Story by
The worst free-agent signing in every NFL team's history
- Story by
- The worst free-agent signing in every NFL team's history
Chicago Bears v Minnesota Vikings | Doug Pensinger/GettyImages
There's nothing quite like an NFL team celebrating a blockbuster free-agent signing, only to immediately realize the organization has made a massive mistake. A new contract can garner plenty of optimism in March. But by November, that same deal can look downright indefensible.
Of course, every franchise has made its share of mistakes in free agency, but some have been far - far - more damaging than others. We'll be judging each team's worst signing by the money committed, expectations, on-field production, and overall consequences of the move.
Advertisement
Injuries can help explain why a signing failed, but they don't erase the financial implications. And as NFL history has repeatedly shown, some teams have found remarkably creative ways to waste millions of dollars. Let's take a look at a few of the most egregious!
Arizona Cardinals: QB Sam Bradford (2018)
The Cardinals knew all about Sam Bradford's extensive injury history, yet they still signed him to a two-year, $40 million contract with $15 million guaranteed back in 2018. At the time, the team needed a replacement for the recently retired Carson Palmer and hoped Bradford could hold down the fort while rookie Josh Rosen developed.
Unfortunately, he'd last just three starts. Bradford threw for just 400 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, losing all three games before being benched in favor of Rosen. The Cardinals released him in November, bringing an embarrassingly quick end to their expensive experiment.
Advertisement
Emmitt Smith's forgettable two-year stint at least deserves a shoutout, but Bradford's disastrous three-game audition takes the cake here.
Atlanta Falcons: QB Kirk Cousins (2024)
Few teams have ever guaranteed a quarterback $100 million and drafted his replacement six weeks later. In fact, only one team has ever done that actually! The Falcons handed Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract back in 2024 before selecting Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall.
Cousins was brought in to help end Atlanta's quarterback carousel. Instead, he threw a league-leading 16 interceptions in 2024 and lost his starting job to Penix after 14 starts.
Advertisement
He returned to the lineup following Penix's injury in 2025, but that hardly salvaged the investment. The Falcons released Cousins in March 2026 after two seasons and zero playoff appearances.
The sheer cost of the Cousins experiment puts this signing in a league of its own in Falcons free agency history.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Elvis Grbac | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Baltimore Ravens: QB Elvis Grbac (2001)
Imagine winning the Super Bowl and then immediately deciding your quarterback needs to be replaced. That's exactly what the Ravens did in 2001, letting Trent Dilfer walk and signing former Chiefs QB Elvis Grbac to a five-year, $30 million contract to upgrade an offense that had leaned heavily on its historically dominant defense.
Advertisement
Fresh off a Pro Bowl season in Kansas City, Grbac was supposed to take the Ravens to another level. Instead, he threw 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, as Baltimore crashed out in the divisional round.
The Ravens released Grbac after just one season when he declined to restructure his contract. He never played another NFL game.
Offensive tackle Leon Searcy deserves an honorable mention for signing a six-year, $31.5 million deal and never actually playing a snap for the team. Still, replacing a Super Bowl-winning quarterback with whatever you want to call what the Ravens got from Grbac is tough to beat.
Buffalo Bills: OLB Von Miller (2022)
The Bills believed they were an elite pass rusher away from winning a Super Bowl when they signed Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million contract with $51.5 million guaranteed in 2022. Miller was supposed to be the missing piece in Buffalo for a Bills team that was hoping to finally get over the proverbial hump.
Advertisement
The investment looked worthwhile for 11 games, as Miller recorded eight sacks before tearing his ACL on Thanksgiving, and he was never the same player in Buffalo. He went sackless in 12 appearances in 2023 and managed six sacks in a reduced role the following season.
Buffalo released Miller in March 2025 after getting just 14 sacks in 36 games from its blockbuster acquisition. The Bills paid a premium for a proven championship difference-maker and never even reached the Super Bowl during his tenure.
Carolina Panthers: DT Sean Gilbert (1998)
Every team on this list overpaid for the player they signed - that just comes with the territory of being labeled a free-agent bust. But the Panthers are unique in the sense that they surrendered two first-round picks for the privilege of overpaying for Sean Gilbert.
Advertisement
Carolina signed the franchise-tagged defensive tackle to a seven-year, $46.5 million offer sheet back in 1998, making him the NFL's highest-paid defensive player at the time. The Panthers were forced to forfeit their first-round selections in both 1999 and 2000 when Washington declined to match the offer.
