In many ways, the risk that a team faces making decisions in free agency blows making its selection in the NFL Draft out of the water.
Not for the public perception or the impact on the roster alone, but also the higher financial investment tied to most key free agent decisions—and the ripple effect that one bad decision can make.
It can go as far as to dismantle a team’s ability to retool its roster in subsequent offseason.
We are diving into both sides of the free agency spectrum—the six worst signings of all time, the absolute disasters that teams would love to erase from history… and the six best, the game-changing moves that led to dynasties, MVPs, and championships.
Let’s get into it.
Who are the best and the worst free agency signings in NFL history?
Worst: Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Yeah, yeah, yeah… We get it. The Atlanta Falcons were desperate.
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The franchise was suffering in quarterback purgatory since Matt Ryan’s departure, cycling through one uninspiring option after the next with Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota and Taylor Heinicke… Oh, my!
So, what did they do ahead of the 2024 season? They backed up the Brinks truck for 35-year-old Kirk Cousins, handing him a four-year, $180 million deal despite the fact he was coming off a torn Achilles.
Never mind the torn Achilles… Cousins has always been the guy you settle for, not the guy you break the bank for.
But that didn’t stop the Falcons from overpaying him—while also spending the No. 8 overall pick on Michael Penix Jr. Because nothing screams “stability” like signing a quarterback to a massive, $180 million dollar deal and then immediately drafting his replacement.
That lack of faith, however, is at least paying dividends because the Cousins era in Atlanta flamed out in a major way, with Kirk getting benched for and outplayed by Penix down the stretch.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, Atlanta is still either stuck paying $45 million per year for a backup or eating a massive financial hit to get rid of him.
This isn’t just one of the worst free-agent signings of all time—it’s an all-time masterclass in self-sabotage.
Best: Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There were doubts. How could there not be? Tom Brady was 43 years old, leaving New England after two decades, and most assumed his best days were behind him and wondered what he would be without the guiding hand of Bill Belichick.
Many expected Brady to ultimately mend fences with the brass in New England, but he stunned the world by joining the Bucs, who were coming off 12 straight seasons without a playoff berth.
But they had something New England didn’t—an arsenal of weapons. Mike Evans. Chris Godwin. A young defense loaded with potential. So, Brady took a two-year, $50 million deal—a discount for his standards—and convinced the Bucs to load up, adding Leonard Fournette, Rob Gronkowski, and Antonio Brown.
And that decision marked one of the greatest free agent signing in NFL history, as Tampa went from mediocrity to Super Bowl champions overnight, as Brady led them through the playoffs and delivered a 31-9 beatdown of the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
Two more division titles followed, as did an MVP runner-up campaign at 44 years old. The Bucs went from irrelevant to elite the moment Brady signed the dotted line—and you can still see the ripple effects through the organization to this day!
Worst: Demarco Murray, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Some free-agent deals feel doomed from the start. This, like many high-paid running back signings, was one of them.
After leading the NFL in rushing with 1,845 yards in 2014, DeMarco Murray cashed in, leaving Dallas for a five-year, $42 million deal with their bitter rivals in Philly.
Chip Kelly thought he was stealing a superstar from a division rival. What he actually did was pay a north-south runner to play in a sideline-to-sideline system.
Murray never fit. He looked a step slower, averaging a miserable 3.6 yards per carry and racking up just 702 rushing yards in 2015—a fraction of his Cowboys output. He wasn’t just ineffective—he eventually lost his starting job to Ryan Mathews, and after one miserable season, the Eagles admitted defeat and shipped him to the Titans, where—naturally—he returned to Pro Bowl form for a year.
In any case, this was a monumental misfire for the Birds.
Best: Reggie White, DE, Green Bay Packers
Reggie White wasn’t just a great free-agent signing—he changed the course of history for one of the league’s most prestigious franchises, the Green Bay Packers.
The Minister of Defense was the crown jewel of free agency when it was first introduced in 1993. And after a dominant eight-year run with the Eagles, White had suitors lining up. But it was small-market Green Bay that landed him on a four-year, $17 million contract—an unheard-of figure at the time.
White didn’t just live up to the hype—he changed the course of the franchise. He was the defensive cornerstone that helped Brett Favre’s Packers breakthrough as a championship team. In Super Bowl 31, White delivered a performance for the ages, recording three sacks and leading Green Bay to its first Lombardi Trophy since Vince Lombardi himself.
He spent six dominant seasons in Green Bay, adding another Defensive Player of the Year award to his Hall of Fame resume, and finished his Packers tenure with 68.5 sacks—turning the franchise into a bonafide powerhouse once again.
Worst: Nate Solder, OT, New York Giants
It’s rare that an offensive lineman makes a list of all-time free-agent busts, but when you’re paid like an elite tackle and play like a turnstile, you earn it.
In 2018, the Giants were desperate for O-line help, so they handed Nate Solder a four-year, $62 million deal—making him the highest-paid left tackle in NFL history at the time.
They quickly came to learn, however, that Solder was in many ways a product of the Patriots offensive system—and subsequently, the Giants’ O-line remained a disaster. Solder struggled mightily in pass protection, failing to protect Eli Manning and later Daniel Jones.
By the time his contract was up, he had opted out of a season, lost his starting job, and was a complete liability.
Talk about a swing and a miss!
Best: Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley leaving the New York Giants for their biggest rival was already a storyline, but with how Barkley and the Eagles capitalized, it has already become a part of NFL history.
