Atlanta acquired quarterback Turk Schonert from Cincinnati on…
Atlanta acquired quarterback Turk Schonert from Cincinnati on April 2, 1986, sending the Bengals a 1986 third-round pick that became defensive lineman Jim Skow at No. 58. Schonert gave the Falcons five starts and modest production that season. Skow became a multi-year Cincinnati starter and recorded his best sack season during the Bengals’ 1988 Super Bowl run, giving Cincinnati the stronger return.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- player Turk Schonert
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 1986 third round pick (#58-Jim Skow)
Trade Analysis
The Documented Exchange
Cincinnati’s official historical material dates the transaction to April 2, 1986: quarterback Turk Schonert went to Atlanta and the Bengals received the Falcons’ third-round choice in the 1986 draft. Atlanta’s own 1986 material also describes Schonert as arriving from Cincinnati for a third-round selection. Cincinnati then used that pick, No. 58 overall, on defensive lineman Jim Skow. The agreement is therefore best represented as Schonert for the pick that became Skow.
What Atlanta Received
Schonert gave the Falcons immediate quarterback depth, but the payoff was brief. NFL career statistics show that he appeared in eight games for Atlanta in 1986 and started five. He threw for 1,032 yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. That was real short-term usage, particularly for a club needing another experienced passer, yet it did not grow into sustained high-level quarterback value. Atlanta moved a meaningful Day 2-equivalent selection for a veteran who filled a temporary need rather than becoming a long-term answer.
What Cincinnati Received
Skow gave Cincinnati the more durable football return. NFL statistics show 55 games and 40 starts for the Bengals from 1986 through 1989. His strongest season came in 1988, when he started all 16 regular-season games and recorded 9.5 sacks as Cincinnati reached Super Bowl XXIII. Across those four Bengals seasons, his listed sack totals add to 21.5. Turning a veteran backup quarterback into a productive multi-year defensive-line starter is the kind of conversion that clearly improves the value of the original pick.
Final Verdict
Schonert contributed enough in 1986 to keep Atlanta from receiving a failing grade, but the Falcons did not get comparable duration or impact. Cincinnati converted the third-rounder into a four-year contributor who started regularly and played an important role on a conference championship team. The date evidence is not perfectly uniform across every secondary record, so confidence remains medium, but the football outcome strongly favors Cincinnati. The Bengals receive an A- and Atlanta a C.