The Arizona Cardinals have made some mind-numbingly bad trades over the years.
This list will go into the three worst trades the Arizona Cardinals have ever made. It’s a weird topic to cover as the Cardinals’ current General Manager, Steve Keim, has pulled off many good trades, such as the Carson Palmer, Rodney Hudson, and DeAndre Hopkins trades.
But there are equally bad trades for as many of those good trades. Ones that set the team back quite a bit. Whether that’s in terms of wins and losses or positional stability, the Cardinals should have never made these deals, to begin with.
Let’s start with the first trade on this list:
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for Kevin Kolb put the Arizona Cardinals into doom
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC for short) was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2008. Not only did he have one of the best names of all-time in Cardinals history, but DRC helped clinch the NFC West title with a 99-yard pick-six in 2008 as a rookie.
Yes, DRC got picked on in the Super Bowl. But, he was still by far the Cardinals’ best cornerback for years after that. When Kurt Warner retired after the 2009 season after getting shellshocked on a cheap hit by the New Orleans Saints after he threw an interception, the Cardinals panicked and traded for Philadelphia Eagles QB Kevin Kolb in 2011.
Kolb got the team off to a 4-0 start, including a memorable comeback win against the Miami Dolphins in which Kolb led a game-tying drive with 22 seconds left on a touchdown strike to Andre Roberts.
The Cardinals would win in overtime on a Jay Feely field goal which was set up by Kerry Rhodes’ interception. This is also known as the infamous “Brian Hartline game,” in which Hartline had over 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns as he torched Cardinals CB William Gay.
The Cardinals were on a short week and went to play the St.Louis Rams on Thursday Night Football. They were promptly embarrassed in a 17-3 loss where they surrendered nine sacks. Kolb would get a concussion two weeks later against Buffalo, which was the end of his Arizona Cardinals tenure.
Imagine DRC with a prime Patrick Peterson and Adrian Wilson. Imagine that.