Chicago sent end Edgar 'Eggs' Manske to Pittsburgh in 1938…
Chicago sent end Edgar 'Eggs' Manske to Pittsburgh in 1938 and received the Steelers' 1939 first-round choice. Pittsburgh finished with a pick that landed second overall, and the Bears used it on Sid Luckman. Luckman became a Hall of Fame quarterback and led Chicago to four NFL championships. Manske later returned to the Bears, making the first-round acquisition one of the most productive trades in franchise history.
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 1939 first round pick (#2-Sid Luckman)
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Before the 1938 season, Chicago sent end Edgar 'Eggs' Manske to Pittsburgh in exchange for the Steelers' first-round selection in the 1939 draft. Pittsburgh's season left that choice at No. 2 overall. Chicago used it on Columbia quarterback Sid Luckman. Bears historical material and draft transaction records agree on the essential exchange, even though surviving references are less consistent about the exact day within August when the agreement was made.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago sent end Edgar 'Eggs' Manske to Pittsburgh in 1938 and received the Steelers' 1939 first-round choice. Pittsburgh finished with a pick that landed second overall, and the Bears used it on Sid Luckman. Luckman became a Hall of Fame quarterback and led Chicago to four NFL championships. Manske later returned to the Bears, making the first-round acquisition one of the most productive trades in franchise history.
Pittsburgh Pirates Return
Pittsburgh acquired Edgar 'Eggs' Manske from Chicago for its 1939 first-round selection. The choice became No. 2 overall, where the Bears selected Sid Luckman, who developed into the Hall of Fame quarterback at the center of four Chicago championship teams. Manske did not provide Pittsburgh with a comparable return and later rejoined Chicago, leaving the Steelers on the losing end of an unusually large historical value gap.
Value in Hindsight
The strongest trades involving draft choices are those in which the receiving club both acquires premium position and converts it correctly. Chicago did exactly that. The Bears did not merely receive a future first-rounder that happened to look valuable in retrospect; they turned the second overall selection into the quarterback around whom a championship system was built. Pittsburgh gave up that opportunity for a player whose tenure with the Steelers was brief, creating a gap in both peak value and duration.
Final Verdict
Chicago Bears Win. An A+ is appropriate because the Bears converted one outgoing veteran into the second overall pick and then into a Hall of Fame quarterback with four championship seasons on his résumé. Pittsburgh receives a D because Manske's limited Steelers value never approached the asset surrendered. The uncertain exact August day should not obscure the well-established substance of the trade or the extraordinary difference in what the two sides ultimately received.