NFL’s most-traded players of all-time: Brandin Cooks ties Eric Dickerson atop list with 4; a look at 7 others

The Cowboys made waves on Sunday by trading for Brandin Cooks, who made his own waves by tying Eric Dickerson as the most traded player in NFL history since 1980, per NFL research. It was the fourth time Cooks has been traded after breaking into the NFL with the Saints in 2014. And once Cooks plays a down for the Cowboys, he’ll have the record all to himself for the most teams played with after a trade (Dickerson was dealt to the Packers in his fourth and final trade, but never played a down for them after failing his physical).

There have been some very good NFL players who were traded multiple times. Here’s a look at some NFL standouts who have changed teams at least twice.

Brandin Cooks

NFL teams: Saints, Patriots, Rams, Texans, Cowboys
Number of times traded: 4

Cooks has six 1,000-yard receiving seasons since 2015. He played three seasons with the Texans, totaling 57 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns last season despite missing four games — sitting out one of them following his frustration of not being dealt by the trade deadline. The 29-year-old receiver has been able to put up numbers over the course of his career even when he was given inconsistent play at the quarterback position (he has 8,616 receiving yards with 49 touchdowns in his nine-year career). Now he goes to the Cowboys for a pair of late draft picks (check our trade grades here).

The former No. 20 overall selection has now been traded four times in his career, after New Orleans traded up to take him in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played for the Saints in his first three seasons before being traded to the Patriots. After one year in New England (2017) he was dealt to the Rams, where he played two seasons, then was shipped off to the Texans, where he’s played since 2020.

In total, the four trades involving Cooks have netted his former teams two first-round picks, a second-round pick, a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick and two sixth-round picks.

Eric Dickerson

NFL teams: Rams, Colts, Raiders, Falcons, (also traded to the Packers but never played for Green Bay)
Number of times traded: 4

Dickerson was was traded four times during his Hall of Fame career, but he never played for the final team that acquired him. The NFL’s single season all-time rushing leader (he…