The 5 worst offseason moves in NFL history
NFL owners aren’t shy about taking out their wallets and plunking down enormous sums of cash in front of free agents. Yet, maybe they should.
In some instances, even the biggest and most notable star players have struggled in new locations on their NFL new teams. As we peek around today’s landscape, it’s difficult to pinpoint who will become the next player to struggle after being given an enormous contract.
Will Von Miller live up to the hype in Buffalo after being handed a six-year deal worth $120 million? How about Davante Adams? Now that he has his money, will he live up to the five-year, $141 million contract given to him by the Las Vegas Raiders?
All of those questions will be answered this season. But before we find out which moves were sagacious, let’s look back at some of the most horrendous offseason moves in NFL history.
#1. Daunte Culpepper
At one point, Daunte Culpepper was a terrific NFL quarterback. In 2003 and 2004, in particular, the light switch went off. The former Minnesota Viking made back-to-back Pro Bowls and led the Vikings to respectability. In 2004, he led the entire NFL in passing yards, throwing for 4,717 to go along with 39 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Culpepper, his career took a turn for the worse during the 2005 season. Halfway through the year, Culpepper crumbled to the turf with a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL in his knee. For whatever reason, the Miami Dolphins believed they could get Culpepper’s career back on track. In exchange, the franchise handed over a 2006 second-round pick to the Vikings but quickly moved off him.
In only four games, Culpepper was a shell of his former self, leading the Dolphins to only one victory during his time as a starter while throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions.
#2. Nick Foles
Nick Foles effectively turned two of the best years of his career into life-changing money with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2017, the hopes and dreams of the Philadelphia Eagles were pinned firmly on the shoulders of Foles.
The best individual performance in Philadelphia sports history.
Nick Foles. SBLII. https://t.co/qoQ57wfKph
With Carson Wentz forced to miss the entire NFL postseason due to a torn ACL, Foles was asked to step up. To the surprise of many, he would do so in a big way.
Foles and his Eagles took care of business throughout the playoffs, resulting in an unlikely Super Bowl ring. The following year, Wentz went down with another injury before the playoffs, with Foles again leading them on another deep run.
The Jaguars saw more than enough out of Blake Bortles and opted to go in another direction, handing Foles a four-year deal worth $88 million. In the first game of the NFL 2019 season, Foles suffered a broken Clavicle. While he would eventually return several months later, he did deliver his best.
In just one season, the Jaguars decided against keeping Foles as their long-term solution as their starter, going with Gardner Minshew and sending Foles to the Chicago Bears.