The NFL offseason is a time in the league when all 32 teams do everything they can to reload the roster by signing new talent and starting fresh for the upcoming season. Some signings work out well, while others completely fall apart miserably. Whenever a free agent signing flops in the NFL, it flops hard and could send an NFL team backward for a few seasons or so.
Here at TPS, we’re going to discuss 10 of the worst free-agent signings in the last decade.
Which free agent signings had been deemed the worst in the last 10 years?
Le’Veon Bell
Bell began his NFL journey with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he elevated himself to be the team’s premier running back in the 2010s. In the 2017 season, the Steelers placed a franchise tag on Bell when he wanted a contract extension. Bell showed his money’s worth in the 2017 season with 1,291 rushing yards on 321 attempts, scored nine rushing touchdowns, caught 85 receptions for 655 yards, and scored two receiving touchdowns.
When 2018 rolled around, the Steelers slapped another franchise tag on Bell, worth $14.5 million. Rather than play, Bell sat out of the 2018 season. The Steelers finished the year with a 9-6-1 record and missed the playoffs. Bell was released by the Steelers in 2019 and signed a four-year $52.5 million deal with the New York Jets. However, Bell’s 2019 season with Gang Green was miserable, to say the least. Bell rushed for 789 yards on 245 attempts, scored three touchdowns, caught 66 receptions for 441 yards, and scored a receiving touchdown.
Bell scored his first touchdown of the season in the Jets’ week six 24-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys. To make matters worse, Bell wasn’t a fan of then-head coach Adam Gase’s playcalling and how he was being utilized. In 2020, the Jets released Bell after week five of the regular season. The then 2020 free agent had very brief stints with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 and the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2021 NFL season. Bell hasn’t played in the NFL ever since the 2021 season, having pursued a brief career in boxing.
Nick Foles
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Foles is remembered as the backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, who became a hero in the City of Brotherly Love, winning the team their first Super Bowl. In the 2019 season, Foles signed a four-year $88 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, hoping he would change their misfortunes after an abysmal 2018 season. Unfortunately, Foles suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter of the game and was sidelined for 10 weeks.
During that stretch, then-rookie backup quarterback Gardner Minshew took command of the Jaguars, making himself a fan favorite around the league. Foles returned to action in week 11 but wasn’t leading the Jaguars to any wins and was benched for Minshew. Foles was traded to the Chicago Bears in 2020 and signed a two-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 to backup Matt Rayn. In 2023, Foles retired from playing in the NFL.
Earl Thomas
Thomas is best known as the hard-hitting seven-time Pro Bowl safety from the Seattle Seahawks’ Legion of Boom defense. During the 2018 season, Thomas had a falling out with the Seahawks, and he flipped the middle bird to the Seahawks’ bench after suffering a broken leg in week four. In the 2019 NFL offseason, then-free agent Earl Thomas signed a four-year $55 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, hoping to bring that explosive tackling to the Ravens.
At first, things looked like it was going as the Ravens hoped, with Thomas earning his seventh Pro Bowl nod, thanks to his 49 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions returned for 38 yards. Thomas also helped the Ravens reach the playoffs in the 2019 season, but the Ravens were stunned 12-28 by the Tennessee Titans.
During the 2020 season, Thomas skipped meetings, showed up late to walk-through practices, got into an altercation with his teammate, Chuck Clark, and was released from the team. Thomas hasn’t played for an NFL team since the 2019 season.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo was once considered the successor to Tom Brady on the New England Patriots from the day he was drafted in 2014 until the Patriots traded him to the San Francisco 49ers in the middle of the 2017 season. When Garoppolo joined the 49ers, he saw some success with the team and led them to Super Bowl 54, but ultimately, the team lost 20-31 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
During the 2022 season, Garoppolo was named the backup behind 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance, but Lance suffered an ankle injury forcing Garoppolo back into the lineup. Garoppolo was playing all right, but a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the season as the 49ers turned to Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy from there on out. Garoppolo signed a three-year $67.5 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders after getting released from the 49ers.
However, the Raiders struggled in the first half of the 2023 season and were benched in favor of backup Aidan O’Connell. The Raiders released Garoppolo in 2024, and he signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams to back up Matthew Stafford. Garoppolo will be a free agent in the 2025 NFL offseason. Will he get another shot at being a team’s starting quarterback? We’ll just have to wait and see.
J.C. Jackson
Jackson is a cornerback who played for the New England Patriots from 2018-2021 and briefly in 2023, helping the franchise win Super Bowl 53 against the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 and earning a Pro Bowl nod with the team in 2021. In the 2022 season, Jackson signed a five-year $82.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, with the hopes of Jackson improving the secondary for the Bolts.
Needless to say, things didn’t go as planned. Jackson had ankle surgery in the 2022 preseason and struggled during his tenure with the Chargers. Jackson was traded back to the Patriots in the 2023 season, along with a 2025 seventh-round pick, following an injury to Christian Gonzalez. Jackson did almost next to nothing during his brief stint back in Foxborough, MA.
