When NFL free agency opens, every fan dreams their team is about to land the missing piece to a Super Bowl puzzle. But sometimes, instead of gold, they strike fool’s gold—and the results are downright brutal.
Whether it was injuries, poor production, or just flat-out confusion about why the signing happened in the first place, these free agent deals became infamous. Here are the 20 worst free agent signings in NFL history, ranked from bad to absolute disaster.
20. Jerry Porter – Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars gave Jerry Porter a $30 million contract, and in return, he gave them 11 catches. Injuries played a role, but this was a classic case of paying for past production that never showed up again.
19. David Boston – San Diego Chargers
David Boston looked like an action figure but played like a background extra once he got to San Diego. He got paid like a star and then promptly disappeared from relevance.
18. Javon Walker – Oakland Raiders
The Raiders handed Javon Walker $55 million after a knee injury, and shocker—it didn’t work out. He had one foot out of the league and the other on IR.
17. Le’Veon Bell – New York Jets
Bell sat out a year for a better deal, and the Jets gave him one. Unfortunately, they also gave him an offensive line made of paper mache, and things spiraled fast.
16. Brock Osweiler – Houston Texans
The Texans thought they were getting a franchise QB when they tossed $72 million at Osweiler. Instead, they got a turnover machine that lasted one season before being shipped off like expired milk.
15. Nnamdi Asomugha – Philadelphia Eagles
Once a shutdown corner in Oakland, Asomugha got paid like a superstar and then forgot how to cover anyone in Philly. That “Dream Team” defense turned into a nightmare real quick.
14. Larry Brown – Oakland Raiders
Larry Brown rode a Super Bowl MVP performance all the way to a fat contract with the Raiders. Unfortunately, his performance with Oakland screamed “one-hit wonder.”
13. DeMarco Murray – Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles brought in Murray and tried to make him run sideways in Chip Kelly’s weird system. Predictably, it was a disaster from the jump.
12. Andre Rison – Cleveland Browns
Rison came to Cleveland with a big reputation and a big contract. But he clashed with coaches, underperformed, and basically served as a symbol of the Browns’ bad decision-making.
11. Nick Foles – Jacksonville Jaguars
Fresh off a magical Super Bowl run, Foles was handed the keys to the Jags’ offense—and then promptly got injured. Gardner Minshew became the fan favorite while Foles collected checks.
10. Edgerrin James – Seattle Seahawks
Seattle thought they were getting the old Edge, but they got a version that looked more like a shadow of his former self. He barely made an impact before the team moved on.
9. Jevon Kearse – Philadelphia Eagles
The “Freak” got a monster deal from Philly, but his production never matched his price tag. Injuries didn’t help, but it was clear the Titans got the best of his career.
8. Adam Archuleta – Washington Commanders
Washington gave Archuleta the richest safety deal at the time, then immediately regretted it. He was benched within a year and never looked like a fit in their defense.
7. Neil O’Donnell – New York Jets
The Jets threw cash at O’Donnell after a Super Bowl appearance with the Steelers. What they got was injuries, bad decisions, and the exact opposite of leadership.
6. Mike Glennon – Chicago Bears
Everyone scratched their heads when Chicago gave Glennon $18 million. Then the Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky just weeks later, and Glennon was essentially a very expensive placeholder.
5. Desmond Howard – Oakland Raiders
Howard won a Super Bowl MVP and parlayed it into a big deal with the Raiders. But without a Packers jersey on, his return game fizzled and his production vanished.
4. Albert Haynesworth – Washington Commanders
Washington gave him $100 million, and in return, Haynesworth gave them laziness, conditioning issues, and drama. This one still gets brought up in bad-contract conversations for a reason.
3. Scott Mitchell – Detroit Lions
Mitchell had a solid stint backing up Dan Marino and somehow convinced Detroit he was the answer. Spoiler alert: he wasn’t.
Read More: Ranking the Most Confusing NFL First-Round Picks Ever
2. Matt Flynn – Seattle Seahawks
Flynn threw six touchdowns in one meaningless game, got a big contract in Seattle, and then lost his job to a rookie named Russell Wilson before the season even started. Not ideal!
Read More: 17 NFL Teams Who Thought They Were One Piece Away (They Weren’t)
1. Antonio Brown – New England Patriots
Yes, it was short-lived. But the drama, the hype, the implosion—all in one week—was the perfect storm of free agent chaos.
Stay in the Game With the Latest Scores, Highlights, and Stories — Follow GamerKoala on MSN.
