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Every offseason, some moves flame out. Most teams come out of free agency and the draft looking like winners, but by the time a season or two passes, not all of the moves they made look as rosy.
Whether it was the Chargers signing J.C. Jackson to a five-year, $82.5 million massive contract in 2022, the Raiders’ hiring of Pete Caroll last year or the Falcons signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal only to draft Michael Penix Jr. a month later, there have been plenty of busts in recent memory. On the other side of the coin, there are also plenty of times a team missed out on a free agent or draft pick that could have been great. How many teams would have been better off had they signed DeMarcus Lawrence or sent a fourth-round pick for Joe Thuney?
As the offseason comes to a close, here’s a look at one choice every team could end up regretting.
Arizona Cardinals: Picking Carson Beck in the third round
This is not out of disrespect to Carson Beck, but more about where the Cardinals are. Perhaps Beck can develop into their quarterback of the future, but what seems more likely is the Cardinals taking a first-round quarterback next April. Given the Cardinals’ preference to start Jacoby Brissett and/or Gardner Minshew II over a rookie right away, it feels unlikely Beck will see extensive time on the field. The Cardinals had more pressing needs they could have addressed with an early third-round pick, and Beck might have been a better fit for another team or situation.
Perhaps the most logical solution for the Cardinals would have been to keep Kyler Murray. While it’s fair that the Cardinals wanted to move on, they’re still paying Murray and did not pursue his long-term replacement. It would have made more sense to ride it out with him another year and look into an option in the 2027 draft.
Atlanta Falcons: Letting Kaden Elliss leave in free agency
The Falcons’ biggest loss this offseason was linebacker Kaden Elliss, who left Atlanta for its division rival, the Saints, on an affordable three-year deal worth $33 million. Elliss was a key presence on the Falcons’ defense and one of the best blitzing linebackers in the NFL, leading all linebackers in pressures since 2024. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said earlier this offseason that Elliss won’t necessarily be replaced by one person, but a committee approach.
“What we had asked Kaden to do, I had never been around anything like that before in the past,” Ulbrich said via Falcons.com. “There were days when he was an outside backer, days when he was a defensive end, days he was an inside backer, days he was, in some ways, a nickel. That’s hard to replace.”
Divine Deablo will take over as the green-dot linebacker. The Falcons signed linebacker Christian Harris this offseason, who started just one game in Houston in 2025 and is coming off a self-proclaimed “terrible” season. Along with Harris, the Falcons can look to rotate between depth pieces such as JD Bertrand, Channing Tindall, Harold Perkins Jr. and DeAngelo Malone.
Baltimore Ravens: Losing Tyler Linderbaum
The Ravens lost center Tyler Linderbaum this offseason, who left Baltimore to sign with the Raiders on a record-shattering deal for the position worth $81 million. While the Ravens should not have been expected to match that total, they did send a market-setting offer to him before he signed with Las Vegas. Ultimately, they lost a top offensive lineman after declining his fifth-year option and not paying him sooner. They will have to hope that center isn’t a weakness for them in the future.
The Ravens have looked to combat the loss by signing Ethan Pocic this month. Pocic spent the past four seasons with the Browns, but tore his Achilles tendon last season. Per Adam Schefter, Pocic was cleared to take part in training camp.
Buffalo Bills: Retaining Brandon Beane
After another devastating postseason loss, the Bills decided it was finally time to part ways with head coach Sean McDermott. Surprisingly, they decided to retain general manager Brandon Beane instead of giving themselves a clean slate. Not only did they keep Beane, but they promoted him. This despite many attributing the Bills’ inability to return to the postseason to the lack of star talent outside of Josh Allen. While Beane has hit on some draft picks and acquisitions such as James Cook, Stefon Diggs and Christian Benford, the Bills too often lack the players who would make it easier for them to reach the Super Bowl. After all, there was a reason McDermott’s praise of the Jaguars’ Jakobi Meyers trade stood out so much.
