Pittsburgh traded cornerback Anthony Washington to Washington…
Pittsburgh traded cornerback Anthony Washington to Washington on August 17, 1983 for Washington's 1984 fourth-round pick, No. 111 overall. Pittsburgh used that selection on guard Terry Long, who played 105 games and started 89 over eight Steelers seasons. Washington received two full seasons from Anthony Washington, including five starts and five interceptions.
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 1984 fourth round pick (#111-Terry Long)
Washington Commanders Received
- player Anthony Washington
Trade Analysis
Pittsburgh's official trade history resolves the compensation that the legacy TradeVerdicts row had treated as only a possibility. The Steelers list the August 17, 1983 transaction as Anthony Washington to Washington for a 1984 fourth-round pick, No. 111 overall, which became guard Terry Long. Pittsburgh's 1984 media guide independently says Long was selected with an extra choice from Washington obtained in the Anthony Washington trade. A contemporaneous Washington Post report also confirms that Washington acquired the third-year cornerback from Pittsburgh in exchange for an undisclosed 1984 draft choice. Taken together, the later official Steelers records identify the exact pick. Washington did receive useful immediate depth. NFL career statistics show Anthony Washington playing all 16 games in 1983 with three starts, four interceptions and nine passes defensed. He again played all 16 games in 1984, started twice and intercepted another pass. Across the two seasons he gave Washington 32 games, five starts and five interceptions. That is a respectable return for a fourth-round asset and helped a 1983 team that returned to the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh's return was substantially larger over time. The Steelers used No. 111 on Terry Long, and both the club's all-time draft history and Pro Football Reference record an eight-season Pittsburgh career. Long appeared in 105 regular-season games and started 89 from 1984 through 1991. He started seven games as a rookie and developed into a regular offensive-line starter, giving Pittsburgh years of continuity from the pick. This is one of the archival rows where the downstream draft mapping materially changes the verdict. The legacy entry leaned toward Washington even while labeling the pick as only possibly Long. Once the Steelers' official records establish the No. 111 connection, Pittsburgh's long-term return clearly exceeds the two useful seasons Washington received from Anthony Washington. The Steelers receive an A for converting a reserve defensive back into an eight-year starting-caliber guard. Washington receives a B- because Anthony Washington was a real contributor, played every game over two seasons and generated five interceptions, but the tenure was much shorter than Long's Pittsburgh value. Confidence is high because official Steelers trade and media-guide records establish the pick identity, while NFL and PFR records establish both players' realized production.