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The NFL league year started on Wednesday, and we're seeing many teams signing extensions with their players or trying to trade disgruntled stars. The real fun is during the free-agency period, and there are a bunch of huge names this year who signed with new teams.
Teams should always take a moment to learn from history. The Eagles looked hopeless in the second half of the 2023 season but came back stronger than ever in 2024 with some excellent free-agent signings. On the other hand, some teams have been in cap hell in recent seasons due to their poor decisions in the FA period.
Without further ado, let's rank the top 10 NFL free-agency signings since the start of the 2020 season. Keep in mind that this list is entirely subjective! Keep in mind that this list is entirely subjective!
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The Criteria and the Honorable Mentions
There have been a bunch of great FA signings in the past five years, so when it came down to ranking them, several factors had to be taken into account, such as their stats, overall impact on team success, and price (when signed).
Also, the more time a player spent with the team that signed them, the better. Let's look at the honorable mentions who just missed the cut.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers), Jessie Bates III (Atlanta Falcons), Raheem Mostert (Miami Dolphins)
No. 10: Drue Tranquill, Kansas City Chiefs, 2023
Contract: One year, $3 million
Weakening your rival is the best. The Chargers made the playoffs for the first time in the Justin Herbert era in 2022 and Drue Tranquill's 146-tackle season was a big part of that.
So, you could imagine how shocked Chargers fans were when they saw him joining the defending Super Bowl champion and division-rival Chiefs in the offseason. According to Tranquill, he never wanted to leave the Chargers.
"I was a little surprised the Chargers didn't want to bring me back," Tranquill said. He helped the team repeat as champions in his first year and earned a three-year, $19.00 million contract extension.
In his second season, he started every game he played in and had a good performance in the Chiefs' third consecutive Super Bowl, despite the loss.
No. 9: David Montgomery, Detroit Lions, 2023
Contract: Three years, $18 million
After a solid start to his career, Bears fans thought David Montgomery would become the next legendary Bears RB. Unfortunately, he was never the same after suffering a knee sprain in the 2021 season.
Idris Elba, the voice of Knuckles in Sonic 3 repping David Montgomery’s jersey 🔥#OnePride pic.twitter.com/qUN8UqTsPD
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) February 7, 2025
Unlike what happened with the Chargers and Drue Tranquill, the Bears tried to keep Montgomery and got "really, really close," according to Bears GM Ryan Poles. But he chose to sign with the rival Lions and revived his career since then.
Montgomery has racked up 2,248 yards from scrimmage and scored 25 total touchdowns in the Motor City and will stay with the team until 2027 after he signed a two-year extension worth $18.25 million midway through the 2024 season.
No. 8: James Conner, Arizona Cardinals, 2021
Contract: One year, $1.75 million
From one consistent and underrated power back to another, James Conner never gets the respect he deserves from the NFL media. One of the main reasons for that is his injury-plagued tenure in Pittsburgh.
He was never able to produce a truly dominant season because of his injuries, which caused the Steelers to move on from him. Conner has been a revelation in Arizona, scoring 15 TDs for the best Cardinals team of the Kyler Murray era in 2021.
He has put up back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2023 and 2024 and has signed two big extensions with the team.
No. 7: Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens, 2024
Contract: Two years, $16 million
"King Henry" was on top of the world after his 2,027-yard season in 2020, but he suffered a foot injury midway through the 2021 season. After getting the first seed that year, the Titans failed to make the playoffs in each of the next two seasons and decided to embark on a rebuild.
🚨🚨INSANE STAT🚨🚨#Ravens running back Derrick Henry is the only running back in history to rush for 2K yards in high school, college and the #NFL.
The only player ever.
DERRICK HENRY IS ONE OF THE GREATEST RUNNING BACKS OF ALL-TIME.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 8, 2025
Henry was free to leave and joined the Ravens last offseason. He ran for 1,921 yards, scored 16 rushing TDs, and was a big part of the revival of the running back position, alongside another player on this list.
