The lure of free agency can put teams over the top, as it did with the Philadelphia Eagles this past season. More often, though, teams come to regret large contracts given to free agents, who are often available for a reason.
Looking at the last decade, we break down the most regrettable free-agent additions for all 32 teams.
Biggest Free Agent Busts In Last 10 Years
Arizona Cardinals: Robert Alford (2019)
The Arizona Cardinals have largely avoided big-money contracts to external free agents throughout the years. One unfortunate misstep came in 2019, when they signed cornerback Robert Alford away from the Falcons on a three-year, $22.5 million contract.
Alford was supposed to help the Cardinals transition away from aging star Patrick Peterson. However, he only played 13 games in three years with Arizona, missing all of 2019 with a broken leg and all of 2020 with a torn pectoral. When he finally took the field in 2021, he started only five out of 13 games played and fell out of favor on the depth chart.
This is more of a case of misfortune than a bad process. Alford was a durable starter for Atlanta, playing at least 15 games in five of his six seasons. However, this was a harsh lesson in the dangers of signing cornerbacks over the age of 30, no matter how durable they’ve been up to that point.
Atlanta Falcons: Kirk Cousins (2024)
One year is typically too soon to definitively declare a player’s tenure a success or failure. But given how quickly the Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback situation turned into a fiasco, it’s not too early to declare defeat on Kirk Cousins’ four-year, $180 million deal.
The move was on shaky ground before Cousins ever suited up for Atlanta. As a 36-year-old coming off a torn Achilles, there was uncertainty whether Cousins could provide the same weekly reliability he did in Minnesota prior to his injury. The Falcons exacerbated the question marks around Cousins’ status by drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick, far earlier than many projected the Washington quarterback to go.
As it turned out, Cousins was a poor fit for Atlanta’s offense. His lack of mobility led to significant formational tells, as the Falcons had heavy pass rates out of shotgun and run rates out of pistol (while also scarcely using under center formations at all).
Performance-wise, Cousins tied for the league lead with 16 interceptions despite getting benched for the final three games. Over his final five starts, he threw one touchdown and nine interceptions as the Falcons lost four out of five games to squander the NFC South.
With Penix solidified as the team’s quarterback moving forward, the Falcons are looking at a massive dead cap hit for Cousins. They’ll presumably designate him as a post-June 1 cut and take a $40 million dead cap hit in 2025 and $12.5 million dead cap numbers each of the following two seasons.
Those lasting ramifications are what solidify the signing as the worst for Atlanta in the past decade. As much as Cousins’ single season of mediocre play hurt, his dead cap charges canceling out Penix’s cheap rookie contract will hamper the Falcons’ team-building process for years to come.
Baltimore Ravens: Marcus Williams (2022)
This was a close race between Williams and another free safety in Earl Thomas. One of the faces of the Legion of Boom, Thomas’ tenure with the Baltimore Ravens got off to a strong start when he was a Pro Bowler in 2019. However, after punching fellow safety Chuck Clark in a 2020 training camp practice, Thomas was released for conduct detrimental to the team.
As embarrassing as that episode was for Baltimore, they did get a season of strong production from Thomas (who also famously had a reputation as being difficult to coach in Seattle). On the other hand, Williams struggled with staying on the field, with inconsistent availability and performance throughout his three seasons with the Ravens. This culminated in a 2024 benching that played a key role in improving a struggling defense.
Williams was the rare free-agent splurge for Baltimore. After five stellar seasons in New Orleans, the free safety earned a five-year, $70 million deal with the Ravens in 2022. But injuries marred his time in Baltimore, as Williams missed at least six games in all three seasons. That included major injuries to his wrist in 2022 and pectoral in 2023.
His release is a formality this offseason. The Ravens will save $2.1 million in cap space by making Williams a post-June 1 cut, which will leave $6.7 million dead money on Baltimore’s cap sheet each of the next two years.
