49ers vs. Cowboys: 10 biggest moments in most storied NFL rivalry
By Peter Panacy
No. 6: 49ers trade Charles Haley to Cowboys
Deion Sanders wasn’t the only painful departure from the Niners to Cowboys.
Defensive end Charles Haley, one of the most formidable pass-rushers in NFL history and someone who had already established himself in San Francisco lore during the 1990s, didn’t depart via the free-agent wire.
No, the 49ers traded him. To a Cowboys team that was on the ascent but needed that defensive spark.
That infamous trade in 1992, following Haley’s back-to-back Pro Bowl years, was reportedly because he got in the face of Jerry Rice, at least according to former Niners running back Dexter Carter, although the perceived notions of Haley clashing with head coach George Seifert probably didn’t help matters either.
At any rate, Haley would go on to win three more Super Bowl rings with Dallas after already winning two with San Francisco, and it’s a deal the 49ers probably wish they never made.