Minnesota Vikings–Pittsburgh Steelers Trade History

Minnesota sent Ed Culpepper to Pittsburgh and received what the surviving transaction trail describes only as a high draft choice. The exact selection and eventual player tied to that return cannot be established confidently, so Minnesota's downstream value remains unresolved. The player movement itself is supportable, but the unidentified pick prevents a complete accounting of what the Vikings ultimately received.

Minnesota acquired former No. 5 overall pick Bob Ferguson from Pittsburgh in October 1963 for its 1965 third-round selection. Ferguson's Vikings stay amounted to only two games and one rushing yard. Pittsburgh later used the No. 36 pick as part of the package that brought Bill Saul and Marv Woodson from Baltimore, giving the Steelers the more useful and flexible return.

Minnesota acquired veteran back Phil King from Pittsburgh for its 1967 sixth-round pick. King gave the Vikings one season of depth, but the move did not create significant long-term value. Pittsburgh received the No. 140 selection and used it on Mike Haggerty, giving the Steelers a future roster opportunity in exchange for a veteran who was nearing the end of his NFL career.

Minnesota acquired linebacker Dave Tobey from Pittsburgh for the 1967 eighth-round selection that became No. 192 overall. Tobey appeared in 16 games with two starts for the Vikings across the 1966 and 1967 seasons. His contribution was modest but tangible, giving Minnesota two seasons of linebacker depth from a late-round draft choice.

Minnesota acquired veteran defensive back Brady Keys from Pittsburgh for its 1968 third-round pick, No. 61. Keys provided the Vikings with short-term help, but his stay did not produce the same lasting value Pittsburgh received from the draft asset. The Steelers used the selection on Jon Henderson, who contributed across multiple NFL seasons after entering the league.

Minnesota traded punter Bobby Walden to Pittsburgh for a 1969 fifth-round pick that became Mike O'Shea. Walden immediately handled the Steelers' punting job, made the Pro Bowl in 1969 and remained in Pittsburgh through 1977, including the franchise's first two Super Bowl championship seasons. O'Shea was released by Minnesota before playing an NFL game. Pittsburgh turned a fifth-rounder into a decade-long specialist and wins decisively.

Minnesota acquired linebacker Wally Hilgenberg from Pittsburgh in September 1968 for cash. Hilgenberg spent 12 seasons with the Vikings, started 117 regular-season games and became a core member of four Super Bowl teams. The Steelers' side was cash rather than a player or draft asset, while Minnesota received a durable defensive contributor whose long tenure became the transaction's defining football value.

Minnesota acquired tight end Tony Jeter from Pittsburgh on July 20, 1969, for the 1970 sixth-round selection that became Clarence Kegler. Contemporary reporting and Vikings draft history both identify the future pick, while the draft history pins it to No. 155 overall. Jeter provided only limited Vikings impact, and Kegler did not create a major Steelers payoff, leaving the exchange close to neutral.

Minnesota acquired wide receiver Ken Hebert from Pittsburgh for rookie running back Corny Davis on August 6, 1969. Hebert had been a Steelers third-round pick the year before, but the Vikings released him later that month and he never played a regular-season game for Minnesota. Davis likewise did not become a regular-season contributor for Pittsburgh. With neither incoming player producing game value for his new club, the swap finishes even.

Minnesota acquired quarterback Kent Nix from Pittsburgh on September 2, 1970 for a 1971 fifth-round selection. Nix never appeared in a regular-season game for the Vikings and was released before later joining Chicago. Pittsburgh used the acquired pick on Fred Brister at No. 128, but Brister also never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, leaving both returns effectively empty.

Minnesota exchanged the 24th pick in the 1989 draft for linebacker Mike Merriweather after the three-time Pro Bowler had sat out the entire 1988 season in Pittsburgh. The gamble worked: Merriweather immediately returned to the field, started every game he played during four seasons with the Vikings, and supplied far more sustained value than the late first-round pick Minnesota surrendered.

Minnesota acquired tight end Adrian Cooper from Pittsburgh for third- and sixth-round picks in 1994. Cooper contributed for one season, but Pittsburgh used the third-rounder on Jason Gildon, who became a three-time Pro Bowler, first-team All-Pro and one of the most prolific pass rushers in Steelers history. That long-term defensive return gives Pittsburgh a decisive edge.

Minnesota moved up from No. 59 to No. 44 in the 1999 draft to select tight end/fullback Jim Kleinsasser, sending Pittsburgh the 59th, 73rd and 163rd selections. Kleinsasser became a durable 13-year Viking and appeared in 181 games, but Pittsburgh used No. 73 on linebacker Joey Porter, whose peak as an All-Pro pass rusher gives the Steelers the stronger return.

Minnesota traded two third-round selections, Nos. 83 and 95, to Pittsburgh for No. 64 and drafted quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson never became a long-term franchise starter, but he started 20 games for the Vikings, helped them reach the 2008 playoffs and remained in the NFL for a decade. Pittsburgh selected safety Anthony Smith and receiver Willie Reid; neither became a lasting Steelers starter, leaving Minnesota with the better return.

Minnesota traded Jesse Davis to Pittsburgh after rookie Ed Ingram won the Vikings' right-guard job, receiving a conditional seventh-round pick. Davis appeared in 14 games for the Steelers in 2022 but did not start, serving primarily as experienced depth. The condition attached to the pick did not produce meaningful value for Minnesota in the locked record. Pittsburgh therefore gets a narrow win for obtaining usable veteran depth at essentially no realized draft cost.