Buffalo Bills: Von Miller (2022)
To the credit of both the player and team, the union between Von Miller and the Buffalo Bills made plenty of sense. Miller had just served as a catalyst for the 2021 Rams Super Bowl team, while the Bills had come painfully close in that year’s epic Divisional Round loss to Kansas City.
Miller inked a six-year, $120 million deal to put the Bills over the top as well. That made him the eighth-highest paid edge rusher despite the fact he was entering his age-33 season, far past the expiration date for most pass rushers.
Miller’s first year began with promise, as he recorded eight sacks in 11 games. Unfortunately, a torn ACL fundamentally altered the trajectory of his career. In two seasons since that injury, Miller has had just six sacks in 25 games.
The former Super Bowl MVP has been reduced to a role player since his injury. Miller has averaged only 20 snaps per game the last two seasons, nearly half of the 38.5 he averaged his first year in Buffalo. This offseason, the Bills seem likely to take the $8.4 million in cap savings and cut Miller, rather than keeping him on a $23.8 million cap hit.
Carolina Panthers: Matt Kalil (2017)
A former fourth overall pick of the Vikings in 2012, left tackle Matt Kalil was a high-pedigree player whose reputation was reinforced by a rookie year Pro Bowl berth. However, Kalil regressed towards the end of his Vikings tenure, making him a tenuous proposition as a starter entering 2017.
Instead, the Carolina Panthers handsomely paid Kalil on a five-year, $55.5 million contract with $24 million guaranteed. Kalil started all 16 games but was largely underwhelming. Unfortunately, that would be his only year for the franchise, as a knee scope caused him to miss the entire 2018 season and ultimately ended his career.
The Panthers had to release Kalil in 2019, eating $14.7 million in dead money between the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In total, Carolina paid out $24.25 million for 16 starts.
Chicago Bears: Nate Davis (2023)
The Bears have had a lot of rough offensive additions, from Allen Robinson (2018) to Mike Glennon (2017). However, one of their more recent additions tops this list, as right guard Nate Davis’ disastrous stint contributed to derailing the last season of Justin Fields’ Chicago tenure and Caleb Williams’ rookie year.
Davis was a steady performer over four seasons with the Titans, starting 54 games over four seasons. However, his availability was routinely in question, as he missed multiple games in three of his four years with Tennessee.
That didn’t deter Chicago from handing out a four-year, $30 million deal with $17.5 million guaranteed. Davis struggled over 11 games in his first season, and was benched after two starts to begin 2024. He didn’t even make it through his second year in Chicago, ultimately being released in November.
In 16 games with Chicago, Davis allowed a 7.8% pressure rate. That ranked 84th out of 90 qualifying guards in that span. Rebuilding the offensive line is crucial for getting Williams’ career back on track, and releasing Davis was a necessary step in that process.
Cincinnati Bengals: Trae Waynes (2020)
A first-round pick of the Vikings in 2015, Trae Waynes became a starter for Minnesota in his second season but never took a substantial step towards becoming a shutdown corner. In five seasons with the Vikings, Waynes started 53 games and played at least 14 games every season. After three interceptions in his second season, Waynes had four picks in his final three years with Minnesota combined.
Nevertheless, the Cincinnati Bengals made a rare free-agent foray in signing Waynes to a three-year, $42 million contract in 2020. His first season in Cincinnati never got off the ground, as a torn pectoral caused him to miss all of that season. Hamstring injuries plagued him in 2021, and Waynes only played five games as a bit player on the AFC champions.
Cincinnati ultimately released Waynes after two years, and he never played in the NFL again. The Bengals were spared disastrous cap consequences because of their policy of not paying guaranteed money beyond the signing bonus. But while Waynes’ deal didn’t inflict much long-term damage, a shutdown corner would have been a nice asset to have in tight playoff losses to the Rams in 2021 and Chiefs in 2022.
Cleveland Browns: Kenny Britt (2017)
Kenny Britt had a career year as one of the only bright spots on a horrid 2016 Rams offense. Britt had his only 1,000-yard season, just clearing the mark with 1,002 yards and five touchdowns in Jared Goff’s rookie season.
