3 NFL WRs whose careers declined after changing teams for more money
The NFL is a big money business. With the ever expanding nature of the business, it's common to see headlines about players becoming the highest-paid players in their franchise's history or even NFL history.
For receivers, as we have seen this past offseason, the market has skyrocketed with Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams earning their bags. However, with a lot of NFL players having received their bags in the past, not all of them have lived up to the value of those bags.
With that said, here are three wide receivers whose careers declined after changing teams for more money.
#3- Sammy Watkins
Taken with the fourth pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Watkins had a decent start to his career with the Bills. He had a breakout year in his second season, totalling 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns.
He then moved to the Rams for one season before choosing to play his trade with the Chiefs. A three-year, $48 million deal with Kansas City was a lot to pay for a player not at the peak of his powers anymore.
Final terms of the #Chiefs expected deal for WR Sammy Watkins: 3 years, $48M with $30M fully guaranteed at signing, sources say.
In his three years with the Chiefs, Watkins never managed more than 673 yards. His decline only accelerated from there as he went on to bounce around the league from the Ravens on a one-year deal before signing with Green Bay for another one-year deal this season.
#2- Yancey Thigpen
Thigpen was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 1991 NFL draft before being moved to the Steelers the following season. However, he earned his money when Tennessee came calling in 1998.
Prior to that, the Pittsburgh receiver had totaled two 1,300+ yard seasons for the Steelers in his six seasons with the franchise.
He signed a five-year, $21 million deal with Tennessee but was never the same. He would not eclipse 648 receiving yards again and only managed nine touchdowns across his three seasons in Tennessee.
In total, Thigpen would only play in 18 of the 80 NFL games that the team signed him for.
#1 - Javon Walker NFL
Walker is a prime example of why NFL teams should avoid paying extraordinary amounts of money for veteran players. In his prime, Walker was sensational. He compiled a superb season with the Packers in 2004 (1,382 yards, 12 touchdowns) but was then traded to Denver in 2006.
He had a superb first season at Mile High, finishing with 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. During his time in Green Bay and Denver, though, he was plagued by injuries.
Stop it! @BrettFavre Javon Walker having himself a night too. #Packers #Gunslinger https://t.co/2hzI04g5nX
The Raiders still thought that they could make a great player out of Walker and signed him to a six-year $55 million deal in 2008. His career rapidly declined from there, finishing two seasons with the Raiders with 196 receiving yards and one touchdown, all of which came in his first season. He played 3 games in 2009 but couldn't catch a pass and was released from the team soon after.
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