Carolina Panthers: Overpaying Jaelan Phillips
The Panthers have had a strong offseason, but if there’s one decision they could end up regretting, it’s overpaying Jaelan Phillips. Part of free agency is overpaying for the top players on the market, and that’s what the Panthers had to do to secure Phillips—particularly after missing out on Milton Williams the year prior. Phillips is a really good player when healthy. However, he has missed significant time due to injury in his career and has yet to record double-digit sacks in a single season—making his $30 million-per-year salary steep.
Chicago Bears: Not doing more at pass rush
The Bears had glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball, and they primarily focused on revamping their secondary with the additions of Dillon Thieneman and Coby Bryant and the departures of Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jonathan Owens.
They didn’t, however, do much for their pass rush, which recorded just 35 sacks a season ago and finished 31st in pass rush win rate. After not adding pass rushers in the draft, Ben Johnson noted that they believe in the trajectory of their young players, including Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner and Austin Booker. This, however, could backfire if the pass rush can’t get going and the Bears struggle to slow down other offenses once again.
Cincinnati Bengals: Overpaying for Dexter Lawrence II
A week before the draft, the Bengals made an uncharacteristic blockbuster trade by acquiring Dexter Lawrence II from the Giants for the No. 10 pick. Paying a top-10 pick for Lawrence was a steep price and could come back to bite the Bengals if Lawrence doesn’t rebound from a down season in 2025 or help the Cincinnati defense turn things around. The Bengals notably could have used that pick on star prospect Caleb Downs, who was not selected until the No. 11 pick. If Downs proves to be a superstar and Lawrence doesn’t pan out, it could also be a blow to the Bengals.
Cleveland Browns: Trading Myles Garrett
It was already tough to imagine the Browns’ defense being the same unit after they lost defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Then they traded Myles Garrett, an even bigger blow to the team. Sure, the Browns traded Garrett because of their rebuilding timeline and to get picks back to accelerate that rebuild. However, unless the picks they use directly lead to them finally landing their franchise quarterback or earning their first Super Bowl victory, there’s little justification for trading a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Dallas Cowboys: Sending a 2027 fourth-round pick for Rashan Gary
The Cowboys have done a lot right this offseason. They avoided the typical contract drama that has plagued them in recent years, and instead made it clear in advance that they will not be extending George Pickens this offseason.
If there’s one thing the Cowboys could have done differently, it was the Rashan Gary trade, which saw them send a 2027 fourth-rounder to the Packers for Gary. As part of the trade, Gary took a pay cut to join Dallas. While this is far from the worst move, it was a bit of an overpay for Gary, who was a potential cut candidate anyway.
Denver Broncos: Losing John Franklin-Myers
Despite no longer having to pay off Russell Wilson’s contract, the Broncos were surprisingly among one of the least active teams in free agency, even losing players such as defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers. The 29-year-old, who turned in 7.5 sacks for a stout Broncos defensive line, left to reunite with Robert Saleh with the Titans on a three-year, $63 million deal. The Broncos’ defensive line should remain one of the best in the NFL, but the loss of Franklin-Myers still hurts.
Detroit Lions: Not doing more for the secondary
The Lions are dealing with plenty of questions in the secondary. Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are both returning from injuries, and the situation only got murkier after the Lions released Terrion Arnold, who is facing charges for armed robbery and kidnapping.
While the Lions addressed other important areas of need this offseason, including the offensive line and pass rush, they might regret not focusing more on the secondary. They did sign corner Roger McCreary and safety Christian Izien, but letting Amik Robertson leave in free agency and not addressing corner until the fifth round of the draft could come back to haunt them.
Green Bay Packers: Letting too many players leave in free agency
After three consecutive seasons in which the Packers earned the seventh seed in the playoffs but failed to advance past the divisional round, the Packers let several players depart in free agency or via trades, including Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Rashan Gary, Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins and Quay Walker. Since the Packers lacked draft capital and cap space, they were also unable to make big offseason additions. They’re counting on some young players—Lukas Van Ness and Matthew Golden—to step up, but what if it’s not enough? On paper, it’s hard not to view the Packers as a worse team than they were when they last took the field.