That allowed Britt to cash in as a free agent, signing a four-year, $32.5 million deal with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. Instead of building on his career year, Britt became a symbol of the Browns’ 0-16 disaster. Repeated questions about his effort and nonexistent production (18 catches in nine games) led to Britt’s release before his first season in Cleveland even ended.
As a result, the Browns ended up taking over $10.5 million in dead money for Britt’s half-season with the franchise. In all, Britt made over $583,000 per catch for his catastrophic career in Cleveland. He would latch on with the Patriots for the end of the 2017 season, but never appeared in a game after that year.
Dallas Cowboys: Greg Hardy (2015)
The Jones family has largely been prudent with the Dallas Cowboys’ spending in recent years, often to a fault. The signing of Greg Hardy wasn’t even a particularly egregious one by the standards of this list, but the embarrassment it brought to the organization in a difficult season made it a clear net negative.
Hardy emerged as a superstar for the Panthers, recording 15 sacks in 2013 and earning Second Team All-Pro honors. However, he was arrested and found guilty of assault and communicating threats to an ex-girlfriend in 2014, leading him to play just a single game that season before being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.
The incident came as Hardy’s contract with Carolina expired, allowing the Cowboys to swoop in with a one-year, $11.5 million deal. Hardy played the final 12 games of the season after serving a four-game suspension for his violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. Hardy was reasonably productive with six sacks, but tailed off as the season wore on and received criticism for his social media presence and tardiness to meetings.
The season overall was one of bad vibes for the Cowboys, who finished 4-12 with Tony Romo limited to four games by left collarbone injuries. Hardy’s signing received plenty of criticism due to his off-field controversies, and his production did not justify the sour taste his presence left that year.
Denver Broncos: Ja’Wuan James (2019)
A 2014 first-round pick of the Dolphins, Ja’Wuan James was a solid if unspectacular starter at right tackle for five seasons in Miami. As he hit free agency ahead of the 2019 season, there were warning signs that James would not age well. He alternated healthy years (2014, ‘16, ‘18) with major injuries that limited him to seven games in 2015 and eight games in 2017.
Nevertheless, the Denver Broncos signed James to a four-year, $51 million contract, which made him the 11th-highest paid tackle by average annual value. James’ injury problems followed him to Denver, as he played only three games in 2019 due to a knee injury suffered in his team debut.
Unfortunately, that represented the most games James ever played for Denver. He opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then tore his Achilles in the offseason prior to 2021. Denver released him after that, taking over $10 million in dead money.
In all, the Broncos paid James over $17 million in cash for those three starts. Denver went 7-9 the year James signed with the team, allowing the 10th-highest pressure rate of any offense that year.
Detroit Lions: Cameron Sutton (2023)
The Lions have certainly had free-agent addition busts like Trey Flowers and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. However, the most bizarre case was with Cameron Sutton, who got himself into off-field trouble that ended his Lions tenure prematurely.
The former Steelers cornerback signed a three-year, $33 million contract with Detroit in 2023, with $21 million of that guaranteed. He started all 17 games in 2023, but underwhelmed in allowing a whopping 9.8 yards per target. That ranked 134th out of 139 defenders with 50+ targets that season.
Unfortunately, Sutton got himself into far hotter water off the field when he disappeared following an arrest warrant relating to domestic abuse. The Lions cut Sutton just over one year after he signed with them after failing to turn himself into the police for two years.
Sutton’s career is not over, as he found a landing spot with his original team in Pittsburgh and finished the 2024 season with them after serving an eight-game suspension. But given that he was supposed to help key a Lions defensive turnaround, Sutton’s disastrous end to his tenure made him one of the rare missteps for Detroit in recent years.
