The Minnesota Vikings have made their share of questionable trades over the past decade, but one stands out as the most haunting and detrimental to the franchise’s trajectory. A recent Bleacher Report article pegged the 2016 trade for quarterback Sam Bradford as the Vikings’ worst deal of the last 10 years, citing the steep cost of a first-round pick sent to the Philadelphia Eagles. While that trade, born out of necessity after Teddy Bridgewater’s devastating knee injury, wasn’t a shining moment for then-GM Rick Spielman, it pales in comparison to other, far more disastrous moves. Among them, the 2022 draft trade with the Detroit Lions, orchestrated by current GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, takes the crown as the franchise’s most regrettable decision—a deal that continues to sting in hindsight.
The Bradford Trade: Not Great, But Not the Worst
To set the stage, let’s revisit the 2016 Bradford trade. Coming off an NFC North title, the Vikings were primed to compete when Bridgewater suffered a catastrophic knee injury during training camp. Spielman, facing a roster ready to win now, traded a first-round pick (and a conditional fourth) to the Eagles for Bradford. The quarterback performed adequately in 2016, leading the team to a 5-0 start before injuries and a porous offensive line derailed the season, finishing 8-8. Bradford then dazzled in Week 1 of 2017 against the Saints, throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns, only to be sidelined by injury. Case Keenum took over, leading the Vikings to an NFC Championship appearance.
While losing a first-round pick in 2017 hurt, the Vikings landed Dalvin Cook in the second round, a far better outcome than their first-round busts in 2016 (Laquon Treadwell) and 2018 (Mike Hughes). The Bradford trade, while costly, was a calculated move for a team in win-now mode. It’s hard to argue it was the franchise’s worst deal when other trades produced far less value and far greater regret.
The True Culprit: The 2022 Draft Debacle
The Vikings’ most haunting trade came in 2022, under new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. In his first draft, Adofo-Mensah made a shocking move, trading the 12th overall pick and the 46th pick to division rival Detroit Lions for picks 32, 34, and 66. On paper, the trade’s value was defensible by draft charts, but the real-world outcome was catastrophic. The Lions used the 12th pick to select wide receiver Jameson Williams, who exploded for 1,000 yards in 2024 and has become a cornerstone of Detroit’s high-powered offense. Meanwhile, the Vikings selected safety Lewis Cine at 32—a player who has barely seen the field due to injuries and ineffectiveness.
The worst trade the #Vikings have done in the last 10 years, according to @brgridiron: Trade for Sam Bradford.
Agree or disagree? pic.twitter.com/yKbzInkVdJ
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 31, 2025
The opportunity cost was brutal. At pick 12, the Vikings could have drafted stars like safety Kyle Hamilton or cornerback Trent McDuffie, both of whom have become elite contributors for their teams. Adofo-Mensah has since admitted he may have overreached in his first draft, trying to do too much at once. Trading with a division rival only amplified the pain, as Williams’ success directly fuels Detroit’s rise while Minnesota’s return on the deal remains negligible. This trade didn’t just cost the Vikings talent—it handed a rival a game-changer and left Minnesota with a draft class that’s largely considered a nightmare.
Other Contenders for the Worst Trade
While the 2022 Lions trade stands out, other moves from the past decade rival it for sheer futility. Here are three notable missteps, all under Spielman’s watch:
Yannick Ngakoue (2020)
In 2020, Spielman traded a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder to the Jacksonville Jaguars for pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, hoping to bolster the defensive line amid concerns about Danielle Hunter’s neck injury. Ngakoue recorded five sacks in six games but didn’t fit the Vikings’ scheme. With the team at 1-5, Spielman quickly flipped him to the Ravens for a third-rounder and a fifth, effectively moving down 45 spots in the draft for six games of a player in a lost season. This desperation move yielded minimal impact and cost valuable draft capital.
Chris Herndon (2021)
Another Spielman misfire came in 2021, when the Vikings traded a fourth-round pick to the New York Jets for tight end Chris Herndon after Irv Smith Jr.’s season-ending injury. Herndon was a non-factor, playing fewer than 200 snaps, catching just four passes, and committing costly penalties, including in a critical Week 5 game against the Lions. The trade was a complete bust, with the sixth-round pick acquired in return offering little consolation.
Kaare Vedvik (2019)
Perhaps the most baffling of Spielman’s moves was the 2019 trade for punter/kicker Kaare Vedvik. The Vikings sent a fifth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for Vedvik, only to cut him three weeks later after a lackluster preseason. Vedvik appeared in just one NFL game in his career (for the Jets), making this trade a masterclass in wasting draft capital for no return.
Why the 2022 Trade Stings the Most
While the Ngakoue, Herndon, and Vedvik trades were undeniably poor, the 2022 Lions trade stands alone for its long-term damage. Not only did it cost the Vikings a chance at elite talent, but it also empowered a division rival with a player who continues to haunt them. The Ngakoue trade was a short-term flop, Herndon was a forgettable blip, and Vedvik was a bizarre footnote, but the 2022 deal’s ripple effects—missing out on Hamilton or McDuffie while watching Williams thrive—make it a franchise-altering mistake. Even Adofo-Mensah’s otherwise strong tenure, recently rewarded with a multi-year extension, can’t erase the shadow of this trade.
The Bradford trade, while imperfect, at least gave the Vikings a fighting chance in 2016 and 2017. The 2022 Lions trade, on the other hand, is a wound that keeps bleeding—a reminder of what could have been and a deal that will haunt the Vikings for years to come.