Those picks became the fifth overall selection in 1999 (Ricky Williams) and the 12th overall selection in 2000 (Shaun Ellis), both of which changed hands before draft day. Torry Holt, Champ Bailey, Daunte Culpepper, John Abraham, and Shaun Alexander were among the stars selected shortly after those picks.
Gilbert wasn't completely useless, recording 15.5 sacks across five seasons in Carolina. But that's an awfully underwhelming return for a record-setting contract and two premium draft picks. Few free-agent mistakes have cost a franchise quite so much.
Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Glennon | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Chicago Bears: QB Mike Glennon (2017)
In March of 2017, the Bears signed former Buccaneers backup quarterback Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million deal with $18.5 million guaranteed. Six weeks later, general manager Ryan Pace traded up to select Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick. So much for that brief vote of confidence.
Advertisement
Glennon opened the season as the starter anyway, and his performance made the inevitable quarterback change an easy decision. He threw for 833 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions, leading Chicago to a 1-3 record before being benched in favor of Trubisky.
The Bears released Glennon the following offseason, having paid him the full $18.5 million guaranteed. $18.5 million for one win and four starts. That's some remarkably expensive quarterback play!
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Antonio Bryant (2010)
The Bengals essentially paid Antonio Bryant $8 million to participate in one practice. That's an impressive level of financial incompetence, even by Cincinnati's standards at the time.
Advertisement
In March 2010, the Bengals signed Bryant to a four-year, $28 million contract, hoping the former Buccaneers receiver could provide a reliable complement to Chad Ochocinco. Bryant had topped 1,200 receiving yards in 2008, but his lingering knee problems were already a significant concern.
Those concerns proved justified, as Bryant managed just one training camp practice before his knee forced him to the sidelines. Cincinnati would release him in August without him ever playing a game.
Good luck finding a worse return on investment than this one on the entire list.
Cleveland Browns: WR Dwayne Bowe (2015)
The Browns paid Dwayne Bowe $9 million guaranteed in 2015, only for their coaching staff to decide he wasn't even one of their four best wide receivers. So yeah, he became the league's most expensive depth receiver at the time.
Advertisement
Cleveland signed the former Chiefs Pro Bowler to a two-year, $12.5 million contract, hoping he could provide a spark to an underwhelming receiving corps. A hamstring injury complicated matters early on, but even after returning, Bowe could barely get on the field.
He'd ultimately appear in seven games, starting none, and finishing with five receptions for 53 yards and zero touchdowns. The Browns released him the following March, paying approximately $1.8 million per catch.
Kenny Britt's similarly disastrous stint deserves an honorable mention, but Bowe narrowly takes the crown on our list.
Dallas Cowboys kicker Mike Vanderjagt | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Dallas Cowboys: K Mike Vanderjagt (2006)
Mike Vanderjagt was quite literally the most accurate kicker in NFL history when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in the 2006 offseason. But ten games later, Bill Parcells wanted nothing to do with him.
Advertisement
The Cowboys signed the former Colts standout to a three-year, $5.4 million contract with a $2.5 million signing bonus, hoping to finally solve their kicking woes. Vanderjagt had converted 87.5% of his career field-goal attempts in Indianapolis, but that reliability was nowhere to be found in Dallas.
He made just 13 of 18 attempts (72.2%), including two ugly misses against his former team. Vanderjagt was released in November and replaced by Martin Gramatica, who promptly kicked a game-winner against the Giants in his Cowboys debut.
Denver Broncos: DT Daryl Gardener (2003)
The Broncos thought they paid Daryl Gardener to wreak havoc in opposing backfields when they signed him to a lucrative seven-year contract in the 2003 offseason. Instead, most of the havoc happened in a pancake-house parking lot and Mike Shanahan's locker room.
Advertisement
Fresh off an excellent season in Washington, Gardener signed a seven-year deal worth approximately $35 million in 2003, including a $5 million signing bonus. But before he ever played a snap, Gardener tore ligaments in his wrist during a late-night altercation outside a restaurant, costing him most of training camp.
Gardener eventually appeared in five games, recording seven tackles and zero sacks. His relationship with Shanahan deteriorated into multiple suspensions and a bizarre radio tirade in which he called the coach "that little man."
Denver released Gardener in 2004, and he never played another NFL game. He narrowly receives the nod over offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James, who signed a four-year, $51 million contract in 2019 but played just 63 offensive snaps before his release two years later.