Green Bay Packers: Martellus Bennett (2017)
A journeyman who had played for four teams in his first nine seasons, tight end Martellus Bennett looked like a rising star in his late 20s. Bennett made the Pro Bowl for the Bears in 2014, then served as a key contributor on the 2016 Patriots team that won the Super Bowl despite Rob Gronkowski missing the entire playoffs.
Bennett’s role in New England’s title enabled him to cash in on a three-year, $21 million deal with the Green Bay Packers. This was the final season with Ted Thompson as the Packers’ general manager, and Bennett’s signing came as a bit of a shock due to Thompson’s reputation for not spending on external free agents.
Green Bay’s rare splurge turned sour very quickly. Bennett had just 24 receptions over seven games, then was waived in November for failing to disclose a medical condition. Bennett openly feuded with the Packers about his release, but he only played two more games after rejoining the Patriots before injuries ended his season and ultimately led to his retirement.
Houston Texans: Brock Osweiler (2016)
One of the more infamous contracts in recent memory belongs to quarterback Brock Osweiler. The former second-round pick showed some promise in seven starts for the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos in 2015. However, Osweiler was benched for an aging Peyton Manning at the end of that season, and did not play during the Broncos’ title run in the playoffs.
Regardless, his half-season sample as a starter led the Texans to sign Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract in 2016. That made him a higher-paid quarterback than Matthew Stafford or Alex Smith despite those seven starts being his only meaningful playing time in four years with Denver.
The contract quickly soured, as Osweiler was one of the worst starters that season. He passed for 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, with the fifth-worst interception rate in the NFL that season. He also averaged the third-worst EPA per dropback (-0.08) that season.
Remarkably, the Texans managed to win the AFC South, then defeat a Raiders team missing Derek Carr in the Wild Card round. But Osweiler wasn’t a viable starter despite the surprise playoff win, and the Texans took the humiliating step of trading second- and sixth-round picks along with Osweiler to the Browns in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Houston paid Osweiler $21 million in cash for his lone disastrous season as a starter. He would start only nine more games after leaving the Texans, with his final appearance coming in 2018.
Indianapolis Colts: Johnathan Hankins (2017)
The Colts have been a very fiscally responsible team over the years, and are one of the very few teams without a truly calamitous external signing over the last decade. This was a close call between defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and Jabaal Sheard, both of whom signed three-year deals in 2017.
Hankins signed for slightly more than Sheard, with $9 million per year and $14.5 million guaranteed compared to $8 million per year and $12.75 million guaranteed for Sheard. Known as a run-stuffer, Hankins started 15 games during his lone season with Indy, recording two sacks. However, he filled his role capably, as the Colts improved from 30th in yards per rush allowed in 2016 to ninth in 2017.
With Matt Eberflus taking over as defensive coordinator in 2018, Hankins wasn’t seen as a fit for his even front systems and was released. His short tenure with the team yielded $10.5 million in cash. That wasn’t good value for an early-down run defender, but it wasn’t a disaster either, and Hankins did serve his purpose.
With Hankins still playing in the NFL through 2024, this reflects how Indianapolis has largely been restrained in terms of paying external free agents.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Nick Foles (2019)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been one of the more egregious free spenders in free agency over the years. It’s entirely possible to construct a lineup full of veterans the Jags got poor value from.
Among those also considered for this selection (in reverse chronological order of year signed): Arik Armstead, Gabe Davis, Shaquill Griffin, Joe Schobert, Andrew Norwell, Kelvin Beachum, Chris Ivory, Julius Thomas, and Jared Odrick.
Due to the positional importance of quarterback, Nick Foles stands at the top of the list of free-agent busts in Jacksonville. After leading the Eagles to back-to-back playoff runs as a late-season fill-in – including the franchise’s first Super Bowl title in 2017 – Foles cashed in on a four-year, $88 million deal with Jacksonville in 2019, with the expectation of being their unquestioned starter.
However, Foles broke his left clavicle in his first game with the Jaguars, and played only four games for Jacksonville. That brief stint went disastrously, as the Jaguars lost all four of Foles’ starts and saw him throw just three touchdowns while taking eight sacks.
