Arizona Cardinals–Kansas City Chiefs Trade History

St. Louis acquired Mike Sensibaugh and Marvin Upshaw from Kansas City for safety Tim Gray in April 1976. Sensibaugh became a useful Cardinals secondary contributor and provided regular starting work, while Upshaw added short-term roster depth. Kansas City received the strongest single performer in Gray, but St. Louis still obtained meaningful value across the two veterans it acquired.

Kansas City sent linebacker Jimbo Elrod to the St. Louis Cardinals in April 1979 for the eighth-round selection used on Robert Brewer. Brewer did not become a meaningful regular-season contributor for the Chiefs, while Elrod did not establish a durable Cardinals role before later appearing for Houston. Neither receiving club converted the exchange into sustained team-specific production.

The Cardinals acquired cornerback Tim Collier from Kansas City on February 16, 1980 for a fifth-round pick, No. 115. Collier played 30 games for St. Louis over three seasons, started 11 and intercepted three passes. Kansas City used the selection on defensive tackle Dan Pensick, but the pick did not develop into comparable Chiefs production. The Cardinals received useful defensive service at a modest cost.

Kansas City moved up from No. 16 to No. 11 in the 1982 first round, sending St. Louis the No. 16 pick plus No. 73. The Chiefs selected receiver Anthony Hancock, while the Cardinals used No. 16 on tackle Luis Sharpe. Hancock totaled 73 career catches; Sharpe started 189 games and made three Pro Bowls. St. Louis won decisively.

St. Louis acquired veteran linebacker Thomas Howard from Kansas City on September 1, 1984 for the seventh-round choice that became No. 185 in the 1985 draft. Howard stepped directly into the Cardinals’ defense, playing 15 games with 13 starts in 1984 and adding two interceptions and a fumble-return touchdown. He appeared in three more games in 1985 before his NFL career ended.

Phoenix sent defensive back Jay Taylor to Kansas City in April 1993 for the eighth-round selection later used on Stevie Anderson. Taylor played 31 games over two Chiefs seasons, making five starts and intercepting two passes. Phoenix released Anderson before the 1993 season, so the acquired pick did not produce an immediate Cardinals regular-season contribution.

Kansas City moved up 26 spots in the fifth round and selected Joe Horn at No. 135, while Arizona received Nos. 161 and 162. Horn became a four-time Pro Bowler with 603 receptions, 8,744 yards and 58 touchdowns. Arizona's two selections produced almost no NFL return, making this one of the clearest late-round value wins in the batch.

Kansas City acquired fullback Anthony Sherman, who became an eight-season fixture for the Chiefs on offense and special teams. Sherman earned a Pro Bowl selection and was part of the club's Super Bowl LIV championship roster. His longevity, role versatility, and importance to a successful era gave Kansas City far more sustained value than is typical in a straight player-for-player depth trade.

Arizona sent Kansas City a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick for cornerback Marcus Cooper just before the 2016 season. Cooper started 13 games, intercepted four passes and returned one for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals immediate secondary value. Kansas City eventually received No. 233 and packaged it with another seventh-rounder to move up for Kahlil McKenzie. The Chiefs preserved some value, but Arizona got the stronger direct return.

Kansas City acquired edge rusher Cameron Thomas from Arizona for a 2025 seventh-round pick, with the league's transaction list recording the trade on August 27, 2024. Thomas appeared in only four games for the Chiefs, logged no defensive statistics and was waived in November. Arizona eventually held the selection used at No. 225, giving the Cardinals the stronger realized value from a small deal.