Detroit Lions: DE Trey Flowers (2019)
Matt Patricia's attempt to recreate the Patriots culture in Detroit came with a pretty hefty price tag. The Lions signed former New England defensive end Trey Flowers to a five-year, $90 million contract back in 2019, hoping the two-time Super Bowl champion could become a centerpiece of their defense.
Advertisement
Flowers actually recorded a respectable seven sacks in his first season, but injuries quickly became an issue. He managed just 3.5 sacks over the next two years, appearing in only 14 games during that span.
Detroit finally cut its losses in March 2022, releasing Flowers after paying him approximately $54.4 million for 10.5 sacks in 29 games. That's more than $5 million per sack.
So much for that Patriots culture.
Green Bay Packers: DE Joe Johnson (2002)
Packers head coach Mike Sherman personally flew to New Orleans to recruit Joe Johnson in 2002. Unfortunately, in hindsight, the Packers probably wished their coach and general manager had stayed home.
Advertisement
Green Bay signed the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end to a six-year, $33 million contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus with hopes of bolstering its pass rush. Johnson had recorded 21 sacks over his previous two seasons with the Saints, but the Packers barely got a glimpse of that player.
A torn triceps ended his 2002 season after five games, while a ruptured quadriceps limited him to six games in 2003. The Packers finally released Johnson in June 2004, having paid him approximately $9.65 million for just 11 games and two sacks.
Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Houston Texans: QB Brock Osweiler (2016)
The Brock Osweiler addition was so bad for the Texans that just one year after signing him to a four-year, $72 million contract, they were giving away draft picks to make him somebody else's problem.
Advertisement
Houston guaranteed $37 million to the former Broncos backup despite him having just seven NFL starts under his belt. He rewarded that faith with 15 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and a lowly 72.2 passer rating, eventually getting benched for Tom Savage.
But the real embarrassment came in March 2017, when Houston traded Osweiler to Cleveland and attached a 2018 second-round pick just to unload his contract. That pick became the 35th overall selection, which the Browns used to select future Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb.
You know you messed up when you literally have to bribe another team with a top-40 draft pick just to take a player off your hands. Not great!
Indianapolis Colts: DT Corey Simon (2005)
Bill Polian rarely splurged on outside free agents, but he decided to make an expensive exception for Corey Simon in 2005. Indianapolis signed the former Eagles Pro Bowl defensive tackle to a five-year, $30 million contract with the hope that he could shore up a defense that needed some work at the time.
Advertisement
Simon started 13 games in his first season, recording 35 tackles and zero sacks. Knee problems and other health issues kept him out for the entire 2006 campaign, meaning he missed Indianapolis' Super Bowl championship run.
The Colts released him before the 2007 season, having spent approximately $14 million for those 13 appearances. Even Polian would later cite Simon's contract as an example of why he preferred avoiding expensive free agents.
When the guy who signed you uses your contract as a cautionary tale, you know things went poorly.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles | USA TODAY Sports
Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Nick Foles (2019)
Nick Foles' Jaguars career was practically over before it even began. Jacksonville signed the former Super Bowl MVP to a four-year, $88 million contract with roughly $50 million guaranteed in 2019, hoping the Philadelphia folk hero could finally solve its quarterback problems after moving on from Blake Bortles.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, Foles would suffer a broken collarbone just 11 plays into his Jaguars debut. By the time he returned, sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew had captured the hearts of Duval County.
Foles got three more starts, lost all three, and went right back to the bench. He finished his Jaguars career with 736 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero wins in four total starts.
The Jaguars traded Foles to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick the following offseason, having paid him approximately $30 million for those four games.
Kansas City Chiefs: DT Chester McGlockton (1998)
The Chiefs paid a fortune to pry star defensive tackle Chester McGlockton away from their division rivals in 1998. Given how things played out, the Raiders probably didn't have many regrets about letting its four-time Pro Bowler walk.
Advertisement
The Chiefs signed the Clemson product to a five-year contract worth nearly $30 million, including a $7.5 million signing bonus. Oakland also received two draft selections as compensation, including Kansas City's second-round pick.
That's quite the price for a player who managed just seven sacks in 41 games over three seasons before his release in 2001. McGlockton had been one of the NFL's most dominant interior defensive linemen in Oakland, but that version of him never showed up in Kansas City.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Las Vegas Raiders: DT Christian Wilkins (2024)
It's remarkable that a signing from just two years ago has already earned a place among the NFL's all-time free agency disasters (and spoiler: this won't be the only 2024 signing on this list).