Jacksonville backpedaled from Foles with rookie Gardner Minshew II showing some promise, trading him to the Bears for a fourth-round pick after one season. The Jags did do well to salvage some value for Foles, but ultimately paid him $30.1 million for zero wins as a starting quarterback.
Kansas City Chiefs: Sammy Watkins (2018)
Unsurprisingly, the Kansas City Chiefs haven’t had many missteps over the past decade. If a team’s worst free agent signing was a player who managed to finish out a three-year contract, that’s not a bad outcome at all.
Sammy Watkins was signed to aid the development of an unknown quantity in Patrick Mahomes, who had one career start prior to 2018. Despite four inconsistent seasons with the Bills and Rams, Watkins managed to sign a three-year, $48 million contract with the Chiefs.
Although he played all three years of that deal, Watkins never eclipsed 700 yards or had more than three touchdowns in a season. He had just two 100-yard receiving games in 34 regular season games with the Chiefs, though he did have a pair of 100-yard games in the playoffs for them.
Watkins was more of an underwhelming signing rather than a truly disastrous one, and clearly did not hamper Mahomes’ ascent into the defining superstar of his generation. Anything better than an outright disaster qualifies as a success for this list.
Las Vegas Raiders: Tyrell Williams (2019)
After four seasons with the Chargers, Tyrell Williams looked like a nice complementary wide receiver. He averaged 813 receiving yards per season from 2016-18, and even cracked 1,000 yards during the franchise’s final year in San Diego in 2016.
That led the then-Oakland Raiders to hand out a four-year, $44.4 million deal to Williams in free agency. Williams’ tenure got off to an extremely promising start, as he had a touchdown in each of his first five games with the Raiders.
However, he would only score one more time in his final nine games with the franchise. Foot injuries limited Williams’ production down the stretch in 2019, and he missed all of 2020 with a torn labrum. The Raiders subsequently released Williams, a disappointing end to a tenure that began with significant promise.
Los Angeles Chargers: J.C. Jackson (2022)
J.C. Jackson went from undrafted rookie to one of the NFL’s pre-eminent ball hawks with the Patriots. From 2018-21, Jackson led the NFL with 21 interceptions. That culminated in a Second Team All-Pro nod in 2021 ahead of his free agency.
One of the top free agents of the 2022 offseason, Jackson landed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers to help headline Brandon Staley’s defense. The deal made Jackson one of the 10 highest-paid cornerbacks at the time.
However, Jackson’s first year in Los Angeles was one of the most disastrous seasons by a cornerback in recent memory. He allowed a whopping 13.9 yards per target and four touchdowns in five games before suffering a ruptured patellar tendon.
Jackson didn’t even make it through Year 2 with the Chargers, as he was traded back to his original team following only two games in 2023. As a result, the Chargers ate over $30 million in dead money and paid out $28 million in cash to Jackson for seven disastrous games.
Los Angeles Rams: Allen Robinson (2022)
Allen Robinson enjoyed back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Bears from 2019-20, but disappointed with only 410 yards over 12 games with Chicago in 2021. Nevertheless, that didn’t deter the Los Angeles Rams from signing Robinson to a three-year, $46.5 million contract with $30.25 million guaranteed in 2022.
Robinson was supposed to replace the departed Odell Beckham Jr. for the defending Super Bowl champions, but never lived up to expectations. He averaged only 33.9 receiving yards per game, a career-low up to that point (minus the 2017 season when he played only one game). Robinson’s season ended after 10 games after he underwent foot surgery.
The Rams bailed on Robinson after one year, cutting him and taking a huge $21.5 million dead cap hit. Los Angeles recovered nicely by drafting Puka Nacua in the fifth round, a grand slam that bailed them out of a rough receiver situation beyond Cooper Kupp.
