5 NFL players who regretted leaving their team for a big payday
The allure of NFL free agency can be mesmeric to players, especially after they’ve put their years into an ailing franchise that drafted them.
Players look to move into free agency for a multitude of reasons: they want a change of scenery for their family, they want to reunite playing with an old collegiate teammate, or quite simply, they want the best chance to win a Super Bowl.
However, there is another reason why players are so eager to stay healthy in the final year of their contract… money.
Leaving your team and becoming a free agent makes you a precious commodity, especially if it is a lean year in your particular position.
A dearth of productive running backs will see a medium-to-good player in that role immediately become worth $10 million more than in a class with more options.
This can tempt players to make money-based decisions, with some choosing to leave their team in favor of a big payday.
Here are 5 NFL players who have regretted leaving for money
#1 - Nate Solder
Nate Solder was a star offensive lineman for the New England Patriots and was one of the rare first-round selections higher than No. 20 of the Bill Belichick era.
There was little shock when Solder arrived, as he immediately started 13 of the Patriots’ 16 games in his rookie season, allowing just three sacks and four quarterback pressures.
Solder would continue to have this consistency throughout his career in New England, becoming one of the best linemen in the NFL, constantly giving Tom Brady valuable protection.
Two Super Bowl championships came during his time in Foxboro. But in 2018, he elected to leave the franchise and explore free agency.
He signed a four-year, $62 million deal with $35 million guaranteed with the New York Giants.
Having chosen a path that saw him become the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL, Solder quickly realized that the Giants had a poor roster.
He missed the playoffs for the first time in his career in his debut year in New York and was never quite the same player.
As a result of COVID-19, Solder opted out of the 2020 season before returning in 2021. After another challenging year for the Giants, his contract was automatically voided, putting him on the free-agent market again.
#2 - Josh Norman
Josh Norman in Carolina was a machine. He was one of the closest cornerbacks to Darrelle Revis we’ve seen since Revis Island himself left receivers stranded every week.
He was so dominant that teams simply refused to target his side of the field, hence why his interception numbers were so low. But teams could see just what an impact he made on Carolina’s defense.
After being drafted relatively late at 25 years old, Norman spent four years with the Panthers, where he was comfortable, even coming fourth in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award for 2015.
This made Norman a valuable commodity, and he looked to maximize his wealth on the open market, signing with the Washington Commanders for five years and $75 million.
While he announced a media career with Fox would run in conjunction with his time in Washington, it was clear that Norman had made a poor choice. He was never the same dominant defensive player in the NFL, being benched several times for poor plays.
DERRICK HENRY JUST THREW JOSH NORMAN OUT OF THE CLUB https://t.co/0OmAr9aPDb
He was released after four years and then spent single seasons with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers, where his diminishing speed made him an attractive target for quarterbacks rather than a feared one.