Advertisement
Las Vegas handed Christian Wilkins a four-year, $110 million contract with $82.75 million guaranteed in 2024, hoping he'd form a dominant defensive line alongside Maxx Crosby. He lasted five games.
Wilkins actually played well initially, recording two sacks before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Things got messy during his recovery, though.
The Raiders and Wilkins disagreed over whether he needed another surgery, and Las Vegas released him in July 2025 while attempting to void $35.25 million in remaining guarantees. Wilkins filed a grievance disputing the decision.
By then, he'd already collected approximately $49.7 million. That's nearly $10 million per appearance. Javon Walker's infamous contract deserves consideration, but even by Raiders standards, this was an expensive mistake and a downright bizarre situation.
Advertisement
Los Angeles Chargers: CB J.C. Jackson (2022)
It's safe to say that you know a free-agent signing went horribly wrong when the general manager feels the need to apologize to his own players for making it. And yes, that's exactly what happened with J.C. Jackson and the Chargers.
Los Angeles signed the former Patriots All-Pro to a five-year, $82.5 million contract with $40 million guaranteed in 2022, with the expectation that they had added one of the NFL's elite defensive playmakers.
Instead, Jackson struggled in coverage, got benched, and suffered a season-ending knee injury. Things only deteriorated in 2023, and the Chargers eventually traded him back to New England for a swap of late-round picks after just seven appearances.
Advertisement
General manager Tom Telesco later apologized to the team's defensive backs for the signing, calling it a "swing and a miss." It's hard to argue with that assessment.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Allen Robinson II | USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Rams: WR Allen Robinson (2022)
The Rams decided they needed another weapon alongside Cooper Kupp in 2022 with the team coming off a Super Bowl victory. They settled on Allen Robinson, signing the former Bears standout to a three-year, $46.5 million contract with $30.25 million guaranteed.
Unfortunately, the Rams never saw the version of Robinson who had topped 1,000 receiving yards on three separate occasions in Chicago and Jacksonville.
Robinson hauled in just 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games before a foot injury ended his season. The Rams had seen enough, trading him to Pittsburgh the following offseason for a swap of seventh-round picks. Los Angeles even agreed to pay roughly $10 million of his remaining salary to facilitate the deal.
The Cortland Finnegan signing deserves consideration, but paying Robinson approximately $25.75 million for 339 receiving yards, then helping another team pay his salary, is tough to beat.
Miami Dolphins: CB Byron Jones (2020)
The Dolphins already had an expensive cornerback in Xavien Howard, but apparently one wasn't enough! Miami signed former Cowboys standout Byron Jones to a five-year, $82.5 million contract in 2020, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history at the time.
The expectation was that Jones and Howard would form one of the NFL's most formidable cornerback duos. Jones wasn't terrible when healthy, which makes this one a little different from some of the other disasters on this list.
The Connecticut native would start 30 games across two seasons, recording two interceptions and 14 pass breakups. Unfortunately, an Achilles-related surgery sidelined him for all of 2022, and Miami released him in March 2023 after paying him roughly $54 million.
Will Fuller's $10.6 million contract that produced just four receptions definitely deserves consideration, but the financial damage from Jones' deal is pretty difficult to overlook.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Fred Smoot | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Minnesota Vikings: CB Fred Smoot (2005)
Fred Smoot's most memorable moment in Minnesota might have been watching Steve Smith celebrate by pretending to row a boat. Yeah...that's a pretty rough legacy for a player the Vikings paid $34 million to sign in 2005.
Minnesota wanted the former Washington standout to team with Antoine Winfield and fix its secondary. Instead, Smoot became embroiled in the infamous Love Boat scandal and eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from the incident.
Then, of course, came the October trip to Carolina, where Smith torched the Vikings for 201 yards and a touchdown before punctuating his performance with that boat-rowing celebration. Smoot had spent pregame warmups talking trash to Smith.
Turns out that was a big mistake. Smoot finished his Vikings career with just three interceptions in 25 games before Minnesota released him after two seasons.
New England Patriots: TE Jonnu Smith (2021)
The Jonnu Smith signing may not have been as damaging as some of the others on this list, but it had to be infuriating for Patriots fans to see him thrive almost immediately after leaving the team.
Bill Belichick's post-Tom Brady spending spree included a four-year, $50 million contract for Smith in 2021, in a deal that included $31.25 million in guarantees. New England also signed Hunter Henry that offseason, hoping the duo could revive its struggling offense.
