fell to 6–10 in 1990 and did not win a playoff game with Walker on the roster. He would depart the team following the 1991 season.