Worst free-agent signing by each AFC team since 2019

With the official start of the new NFL year Wednesday, the league and its fans are abuzz about free agents. Players may enter into negotiations with teams beginning on Monday at noon ET. 

Some teams will find gems in free agency; others will uncover fool's gold. As identified by Yardbarker NFL writers, here is each AFC team's worst free-agent signing since the 2019 offseason.  

AFC East

BUFFALO BILLS | OLB Von Miller (2022) | Miller was expected to be the final piece to put Buffalo over the top after signing a six-year, $120M contract, but an ACL tear eight games into the deal changed everything. The future Hall of Famer looked anything but stellar upon returning, failing to record a sack in 12 games this past season. That led to his contract already being restructured to save cap space.

MIAMI DOLPHINS | EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah (2022) | The decision to sign Ogbah to a four-year, $65M extension following his back-to-back nine-sack seasons in 2020 and 2021 seemed like a no-brainer, but it proved to be an expensive mistake. After a tricep injury cut his disappointing 2022 season short, Ogbah played just 25 percent of the team's defensive snaps in 2023 and the team released him in February.

NEW YORK JETS | EDGE Carl Lawson (2021) | Lawson's three-year, $45M deal quickly became a disaster for New York, as he missed the entire 2021 season with a torn Achilles. Despite rebounding with seven sacks in 2022, Lawson only made five tackles across six games in 2023. Although he won't be on the team in 2024, he'll cost the Jets $5.86M in dead money.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (2023) | Although 2023 was just the first season of his three-year, $33M deal, Smith-Schuster is on track to be one of the worst signings in franchise history. Due to myriad injuries, he only caught 29 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown across 11 games, making it even more frustrating for Patriots fans that New England didn't up its offer to free-agent WR Jakobi Meyers by $1M. — Colum Dell

AFC West

DENVER BRONCOS | OT Ju’Wuan James (2019) | The Broncos hoped James would become a longtime starter after signing him to a four-year, $52M deal, but he only played in three games in two injury-riddled seasons with the team. Denver released him in 2021 after he suffered a torn Achilles in a private workout. (He subsequently filed a grievance against the club, settling for $1.09M.)

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | OT Jawaan Taylor (2023) | While Taylor could bounce back in 2024, the Chiefs should have some concerns after he underperformed last season. Taylor — who signed a four-year, $80M deal — led the league in penalties (20 in 17 games) and posted a below-average 52 Pro Football Focus grade last season.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | QB Jimmy Garoppolo (2023) | Signing Garoppolo to a three-year $72.75M deal could go down as one of the worst moves in franchise history. He threw more interceptions (nine) than TD passes (seven) in six starts before rookie Aidan O’Connell replaced him. The Raiders reportedly plan to cut the 32-year-old before the official start of the league year.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | CB J.C. Jackson (2022) | The Chargers signed the former Pro Bowler to a five-year, $82.5M deal, but he clearly failed to meet expectations. Jackson only had one interception in seven games with Los Angeles, who traded him to the Patriots for a 2025 sixth-round pick after Week 4. — Clark Dalton

AFC North 

BALTIMORE RAVENS | S Earl Thomas (2019) | Thomas joined the Ravens on a four-year, $55 million contract but lasted just one season after punching a teammate. His reputation for being uncoachable and a bad teammate “had fallen so far in such a short amount of time” that no other team signed him after his release, according to The Athletic.

CINCINNATI BENGALS | CB Trae Waynes (2020) | Waynes signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Bengals but played in just five games after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in 2020 and dealing with a nagging hamstring injury in 2021. He was released and announced his retirement shortly after.

CLEVELAND BROWNS | TE Austin Hooper (2020) | The Browns handed Hooper a four-year, $44 million contract — the highest for a free-agent tight end at the time — following a breakout campaign with the Falcons in 2019. However, he had just 780 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons before Cleveland admitted its mistake and parted with him.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS | WR Donte Moncrief (2019) | Moncrief joined the Steelers on a two-year deal to help fill the void left by All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown, who the team had traded to the Raiders. He flopped, however, making only four catches for 18 yards in five games. The Steelers cut him before the trade deadline and he hasn't played in the league since 2020. — Aaron Becker

AFC South 

HOUSTON TEXANS | WR Danny Amendola (2021) | Amendola’s career was on its last legs when he signed with the Texans. He produced just 24 receptions, 248 yards and three touchdowns in eight games and was sixth on the team in receiving behind two running backs and WR Jordan Akins.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | QB Nick Foles (2022) | Signing a two-year, $6.2 million contract during the 2022 offseason, Foles was brought in to add a veteran presence to Indy’s QB room. He played in three games, going 0-2 as a starter, and threw for only 224 yards with zero touchdowns and four interceptions.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | TE Tim Tebow (2021) | After spending six seasons out of the NFL, then-Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer decided it would be a great idea to bring Tebow back to the league and have him switch positions. He lasted four months and was cut during the preseason after not catching any passes or contributing on special teams.

TENNESSEE TITANS | Edge-rusher Vic Beasley | Former Titans general manager Jon Robinson thought he was getting a steal when he signed Beasley to a one-year, $9.5M contract during the 2020 offseason. Beasley, however, didn’t show up at the start of training camp and had a stint on the non-football/injury list before joining the active roster. He was cut seven games into the season after producing three tackles (one for a loss), one forced fumble and zero sacks. — Michael Gallagher