San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers exchanged J.R.…
San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers exchanged J.R. Wilburn for Brad Hubbert. Hubbert had been productive for San Diego before the trade, totaling 1,270 rushing yards in his career, but his last NFL season was 1970. Because hindsight grading focuses on what each new club actually received, prior accomplishments do not create post-trade value. In hindsight, neither side created a meaningful advantage, so the exchange remains even after weighing actual post-trade service rather than the names or nominal asset types involved.
Los Angeles Chargers Received
- player J.R. Wilburn
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- player Brad Hubbert
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Pittsburgh and San Diego exchanged veteran skill players in 1971, with the Steelers receiving Brad Hubbert and the Chargers receiving J.R. Wilburn.
San Diego Chargers Return
San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers exchanged J.R. Wilburn for Brad Hubbert. Hubbert had been productive for San Diego before the trade, totaling 1,270 rushing yards in his career, but his last NFL season was 1970. Because hindsight grading focuses on what each new club actually received, prior accomplishments do not create post-trade value. In hindsight, neither side created a meaningful advantage, so the exchange remains even after weighing actual post-trade service rather than the names or nominal asset types involved.
Pittsburgh Steelers Return
Pittsburgh Steelers sent J.R. Wilburn and received Brad Hubbert. Wilburn likewise had meaningful earlier Steelers production, including several seasons as a starter, but his NFL career also ended in 1970. Because hindsight grading focuses on what each new club actually received, prior accomplishments do not create post-trade value. In hindsight, neither side created a meaningful advantage, so the exchange remains even after weighing actual post-trade service rather than the names or nominal asset types involved.
Value in Hindsight
Because hindsight grading focuses on what each new club actually received, prior accomplishments do not create post-trade value. Pittsburgh and San Diego each moved a veteran whose productive NFL years were already over, and neither side gained games, starts, or downstream draft value.
The grade also avoids rewarding either side simply for acquiring a named veteran or a numbered draft choice. The useful question is what the new club actually received after the transaction: games, starts, production, roster longevity, or a traceable downstream selection. That realized-value test keeps a small historical exchange from being overstated.
Final Verdict
This is a true even result. Both clubs receive C- grades: the exchange made sense as a veteran-for-veteran try, but neither Hubbert nor Wilburn delivered regular-season value for his acquiring team.