The Patriots released Jackson during the 2024 NFL offseason; no one signed him as a free agent during that time, and he was dealt a one-game suspension after failing to appear in court for a criminal speeding charge. Hopefully, Jackson will have a fresh start in the 2025 season if any team signs him.
DeMarco Murray
Murray was the star running back for the Dallas Cowboys from 2011 until 2014. During his stint with the Cowboys, Murray earned two Pro Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014, was named a 2014 First-team All-Pro, and was named the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year. When Murray became a free agent in 2015, he signed a five-year $42 million deal with the Cowboys’ NFL arch-rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, hoping he could replicate what LeSean McCoy left behind.
Oh, were the Eagles mistaken? Murray struggled with the Eagles all season long due to an ineffective offensive line, head coach Chip Kelly’s poor play-calling, and being outplayed by Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles late in the season. Murray did finish the season with 702 rushing yards on 193 carries, scored six rushing touchdowns, caught 44 receptions for 322 yards, and scored a receiving touchdown.
Murray was traded to the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 season, where he made one more Pro Bowl, and retired in the 2018 offseason. As of 2020, Murray has since become the running backs coach at his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, where he’s coaching the next generation.
Brock Osweiler
Osweiler was Peyton Manning’s backup with the Denver Broncos from 2012 until 2015. The light shined on Osweiler in the 2015 season when Manning was at the tail-end of his career. Especially when Manning was benched for throwing four interceptions in a week 10 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Osweiler and the Broncos’ defense helped the Broncos win five of their next seven games before a right knee injury sidelined him in the final game of the season.
The Broncos went on to win Super Bowl 50 that year against the Carolina Panthers. After Osweiler’s heroics for the Broncos, the Houston Texans decided to sign Manning’s backup to a four-year $72 million deal in the 2016 season, hoping he would be the team’s franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, Osweiler’s time in H-Town was a massive flop.
Osweiler struggled as the season continued. Osweiler was benched for backup Tom Savage in week 15 but was thrown back into starting action after Savage suffered a concussion. Osweiler did lead the Texans to a 27-14 win over the Derek Carr-less Oakland Raiders, but the Texans lost 16-34 to the eventual Super Bowl 51 champion New England Patriots.
Osweiler was traded in the 2017 offseason to the Cleveland Browns, was released from the Browns once Deshone Kizer was named the team’s starting quarterback, re-signed with the Broncos weeks later, but wasn’t as successful as he was in 2015, signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2018, and retired in 2019 and began a career in broadcasting.
Kenny Golladay
Golladay is a wide receiver who made a name for himself as one of the Detroit Lions’ main wide receivers, although he was plagued by injuries during his time in the Motor City. During the 2021 offseason, Golladay signed a four-year $72 million deal with the New York Giants, hoping to elevate the team’s passing attack. Things were rough for the G-Men, as Golladay didn’t even score a single touchdown during the 2021 season.
The Giants finished the year with a 4-13 record. In the 2022 season, Golladay was criticized for a lack of production and having drops against the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. In the team’s final game of the 2022 regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles, Golladay scored his first touchdown as a Giant on a 25-yard pass from Davis Webb. The Giants released Golladay after the 2022 season, and he became a free agent, but he hasn’t signed with an NFL team since.
Kirk Cousins
Cousins is the quarterback who began his NFL career with Washington as a fourth-round pick and Robert Griffin III’s backup. As time went on, Cousins became the starter in the 2015 season and helped Washington reach the 2015-16 playoffs. Then, in 2018, Cousins signed a massive three-year, fully guaranteed $84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins saw his best years as a Viking. However, Cousins suffered a gruesome Achilles injury in the middle of the 2023 season.
Cousins, then a free agent in the 2024 NFL offseason, then signed a massive four-year $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. However, when Cousins played for the Falcons, he looked like a shell of his former self, throwing a league-high 16 interceptions against 18 touchdowns. The Falcons benched Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. for the remainder of the 2024 season. As for Cousins’ future with the Falcons, it’s unknown what will happen, but it wouldn’t surprise many if the veteran signal-caller gets traded elsewhere.
Ja’Wuan James
James is a former offensive tackle, who had begun his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins where he started most of his games. However, James signed a four-year $51 million deal with the Denver Broncos during the 2019 offseason (making him the highest-paid offensive tackle in the league at the time). Unfortunately, James didn’t live up to expectations, as a knee injury limited James to only three games.
In 2020, James opted out of the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In May 2021, James suffered an Achilles injury while training away from the team facility and was released a couple of weeks later. James signed a two-year $9 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens in June 2021, but he never played for the team during the 2021 season. In 2022, James tore his Achilles again during the 2022 week one opener against the New York Jets. Still a free agent, James hasn’t played in the NFL ever since.