Miami Dolphins: Byron Jones (2020)
Byron Jones was an extremely reliable cornerback over five seasons with the Cowboys. Jones missed just a single game and made the Pro Bowl in 2018. Entering his age-28 season, that set up Jones for a big payday in free agency.
The Miami Dolphins rewarded Jones with a five-year, $82.5 million contract to pair him with Xavien Howard and create one of the NFL’s elite cornerback duos. While Howard held up his end of the bargain, Jones’ performance deteriorated after signing his deal. He allowed 10.6 yards per target and conceded five touchdowns during his first Dolphins season in 2020, as many as he allowed the prior two seasons combined.
Jones battled through quad and Achilles injuries in 2021, missing three games. The latter ailment would end his career, as he missed the entire 2022 season and had to retire due to complications from his Achilles surgery. Jones lashed out at the medical treatment he was given, saying on social media that players should consult non-team doctors to understand the long-term implications of their treatment.
Miami released Jones in 2023, taking on $16.6 million dead money after paying him nearly $55 million in cash earnings. The Dolphins pivoted to acquiring Jalen Ramsey after releasing Jones, but could never quite sync up an elite corner pairing with Howard aging out in that timeframe as well.
Minnesota Vikings: Michael Pierce (2020)
An elite run-stuffer with the Ravens, Michael Pierce had a limited but useful role. The defensive tackle signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2020 season, but was never available enough to justify that deal.
Pierce opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When he returned in 2021, he only played eight games due to an elbow injury that caused him to miss time in the middle of the season.
Minnesota only got eight games out of Pierce before releasing him ahead of the 2022 season. Worse, the Vikings were one of the worst run defenses during the lone season they had Pierce. Minnesota ranked 29th in yards per carry allowed (4.7) during the 2021 season, which ultimately saw Mike Zimmer fired after an 8-9 campaign.
New England Patriots: Jonnu Smith (2021)
After a 7-9 season in the first year of the post-Tom Brady era, the New England Patriots went on an uncharacteristic spending spree to return to the playoffs. In an offseason that also saw big deals handed out to Matthew Judon and Hunter Henry, the most regrettable splurge was on tight end Jonnu Smith.
Smith was a low-volume, high-efficiency player during his four seasons with the Titans. He never eclipsed 500 receiving yards in a season, but had eight touchdowns during his final year in 2020 and ranked fourth among tight ends in average yards after the catch.
Despite the small sample, New England inked Smith to a four-year, $50 million deal with $31.25 million guaranteed. Smith proved incapable of handling a larger role, as he only garnered 55 receptions for 539 yards and one touchdown during his two combined seasons in Foxboro.
The Patriots released Smith after two seasons, taking a $12.8 million dead cap charge in 2022. To add insult to injury, Smith has re-established his career in two seasons with the Falcons and Dolphins, emerging as the reliable receiving tight end he was supposed to become for the Patriots.
New Orleans Saints: Brandon Browner (2015)
An original member of the Legion of Boom, Brandon Browner established a reputation as one of the most physical cover cornerbacks in the league. While that led to his fair share of penalties, Browner made up for that with his coverage ability and was a critical member of two Super Bowl champions — the 2013 Seahawks and 2014 Patriots.
Following his one-year stint in New England, Browner cashed in with a three-year, $15 million deal with the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2015 season. That doesn’t sound like much by today’s standards, but at the time it paid Browner at the level of a CB1.
He did not come close to reaching that level for a wretched Saints defense. Browner’s penalty problem grew out of control in 2015, as his 20 penalties are the most by any player in a single season since 2000. His coverage ability also dissipated as he became one of the faces of a Saints defense that ranked last in scoring defense.
Browner would be released after just a single season and never appeared in another NFL game. After his career, Browner ended up in significant legal trouble and was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2018 after pleading no contest to an attempted murder charge.
New York Giants: Kenny Golladay (2021)
Kenny Golladay was a breakout star for the Lions in 2018 and 2019. The wide receiver eclipsed 1,000 yards in both seasons and led the league with 11 touchdowns in 2019. Although he was limited to five games in 2020 with hamstring injuries, that didn’t dampen his value entering free agency.
