Dallas acquired Chuck Howley’s rights from Chicago on June…
Dallas acquired Chuck Howley’s rights from Chicago on June 14, 1961, for second- and ninth-round picks in the 1963 draft. Howley became one of the defining linebackers in Cowboys history: 13 seasons with Dallas, six Pro Bowls, five first-team All-NFL selections, a Super Bowl VI championship, and Super Bowl V MVP honors. Chicago received No. 20 Steve Barnett and No. 118 Monte Day. Dallas won overwhelmingly.
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 1963 second round pick (#20-Steve Barnett)
- pick 1963 ninth round pick (#118-Monte Day)
Dallas Cowboys Received
- player Chuck Howley
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Chuck Howley appeared to be finished with professional football after a serious knee injury. He had played two seasons for Chicago, missed all of 1960, and returned to West Virginia. After testing the knee successfully in an alumni game, he decided to attempt a comeback. Dallas saw the opportunity and traded two future 1963 draft choices to the Bears for his rights. Transaction records identify the picks as No. 20 in the second round and No. 118 in the ninth.
What Dallas Received
The gamble became one of the great acquisitions in Cowboys history. The Pro Football Hall of Fame credits Howley with 13 Dallas seasons, six Pro Bowls and five first-team All-NFL selections. He helped Dallas reach two Super Bowls, won Super Bowl VI, and remains the only player from the losing team to be named Super Bowl MVP, after producing two interceptions and a forced fumble in Super Bowl V. Dallas acquired a Hall of Fame linebacker for two future selections.
What Chicago Received
Chicago used No. 20 on tackle Steve Barnett and No. 118 on Monte Day. Barnett did make the Bears and appeared as a rookie in 1963, so the return was not literally empty. But neither acquired pick approached Howley’s franchise-level impact. The Bears made a rational decision based on the medical and retirement uncertainty surrounding a player who had not played in 1960; hindsight simply turned that risk calculation into an enormous Dallas advantage.
Final Verdict
Dallas Cowboys Win, decisively. Howley became a championship cornerstone, Hall of Famer, six-time Pro Bowler and historically unique Super Bowl MVP. Chicago received useful draft capital and some service from Barnett, which prevents an absolute failure grade, but the value gap is enormous. Dallas earns an A+ and Chicago a C-. Few trades illustrate the upside of betting on a recovered veteran more clearly.