1. Walker for the kitchen sink in 1989
A number of current Vikings fans weren’t even alive or old enough to experience the misery that came after the team traded for Herschel Walker in 1989. It’s probably better that way though.
In an effort to start from scratch, Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson put Walker on the trading block midway through the 1989 season. A number of teams tried to acquire the talented running back, but it was Minnesota that was eventually able to work out a deal with Johnson and the Cowboys.
To successfully trade for Walker, the Vikings sent five players and eight draft picks (including three first-rounders) to Dallas. In addition to the running back, Minnesota received four draft selections from the Cowboys.
Running back Darrin Nelson, who was sent to Dallas in the deal by the Vikings, was eventually traded to the San Diego Chargers after he refused to report to the Cowboys.
Minnesota Vikings
To this day, it is still the largest trade in NFL history.
With Walker now on their roster, Minnesota believed it had the missing piece to help capture the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl win. Unfortunately, that’s not how it turned out for the Vikings.
Minnesota came up short of the Super Bowl in 1989 as they fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. That actually ended up being the only year the Vikings made the postseason with Walker on their roster.
The running back played in Minnesota for two and a half years and he racked up 2,945 total yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. Walker never rushed for more than 825 yards in a season with the Vikings.
His production was not even close to what Minnesota was hoping for when acquired the running back from Dallas.
Meanwhile, all the Cowboys did was use the ammo they got from the trade with the Vikings to add more talent to their roster and eventually win three Super Bowls from 1992 to 1995.