NFL free agency is a happy time for everybody. Players secure life-changing paydays. Teams believe that their free agent signings just pushed them closer to Super Bowl contention. What isn’t there to love?!
You see, 10 of the more high-profile NFL free agent signings carry plenty of red flags for us, and we can’t help but think these guys chose the wrong team.
With that said, let’s dive into 10 NFL free agents who screwed up by signing with the wrong team, and who they should have joined instead.
Calvin Ridley: Kansas City Chiefs
Ridley signed a four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans worth $92 million. More than half of it — $50 million to be exact — is guaranteed.
Good on Ridley for getting paid and all, but why did he just devote the remainder of his prime years to a rebuilding Titans team? Even if he puts up his usual numbers, Ridley isn’t going to compete for a championship in the Music City.
Even if Will Levis takes that next step forward, the Titans have completely reshaped their offensive line and defense. They’re still the worst team in the AFC South, and nowhere close to challenging with top AFC heavyweights like the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals or Buffalo Bills.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
If you’re Ridley, why not take a little less money and join the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs? Ridley would have immediately stepped in as KC’s No. 1 receiver WHILE getting to compete for rings.
He could have even signed a short-term deal with Kansas City, have a career year then set himself up for a giant payday next year.
We’ve just seen this too many times before: A star wideout chasing the money instead of trying to win with an elite QB. Mike Wallace, Kenny Gollday, Greg Jennings and Davante Adams…just to name a few.
Josh Jacobs: Los Angeles Chargers
We like Josh Jacobs’ deal with Green Bay from a Packers standpoint, but it’s difficult to comprehend what exactly Jacobs was doing here.
His four-year deal worth $48 million is basically just a one-year deal with three team options. So if Jacobs gets injured and/or doesn’t produce in Titletown? He’ll have just cost himself a LOT of money in 2025 free agency.
The Packers also brought back AJ Dillon on a one-year deal, meaning Jacobs isn’t going to be the “bellcow” running back we saw in Las Vegas. So that means he faces long odds of playing at a high enough level to secure more money long-term beyond next year.
In terms of money and a schematic fit, we can’t help but wonder why Jacobs didn’t land with the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh’s squad lost Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and lead running back Austin Ekeler.
Jacobs could have been an absolute rockstar in a Justin Herbert-led offense. He could have gotten a nice long-term payday there AND the chance to put together career numbers with one of the game’s elite QBs.
And from an entertainment standpoint, the dude would be playing against his old Raiders squad twice a year!
But…an underwhelming one-year deal to be one-half of a strong running back tandem in Green Bay. Whatever floats your boat, Josh.
Jadeveon Clowney: Buffalo Bills
Clowney had a superb bounce-back year in his lone season with the Ravens, racking up 9.5 sacks — matching a career-high — to go along with five pass defenses and two forced fumbles.
And yet, Clowney waited it out for a little bit in free agency — as he always does — before signing a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers worth $20 million. Now, someone please make it make sense for us.
Clowney is joining a horrible Carolina team that just finished as football’s worst team with a 2-and-15 record. They lost top pass-rushers Brian Burns and Franke Luvu plus the reliable Yetur Gross-Matos. Who’s going to help Clowney get after the QB now?
Why did Clowney take a discount, too? Why is he joining a team that won’t compete for a championship any time soon?
Clowney going to Buffalo would have made perfect sense. They lost plenty of key pieces because of the salary cap, but a one-year deal would have allowed Clowney to compete for a championship while potentially securing a better payout next year.
Even if he plays like a Pro Bowler in Carolina, it won’t matter. The Panthers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Clowney should have gone ring-chasing on a team that would allow him to bolster his own market for 2025 free agency.
Ah well, we suppose the Panthers can always trade Clowney one day…
Aaron Jones: Dallas Cowboys
With Josh Jacobs on his way to Titletown, Aaron Jones became expendable and was released by the Packers. He waited just one day before finding his new home, settling on a one-year deal with the rival Minnesota Vikings worth $7 million.
Look, Jones will definitely be an upgrade over the running backs Minnesota used last year. We wouldn’t at all be shocked if he had another 1,000-yard season.
But someone please tell us why this deal makes sense for Jones. He’ll be 30 by the end of the 2024 season and certainly can’t expect another lucrative payday next year.
Jones is joining a retooling Minnesota team that just lost Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins to free agency. Why didn’t he wait it out a bit more and try to negotiate more money for himself — with a contending team no less?
The Dallas Cowboys were said to have interest in Jones after losing top RB Tony Pollard to Tennessee.
Why didn’t the former UTEP star go to Dallas? He’d be on a playoff contender, running behind one of the best offensive lines in football? A healthy Jones would have rushed for well over 1K yards behind the Dallas o-line. Guaranteed.
But choosing to join a non-contending Minnesota team for only one season was quite the decision…seeing where Jones is at this stage of his career. Does anybody else feel like Jones signed quickly with Minnesota for the simple purpose of trying to stick it to his old team?
Gabe Davis: Detroit Lions
“Big Game Gabe” never fully broke out for the Buffalo Bills despite showing flashes of future stardom in the 2021 season. A fresh start was necessary for Davis, but we don’t think the Jacksonville Jaguars are the place for him.
Having lost Calvin Ridley to Tennessee, the Jaguars signed Davis to a three-year deal worth $39 million. Is it just us, or is that a LOT of money for a guy who hasn’t hit the 50-catch nor 900-yard marks?
Davis couldn’t break out with Stefon Diggs as the only superior offensive weapon on that Bills offense. Now he joins a Jaguars team with three more valuable playmakers in Christian Kirk, Evan Engram and Travis Etienne Jr.
Davis got paid and heads to a state with no personal income tax. That’s nice, but where are the targets coming from now? He’s going from Josh Allen’s No. 2 pass catcher to Trevor Lawrence’s fourth weapon.