The New York Giants signed Golladay to be their top receiver ahead of 2021. The Giants gave him a four-year, $72 million deal. At the time, Golladay’s $18 million per year deal tied him with Tyreek Hill for the fifth-highest average annual salary for wide receivers.
Unfortunately, the injuries from Golladay’s last season in Detroit carried over to his new team. Golladay missed eight games in 2021 and ‘22, and was extremely unproductive when he did take the field. Golladay had a total of 602 yards in 26 games with New York, catching only one touchdown.
New York moved on after two seasons, taking a $14.7 million dead cap charge while paying out $36 million in cash for a massive free agent bust.
New York Jets: Le’Veon Bell (2019)
Le’Veon Bell’s protracted two-year franchise tag saga with the Steelers led to him sitting out the 2018 season. With Bell’s time in Pittsburgh over, the three-time Pro Bowler was seen as one of the prizes of free agency in 2019.
The New York Jets landed that prize on a four-year, $52.5 million deal with $27 million in guarantees. Bell was the third-highest paid running back by average annual value at the time, and his arrival was supposed to provide an important weapon in the development of second-year quarterback Sam Darnold.
Instead, Bell’s rustiness was obvious from the jump. He averaged a career-worst 3.2 yards per carry in 2019 and gained just 789 total rushing yards. Although he still maintained solid receiving value, Bell only scored four times in 15 games.
Bell’s second year with the Jets never got off the ground, as a hamstring injury led to him being placed on injured reserve. New York was eventually forced to release him after failing to find a trade partner, ending his Jets tenure after 17 games.
Philadelphia Eagles: DeMarco Murray (2015)
The Philadelphia Eagles may have hit the jackpot with Saquon Barkley this past offseason, but a similarly flashy running back signing went belly-up nearly a decade ago. DeMarco Murray was the most coveted free agent running back after leading the league in rushing in 2014 for Dallas.
Murray landed with the division rival Eagles on a five-year, $40 million deal that made him the fifth-highest paid running back at the time. However, his first year in Philly was disastrously inefficient, as he averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. His second game with the Eagles symbolized his tenure with the team, as he accumulated two yards on 13 carries against his former team.
Murray was not the bellcow back he had been with the Cowboys, as he spent 2015 splitting carries with Ryan Mathews (who the Eagles had also signed in free agency). He wouldn’t get a second chance for a bounceback season. After the year, Philadelphia effectively salary-dumped Murray to the Titans, swapping fourth-round picks for the right to get off the final four years of his contract.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ladarius Green (2016)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been exceedingly cautious in paying outside free agents. One of their very few forays into free agency came in 2016, when they swiped tight end Ladarius Green from the Chargers.
Green was the backup tight end during his four seasons in San Diego behind Hall of Famer Antonio Gates. However, he showed flashes of big-play ability and had 429 yards on 37 catches during his last season with the team in 2015.
As a result, the Steelers paid him a four-year, $20 million contract to succeed the recently retired Heath Miller at tight end. Green was behind the eight ball his first year after suffering a preseason ankle injury, causing him to miss the first eight games on the PUP list.
Green had a couple moments in Pittsburgh, including a 110-yard game vs. the Giants. Unfortunately, a Week 15 concussion caused him to miss the final two regular season and all three playoff games. Green was released in the offseason with a failed physical designation, and never appeared in another NFL game.
San Francisco 49ers: Jerick McKinnon (2018)
Jerick McKinnon enjoyed a long career that exceeded expectations as a third-round pick out of Georgia Southern. However, McKinnon hit a rough patch with injuries in the middle of his career, derailing his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers.
McKinnon was a solid complementary back in Minnesota from 2014-17, peaking with 991 scrimmage yards during his last season with the team. That led the 49ers to sign him to a four-year, $30 million contract to serve as Kyle Shanahan’s lead back ahead of the 2018 season.
