New Orleans acquired Don Shy and Ken Kortas from Pittsburgh…
New Orleans acquired Don Shy and Ken Kortas from Pittsburgh for running back Don McCall shortly before the 1969 season. Neither incoming player developed into a major long-term Saints piece, so the two-player quantity did not translate into much durable value. McCall, meanwhile, gave Pittsburgh identifiable rushing and return production during his season with the Steelers before later returning to New Orleans.
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Don Shy
- player Ken Kortas
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- player Don McCall
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Just before the 1969 season, Pittsburgh sent running back Don Shy and defensive lineman Ken Kortas to New Orleans for running back Don McCall. The Steelers' own history describes this as a three-player exchange, without the extra draft choices sometimes attached to it. The package is stated only to the level that published football histories can support, so an unidentified choice stays unidentified instead of being attached to an uncertain player. That keeps the exchange coherent while still allowing the football value on each side to be judged from the assets that are known.
What New Orleans Saints Received
New Orleans received two players, but neither became a major long-term Saints piece. The quantity looked favorable at first glance, yet the combined stay and production did not create a durable advantage for the expansion-era club. The grade weighs both the price paid and the practical value that followed. A named draft choice is credited only when the selection can be connected to the exchange, while a general future choice remains general. That approach makes the historical comparison useful without overstating details that surviving accounts do not settle.
What Pittsburgh Steelers Received
McCall gave Pittsburgh one season of rushing and return work, including a kickoff-return touchdown, and the Steelers later sent him back to New Orleans. His measurable 1969 contribution makes Pittsburgh's side easier to value than the Saints' two-player return. The other side is judged by the same standard: immediate games, starting value, later career impact, and the quality of any draft assets received. Where one part of the package produced little or no NFL value, that matters even if the original transaction looked balanced on paper.
Final Verdict
Pittsburgh earns the better grade because McCall delivered identifiable production while Shy and Kortas did not create comparable long-term value for New Orleans. Removing unrelated draft choices also makes the exchange much cleaner historically. The verdict reflects the strongest supportable version of the transaction and the career value that followed. It does not depend on assigning an uncertain pick to a player simply to make the package look more complete. The result is a full historical evaluation of the trade that can stand on the known facts.