Houston Texans: Missing out on a top guard
It’s hard to pinpoint a poor move from the Texans when they’ve largely had a smart offseason and done well with their circumstances. If there’s one area they could have better addressed, it’s the interior offensive line. The Texans re-signed Ed Ingram, signed Wyatt Teller and drafted Keylan Rutledge, who is currently slated to shift to center. These are solid moves, but the Texans also missed out on the top available guards or centers, including David Edwards, Isaac Seumalo, Tyler Linderbaum, Tyler Biadasz, John Simpson or Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Indianapolis Colts: Overpaying Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce
The Colts reinvested in quarterback Daniel Jones and receiver Alec Pierce this offseason, signing Jones to a two-year, $88 million contract and Pierce to a four-year, $114 million contract. Both Jones and Pierce had career years in 2025, and it makes sense that the Colts wanted to lock up two good players at premium positions. However, neither player has proven it over an extended period, and Jones is coming off an Achilles tendon injury. These contracts prevented the Colts from making many major additions in free agency and forced them to be reliant on much of the same cast that fell short of the playoffs a season ago. The Colts were in a tough position of having to pay Jones and Pierce the going rates at their positions to keep them, but if they don’t help the Colts break through to the playoffs, Indy may regret putting so much stock into two players.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Not doing more at pass rush
The Jaguars made some controversial choices this offseason—including drafting Nate Boerkircher with their second-round pick and igniting a debate over consensus boards—but the Jaguars also don’t seem likely to regret many of their choices, particularly given their conviction with these moves.
One area that could come back to haunt the Jaguars is their lack of moves at pass rush. The Jaguars have two strong edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but still finished just 27th in sacks as they needed more juice at pass rush. The Jaguars weren’t very active in free agency to save on cap space and collect compensatory picks, which prevented them from adding help there and bolstering their team after a playoff run. They didn’t select an edge until the fourth round of the draft, when they took Wesley Williams.
Kansas City Chiefs: Running it back at WR
The Chiefs had several needs to address this offseason, so they were bound to miss in at least one area. Surprisingly, or regrettably, that meant they did not add much to their receiver room, a key weakness for the team last season. That weakness has been emphasized after Rashee Rice, the team’s top wideout, served time in jail this offseason as he returns from knee surgery. Rice is expected to be good to go for the season, but it’s just another example of the Chiefs not having a reliable group of receivers for Patrick Mahomes.
Las Vegas Raiders: Not doing more at WR
The Raiders filled several needs this offseason, from quarterback to linebacker, center and the secondary, but one area they did not significantly address was wide receiver. The Raiders signed free agent Jalen Nailor and took Malik Benson in the sixth round, but do not have a proven No. 1 or No. 2 receiver on the roster. The Raiders have expressed confidence in their receiver room and fortunately have a top tight end in Brock Bowers. However, they lack the talent they need at the position, particularly for a young quarterback.
Los Angeles Chargers: Not doing more at guard
The Chargers had one glaring mission heading into the offseason: fix the interior offensive line. While the Chargers’ struggles at tackle could be explained by injuries to Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, the guard and center spots were completely disappointing in 2025, allowing Justin Herbert to be pressured at an astronomical rate. The Chargers immediately addressed center before free agency by signing the recently released Tyler Biadasz, but their moves at guard were less than inspiring. They drafted Jake Slaughter in the second round, who will be transitioning from center to guard, and they picked up Cole Strange in free agency. While Strange has experience under Mike McDaniel, he has not always been a great guard. If the guard spot ends up hurting the Chargers and getting Herbert hit more, the Chargers could regret their approach—especially since they weren’t very active in other areas of free agency.
