Chicago acquired tackle Ed Healey from the Rock Island…
Chicago acquired tackle Ed Healey from the Rock Island Independents in 1922 for $100. Bears and Hall of Fame histories identify the transaction as an early player sale, while contemporary-account summaries describe additional terms around the payment. Whatever the precise contractual mechanics, Healey stayed with Chicago through 1927, became a perennial top lineman, and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame, producing extraordinary value for the Bears.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Ed Healey
Rock Island Independents Received
- other $100 cash consideration
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Chicago acquired tackle Ed Healey from the Rock Island Independents in November 1922 for $100. The outgoing item should therefore be recorded as cash consideration, not as a player. Bears historical material describes the move as the club's first purchase of a player from another team, and Hall of Fame material also identifies a $100 sale. Surviving accounts differ on some of the contractual mechanics surrounding that payment and Healey's future rights.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago acquired tackle Ed Healey from the Rock Island Independents in 1922 for $100. Bears and Hall of Fame histories identify the transaction as an early player sale, while contemporary-account summaries describe additional terms around the payment. Whatever the precise contractual mechanics, Healey stayed with Chicago through 1927, became a perennial top lineman, and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame, producing extraordinary value for the Bears.
Rock Island Independents Return
Rock Island received $100 when Ed Healey moved to the Bears in November 1922. Historical accounts differ on whether the payment was a simple permanent sale, settlement of an existing obligation, or initially included an option affecting Healey's future rights. The enduring result is much clearer: Healey remained in Chicago and became a Hall of Fame tackle. Rock Island's modest cash return cannot match the football value it surrendered.
Value in Hindsight
The historical nuance matters because describing this as a modern-style straight cash sale oversimplifies the surviving accounts. One period-based account describes a $100 arrangement with provisions involving Healey's status after the 1922 season, while later Halas recollections framed the payment differently. Those differences justify medium confidence on the precise mechanics. They do not change the core asset movement: Healey left Rock Island for Chicago, $100 went the other way, and Healey remained a Bear.
Final Verdict
Chicago Bears Win. Chicago receives an A+ because a $100 outlay produced a Hall of Fame tackle and several seasons of high-level play. Rock Island receives a D because the monetary return was tiny compared with the player value that departed. The asset type is important: '$100 cash consideration' reflects what Rock Island received without pretending the historical sources agree on every contractual detail behind the transfer.