Henry became a reliable target. Smith...not so much. The former Titans standout finished with just 55 catches for 539 yards and one touchdown across two seasons before the Patriots shipped him to Atlanta for a seventh-round pick.
Smith would haul in more receiving yards in his lone year with the Falcons than he did in his entire Patriots stint before going on to make the Pro Bowl with Miami in 2024, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns.
Clearly, there was a talented player there. New England just never figured out how to use him.
New Orleans Saints safety Jairus Byrd | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
New Orleans Saints: S Jairus Byrd (2014)
The Saints let fan-favorite safety Malcolm Jenkins walk in 2014, only to then turn around and sign Jairus Byrd to a six-year, $54 million contract with $28 million guaranteed as his expected replacement. The three-time Pro Bowler fell well short of expectations in New Orleans.
Byrd had recorded 22 interceptions in five seasons with Buffalo. He managed just three in 33 games with the Saints. A torn meniscus ended his first season after four appearances, and even when healthy, he never came close to justifying his contract.
The Saints finally released him in 2017, eating approximately $8 million in dead money in the process. Meanwhile, Jenkins went on to earn three Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl ring in Philadelphia. Not exactly how New Orleans expected that swap to work out.
New York Giants: WR Kenny Golladay (2021)
Kenny Golladay's final catch with the Giants was also his first and only touchdown with the team. It came in a meaningless Week 18 game, nearly two years after the Giants signed him to a massive four-year, $72 million contract with $40 million in guarantees.
General manager Dave Gettleman envisioned Golladay as the No. 1 receiver Daniel Jones desperately needed. Instead, the former Lions star managed just 43 catches for 602 yards and one touchdown across two seasons.
His 2022 campaign was especially embarrassing, as he finished with just six receptions for 81 yards before the Giants mercifully released him in March 2023.
The Giants paid Golladay approximately $36 million for those 43 catches. Nate Solder's $62 million contract deserves an honorable mention, but Golladay will go down as one of the biggest free-agent disasters in recent NFL history.
New York Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson | USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets: CB Trumaine Johnson (2018)
Imagine paying a cornerback $72.5 million only to bench him for...Nate Hairston. That's where the Jets found themselves in 2019, barely a year after making Trumaine Johnson one of the NFL's highest-paid defensive backs.
Former GM Mike Maccagnan signed Johnson to a five-year deal with $34 million guaranteed in 2018, expecting the former Rams standout to be the team's new defensive playmaker in their secondary.
Instead, Johnson routinely got burned in coverage, committed costly penalties, and frustrated two different coaching staffs. Todd Bowles benched him for disciplinary reasons in 2018, while Adam Gase relegated him to the bench the following season.
Johnson lasted just 17 games before his release in 2020, costing the Jets $34 million. Le'Veon Bell's disastrous tenure deserves an honorable mention, but Johnson should be seen as the most indefensible signing of Maccagnan's ill-fated Jets tenure.
Philadelphia Eagles: CB Nnamdi Asomugha (2011)
Remember the Eagles' infamous 2011 "Dream Team?" Nnamdi Asomugha was supposed to be its crown jewel.
Philadelphia stunned the NFL by signing the former Raiders shutdown corner to a five-year, $60 million contract with $25 million guaranteed, adding him to a secondary that already featured standouts like Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Unfortunately, Asomugha proved to be a poor fit in Philadelphia's defensive scheme, and receivers routinely took advantage of that. He finished with four interceptions in 32 games as Philadelphia went 12-20 and missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
The Eagles released Asomugha in 2013, ending one of the most highly touted free-agent signings in NFL history after just two years. The Asomugha signing has become both a cautionary tale and a microcosm of that failed "Dream Team."
Former Pittsburgh Steelers center Sean Mahan | George Gojkovich/GettyImages
Pittsburgh Steelers: C Sean Mahan (2007)
The Steelers had years of stellar center play, going from Mike Webster to Dermontti Dawson to Jeff Hartings. And then came Sean Mahan...
After Hartings retired, Pittsburgh signed the former Buccaneers lineman to a five-year, $17 million contract in 2007, hoping he'd continue the franchise's remarkable tradition at the position.
Mahan started all 16 games but routinely got pushed around by opposing defensive linemen. His struggles even proved costly in the playoffs, with a holding penalty wiping out a successful two-point conversion in the team's 31-29 wild-card loss to Jacksonville that year.