For anyone who was living under a rock, the Eagles stole Barkley on a three-year, $37.75 million deal because the Giants prioritized Daniel Jones over Barkley—and all he did was deliver one of the greatest rushing seasons ever.
Barkley shattered expectations, racking up 2,005 rushing yards, setting the Eagles’ franchise record, and coming within a few hundred yards of Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing mark—and was the homerun hitter they needed, ripping off huge runs all postseason long in route to a Super Bowl championship—marking an all-time free-agent heist!
Worst: Albert Haynesworth, DT, Washington Redskins
If free-agent busts had a Mount Rushmore, Albert Haynesworth would be carved into the first spot.
The Titans’ defensive terror hit the open market in 2009 after back-to-back First-Team All-Pro seasons, and Washington couldn’t resist. They handed him a seven-year, $100 million contract, making him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history at the time.
But once the money hit his bank account, Haynesworth seemed to shut down completely.
The effort disappeared. The conditioning was nonexistent. He literally failed a fitness test at training camp and then refused to play in Washington’s defensive scheme.
In two years, he started just 12 games, recorded 6.5 sacks, clashed with coaches, and was benched outright before Washington finally cut him, eating tens of millions of dollars just to make him someone else’s problem.
Best: Mike Vrabel, OLB, New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel wasn’t just a great free-agent signing for New England—he grew to be a hallmark of the Patriots dynasty.
Prior to his time in Foxborough, Vrabel was a backup linebacker in Pittsburgh, struggling to find a role in their defense. But Bill Belichick saw something in him, and the Patriots scooped him up for next to nothing, and it turned out to be one of the most impactful signings of the decade.
Over eight seasons in New England, Vrabel became a defensive cornerstone, racking up 48 sacks and forcing turnovers left, right, and center with 11 interceptions and 13 forced fumbles.
He was a leader, a playmaker, and the ultimate Belichick guy.
Not to mention— Vrabel was also a touchdown machine at tight end. He caught 12 passes for 12 touchdowns—and he brought a degree of versatility and leadership that was pivotal in the franchise’s historic run.
Worst: Le’Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets
Back in Pittsburgh, Bell was an absolute force. A two-time All-Pro, he was the league’s ultimate dual-threat back, racking up 1,800+ scrimmage yards in three different seasons. But when contract talks went sideways, Bell did the unthinkable—he sat out the entire 2018 NFL season, betting on himself to cash in as a free agent.
The Jets, being the Jets, fell for it. They handed Bell a four-year, $52.5 million contract, ignoring all the warning signs that he was a product of Pittsburgh’s system.
To make matters worse, they did so against the wishes of their ego-maniac head coach, Adam Gase, who had no interest in catering to Bell’s skill set.
As a result, they got a washed-up version of Bell, running behind a bad offensive line, with a head coach in Gase who didn’t even want him.
Bell never had a single 100-yard rushing game for New York and scored just four touchdowns in two seasons. He was cut before the end of Year 2, walking away with $28 million in guaranteed cash for doing absolutely nothing.
Best: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
For over a decade, Manning was the Indianapolis Colts. Four MVPs. A Super Bowl ring. A perennial contender. However, after missing the entire 2011 season due to multiple neck surgeries, the Colts moved on, releasing Manning to draft Andrew Luck.
Manning’s free agency was an all-out war. The Dolphins, 49ers, Titans, and Cardinals all made their pitches, but it was Denver that won the sweepstakes, signing Manning to a five-year, $96 million deal.
Manning revived the Broncos overnight, making four straight playoff appearances, winning two AFC Championships, and redefining offensive football in 2013 with a record-shattering 5,477-yard, 55-touchdown MVP season.
And, of course, the cherry on the top was the Lombardi Trophy they hoisted in his final year as Manning game-managed his way—whilst riding Denver’s elite defense to another Super Bowl win in 2015 before marching off into retirement.
This will go down as one of the greatest second marriages in NFL history!
Worst: Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
Man, as heartening as it was for Eagles fans to watch their team this year—the 2011 – 2012 faux-dream team Eagles were equal parts disappointing…
And at the center of that was Nnamdi Asomugha, who to his credit, was coming off of three straight Pro Bowl seasons with the Raiders when he signed a five-year, $60 million deal with the Eagles… But he simply could not keep that same level with the Birds.
What made this all the more painful for the City of Brother love, was the Asomugha signing was in many ways the catalyst for Vince Young to utter those fateful words, when he declared the Eagles as the “Dream Team” and put them under the microscope of every fan, analyst and opposing team around the league.
Asomugha had been an elite shutdown corner in Oakland, but when Philly signed him, he suddenly forgot how to play football. He was routinely torched in coverage, didn’t fit the Eagles’ scheme at all, and by Year 2, he was completely washed and released at the end of the season.
Best: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
It is tough to do much better than the New Orleans Saints did by bringing former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees into the fold back in 2006.
The undersized quarterback came in off a series of injuries and facing doubters, left, right, and center—and upon pairing up with Sean Payton—he became an immediate star in NOLA.
It wasn’t just vain popularity either—he was putting up big numbers across the board—and it only continued to improve, from his first season with the team when he led the league in passing yards to his sophomore campaign when he led the league in completions.
And then he really caught fire in his third and fourth seasons. First, Brees led the NFL in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns, winning Offensive Player of the Year in the process—then the following year, in 2009, Brees led the Saints to their first and only Super Bowl appearance—knocking off Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the process.
When all was said and done, Brees had shattered every Saints passing record and a number of NFL ones as well.
Given the longevity of his influence on the city and franchise—and his accomplishments—Brees has a strong argument as the greatest free agent signing of all time.
