When it comes to roster building for each NFL team, everyone wants to talk about the big names in free agency—or blockbuster trades that can be inked…
But there is an oft-overlooked chemistry component that NFL teams have to factor in…
Otherwise, they risk adding someone to their roster who can and likely will poison the locker room!
At times though, we see damn near every NFL General Manager roll the dice on a couple of guys who they think have a talent level that outweighs their personality concerns.
Let’s take a look around the NFL and see if we can peg the single-worst teammate currently on every NFL Team!
Who are the worst teammates for each NFL team heading into the new season?
Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, QB
Cardinals dual-threat quarterback, Kyler Murray’s talent is undeniable, but his leadership skills and dedication have been consistently questioned – largely due to his tendency to isolate himself from teammates and his failure to fully immerse in game preparation.
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This lack of engagement has been a thorn in the side of Arizona’s team cohesion and set a poor example for the younger NFL players they are bringing into the fold.
Murray’s apparent disinterest and terrible body language make him a liability in the locker room despite his on-field prowess.
Atlanta Falcons: Darnell Mooney, WR
While Darnell Mooney has finally gotten the fresh start that he was apparently looking forward to during the end of his tenure with the Bears, there are still serious questions about his ability to mesh into a locker room.
Last season, his performance plummeted, and his teammates reportedly grew frustrated with the receiver for taking plays off and being generally disengaged with what was going on in the Windy City because he had his eye on the door.
Maybe he comes into Atlanta this year ready to turn a new leaf, but we will need to see him prove that he can be a team-first guy before we remove the bad NFL teammate label!
Baltimore Ravens: Nelson Agholor, WR
Nelson Agholor is another wide receiver who has built a reputation for being a bad teammate in previous stops during his NFL career.
Prior to his latest stint in Baltimore—actually, two stops prior back in 2021… Agholor played for the Raiders, where he reportedly came storming into the locker room after a loss yelling at his teammates, telling them that “they suck.”
That’s exactly what everyone wants to hear after a loss!
Buffalo Bills: Von Miller, Edge
Von Miller was supposed to bring a wealth of experience along with his talent to Western New York when they acquired the former Super Bowl MVP, but his time there has been marred with disappointment.
The vet has barely been on the field because of injury, which doesn’t make him a bad teammate. However, he hasn’t exactly carried himself as an NFL professional in his time away from the team and has continued to bring negative attention to the organization and, subsequently, his teammates, who have been out there grinding while he recovers.
Carolina Panthers: Jadeveon Clowney, Edge
Even in the NFL—where damn near everyone is a freak athlete… Jadeveon Clowney is a freak among the freaks.
This begs the question: Why has the former number-one overall pick out of the University of South Carolina been on so many teams since entering the NFL?
The obvious answer when you look at his track record is his inability to mesh with a locker room and be a team-first guy in the NFL.
His work ethic has been an issue everywhere he has played, and his unpredictable performance—in tandem with his high price tag and selfish attitude—has resulted in his reputation as a bad teammate.
Chicago Bears: Yannick Ngakoue, Edge
Every time Yannick Ngakoue leaves a team—he seems to do so in a huff and smoke, leaving behind a trail of disputes with NFL coaches, team execs, and even teammates.
There is a reason why the talented edge rusher has bounced around the league so much!
Cincinnati Bengals: Jermaine Burton, WR
The Bengals must have a lot of faith in their veterans to draft the admittedly talented, former Alabama wide receiver…
I mean, just look at what his former coach, Nick Saban, said about him after the selection:
“The number one thing that he needs to do is emotional maturity, which is the best way to say it. Do the right things all the time… You gotta do the right things in your life all the time so that you can do the best things that you can do on the field and be the best you can be.”
Not exactly a vote of confidence for Burton’s emotional maturity—or his ability to be a good teammate in a professional environment!
Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson, QB
No player wants to have to answer for his teammate’s behavior… And that is exactly what Deshaun Watson has continually forced his NFL teammates to do because he hasn’t come close to taking accountability for his sordid behavior in Houston.
