Chicago Bears: The top 5 worst trades in franchise history

The Chicago Bears trade tight end Mike Ditka for a player and undisclosed draft pick

Back in 1961, the Bears selected tight end Mike Ditka with the no. 8 overall pick in the draft. Ditka would go on to start his career with five-straight Pro Bowl appearances and a couple of All Pro nods.

Over his first five seasons, Ditka caught 316 passes for 4,503 yards and 34 touchdowns. He was a legend in the making. But, after the 1966 season, Ditka was traded from the Bears to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterback Jack Concannon and an undisclosed draft pick.

For the record, the draft pick was never actually exchanged. So, the Bears traded away a Hall of Fame tight end for a quarterback that would go on to become just another guy in that long list of failed Chicago quarterbacks.

In five seasons with the Bears, Concannon threw 31 touchdown passes to his 52 interceptions while starting a total of 40 games.

It seems as though the trade affected Ditka’s career just as much as it did the Bears, as the tight end never caught more than three touchdowns in a season after being dealt — nor did he ever surpass more than 360 receiving yards.