The Cardinals sold Paddy Driscoll to the Bears in September…
The Cardinals sold Paddy Driscoll to the Bears in September 1926 after a competing league created pressure around his playing future. Team history says the move was intended to keep him in the NFL. The Cardinals received cash, but Driscoll immediately became a major Chicago contributor and remained a Hall of Fame-caliber figure. The strategic motive is understandable, yet the football return still favored the Bears by a wide margin.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- other cash
Chicago Bears Received
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
The Cardinals sold Paddy Driscoll to the Bears in September 1926 for cash. Contemporary reporting places the sale and his Bears signing on September 10, which provides a firmer date than the generic September 1 entry previously attached to the transaction. Cardinals historical material also supplies the strategic context: Driscoll had an opportunity connected to the rival American Football League, and the Cardinals moved him to Chicago in an effort to keep him in the NFL.
Chicago Cardinals Return
The Cardinals sold Paddy Driscoll to the Bears in September 1926 after a competing league created pressure around his playing future. Team history says the move was intended to keep him in the NFL. The Cardinals received cash, but Driscoll immediately became a major Chicago contributor and remained a Hall of Fame-caliber figure. The strategic motive is understandable, yet the football return still favored the Bears by a wide margin.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago purchased Paddy Driscoll from the Cardinals on September 10, 1926 and immediately added one of pro football's premier all-around backs. Driscoll helped the 1926 Bears finish 12-1-3 and remained an important Chicago player through 1929. The Cardinals received cash and avoided losing him to a rival league, but the Bears secured the far more valuable football asset and earned a clear long-term victory.
Value in Hindsight
The Cardinals' decision makes more sense in the competitive environment of 1926 than a simple hindsight grade suggests. Retaining Driscoll may not have been realistic if Chicago could meet the financial terms and a rival league was bidding for talent. Even so, TradeVerdicts grades the assets each franchise ultimately received. Chicago secured several seasons from a premier player and helped keep him in the NFL; the Cardinals received a one-time cash return and lost an elite contributor.
Final Verdict
Chicago Bears Win. Chicago earns an A for acquiring a Hall of Fame-caliber player who produced immediately and remained an important part of the club for several seasons. Arizona receives a D+ because the cash and strategic circumstances deserve some acknowledgment, but the on-field return was decisively smaller. September 10, 1926 is supported because that is the day contemporary Chicago reporting records Driscoll being sold and signing with the Bears.