'Pathetic': Former NFL QB Torches Biden For Brittney Griner/Merchant Of Death Trade

Boomer Esiason thinks trading Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout made the United States of America look terrible.

The WNBA player was swapped Thursday in a prisoner exchange for Bout, who is known as the Merchant of Death. He spent decades arming just about every conflict you can think of before finally being snatched by America.

So, the USA got back a WNBA player who had been convicted in a show trial and Putin got back the most powerful arms dealer of the past 30+ years. Esiason wasn't impressed by the deal brokered by Joe Biden's administration.

Boomer sounds off on the Brittney Griner trade.

"I’m telling you, more people feel that way than don’t. I can tell you that right now. I know that we’re all happy that Brittney’s home like we said earlier on. But when you think about the magnitude of what we traded to get back a WNBA professional athlete, and left a Marine sitting there, whose family has been trying for years to get him out of there with nothing. Nothing from the U.S. government," Esiason said Thursday on "Boomer & Gio," according to Mediaite.

He further added, "I kinda feel like the Russians basically were using her to get this guy out. It’s not an even swap; it’s not. We all know what happened to Brittney should have never happened. Man, we look so pathetic, and listening to our President talk about this is such a pathetic feeling. I want to be happy, but I can't be."

Brittney Griner released after nearly a year in Russian custody. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Esiason is hardly alone in his criticism. Twitter exploded Thursday with criticism of the seemingly lopsided trade.

While every rational American realized Griner's situation was absurd - she was nothing more than a hostage - there should be questions asked about whether or not freeing the Merchant of Death was wise. When you think about Paul Whelan being left behind, the situation only gets opened up to more criticism.

As I told Dan Dakich, if Bout gets back into the arms game, we should seriously consider just taking him out.

Two things can be true at once. You can be happy Griner is back while also wondering whether the situation was handled in the best fashion possible by Biden.