Los Angeles Rams: Drafting Ty Simpson over critical depth
Since clearing up their initial reactions after the selection of Ty Simpson, the Rams have expressed excitement about their next quarterback, whom they took higher than many anticipated with the No. 13 pick. The Rams were expected to use that pick on another pass catcher or potentially an offensive lineman, a player that could be an important piece in their Super Bowl aspirations. Instead, the Rams went with an inexperienced quarterback who is not expected to play for at least a full season. The move could be regrettable if one of their receivers or offensive linemen misses extended time this year and they are unable to win a Super Bowl.
Miami Dolphins: Taking on a record cap hit
To rebuild the Dolphins’ roster and culture, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is having Miami take onrecord-high dead cap money after they parted ways with numerous stars, including Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Bradley Chubb. The onus for this isn’t on Sullivan, who arrived in South Beach this offseason, but on the previous regime, which proved reckless with its decision-making and now left the Dolphins in this mess. From signing Tagovailoa to a record contract to pursuing star talent over drafting and developing, the previous regime made several regrettable moves and left the Dolphins in a complete rebuild.
Minnesota Vikings: Trading Jonathan Greenard
With Jonathan Greenard wanting a new contract the Vikings couldn’t afford, they decided to trade him to the Eagles during the draft. The move is a risk for the Vikings, who acknowledged that they are a worse team without him. While Greenard notched just three sacks in 2025, he had 12-plus sacks in each of the prior two seasons. Now, the Vikings will be overly reliant on third-year edge Dallas Turner, a player looking to break out this season.
Even if trading Greenard was necessary, dealing good players to the Eagles is never the right move, especially for a Vikings team that wants to contend this season.
New England Patriots: Allowing distractions to creep in
The Patriots’ offseason began later than almost every other team after appearing in the Super Bowl and losing to the Seahawks, giving them less time to prepare for 2026. It is already hard enough to deal with the Super Bowl hangover, but distractions can make it even harder. There was no bigger distraction this offseason than the Mike Vrabel–Dianna Russini scandal, which dominated the news cycle for a month and even resulted in Vrabel missing Day 3 of the NFL draft.
“We’re privileged to have Mike as our head coach,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said on ESPN First Take,via Mike Reiss. “No one is infallible. What’s great about Mike is he has great intellectual knowledge about football—all the technical skills—[and] he relates to the players beautifully. He’s someone I have a strong belief and faith in. I hope he’s going to be our head coach for many years to come.”
New Orleans Saints: Not adding more to the cornerback room
The Saints made several upgrades this offseason, particularly on offense with the additions of guard David Edwards, running back Travis Etienne Jr. and first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson. One area they did not address in depth was the cornerback room. They did not sign a corner in free agency and did not draft one until the seventh round, leaving questions about whether they have enough at the position, especially after losing Alontae Taylor. The Saints’ defense was strong against the pass in 2025, but can it continue to be without any real upgrades in the back end?
New York Giants: Hiring Matt Nagy as OC
John Harbaugh’s first choice for the Giants’ OC position, Todd Monken, was instead named the Browns’ next head coach, so Harbaugh pivoted to Matt Nagy. Nagy spent the past three years as the Chiefs’ OC, a timeline that coincides with their offensive downturn. The Giants are taking a risk with Nagy, who will be counted on in the development and success of Jaxson Dart during his sophomore season.
New York Jets: Losing Nick Folk
The Jets are the Jets, but they’ve had a strong offseason thus far as general manager Darren Mougey continues to approach rebuilding the team wisely. If there’s one mistake they made, it might have been letting kicker Nick Folk walk in free agency. Folk was one of the team’s few consistent players in 2025, hitting on 28 of his 29 (96.6%) field goal attempts and all 22 of his extra point attempts. Folk has since signed with the Falcons this offseason.
