Hundreds of free agents sign annually, impacting the league in several ways. Sometimes the addition doesn’t serve as even a legitimate Band-Aid; other times, it’s the birth of a new era.
Understanding that this is an inexact science that is often as much results-oriented as anything else, here are the biggest hits in the free agent market for each of the 32 NFL franchises.
Top NFL Free Agency Signings by Team
Arizona Cardinals
Kurt Warner, QB
The quarterback position is a franchise changer, and that makes the wins in free agency ones that can drastically shift the course of history. Kurt Warner inked a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals in 2005 — they won consecutive divisional titles in 2008 and 2009 (two more than they had from 1976-2007), the latter of which resulted in a trip to the Super Bowl.
Atlanta Falcons
Warrick Dunn, RB
There aren’t a ton of running backs on this list because their direct impact on winning is a hotly debated topic, but Warrick Dunn was an impact player the moment he signed with the Dirty Birds in 2002 with over 1,300 scrimmage yards.
He was more efficient in his new setting (4.0 yards per carry in his first season after picking up just 2.8 the previous year with Tampa Bay), and that played a part in Atlanta going from a -86 point differential in 2001 to a +88 mark in 2002.
Dunn spent six seasons with the franchise and cleared 1,000 total yards in each of the first five — the Atlanta Falcons won one division title from 1999-2009, and their savvy free agent add was in the middle of that success.
Baltimore Ravens
Shannon Sharpe, TE
It might be a little too soon for Baltimore Ravens fans to embrace the idea of celebrating a tight end given how their 2024 season ended, but Shannon Sharpe’s impact on the franchise is undeniable.
He signed in 2000 after spending a decade with Denver and immediately was a featured piece on a Super Bowl winner. He only spent two seasons with Baltimore, but he cleared 800 receiving yards in both. As the team leader in all receiving categories during that championship season (catches, targets, receiving yards, and TD receptions), Sharpe will forever be mentioned in the story of this organization.
Buffalo Bills
Bryce Paup, LB
Skill position players are often the focus, but Bryce Paup’s instant impact transcended that trend. He inked a three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills to join Bruce Smith on an intimidating defense and responded by winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award on the back of 17.5 sacks that season.
Before adding Paup to the mix, Buffalo won seven games — they won 10 games in each of his first two seasons, returning hope to a fanbase that still had fresh wounds from four straight Super Bowl defeats.
Carolina Panthers
Jake Delhomme, QB
The Carolina Panthers haven’t had consistent success since their inception, but undrafted Jake Delhomme, after spending five seasons with New Orleans, was at the core of their peak.
In his first season with the team (2003), Carolina won 11 games (eight total wins over the previous two seasons) and went on to play in Super Bowl 38.
They ultimately lost and remain without an NFL championship, but Delhomme’s surprise run not only gave a city with limited football experience hope but paved the way for future afterthoughts at the position to get a legitimate chance to showcase their talents on the biggest stage.
Chicago Bears
Julius Peppers, DE
The talents of Julius Peppers weren’t at all a question when the Chicago Bears signed him to a six-year deal in 2010, and he proved his worth as a game-wrecker from the jump.
Chicago managed just seven victories in 2009, a number they cleared in each of his seasons with the team. Their run of success included a division title in 2010 and a now Hall of Fame résumé padding 37.5 sacks, seven fumble recoveries, and three interceptions for Peppers.
Cincinnati Bengals
Trey Hendrickson, DE
The Cincinnati Bengals ponied up in 2021 for Trey Hendrickson and were downright giddy with their decision to do so throughout his four-year ($60 million) deal.
On his way to a runner-up finish behind Patrick Surtain II for 2024 DPOY honors, Hendrickson led the league in sacks with 17.5, the fourth time in his career in which he’s cleared a baker’s dozen.
He’s been a Pro Bowler in each of the past four seasons, and despite turning 30 in December, it’s clear that he has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Cleveland Browns
Otto Graham, QB
Otto Graham’s résumé speaks for itself; he wasn’t a featured player during his prime — he was THE featured player.
From 1950-55, there was only one season in which Graham didn’t win a championship or an MVP. Before crossing over from the AAFC to the NFL, Graham had four titles — we are more than 70 years removed from the peak of his powers, and this franchise is still searching for a way to recapture the level of sustained success they had during his time in town.
Dallas Cowboys
Deion Sanders, CB
As one of two players whose name appears on this list twice, Deion Sanders was as impactful as he was brash. Dallas won the “Deion Sweepstakes” in 1995 with a seven-year deal ($35 million), and they were rewarded with a championship that season.
Bringing America’s Team the Lombardi is one thing, but sustaining success is another — and seeing it evaporate following his departure is a step beyond that. The Dallas Cowboys made the playoffs in four of Sanders’ five seasons in town. They went 15-33 in the three years following his moving on.
Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning, QB
Regardless of how impressive your résumé may be, Father Time takes his pound of flesh on us all. It was feared that a serious neck injury would end Peyton Manning’s Hall of Fame career, but the Denver Broncos took a leap of faith and were rewarded handsomely.
Manning threw 131 touchdown passes (NFL record 55 in 2013) in his first three seasons with the franchise, production not only above NFL expectations but above his already lofty standards.
The big numbers faded with time, but Manning’s savvy allowed him to pull the right levers and ride off into the sunset with a Super Bowl title in 2015, defeating league MVP Cam Newton in what will be remembered as one of the most diametrically opposed Big Game matchups in terms of the skill sets of the signal caller.
Detroit Lions
Golden Tate, WR
There were some very lean years in Detroit, but their 2014 signing of Golden Tate was a clear win for the franchise. In his first season with the team, he racked up 1,331 receiving yards on 99 catches, his first of four straight 90+ reception seasons — not bad for a WR who joined the Detroit Lions without a 65-catch year on his résumé.
Tate was dealt during the 2018 season, but his ability to be a solidifying force on a down franchise will not be soon forgotten.
Green Bay Packers
Reggie White, DE
Many of these teams come with at least a few Tier 1 free agent signings that can be argued for the best of all-time by that specific franchise. This isn’t one of those situations.
As storied as the Green Bay Packers are, their signing of Reggie White in 1993 after the star end spent eight seasons with Philadelphia, is the singular right answer.
They weren’t shy about pursuing the established ace (a four-year, $17 million deal may not move the needle by today’s standards, but it made him the third-most well-compensated player in the league at the time, behind only John Elway and Dan Marino), and the argument could be made that they got a tremendous deal.
White had three sacks in the win at Super Bowl 21 and was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1998. He spent only six of his 15 seasons at Lambeau, but his name will forever be uttered as one of the best Cheeseheads to ever do it.
Houston Texans
Arian Foster, RB
The Houston Texans don’t have an extended track record, but Arian Foster’s resume stacks up there with just about anyone. We know that running back shelf lives are limited, making the peak of a career how players are ultimately judged — Foster cleared 1,600 scrimmage yards with at least a dozen touchdowns in back-to-back-to-back seasons (2010-12) in a run of sheer dominance.
His ability to threaten defenses as both a home run hitting runner and a chain moving pass catcher was ahead of it’s time and helped a franchise that had never made the playoffs, qualify in consecutive seasons.
Indianapolis Colts
Johnny Unitas, QB
Expectations and foresight play a bit in the making of this list, and that is why Johnny Unitas gets the nod. Pittsburgh drafted him, but after going through camp, they decided that he wasn’t roster-worthy.
With his stock in the tank, the then-Baltimore Colts signed him in 1956 and didn’t have to wait long to reap the benefits — they won titles in 1958 and 1959, winning 18 of 24 regular season games over that stretch.
Unitas won six of his eight career playoff games and gave this franchise a run of glory that wasn’t even remotely on their radar upon his signing.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Keenan McCardell, WR
The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to have struck gold in drafting Brian Thomas Jr., but before that, this hasn’t exactly been a hotbed for receiving talent.
You could blame that on coaching, quarterback play, or anything else, but the point remains that Keenan McCardell’s skills are not something that Jacksonville has been able to find with regularity.
McCardell and Jimmy Smith combined for a thunder-and-lightning tandem at the receiver position, and while this addition can’t be given all the credit, it’s difficult to not notice that this was a 4-12 team in 1995 before signing the UNLV product and 45-19 (four playoff appearances) in the following four years.
Kansas City Chiefs
Priest Holmes, RB
Before the Patrick Mahomes era, it’s possible, if not likely, that Priest Holmes’ name would have been the most identifiable for this franchise.
Kansas City signed him to a cheap deal ahead of the 2001 season after he spent four years in Baltimore. We know that the running back position can be a here-today, gone-tomorrow business, but by handling 300+ carries (1,400+ rushing yards) in each of his first three seasons with the team, Holmes gave this backfield elite stability.
From a box score standpoint, Holmes was a video game character before video games were as popular as they are today. Over a two-season stretch (2002-03), he ran for 48 scores and caught 144 passes, production that, even in this era, we aren’t likely to see again any time soon.
The Kansas City Chiefs weren’t always the dynastic team we know them as today — behind Holmes in 2003, they won 13 games, four more than they had won in any of the previous five seasons.
Las Vegas Raiders
Rich Gannon, QB
The then-Oakland Raiders brought in Gannon ahead of the 1999 season, and the returns weren’t immediate as they posted an 8-8 record in his introductory season.
If we’ve learned anything from the history of these free agents, it’s that patience can pay.
