Cleveland Browns–Kansas City Chiefs Trade History

Kansas City acquired defensive end Marvin Upshaw from Cleveland in September 1970 for a 1971 third-round pick. After an injury-shortened first Chiefs season, Upshaw became a fixture: he started all 14 games in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974. That four-year run of full-season starting work gave Kansas City substantial value. Cleveland's pick became linebacker Charles Hall, whose outcome did not approach Upshaw's Chiefs tenure.

Cleveland acquired Frank Pitts from Kansas City and received immediate, multi-season production from the veteran receiver. Pitts became a productive Browns starter and posted 620 receiving yards with eight touchdowns in 1972. Kansas City received two future draft choices, but the players tied to those assets did not match the direct offensive value Cleveland got from Pitts.

Kansas City acquired defensive end Bob Briggs and Bubba Pena from Cleveland for the 1975 ninth-round pick later used on Floyd Hogan. Briggs appeared in seven games for the Chiefs in 1974, while Pena did not reach Kansas City's regular-season roster. Hogan did not produce an NFL regular-season career, leaving Kansas City with the narrow edge.

Cleveland traded running back Boyce Green to Kansas City on April 29, 1986 for the 174th pick in the draft. The Browns used that seventh-round selection on quarterback Mike Norseth, whose NFL career consisted of one regular-season game. Cleveland obtained a legitimate draft asset, but the player chosen with it produced almost no professional value for the Browns.

Kansas City acquired linebacker Mike Junkin from Cleveland on April 21, 1989 for the 116th pick in that year's draft. Junkin, the former No. 5 overall selection, played only five games for the Chiefs and made four tackles. Cleveland used No. 116 on Vernon Joines, who appeared in 20 NFL games. The return was modest, but the Browns extracted more value from a player whose career was nearly finished.

Kansas City moved down from No. 21 to No. 26 in the 2011 draft and added the 70th pick, sending Cleveland the selection used on Phil Taylor. The Chiefs took Jonathan Baldwin at 26 and Justin Houston at 70. Baldwin was a major miss, but Houston became a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the league's premier pass rushers. Taylor gave Cleveland useful early seasons, yet Houston's career makes Kansas City the clear winner.

Cleveland traded former first-round offensive lineman Cam Erving to Kansas City on August 30, 2017 for a 2018 fifth-round pick. That selection became No. 159 and was later included in the Browns' Danny Shelton trade with New England rather than used directly by Cleveland. The Browns recovered movable draft value from a player who had not justified his original draft status.

Kansas City traded safety Eric Murray to Cleveland for defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah in April 2019. Ogbah became useful rotation help for the Chiefs, recording 5.5 sacks in 10 games before a season-ending injury during a Super Bowl championship season. Murray appeared in nine games with four starts for Cleveland, giving the Browns secondary depth but a smaller direct contribution.

Kansas City moved from No. 9 to No. 6 in the 2026 draft to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, sending Cleveland picks 74 and 148 for the three-slot jump. Cleveland stayed in the top 10 and selected Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9 while gaining two additional choices. Before the rookies have established NFL careers, the exchange remains balanced.