The NFL lost one of its most recognizable figures Friday when legendary head coach Mike Ditka died at the age of 86.
Ditka is best remembered for leading the Chicago Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX, but the Hall of Famer also left his mark on the Cincinnati Bengals in a surprising way.
During the 1999 NFL Draft, Ditka made Cincinnati an extraordinary trade offer that could have dramatically altered the franchise’s future.
The Bengals have made plenty of consequential draft decisions over the years, but few have inspired as much second-guessing as the one involving Ditka and quarterback Akili Smith.
As the football world remembers Ditka’s remarkable career, his unsuccessful attempt to acquire Cincinnati’s first-round pick serves as a reminder of one of the most fascinating what-ifs in Bengals history.
Mike Ditka Offered Bengals Eight Draft Picks in 1999
In 1999, Ditka was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints and was determined to acquire Texas running back Ricky Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
New Orleans held the No. 12 overall selection, but Ditka wanted to move considerably higher to secure his preferred player.
The Bengals, meanwhile, owned the third overall pick and were searching for a quarterback who could turn their struggling franchise around.
According to a 2001 report from Bengals senior writer Geoff Hobson, New Orleans offered Cincinnati eight draft picks in exchange for the No. 3 selection.
The package included all six Saints selections in the 1999 draft, spanning the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds, plus their first- and third-round selections in 2000.
In other words, Cincinnati had the opportunity to acquire an enormous collection of future draft assets in exchange for one pick.
The Bengals and president Mike Brown rejected that offer. They held onto their pick and selected Oregon QB Akili Smith. Brown believed that the Bengals needed one impact player to lead the team instead of multiple lower selections.
Speaking to Hobson in 2001, Brown defended the decision.
“If Akili pans out and we still think he can,” Brown said, “I’d rather have him than all those other guys.”
After Cincinnati declined the offer, Ditka eventually found another trade partner.
New Orleans sent the same package of eight selections to Washington, receiving the No. 5 overall pick and selecting Williams.
It became one of the most memorable trades in NFL Draft history.
Bengals’ Akili Smith Selection Became an Infamous Draft Mistake
Mike Brown’s decision ultimately was a pretty massive failure. Smith never established himself as a consistent difference maker for the Bengals, appearing in just 22 games across four seasons with the team.
According to NFL.com’s official statistics, Smith made 17 starts and finished his Cincinnati career with 2,212 passing yards, five touchdown passes, and 13 interceptions.
The rejected offer became even more painful in hindsight.
Because New Orleans struggled during the 1999 season, the future first-round selection included in Ditka’s package became the No. 2 overall pick in 2000.
That pick eventually belonged to Washington, which used it to select linebacker LaVar Arrington.
Exchanging the opportunity to acquire eight draft picks for Smith remains an extraordinary gamble that ultimately failed to pay off.
Ditka’s own pursuit of Williams didn’t deliver the success he hoped for, either.
He coached his final NFL season in 1999, with the Saints finishing 3-13 before moving on from him. Ditka’s legacy will always be defined primarily by his Hall of Fame playing career and legendary tenure with the Bears.
But in Cincinnati, his name will forever be linked to a draft-day opportunity the Bengals chose to pass up.
Mike Ditka’s Stunning Bengals Trade Offer Resurfaces After NFL Legend’s Death