No. 6: Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs, 2021
Contract: Five years, $80 million
Joe Thuney won two rings with the dynasty-era Patriots, but the team decided to rebuild and get younger as the dynasty ended. The Pats could no longer afford to keep Thuney, so he went from one dynasty to another.
He won two Super Bowls in KC and made three Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams. He was recently traded to the Bears for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
No. 5: Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles, 2024
Contract: One year, $3.5 million
Zack Baun went from a disappointment with the Saints to arguably the best linebacker in the NFL in just one season. The Saints had no idea how to use Baun, and he never fit their defensive scheme.
What a season for Zack Baun:
🦅 Pro Bowler
🦅 First-team All-Pro
🦅 DPOY FinalistAnd now he's a Super Bowl champ 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ajtTZhLxDk
— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
When he arrived in Philadelphia, Baun was used as an interior linebacker, which took his game to the next level. After a dominant season, which included an All-Pro selection and a crucial INT in the Super Bowl, he signed a three-year, $51 million extension to remain in Philly.
No. 4: Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals, 2021
Contract: Four years, $60 million
Moving on to another former New Orleans Saint, Trey Hendrickson broke out in 2020, recording 13.5 sacks. The Bengals splashed the cash on him in the offseason, and he has been worth every penny.
In four years as a Bengal, he has recorded 57 sacks, made four Pro Bowls, and reached the Super Bowl in his first season. Despite signing an extension through the 2025 season in 2023, it's almost certain that he'll leave the team in 2025, as the team has permitted him to seek a trade.
No. 3: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2023
Contract: One year, $4 million
After the GOAT's retirement (we'll get to that), the Bucs needed a new quarterback. Instead of tanking for a QB, Bucs GM Jason Licht took a chance on former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield.
This man was BAKING in 2024.@bakermayfield set single-season franchise records for passer rating (106.8) & completion percentage (71.4). 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qJKXlGlcC2
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 4, 2025
Mayfield was coming off a poor 2021 season with the Browns and a terrible 2022 season with the Panthers, but a couple of solid performances late in the season with the Rams convinced the Buccaneers to make Mayfield their starter.
Mayfield has been a sensation in Tampa Bay, finally looking like a first overall pick by throwing for 8,544 yards and 69 touchdowns in two seasons, making two consecutive Pro Bowls, and leading the Bucs to consecutive playoff appearances.
He signed a three-year, $100 million extension in 2024, which is already looking like another bargain.
No. 2: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles, 2024
Contract: Three years, $37.75 million
Talk about a Super Bowl-winning move. After getting lowballed by the Giants, Barkley shocked the world by joining the rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Barkley ran for 2,005 yards and scored 13 rushing TDs in the regular season before adding 499 rushing yards and five touchdowns as the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
He recently signed a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension, and some analysts are already calling him the greatest FA signing in NFL history. That might be a bit of a stretch right now, but with another dominant season or two, it'd be hard to argue with that claim.
No. 1: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2020
Contract: Two years, $50 million
After a disappointing 2019 season, many thought Tom Brady would hang up his cleats, as he had nothing left to prove. But the then-43-year-old decided it was time for a new challenge, as he joined the Buccaneers, a team that hadn't made the playoffs since 2007.
He Is a top 5 Free Agent signing but the number 1 still goes to Tom Brady to Bucs https://t.co/YcZqRu38mB pic.twitter.com/9q1g9Gedc0
— Ssj Buc Wallace (@SsjWallace) February 10, 2025
Not only did Brady lead them to their first playoff appearance in over a decade, but he somehow managed to lead them to a Super Bowl win in his debut season.
He broke the NFL record for most pass completions and led the league in passing yards and touchdowns in his second year as a Buc before retiring.
His retirement didn't last long, as he signed a one-year, $15 million extension to return for one last season, leading the Bucs to a third straight playoff appearance and rebreaking the pass completions record before walking away for good.
Brady changed the culture in Tampa Bay, which is why they've been able to stay competitive in the Mayfield era.
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