However, he missed the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL, then all of 2019 after suffering a setback in his recovery. By the time he finally took the field in 2020, he was part of a committee that included Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., and averaged an inefficient 3.9 yards per carry.
The 49ers moved on from McKinnon after the season after paying out over $16 million for 16 games. McKinnon would have a satisfying conclusion to his career as part of the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl title teams in 2022 and 2023, helping beat his former team in his final game.
Seattle Seahawks: Dre’Mont Jones (2023)
The Seattle Seahawks have been a fairly restrained team over the years. If not for their recent flurry of cuts, their entry in this list likely would have been cornerback Cary Williams, who played only 10 games for the team after signing a three-year, $18 million deal in 2015.
However, a more recent signing proved to be a bigger bust and a rare example of free agent excess for this franchise. Defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones was a solid contributor in Denver, recording either at least 5.5 sacks every year from 2020-22. Still, the Seahawks saw the potential for Jones to grow into a star with a bigger role and gave him a three-year, $51.5 million deal.
Those visions for Jones never materialized. He never missed a game with Seattle, but accumulated just 8.5 sacks in 34 games. Jones saw his playing time slashed in 2024, as he played 54% of the defensive snaps after participating in 64% of the snaps in 2023.
As a result, the Seahawks will carry a $14 million dead cap hit in 2025. Jones represents Seattle’s sixth-highest cap charge for this upcoming season, even though he’s no longer on the team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: J.R. Sweezy (2016)
J.R. Sweezy was a solid starting guard during the height of the Seahawks’ mini-dynasty. Sweezy started all 46 games he appeared in from 2013-15, as well as all eight playoff games Seattle played in those three seasons.
That led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to poach Sweezy on a five-year, $32.5 million contract in 2016. However, he underwent back surgery that preseason and failed to appear in a game at all in 2016. Sweezy rebounded to start 14 games in 2017, but finished the year on injured reserve with a leg injury.
To Tampa Bay’s credit, Sweezy’s contract had only $12 million guaranteed, allowing the team to move on after two years with no dead money. That limited the financial damage of Sweezy’s tenure, though his lack of availability left a hole in the offensive line.
Tennessee Titans: Bud Dupree (2021)
Bud Dupree looked like a first-round bust for the Steelers after never accumulating more than 6.0 sacks through his first four seasons. But an 11.5-sack breakout in 2019 led to Dupree receiving the franchise tag in 2020. That year, he was on his way to another strong year, recording 8.0 sacks in 11 games before tearing his ACL.
Despite the injury, Dupree managed to land a five-year, $82.5 million deal from the Tennessee Titans. Dupree made it back for the season-opener in 2021, but injuries limited him to 11 games and 3.0 sacks. The second year in Nashville wasn’t any better, as Dupree again played only 11 games and had 4.0 sacks.
That led the Titans to bail after two years, taking on $10.9 million in dead money to move on from Dupree. In all, Tennessee paid out roughly $34 million in cash for 22 games and 7.0 sacks.
Washington Commanders: William Jackson III (2021)
Under their former ownership, the Washington Commanders were notorious for overzealous free-agent spending. Albert Haynesworth fell outside the scope of the last decade (he was signed in 2009), but Washington made poor free-agent acquisitions with the likes of Paul Richardson and Chris Culliver after that.
However, the worst value belongs to cornerback William Jackson III. The former first-round pick established a reputation as a solid cover corner, even though he picked off only three passes in four years with Cincinnati. Nevertheless, Washington paid him on a three-year, $40.5 million contract to serve as the team’s top cornerback.
Jackson had two picks in 2021, but allowed six touchdowns and missed five games due to COVID and a calf injury. His follow-up season went much worse, as Jackson was benched after playing four games and never appeared in another game for the team.
The Commanders effectively salary-dumped him to Pittsburgh at the 2022 trade deadline, swapping late-round picks. Washington ended up eating $19.6 million in dead money over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and Jackson never appeared in another NFL game.