The NFL world was stunned on Thursday when owner Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys pulled the trigger on what will likely go down as one of the worst trades in league history. After months of public posturing and fractured communications, the Cowboys dealt superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and a pair of first-round picks.
Fans are reeling after watching Dallas trade away the single greatest pass rusher in the NFL for a package that feels laughably light in comparison. Parsons is a generational talent, and the move has already been widely panned as an all-time fleecing.
Fortunately for Chiefs Kingdom, Kansas City has never made a trade of this magnitude or with this much downside. But the franchise is not without its own regrettable history when it comes to letting go of a legendary player.
The Tony Gonzalez trade
Back in 2009, Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli traded away Tony Gonzalez, the greatest tight end in NFL history (at the time), to the Atlanta Falcons for a second-round pick. At the time, Kansas City was coming off back-to-back miserable seasons, and giving a veteran star a chance at the playoffs was understandable. But in hindsight, the return was woefully inadequate.
The Chiefs used the selection on cornerback Javier Arenas, who was never a plus asset on defense and couldn't even live up to his billing as a return specialist in three seasons with the team. His longest return of any type in his Chiefs' tenure: 35 yards (and he never scored a single touchdown).
Arenas' most notable contribution came indirectly when he was later traded to Arizona in the deal that brought fullback Anthony Sherman to Kansas City. Meanwhile, Gonzalez went on to play another five seasons, despite being 33 years old at the time of the deal, and added over 400 receptions, 4,000 yards, and 35 touchdowns to his résumé as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
The value gap speaks for itself: Kansas City gave away an all-time great at a premium position and received almost nothing in return.
Other candidates for “Chiefs worst trade”
Some older fans might point to the Chiefs’ trade of Curley Culp in 1974, when a future Hall of Fame defensive tackle was packaged with a draft pick that became Robert Brazile, another Hall of Famer, for an underwhelming return. Others could bring up the high cost of trading for Frank Clark, even if he helped secure a Super Bowl.
But if you’re looking for the single most regrettable moment in the last few decades for K.C., it’s Gonzalez to Atlanta. It’s not even close to the level of Dallas giving away Parsons, but it's still a painful reminder that smart franchises can make bad decisions.