Division titles awaited this franchise in each of the next three seasons, with Gannon averaging 3,982 passing yards in the process and earning an MVP award for his stellar 2002 campaign.
The five-interception game in Super Bowl 37 against Tampa Bay is forever going to be a part of Gannon’s legacy. However, after elevating a franchise that had a -175 point differential in the eight years before his union, Gannon should be remembered for his successes well before his failures.
Los Angeles Chargers
Antonio Gates, TE
Antonio Gates is now officially a Hall of Famer, something that wasn’t a certainty when the then-San Diego Chargers took a chance on this Kent State power forward.
He joined the team in 2003 in a limited role as he transitioned from the hardwood to the gridiron (24 catches in 15 appearances), but after that, he rattled off seven straight seasons with at least eight touchdown grabs, solidifying himself as one of the true greats at the position.
His production speaks for itself, and it could be argued that showing an entire generation of athletes that it is possible to change professions might prove to be the greatest part of his legacy.
Los Angeles Rams
Kurt Warner, QB
Kurt Warner was undrafted out of Northern Iowa (1994), which resulted in him taking his talents to the Arena Football League. The Iowa Barnstormers were interested in his profile, and his success on that front intrigued the then-St. Louis Rams — in a very skeptical way.
The franchise signed him to a future deal that landed him in NFL Europe in 1998 with the Amsterdam Admirals. Expectations weren’t high, so they didn’t protect him in the 1999 NFL expansion draft — and then things changed.
Trent Green suffered a torn ACL during the preseason and “The Greatest Show on Turf” was born. The Rams won the Super Bowl in 1999 and won 37 of 48 regular season games over an impressive three-year peak.
The “American Underdog” concluded his unscripted run in 2017 when he was inducted to the Hall of Fame (both for the NFL and the Arena League).
Miami Dolphins
Jim Langer, OL
Jim Langer may lack the highlight tape that future generations will dive into, but after hardly being used in his first two seasons, he was an anchor during a dominant run.
From 1970-79, he appeared in 128 straight games, a run that included a pair of Super Bowl championships, including the unbeaten team of 1972 and a team vote as their MVP following the 1975 season.
Minnesota Vikings
John Randle, DE
We run through the NFL Combine for good reason. This league is as physical as any and size/speed measurements are generally predictive when it comes to forecasting which players will hold up, and ideally thrive, for an extended career.
That said, the only rule we know to be true is that there is an exception to every rule.
John Randle’s size was viewed as prohibitive, and that left him off of draft boards when he came out of college. The Minnesota Vikings, however, elected to roll the dice, something they were immediately rewarded for with a 1993 Pro Bowl season.
When all was said and done, Randle finished his career with nine double-digit-sack years and his success translated directly to the standings. Minnesota didn’t have a losing season from 1991-2000, a run that, not coincidentally, starts with the season of Randle’s first start and ends with his last.
New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel, LB
Mike Vrabel’s free agency window opened up at the perfect time, and that resulted in him being a part of a New England dynasty after four seasons in Pittsburgh. He signed with the team in 2001, and his résumé is unique in a sport of unique talents.
- Four multi-interception seasons
- 12.5 sacks in 2007 (2005-06: 9.0 total sacks)
- Two Super Bowl touchdown receptions
His impact will never be fully appreciated because this era of New England Patriots football will be remembered as the Tom Brady era and nothing else. That’s not wrong, but we as a football loving society should never let Vrabel’s do-it-all impact go underappreciated as time passes.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees, QB
Drew Brees received just two Division I offers, another victim of the era — the higher levels of football weren’t willing to give a short quarterback a look when there were plenty of prototypes available.
He didn’t waste time proving himself as a legitimate pro while with the Chargers (20 wins and 51 touchdown passes over his final two seasons with the team), but they had enough long-term concerns to have disinterest in matching the offer sheet presented by the New Orleans Saints.
And the rest is history.
With New Orleans, Brees led the NFL in passing touchdowns four times, completion percentage six times, and added a Super Bowl MVP trophy for good measure. He established himself as one of the better winners in league history (eight years with at least 11 victories) and opened the door for vertically challenged signal callers across this nation.
New York Giants
Plaxico Burress, WR
Plaxico Burress signed a six-year deal after the 2004 season with the New York Giants and was a physical mismatch before the ink dried. New York had one division title in seven years before this move, but they won the NFC East in his first season and qualified for the postseason in each of his first four years.
Included in that run of success was a 2007 championship, a year when Burress caught a career-high 12 touchdown passes during the regular season. During his first three seasons with the franchise, he averaged over 1,000 receiving yards and had a pair of double-digit-touchdown seasons, even more impressive when you adjust them for the style of football played 20 years ago.