Davis should have waited it out a bit and tried his luck with the Detroit Lions, who lost veteran standout Josh Reynolds in free agency. The 2020 fourth-round pick could have stepped in as Jared Goff’s No. 2 or 3 pass-catcher behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta.
Davis would be playing for a bonafide Super Bowl contender. His speed and game-breaking abilities could have added another explosive element to the Detroit offense.
Tony Pollard: Arizona Cardinals
Having hit 1K rushing for the second straight year, Pollard secured a three-year deal with the Titans worth $24 million. On paper, he seems like a fine replacement for the departed Derrick Henry…right?
Meh. We’re not super sold. Henry is a yards-after-contact beast. Pollard isn’t. So the Titans really downgraded at RB here.
Pollard is joining a leaky Titans’ o-line that finished 16th in ESPN’s run-blocking win rate for the 2023 season. It’s just tough to see how he’ll retain his star-like form on a rebuilding Tennessee franchise.
Now, what if Pollard joined forces with Kyler Murray in Arizona? The Cardinals, by the way, finished sixth in ESPN’s run-blocking win rate.
And with more offensive weaponry coming through the draft – Marvin Harrison Jr. anybody? – Arizona would have been the perfect place for Pollard to continue his dominance. Instead, he’s taking a calculated risk by joining a rebuilding Tennessee team that cannot guarantee him individual success.
Bobby Wagner: Dallas Cowboys
You can understand Wagner’s wish to reunite with ex-Seahawks and new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. Those two reached two Super Bowls together, winning it all in the 2013 season.
But we do ask this: Why’s the future Hall of Famer going to a rebuilding Washington team with his Hall of Fame career winding down? A one-year deal worth $6 million in guarantees with only a max value of $8.5 million.
Wagner just earned his ninth Pro Bowl nod and finished with a superb 2023 Pro Football Focus grade of 82.3. He’s still elite, and yet the Seahawks legend wants to play on a team that ain’t sniffing the postseason next year. Why?
Wagner would have been able to compete on a Dallas team that lost Quinn and several key cogs on defense, including Dorance Armstrong and Leighton Vander Esch. Wagner and Micah Parsons could have been a dream linebacker pairing, and maybe the former makes enough of a difference to help Dallas go on a playoff run.
Patrick Queen: Seattle Seahawks
This was one of the biggest surprises of 2024 free agency: The ex-Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowler joining the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers on a three-year contract worth $41 million.
Queen earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in the final year of his rookie deal. So on paper, why wouldn’t he chase the money and fly to Pittsburgh?
This felt like an overpay for an off-ball linebacker. And we’re not quite sure how much Queen will shine as a pass-rusher with TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward already patrolling the front seven.
Queen has been a liability in pass coverage throughout his career, so he’s gonna have to flourish as a pass-rusher to justify the contract.
Looking back, why didn’t he just follow Mike Macdonald to Seattle? Queen played his best football under Macdonald during the latter’s two-year stint as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator.
After the Seahawks hired Macdonald to be their new head coach, it just made perfect sense for Queen to reunite with him there. Bobby Wagner’s departure further stressed the ‘Hawks need for a linebacker, and Queen would have been the ideal solution here.
Austin Ekeler: Las Vegas Raiders
After a down final season with the Los Angeles Chargers, Ekeler accepted a modest two-year deal with the Washington Commanders worth a max value of $11.43 million.
Though he’ll be 29 years of age next season, Ekeler still has plenty of football left in him. So it was surprising to see him take a rather cheap contract on a rebuilding Washington team.
We like the work thus far by new Commanders GM Adam Peters. But why is Ekeler going to a team that won’t contend for Super Bowls any time soon…when Ekeler himself is nearing the end of his prime years?
Ekeler is going to have to share the ball with Brian Robinson Jr.,Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. If Washington takes Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick, the Heisman Trophy winner will take up a lot of carries that would otherwise go to Ekeler.
We just can’t help but wonder why Ekeler didn’t play matchmaker with the Raiders. They lost RB1 Josh Jacobs and are turning to Zamir White — he of 121 career carries — to lead the backfield.
Ekeler could have been a difference-maker on a Raiders offense led by Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. He would have been a big-time touchdown machine and a valuable weapon out of the backfield for Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew.
And hey, Nevada is a no personal income tax state! More money for Ekeler!
Feels like a missed opportunity for both Ekeler and the Raiders here. Instead, we’ll watch him likely decline considerably in DC. How fun…
Chase Young: Baltimore Ravens
The No. 2 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft had an uneven 2023 season that was split with the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers.
After tallying five sacks in seven games with Washington, Young was sent to the 49ers ahead of the trade deadline. He had 2.5 sacks in nine games and was also largely a non-factor in the postseason, with only one sack in three games.
Young settled on a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints worth a fully guaranteed $13 million. That’s a generous payday for a player with Young’s injury history and lack of consistent production, so good on him for securing the bag. Doesn’t mean it’s a good fit.
For Young, the idea here is obviously to try and reset his market value for a better payout in 2025. If Young wanted to do that, he should have looked for a Super Bowl-contending team as a landing spot…with a better schematic fit.
Realistically, how much will Young produce on a Saints defense with the ageless Cameron Jordan, 2023 breakout Carl Granderson, veteran Demario Davis and promising youngster Bryan Bresee?
The Ravens have a long history of finding successful reclamation projects, with Jadeveon Clowney and Justin Houston serving as recent examples.
The AFC runner-ups would have been the perfect team for Young, who could a) compete for a Super Bowl while b) entering a situation that would fully maximize his skill set and potential. It’s just hard to see how New Orleans will be the place for Young to rebound after another frustrating year.
