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It's not often that game-changing players at the most valuable position in the NFL are available via free agency. Franchise quarterbacks are usually retained with high-dollar contracts, but occasionally, a key signal-caller hits the open market. Since 2000, a handful of quarterbacks have signed with new teams as free agents and won a Super Bowl. Others have at least made it to a Super Bowl or a conference championship game.
There have been a handful of blockbuster quarterback trades in recent seasons, including Russell Wilson to Denver, Aaron Rodgers to New York, and Deshaun Watson to Cleveland. While those are fun to discuss, those guys were never free agents. Instead, their new franchises had to send a haul of players and draft picks to acquire them. In free agency, all you need is a contractual agreement with the players.
Let's dive into the top five quarterback free-agent signings of the 21st century below and look at a few honorable mentions!
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Honorable Mentions
- Kirk Cousins - Minnesota Vikings (2018)
- Nick Foles - Philadelphia Eagles (2017)
- Jake Delhomme - Carolina Panthers (2003)
- Brad Johnson - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001)
- Marc Bulger - St. Louis Rams (2000)
5) Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings (2009)
Record With Team: 17-12
Best Team Finish: NFC Runner-Up (2009)
After a legendary career consisting of three MVPs and a Super Bowl title with the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre was replaced by an unproven Aaron Rodgers. He announced his retirement after the 2007 season, but ultimately returned to play for the New York Jets. The Jets went 9-7 as he threw 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. He then informed the Jets of his retirement, only to file for reinstatement soon after.
As a free agent, he chose to join the Minnesota Vikings, where he had immense success in his first year in purple. The Vikings offense was one of the best in the league, as Favre threw for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns, Adrian Peterson rushed for 1,383 yards and 18 touchdowns, and Sidney Rice caught 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight scores. Minnesota ranked second in total touchdowns (55), only behind the eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (61).
On this date in 2010…#Vikings stomp on the #Giants 44-7 in their 2009 regular-season finale
Brett Favre threw 4 TDs and Minnesota led 31-0 at the half#SKOL
pic.twitter.com/QpLzZ3xsYN— The Viking Age (@TheVikingAge) January 3, 2024
After defeating the Dallas Cowboys by 31 in the NFC Divisional Round, the Vikings had New Orleans on the ropes in the NFC Championship Game. In a fringe position to kick a potential game-winning field goal with under 20 seconds, Favre threw a boneheaded interception that would ultimately cause the game to go to overtime. The Saints would kick a field goal on the first possession of overtime, which used to win the game before the rules were changed.
In 2010, Favre played in just 13 games, posting a 5-8 record behind 11 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He was unable to clear concussion protocol in what was supposed to be the final game of his career.
Ultimately, the signing of Favre was worth the one year of contention Minnesota got. It was a short run that ended poorly, but it can't be viewed as a failure given the heights the organization reached under his leadership in the locker room.
4) Kurt Warner - Arizona Cardinals (2005)
Record With Team: 27-30
Best Team Finish: Super Bowl XLIII Runner-Up
Compared to most Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Kurt Warner had far from a conventional NFL career. For one, he played Division III college football at Northern Iowa -- where he started just 12 total games. The Green Bay Packers gave him a camp tryout following his college career, but he was quickly released. Then came three seasons with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League. After one year with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, he became the St. Louis Rams' third-string quarterback.
He remarkably earned the starting job just one season later (1999) and immediately won an MVP and Super Bowl behind 41 touchdown passes. He won another MVP two years later and took the Rams to a second Super Bowl in 2001, where he lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Talk about unconventional.
After five seasons with the Rams and one with the New York Giants, he became a free agent and signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals. His first three seasons in Arizona produced just eight wins in 18 games, but the organization decided to stick with him ahead of the 2008 campaign, and the rest is history.
The Cardinals snuck into the playoffs as a 9-7 NFC West champion, as Warner threw 30 touchdowns to 14 picks. Arizona scored at least 30 points in playoff victories over the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles, setting up a matchup with Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although it didn't end up the game-winner, this Kurt Warner-to-Larry Fitzgerald go-ahead 64-yard #Cardinals touchdown connection with two-and-a-half to play in Super Bowl XLIII had the world gasping.
What a postseason for Fitz! Guy played out of his mind.
15 Years Ago Tonight pic.twitter.com/ToEmOMXTUP
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 1, 2024
Warner threw for 377 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in Super Bowl XLIII, but it wasn't enough after wideout Santonio Holmes caught a go-ahead touchdown in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining. Arizona went 10-6 the following year and won another playoff game, but they ultimately lost to New Orleans in the NFC Divisional Round, and Warner called it a career thereafter.
3) Tom Brady - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)
Record With Team: 32-18
Best Team Finish: Super Bowl LV Champion
Since everyone knows what Tom Brady did during his spectacular career, we'll keep the recap of his Patriots career short and sweet. Brady, the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, qualified for nine Super Bowls with New England, winning six. He won three MVP awards and won double-digit games a whopping 17 times. It seemed like he'd be in New England forever, but following the 2019 season, he became the biggest NFL free agent of all time.
The Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were his rumored potential suitors, but he eventually chose Tampa Bay, where he would get to work with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Jameis Winston had just thrown 30 touchdowns for the Buccaneers, so weapons were not lacking.