Philadelphia Eagles: Letting Reed Blankenship walk in free agency
Eagles safety Reed Blankenship was one of the players to leave Philadelphia in free agency this offseason, signing with the Texans on an affordable three-year, $24.75 million deal. What makes the loss of Blankenship tough for the Eagles is they didn’t do much to replace him. The Eagles also lost Jaelan Phillips, but found a replacement in Jonathan Greenard. Philadelphia lost Blankenship and traded Sydney Brown, but did not draft a safety or bring in any proven ones.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Running it back
The Steelers will be without Mike Tomlin after hestepped down as head coach. Rather than take this opportunity to rebuild or turn over the roster to start a new era, Pittsburgh has decided to run things back with Aaron Rodgers and much of last year’s roster. Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy as its next coach, reuniting him with Rodgers eight years after they last were together in Green Bay.
San Francisco 49ers: Drafting Kaelon Black
Kyle Shanahan couldn’t resist the temptation. He and the 49ers had to take another third-round running back. This time it was Kaelon Black, who many considered a reach in the third round.
The 49ers have regularly taken a running back in the middle rounds of the draft, but they have seldom hit. This is particularly an issue since the 49ers already have Christian McCaffrey. While they want to reduce McCaffrey’s workload, he still is getting the majority of the touches in the backfield. The 49ers could have instead used a third-rounder on a more pressing position of need, such as safety or offensive line. After all, the 49ers’ lack of draft hits in recent years—in part from losing first-rounders in the Trey Lance trade—has made them more reliant on their older stars.
Seattle Seahawks: Using a first-round pick on a RB
The Seahawks didn’t have a super active offseason following their Super Bowl victory as they navigated an ownership change and some player extensions, but they retained the most important pieces of their core. The one person they needed to replace was Kenneth Walker III, who left for the Chiefs in free agency, especially since Zach Charbonnet is coming off a torn ACL. The Seahawks did so by drafting Jadarian Price with the No. 32 pick. There is always chatter about drafting a running back in the first round, but if any team is equipped to handle it, it’s the Seahawks. Price is very talented and certainly could become a dynamic weapon out of the backfield and on special teams for Seattle. However, the Seahawks had previously expressed a desireto trade out of the first round. If anything, they likely would have been happier to trade back and take Price early in the second round after acquiring another pick or two, but that did not come to fruition.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Losing Mike Evans
Losing Mike Evans was not the choice of the Buccaneers, who were willing to offer much more than the 49ers did to keep him. There is no move this offseason sadder for the franchise than Evans departing, as he was a player the team would have wanted to retire as a Buccaneer. Ultimately, Evans wanted something different and decided to join the 49ers. His reasoning for wanting out of Tampa isn’t fully clear, but if there were anything the Buccaneers could have done to make him happier, they’d certainly be kicking themselves that they weren’t able to get it done for one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Tennessee Titans: Overpaying Wan’Dale Robinson
The Titans were in desperate need of receiver help, and thus turned to Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, signing the 5’8” receiver to a four-year, $70 million deal. While Robinson’s deal is far from what the best receivers are making, and there are only $38 million in guarantees in his contract, it’s still a steep price for a receiver who narrowly surpassed 1,000 yards for the first time last season and has an injury history. Robinson, of course, can be a net positive for the Titans, particularly if he proves to be the reliable playmaker Ward needs, but this is also a move that might not age well.
Washington Commanders: Not signing a WR2
The Commanders went into free agency with many, many needs, and hit on a number of them, from edge rusher to linebacker and the secondary. The area they did not address was securing a No. 2 receiver. While the Commanders reportedly had interest in both Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs, Pierce stayed with the Colts, and Doubs opted to head to New England. The Commanders were long linked to Brandon Aiyuk, a possibility that seems less likely with every cryptic social media post. The Commanders still have a No. 1 wideout in Terry McLaurin and could pursue free agent options such as Stefon Diggs, but they will go into 2026 lacking the ideal complement out wide.
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EVA GEITHEIM
Eva Geitheim is an NFL writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or rewatching Gilmore Girls.
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