New York Jets
Curtis Martin, RB
Curtis Martin’s career began with Bill Parcells in New England, and that was among the reasons New York offered him a deal. The Patriots had the option to match the New York Jets’ offer and prevent a reunion, but they passed and paid dearly for that decision in short order.
In each of his first four seasons with Gang Green, Martin ran for over 1,200 yards and was a first-team All-Pro honoree in his penultimate season (2004). Things haven’t exactly panned out for New York in free agency lately, but they hit the nail on the head when it came to stealing Martin from a divisional foe.
Philadelphia Eagles
Nick Foles, QB
Results never die, and that is why Nick Foles tops this list until further notice. In 2017, he re-signed with the team that initially signed him and did so with no real expectations — it was clear that he was brought in to back-up 2016 first-round pick Carson Wentz. If everything went according to plan, he’d hold a clipboard all season long and be paid well for it.
Instead of a well-compensated bystander, Foles became a legend. Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14, opening the door for one of the more dramatic runs in recent memory.
Foles didn’t steady the ship, he took control. With little prep time, he led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first playoff win in nine seasons (15-10 victory over Atlanta), and that was just the beginning.
The following weekend, he lit up a favored Minnesota team for 352 yards through the air on Philadelphia’s way to a 31-point victory that made every football fan question what they knew.
It didn’t stop there. He became the first player in Super Bowl history to both throw for and catch a touchdown pass as he was on the right side of a play you may have heard of: the Philly Special. That game ended with him hoisting the MVP trophy (373 passing yards and three passing scores) and cementing his status as a lifetime hero in the City of Brotherly Love.
Pittsburgh Steelers
James Farrior, LB
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a homegrown organization for the most part, but they signed James Farrior after he spent five years with the Jets, a move that paid dividends in a hurry.
In 2004, he finished as the runner-up to Ed Reed in the Defensive Player of the Year race, the top individual accolade of his career. Farrior retired as a two-time Super Bowl champion and proved plenty worthy of Pittsburgh breaking the norm and spending on a free agent.
San Francisco 49ers
Deion Sanders, CB
Prime Time wasn’t in San Francisco for a long time, but he was there for a good time. In his lone season with the San Francisco 49ers, he scored on three of his six interceptions, was honored as the best defender in the league, and wrapped things up with a Super Bowl title.
He parlayed that success into a lucrative deal with Dallas, and while most remember him with another team, his 365-day impact with this franchise is about as close to flawless on the field as it gets.
Seattle Seahawks
Michael Bennett, DE
Seattle signed Michael Bennett on two occasions, the second (2013) being the more noteworthy of the two. After the deal, the Seattle Seahawks went on to represent the NFC in consecutive Super Bowls — not too bad for a franchise that had just two playoff appearances over the previous five years.
Bennett was a key cog in a great defense, registering 39 sacks across his five seasons with the team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady, QB
Tom Brady will be remembered as a New England Patriot, and that’s how it should be, but his ability to change the culture in Tampa Bay is deserving of its own chapter in the story of the GOAT.
- 2019 with New England: 613 passes, 4,057 yards, and 24 touchdowns
- 2020 with Tampa Bay: 610 passes, 4,633 yards, and 40 touchdowns
This wasn’t Michael Jordan joining the Washington Wizards — it was the rediscovery of elite form, just in different laundry. Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2007 (zero playoff wins since 2002), to a world championship in 2020, cementing his personal legacy as the best to ever do it and giving this franchise a spike to the level that even they could not have realistically expected.
Tennessee Titans
Delanie Walker, TE
Delanie Walker (signed by Tennessee in 2013) made three Pro Bowls for the Tennessee Titans, a run that included a sparkling 2015 season (94 catches for 1,088 yards and six scores).
Due to the change in how the game is played, those numbers may not jump out to you the way they should. He ranked ninth in catches that season, registering six more in one fewer game than the great Calvin Johnson.
He was a sixth-round pick in 2006 and was never asked to impact San Francisco’s offense in a big way during his seven seasons with the team — Tennessee’s ability to overlook his production and project growth makes him one of the sharper moves this franchise has made.
Washington Commanders
John Riggins, FB
John Riggins began his career with the Jets and a nice season in 1975 (1,005 rushing yards with eight scores) positioned him to test the free agent waters.
Washington signed him, and the early returns were minimal (3.5 yards per carry and just three scores in 1976 before a knee injury cut out the legs from his 1977 season).
Things, however, got much better. He had four 1,000-yard seasons with the franchise, scored 24 times in 1984, and has the MVP trophy from Super Bowl 17 that no one can ever take away from him (38 carries for 166 yards).
Banners fly forever and, despite a contract dispute that resulted in Riggins sitting out the 1980 season, the fullback’s name is synonymous with this franchise and always will be.