Arizona Cardinals–Chicago Bears Trade History

The Cardinals sold Paddy Driscoll to the Bears in September 1926 after a competing league created pressure around his playing future. Team history says the move was intended to keep him in the NFL. The Cardinals received cash, but Driscoll immediately became a major Chicago contributor and remained a Hall of Fame-caliber figure. The strategic motive is understandable, yet the football return still favored the Bears by a wide margin.

Chicago used a fifth-round choice transferred from the Cardinals to select Stanford back Lloyd Merriman at No. 32 in the 1947 NFL draft. Merriman chose baseball instead of professional football and never played for the Bears, while the Cardinals' consideration remains unidentified. With no documented NFL return on Chicago's side and an unknown return on Arizona's side, the trade is graded Even at C/C.

Arizona Cardinals received Steve Romanik. The Cardinals received Steve Romanik, a veteran quarterback who provided depth after the October 1953 trade. His Arizona/St. Louis tenure did not develop into a stronger or longer-term return than the player sent to Chicago, so the Cardinals received useful but limited value.

St. Louis acquired defensive back Curtis Gentry from Chicago for Bobby Lee and the 1970 sixth-round pick used on Jeff Curchin. Bears historical material shows Gentry’s NFL playing career had already ended after the 1968 season, so the Cardinals received no regular-season production from him. Chicago at least turned the pick into Curchin, who played 26 games and made four starts for the Bears across 1970 and 1971.

St. Louis acquired Steve Wright and John Hoffman from Chicago for a 1973 fourth-round choice that became pick No. 84. Wright appeared in five games with four starts for the Cardinals, while Hoffman played only two games with one start. Chicago used the draft value in the Steve DeLong transaction, and DeLong started all 14 Bears games in 1972.

St. Louis acquired receiver Earl Thomas. Chicago received Wayne Mulligan, Cliff McClain and the 1975 seventh-round pick used on Earl Douthitt. Thomas supplied the Cardinals two seasons of receiving depth, while the Bears received multiple assets for one player. Thomas gave St. Louis some immediate use, preventing this from being a poor deal. Chicago's three-piece return, including a future draft choice, created the better overall value profile even though none became a star.

St. Louis received Greg Wojcik; Chicago received Wes Miller. The swap is well documented, but neither return produced meaningful long-term value for the acquiring club. St. Louis released Wojcik in September, and Miller did not become a notable regular-season contributor for Chicago. The hindsight grades are C- for Arizona/St. Louis Cardinals and C- for Chicago Bears, producing a Even Trade verdict.

The St. Louis Cardinals, represented here by the franchise's modern Arizona identity, traded running back Eddie Moss to Chicago on May 19, 1976, for a future draft choice. Contemporary reports did not publish the round, and a durable downstream pick outcome is not established. Moss was released by Chicago in July and never played a regular-season game for the Bears.

St. Louis received $100 from Chicago for Jeff Lee. The amount was tiny even for a minor transaction, but it was the only realized return in the deal because Lee was released by the Bears before the 1981 regular season. The Cardinals therefore received a tangible, if negligible, asset while surrendering no player production that Chicago ultimately realized.

Arizona moved up to 2017 second-round No. 36 for Budda Baker and also received No. 221 Shalom Luani, sending Chicago Nos. 45, 119 and 197 plus a 2018 fourth-round pick. Chicago gained several chances and landed Tarik Cohen among them, but Baker became a perennial Pro Bowl safety, giving Arizona the transaction's highest-value outcome.