Green Bay Packers–Pittsburgh Steelers Trade History

Green Bay received cash for Ben Smith and Johnny Blood McNally in August 1934. The payment is verified but not quantified in the surviving record, so no specific football return can be attached to it. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, got 10 starts from Smith and additional service from Blood, leaving the Packers with the less measurable side of the transaction in hindsight.

Green Bay’s April 10, 1938 dealings with Pittsburgh brought Ed Brett and the rights to Ray King and Pat McCarty in exchange for Walt Bartanen, Charles “Buckets” Goldenberg and Chester “Swede” Johnston. The King-McCarty portion did not stick: the draftees did not report, and Goldenberg and Johnston reverted to Green Bay, sharply limiting the lasting value of the original package.

Green Bay and Pittsburgh attempted a July 20, 1938 exchange sending Buckets Goldenberg and Swede Johnston to Pittsburgh for the rights to Pat McCarty and Lou Midler. The arrangement was conditional on the two incoming rights players reporting. Both instead took coaching jobs, so Goldenberg and Johnston were told to return to Green Bay and the deal was called off. No lasting football value changed hands.

Green Bay received cash for Bernie Scherer in July 1939. The amount is not preserved in the surviving record, so the Packers' return cannot be converted into a specific football outcome. Scherer gave Pittsburgh nine games and three starts in his final NFL season, making the transaction a reasonable low-value exchange rather than a clear long-term win for either side.

Green Bay Packers received Lou Midler. Green Bay received Lou Midler, who appeared in seven games for the Packers during the 1940 season. That result supports a C+ for Green Bay Packers. The overall comparison is balanced because neither side created a clear enough edge to separate the grades. The grade reflects the realized player service and draft value tied directly to this transaction, without assigning extra credit for outcomes that cannot be traced confidently to the exchanged assets.

Green Bay received the 1959 fifth-round choice at No. 55 and selected Andy Cvercko. Cvercko appeared in 12 games as a reserve before leaving, giving the Packers a real but similarly limited return. That outcome supports a C grade within the Pittsburgh Steelers Win verdict. The grade reflects realized football value rather than the size of the original package.

Pittsburgh acquired linebacker Tom Bettis from Green Bay on July 17, 1962 for 1963 third- and seventh-round choices that became Dennis Claridge and Olin Hill. Bettis immediately appeared in 11 games for the Steelers before finishing his career with Chicago. Claridge eventually played only one regular-season game for Green Bay, while Hill never appeared in the NFL. Pittsburgh realized the greater direct return.

Pittsburgh acquired defensive tackle Urban Henry from Green Bay on August 24, 1964 for a 1965 draft choice. Henry played 10 games with eight starts for the Steelers that season, producing two Approximate Value before his NFL career ended.

Pittsburgh sent its 1967 first-round pick to Green Bay for defensive lineman Lloyd Voss and tight end Tony Jeter. The Packers used the ninth overall selection on center Bob Hyland, who played four seasons in Green Bay but never became a long-term fixture there. Voss developed into a multi-year starter for Pittsburgh, while Jeter contributed only briefly. Because Voss supplied the strongest sustained team-specific value, the Steelers win the exchange.

Green Bay Packers received 1967 fifth round pick (#116-Dwight Hood) in the exchange with Pittsburgh Steelers. The historical record shows how the player service and draft value developed after the deal, with the comparison favoring Pittsburgh Steelers. That result supports a D for Green Bay Packers. The grade reflects the less valuable realized return and keeps the judgment proportional to the documented value produced by this transaction.

Green Bay sent quarterback Kent Nix to Pittsburgh and received the 1968 fifth-round choice that became No. 120 Steve Duich. The draft return did not create value comparable to Nix's three seasons of quarterback service for the Steelers. Green Bay still recovered a real draft asset, which keeps the result from being lopsided, but the Packers realized the smaller football return.

Green Bay Packers received 1968 fourth round pick (#92-Brendan McCarthy), while Pittsburgh Steelers received Dick Arndt. Pittsburgh received Dick Arndt and Green Bay received the 1968 fourth-round choice used at No. 92 on Brendan McCarthy. Arndt played 34 games for Pittsburgh, while McCarthy did not deliver regular-season value for Green Bay, creating a clear Steelers edge. Green Bay Packers earns a D+ grade, and the overall verdict is Pittsburgh Steelers Win.

Green Bay received the 1969 sixth-round pick used on Ron Jones after sending defensive back Dick Capp to Pittsburgh. The selection did not create comparable Packers value, while Capp at least supplied Pittsburgh with a full season of roster availability. The pick preserved some future flexibility for Green Bay, but its realized football return was limited, supporting a D+ grade for the Packers.

Green Bay Packers received John Hilton, while Pittsburgh Steelers received John Rowser. John Hilton's stay in Green Bay was much shorter. The Packers received some value, but it did not approach the multi-season starting contribution Rowser delivered for Pittsburgh. In hindsight, that direct return supports a C grade for Green Bay Packers. The grade reflects realized football value from this exchange rather than reputation alone.

Green Bay acquired veteran guard Bruce Van Dyke. Pittsburgh received the 1976 third-round selection that became Ron Coder at No. 70, preserving meaningful draft value from a veteran the Steelers were willing to move. Van Dyke gave Green Bay an experienced lineman, so the Packers received real utility. Pittsburgh's ability to recover a third-round choice while maintaining its championship core gives the Steelers the stronger long-term side.

Green Bay Packers received Bob Barber in the exchange with Pittsburgh Steelers. Bob Barber supplied Green Bay useful defensive seasons, so the Packers did receive meaningful value. Against the other side's return of 1977 fourth round pick (#93-Ted Petersen), that outcome supports a B grade. The transaction is ultimately judged as Pittsburgh Steelers Win, with the grade reflecting realized football value rather than the name or nominal value of the asset on the trade date.

Pittsburgh acquired Dave Pureifory from Green Bay for a 1978 fifth-round pick that became No. 128 Willie Wilder. Pureifory never played for Pittsburgh but was later flipped for a sixth-round pick; Wilder never became a Green Bay regular. In hindsight, the grades are C for Green Bay Packers and C+ for Pittsburgh Steelers, producing a Pittsburgh Steelers Win verdict. The modest scoring reflects the limited scale of the transaction.

Pittsburgh traded picks No. 119 and No. 192 to Green Bay for No. 112 and selected punter Daniel Sepulveda. Green Bay used No. 119 on Allen Barbre and No. 192 on linebacker Desmond Bishop. Sepulveda contributed when healthy, while Bishop developed into a championship-era starter, giving the Packers the stronger long-term football return.

Pittsburgh acquired veteran edge rusher Preston Smith from Green Bay for a 2025 seventh-round pick. Smith recorded 13 tackles and two sacks in eight regular-season games while working behind T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, then was released in February 2025. That useful but brief depth contribution gives the Steelers only a narrow advantage.

Green Bay acquired running back Kaleb Johnson from Pittsburgh for a 2028 sixth-round pick on August 30, 2026, pending a physical. Johnson was the 83rd pick in the 2025 draft but had a limited rookie season, while Green Bay suddenly needed more backfield insurance. The Packers get a narrow current-read edge because they bought recent third-round pedigree and multiple years of team control for a future sixth.