One season was enough for the organization to cut bait. The Steelers signed Justin Hartwig to replace Mahan and shipped him back to Tampa Bay for a seventh-round pick in September 2008.
Ladarius Green's injury-shortened tenure deserves consideration, but Mahan's inability to last beyond one season makes him Pittsburgh's biggest free-agent bust.
San Francisco 49ers: RB Lawrence Phillips (1999)
The 49ers knew exactly what kind of baggage Lawrence Phillips brought with him in 1999. The former Nebraska star had already flamed out with the Rams and Dolphins amid serious off-field problems, yet San Francisco took a chance on him with a two-year, $1.75 million contract.
Phillips rushed for just 144 yards in eight games, but that's not what his tenure will be remembered for. Instead, it was a missed blitz pickup on Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams, who delivered a devastating hit on Steve Young that would ultimately end the Hall of Fame quarterback's career.
The 49ers would later suspend Phillips for conduct detrimental to the team in November and release him shortly afterward. Jonas Jennings was a far more expensive mistake, but Phillips' brief tenure will forever be associated with the play that ended Young's career.
That earns him a spot on this regrettable list.
Seattle Seahawks: CB Nate Odomes (1994)
The oldest signing on this entire list dates back to 1994, when Seattle signed cornerback Nate Odomes fresh off a nine-interception season with Buffalo. The two-time Pro Bowler received a four-year, $8.4 million contract, serious money for a cornerback at the time.
Yet, he never actually played a regular-season game for the team. Just months after signing, Odomes tore his ACL playing in a pickup basketball game and missed the entire 1994 season.
He tore the same ligament again during training camp the following summer, wiping out his 1995 season as well. Seattle finally released him in 1996 after paying him more than $4 million for a grand total of zero regular-season snaps.
Matt Flynn's short-lived stint deserves an honorable mention, but at least Seattle found Russell Wilson in that quarterback competition. With Odomes, the Seahawks never really got anything.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Anthony Collins | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: OT Anthony Collins (2014)
The Buccaneers already had a perfectly good left tackle in Donald Penn. But for whatever reason, they decided Anthony Collins was worth $30 million to replace him.
Tampa Bay signed the former Bengals tackle to a five-year deal with $15 million guaranteed in 2014, promptly releasing Penn after eight seasons in the process.
That supposed upgrade lasted all of 10 starts. Collins struggled badly, wound up on the bench, and was released following a miserable 2-14 season. By March 2015, the Buccaneers were already looking for another left tackle.
Penn, meanwhile, went to Oakland and made two more Pro Bowls. Tampa Bay also struck out on defensive end Michael Johnson that same offseason, but Collins gets the nod here because the Buccaneers already had a better option on their roster...they just decided to get rid of him.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tennessee Titans: WR Calvin Ridley (2024)
Calvin Ridley has the unique distinction of being the only player on this list who's still with the team that signed him at the time of writing. Given how things have gone in Tennessee, it's hard to imagine that lasting much longer.
The Titans signed Ridley to a hefty four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million guaranteed in 2024 with hopes that he'd become their No. 1 receiver. His first season was pretty respectable, as he finished with 1,017 yards and four touchdowns.
But things have gone downhill since. Injuries limited Ridley to 303 yards in 2025, and he's yet to make much of an impact so far in 2026. Ridley even agreed to an $8.75 million pay cut before the 2026 season to keep him on the roster.
Vic Beasley's brief tenure was an embarrassment, but Ridley's enormous contract will undoubtedly go down in franchise infamy.
Washington Commanders: DT Albert Haynesworth (2009)
We've reached arguably the most infamous free-agent signing in league history. At his introductory press conference in 2009, Albert Haynesworth made a bold promise: "You're not going to remember Albert Haynesworth as a bust."
That turned out to be one of the worst predictions in sports history. Washington had just signed the two-time All-Pro to a seven-year, $100 million contract with $41 million guaranteed. Haynesworth recorded just 6.5 sacks in 20 games, and his relationship with head coach Mike Shanahan became a full-blown circus.
He hated Washington's switch to a 3-4 defense, skipped offseason workouts, took 10 days to pass a conditioning test, and eventually received a four-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.
Washington mercifully traded him to New England for a fifth-round pick in 2011. Nearly two decades later, Haynesworth remains practically synonymous with the term "free-agent bust." I suppose he couldn't have been more wrong about how he'd be remembered.
More NFL news and analysis:
This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as The worst free-agent signing in every NFL team's history .