The Bucs began the 2020 season 7-5 before ripping off four consecutive wins to qualify for the playoffs -- though not as a division champion. After a cakewalk matchup against the Washington Football Team in Round 1, the Buccaneers handed the New Orleans Saints, who swept Tampa in the regular season, a Divisional Round loss. This set up the most important Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers matchup in their careers. Brady threw for over 300 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, and the Buccaneers punched their ticket to Super Bowl LV, which was played in Tampa Bay.
This bout against Patrick Mahomes wasn't even competitive. Brady completed 21 of his 29 passing attempts for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-9 rout over the Kansas City Chiefs. If there were any disputes about whether Brady was the GOAT -- they were settled that day.
Tom Brady in 2020-21:
◻️ Threw for 4,633 yards
◻️ 40 TDs, 12 INTs
◻️ 11-5 season record
◻️ A win in Super Bowl 55And he did it on a fully torn MCL, per @RapSheet. pic.twitter.com/CJW6jGgSu0
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 15, 2021
The 2021 Buccaneers lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, but Brady threw for a league-leading 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns. The future Hall of Famer finally showed signs of aging in 2022, as the team went 8-9, and Brady threw for just 6.4 yards per attempt and 25 touchdowns. The Cowboys handed them a first-round exit. Despite the lack of offensive success, Brady set the single-season record for passing attempts (733) and completions (490).
2) Peyton Manning - Denver Broncos (2012)
Record With Team: 45-10
Best Team Finish: Super Bowl 50 Champion
Following the 2010 season, four-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning underwent spinal fusion surgery, a procedure that could have ended his NFL career. After nine consecutive double-digit win seasons, the Colts went 2-14 as Manning missed the entire 2011 campaign.
Unsure if Manning would return to form and holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft that featured Andrew Luck, Indianapolis decided it was time to turn the page. He was released in March, just ahead of free agency. He was courted by the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and others, but chose to play for the Denver Broncos after meeting with former star quarterback and then-general manager John Elway.
In Year 1, Manning threw for 37 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors and finished second in the MVP race behind Adrian Peterson. Unfortunately, his postseason failures from the Colts followed him to Denver, as the team lost its first playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.
In 2013, the Sheriff set single-season records for touchdown passes (55) and passing yards (5,477). The excellent year began with seven touchdown passes against the Baltimore Ravens in the season-opening win. The Broncos offense featured a 1,000-yard rusher (Knowshon Moreno), two 1,000-yard receivers (Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker), and four double-digit touchdown pass-catchers (Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, Julius Thomas). Denver's 7,317 total yards in 2013 ranks second all-time.
Remember when Peyton Manning opened the 2013 season with SEVEN touchdown passes? (via @nflthrowback) pic.twitter.com/CoWaHNnAhI
— NFL (@NFL) June 11, 2021
He won his fifth MVP trophy and took Denver to the Super Bowl after an AFC Championship Game victory over Brady, but the Seattle Seahawks would defeat Denver, 43-8.
Manning threw for another 39 touchdowns in 2014, but he looked to be tailing off late in the season and was defeated by Andrew Luck in the AFC Divisional Round.
In 2015, Manning suffered plantar fasciitis, and he had noticeably reduced arm strength. Despite Manning missing six games, Denver earned the AFC's No. 1 seed thanks to its historic defense led by Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Aqib Talib. Manning would return for postseason action, throwing for two touchdowns and one interception in three games. Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers lost to Denver 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
The 1998 No. 1 overall pick recognized it was his time to leave the sport, so he retired a short time later.
1) Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints (2006)
Record With Team: 142-86
Best Team Finish: Super Bowl XLIV Champion
Given the longevity of Brees' career in New Orleans, he takes the top spot among free-agent quarterbacks. The 2001 second-round pick spent four seasons as the San Diego Chargers' primary starting quarterback, compiling 12,348 passing yards, 80 passing touchdowns, and 53 interceptions. San Diego went 30-28 in games he started. Following a 9-7 2005 campaign, Philip Rivers was ready to take his job.
As a free agent, Brees drew interest from the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. Dolphins head coach Nick Saban and the front office eventually ended negotiations with Brees after trading for Daunte Culpepper, causing Brees to land with first-year head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans.
Brees immediately posted a career-high 4,418 yards in 2006, and he wouldn't throw for fewer than 4,000 yards again until 2018 (3,992). The future Hall of Famer holds the record for the most seasons of at least 5,000 passing yards with five, and he's the only player in NFL history to do it more than twice. He's also in the No. 1, 2, and 3 spots for the highest single-season completion percentage of all time. He completed at least 72% of his passes in his age 38, 39, and 40 seasons.
Ultimately, Brees' counting stats are well-documented, but his 2009 season is what cements him as an all-time great and the No. 1 QB on this list. The 2009 Saints began the year 13-0 before finishing 13-3. In the playoffs, Brees outdueled Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning to win Super Bowl XLIV.
On this day in #Saints history (2/7/2010), Drew Brees hits Jeremy Shockey for a TD with 5:42 to play putting the Saints up 24-17 after @LanceMoore16's 2pt conversion in Superbowl XLIV! pic.twitter.com/lsnBlYSZn2
— New Orleans Saints History (@SaintsHistory) February 7, 2022
Before Brees and Payton arrived in 2006, the Saints had qualified for the postseason just once from 1993 to 2005. The tandem made the postseason nine times in 15 seasons. The signing of Brees completely altered the direction of a once laughable franchise, and it's difficult to imagine a free-agent signing ever living up to this one.
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