Now he is with Cleveland, and his Browns teammates are still having to field questions about him… which has to be particularly enraging considering his fully guaranteed contract and his horrendous play on the field!
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott, QB
Nobody likes the teacher’s pet… That is exactly the kind of reputation that Dak has developed in Dallas due to his relationship with Jerry Jones and the perceived favoritism that comes with it.
Plus, I can’t imagine his teammates love seeing him cash the exorbitant paychecks he gets—only to completely let them down in the playoffs time and time again!
Denver Broncos: Zach Wilson, QB
At this point, the Zach Wilson story is well known. But he came into New York thinking that he was the man—and completely dropped the ball when it came to walking the walk.
What made matters worse for Wilson—and soiled his reputation as a teammate—was his unwillingness to take accountability and blend into the locker room.
He has a fresh start in Denver… And it is hard to imagine he hasn’t been humbled by his NFL experience thus far… But still!
Wilson is very much in need of proving he’s a good teammate camp before we believe otherwise.
Detroit Lions: Jameson Williams, WR
It has been tough sledding for the decorated Alabama receiver since entering the NFL ranks… Williams has been plagued by attitude and behavioral issues that raise serious concerns about his reliability as a teammate.
Plus, because Williams is talented and influential amongst the younger players on the roster, there is always a fear that he could start an endemic of selfish behavior in a locker room!
Green Bay Packers: Josh Jacobs, RB
Granted, the Raiders were a dumpster fire the last couple of seasons, but when Josh Jacobs openly criticized former teammates and coaching staff, he opened up a can of worms.
No one wants a guy in the locker room who causes the need to worry whether or not he will speak publicly about what goes on behind closed doors.
Houston Texans: Stefon Diggs, WR
Now that Stefon Diggs has staged multiple dramatic exits from previous teams, it is hard for him to fight the allegations of a bad teammate.
Especially when you factor in his past criticisms of teammates and coaches… It seems like it is not a matter of if but when—in Houston.
Indianapolis Colts: Adonai Mitchell, RB
Adonai Mitchell’s character and maturity concerns were, really, the only red flags about the talented, lanky receiver during the draft process.
Teams want to know that the guys they draft will be able to be good teammates and smoothly integrate into a professional team environment.
The Colts were ultimately the team to roll the dice on him, but he will need to prove that he can be a team-first guy in Indy if he wants this veteran NFL roster to accept him.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Mac Jones, QB
Mac Jones’ reported frustration with coaching decisions during his last couple of years in New England and the utter lack of accountability he took for his abysmal performance is not what you expect out of a franchise quarterback—or even a halfway decent teammate, for that matter!
Kansas City Chiefs: Kadarius Toney, WR
Kadarius Toney’s time with the New York Giants was marred by conflicts with coaches and teammates and what can only be described as a complete lack of professionalism.
He has cleaned up his act a little bit in Kansas City, but the controversial wide receiver still seems woefully unprepared for game day far too often!
Las Vegas Raiders: Davante Adams, WR
Davante Adams isn’t quite at the T.O. or Ochocinco level of diva wide receiver, but he has shown some diva characteristics over the years, criticizing team decisions—and even demanding trades.
Los Angeles Chargers: Joey Bosa, Edge
Bosa is a great player, but he has a bad tendency to let his ego get the best of him.
There are only so many times that a guy can get boneheaded penalties and make dumb public statements that affect his NFL team before he gets tagged as a bad teammate.
Los Angeles Rams: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB
Okay… So, Jimmy G hasn’t exactly been a bad teammate, but he does have his work cut out for him trying to remain a good one in Los Angeles.
Yes, the Rams are Matt Stafford’s team, but when a former NFL star of Garoppolo’s caliber is brought into the fold, it can easily create factions in the locker room—something he reportedly did back in his New England days many moons ago.
Miami Dolphins: Eli Apple, CB
There are few players in the NFL who are more reviled than Eli Apple. Everywhere he has gone, he has rubbed players—on his and opposing teams—the wrong way.
It is stunning that teams continue to roll the dice on the cornerback, considering his talent hardly outweighs the negatives—if at all!
Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR
NFL locker rooms are used to absorbing questionable behavior from talented, young players, but Jordan Addison is pushing the limit in Minnesota.
The Vikings wideout continues to get caught driving irresponsibly and draw negative attention to the team.
New England Patriots: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
Over the years, JuJu Smith-Schuster’s social media antics and obsession with personal branding have drawn criticism from both fans and teammates.
No one wants to go to war with a TikTok wide receiver!
He has dialed it back in recent years, but he is still far from popular amongst his fellow players.
New Orleans Saints: Chase Young, Edge
Chase Young is set to have a much-needed fresh start in New Orleans, but it has been far from smooth sailing for the former first-overall pick since he entered the league.
There have been flashes of brilliance, but he has lacked the dedication and team-first mentality that players need to establish staying power in the NFL. He has been accused of taking plays off and losing focus, something you can’t do when you are supposed to be a leader of an NFL team.
New York Giants: Evan Neal, RT
When playing in New York—or New Jersey… technically speaking… Players have to be mindful of their words when speaking publicly.
This is something Evan Neal outright neglected to do last year when he roasted Giants fans, essentially calling them burger-flippers, for their fair criticisms of the team, putting his fellow teammates in a terrible position of having to answer for his outburst.
New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers, QB
All of it can be erased if he balls out this year… But Aaron Rodgers hasn’t exactly been the consummate teammate since joining New York ahead of the 2023 season.
Not only has he continued to cause a media firestorm with his surly, provocatory demeanor, but now that he’s back from his injury—he can’t even be bothered to show up at mandatory minicamp.
Philadelphia Eagles: A.J. Brown, WR
A.J. Brown has been a game changer on the field for Philly since they fleeced Tennessee for the talented wide receiver… But some of the red flags that pushed the Titans front office to sell low on Brown have started to rear their ugly heads of late—as he has had a few notable confrontations with teammates and coaches on the sidelines recently.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Sutton, CB
Bad guy… Bad teammate… Don’t have to go super deep on this one. Not only was Sutton’s behavior reprehensible, but he also put his team and the players in a terrible position.
San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk, WR
Obviously, guys have to do what they have to do to maximize their earning potential while they can as professional athletes…
But you’d like to think that since Aiyuk plays for a team like the 49ers, which has been so close to Super Bowl glory over the past few NFL seasons, he would show some discretion with his methodology for capturing this payday—instead of creating a huge distraction heading into the season.
Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith, QB
Geno Smith has been the feel-good story of the NFL in recent years as he revitalized his career with the Seahawks… But we need not forget that when he was one of the highest-paid players on the Bills, he tried to stiff a sixth-round pick and end-of-the-roster guy in IK Enemkpali on a bet.
The defensive end subsequently broke Smith’s jaw, which no one would make the mistake of suggesting as the “right thing” to do…
But Smith clearly sent this train in motion. This is particularly troubling when you factor in the higher baseline expectations for leadership and being “team-first” as a QB.
It has been nearly a decade since the incident, but Smith hasn’t been able to fully rebuild his reputation… And rightfully so, since he inadvertently ruined his former teammate’s career.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sterling Shepard, WR
Sterling Shepard hasn’t been quite as outspoken as some other wideouts… but he has at times expressed frustration to his teams about his role despite what can only be described as mediocre output.
Plus, he was part of the whole boat picture saga with the Giants, which was definitively not good teammate behavior!
Tennessee Titans: Jamal Adams, S
Jamal Adams has proven time and time again to be the quintessential “me” guy.
This is going to be his first season down in Nashville… So, maybe he will come correct. But his outspoken nature and obsession with personal goals over team success have caused division previously—and may well do the same in the Titans locker Room.
Washington Commanders: Austin Ekeler, RB
While there is no denying Austin Ekeler’s talent running and catching the football, his public negotiations and dissatisfaction with team decisions have drawn ire from NFL teammates in the past.
There are definitely questions as to how the outspoken star will integrate into the Commanders’ locker room, considering his past and the organization’s previous issues with high-profile acquisitions.
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