The greatest free-agent QB signings in NFL history

A Vikings bridge QB after they handed on outbidding the Falcons to maintain Kirk Cousins, Darnold reignited his profession underneath Kevin O’Connell’s wing. Pretty labeled a draft bust after underwhelming Jets and Panthers stays, the previous No. 3 general decide signed a one-year, $10 million deal after a 2024 stint as a 49ers backup. Darnold thrived in Minnesota, working with a powerful skill-position cadre fronted by Justin Jefferson. Darnold earned an original-ballot Professional Bowl nod, smashing career-best marks throughout the board (35 TD passes, 4,319 yards) and powering the Vikings to a 14-3 file. A woeful end supplied a actuality verify, however Darnold upped his inventory forward of a 2025 Seahawks signing.

The controversial quarterback’s post-prison profession didn’t register on the identical degree as his Falcons years, however Vick spent three-plus seasons because the Eagles starter and was 2010’s NFC Professional Bowl first-stringer. Andy Reid signed Vick after his two-year jail time period resulted in 2009, and when the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb in 2010, Reid turned to Vick. The incorrect passer delivered his greatest completion proportion (62.6 p.c) and TD-INT ratio (21-6) underneath Reid and led the Eagles’ 21-point comeback over the Giants en path to the NFC East title. 

A four-year Bears starter who piloted two Chicago playoff offenses, Harbaugh signed with the Colts in 1994 however entered the subsequent season because the backup to 1995 addition Craig Erickson. Harbaugh, nevertheless, regained the job from the ex-Miami Hurricane star throughout what turned his greatest season. Harbaugh led the NFL in passer ranking, made his solely Professional Bowl, guided the Colts to 2 playoff upsets — the second over the top-seeded Chiefs — and had them inside a nearly completed Hail Mary of Tremendous Bowl XXX. He obtained the Colts again to playoffs a yr later earlier than being traded to the Ravens and Chargers.

The Rams’ “Best Present on Turf” nucleus was not the identical after Tremendous Bowl XXXVI, however the crew loved extra success thanks partially to an ex-Saints and Falcons castoff. The Rams added Bulger to their follow squad in 2000, and by 2003 accidents and ineffectiveness led to Kurt Warner‘s benching. Bulger changed Warner in ’03 and by season’s finish he was 18-4 in his first Rams begins. The brand new Rams QB discover made two Professional Bowls and guided the Rams to 2003’s No. 2 NFC seed. Bulger remained St. Louis’ QB till 2009, however the late-aughts Rams’ struggles cloud his profession to some extent.

Rightfully viewing himself as underpaid by the point his Seattle tenure ended, Smith initially joined the Seahawks on a one-year, $895,000 deal to again up Russell Wilson in 2019. The Seahawks reduce Smith to reorganize their roster that September, however he stayed three years as Wilson’s understudy. Re-signed to a one-year, $3.5M deal in 2022, Smith shocked the soccer world by hovering to Comeback Participant of the Yr acclaim after the blockbuster Wilson commerce. The Seahawks re-signed Smith (three years, $75M) in 2023, and he began two extra seasons there. Smith was 3-for-3 in profitable seasons as Seattle’s starter, however the workforce dealt him to Las Vegas (the place a Pete Carroll reunion awaited) in 2025.

Fitz performed zero playoff games in a 15-year profession and have become an eight-team veteran. He began 105 video games for 5 groups who’ve signed him as a free agent, persistently giving groups both a succesful starter or a high-ceiling (re: his super-Fitzmagic-y 2018 Bucs work) backup. Fitzpatrick’s 9.6 yards per try with the ’18 Bucs is tied for eighth all time. Fitz has a dropping file with all however one workforce that has employed him however someway managed a 20-13 TD-INT ratio for the 2019 Dolphins, which sported one of many worst rosters in trendy NFL historical past. The 2005 Rams draftee performed 17 NFL seasons..

Mayfield’s woeful 2022 doesn’t rely towards him right here, as he was traded and claimed that yr. The Buccaneers purchased low in 2023, doing so as a result of Tom Brady‘s retirement caught them with a $35 million lifeless cash invoice. Mayfield joined the Bucs for simply $4M and has revived his profession. The previous Browns prime decide quarterbacked the Bucs to back-to-back playoff berths, thriving underneath two totally different play-callers. (By 2025, Mayfield can have performed underneath six play-callers in 5 years.) Mayfield’s 41 TD passes and seven.9 yards per try in 2024 made his Bucs extension (three years, $100M) appear team-friendly.

Whereas Dilfer made 37 begins after his one-season Ravens cameo, he is right here virtually completely due to what he achieved on a one-year, $1 million Baltimore contract in 2000. After his six-year Bucs tenure ended with rookie Shaun King taking his job, the previous top-10 decide supplanted struggling Ravens starter Tony Banks a yr later. Banks failed to supply a landing drive in his remaining 4 starter. With appreciable assist from the Ravens’ traditionally nice protection, Dilfer then went 11-1 as a starter. Following their Tremendous Bowl XXXV rout, the Ravens changed Dilfer with Elvis Grbac, who retired after the 2001 season.

A scab position throughout the 1987 strike landed Kramer a CFL gig, and he returned to the NFL by way of low-level free company take care of the Lions in 1990. Whereas the Lions invested a top-10 decide in Andre Ware and had veteran Rodney Peete, Kramer led the best way the final two occasions the Lions received their division (in 1991 and ’93). He took over for an injured Peete in 1991, and in Detroit’s most up-to-date playoff win, he threw for 341 yards and three TD passes in a 38-6 Spherical 2 conquest over Dallas. Kramer’s off-and-on starter position satisfied the Bears to signal him in 1994. He nonetheless holds Chicago’s single-season TD cross file: 29 in 1995. 

After 9 seasons in Canada, the six-time CFL MVP and in style however ineffective Eighties NFL QB obtained a shot with the Payments in 1998. Nonetheless, Buffalo quickly traded the No. 9 general decide for Jaguars backup Rob Johnson. Of their three years collectively, Flutie (21-9 as a Payments starter) outplayed Johnson (9-17) at each flip, the 5-foot-9 icon sparking the ’98 and ’99 groups to playoff berths. Buffalo benched Flutie for Johnson before a 1999 wild-card recreation (the Music Metropolis Miracle), however he began 16 Chargers video games in entrance of Drew Brees in 2001 and performed till age 43, his final appearance featuring this rare NFL act.

Coming to Denver after six Arizona years, Plummer led the workforce to a few straight playoff berths from 2003-05. Mike Shanahan changed Brian Griese with Plummer, giving a participant keen to go away a nasty Cardinals workforce a seven-year, $40M deal. Shanahan deployed Plummer on numerous bootlegs, and the Broncos went 39-15 within the cellular passer’s begins. Plummer made the 2005 Professional Bowl and have become the primary quarterback to beat Tom Brady within the playoffs, serving to the 13-3 Broncos to the ’05 AFC title recreation. Shanahan demoted Plummer for Jay Cutler in 2006, however the supplanted starter retired in ’07 as a substitute of accepting a commerce to the Bucs.

The Eagles’ Foles reunion ended up being pretty essential. After unmemorable stays in St. Louis and Kansas Metropolis, Foles was thrust into the position of quarterback for the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2017. Carson Wentz’s December harm made the Eagles underdogs in each playoff house video games; Foles surpassed all expectations. The sudden RPO warlord mixed for 725 yards and 6 TD passes in wins over the Vikings and Patriots, securing Tremendous Bowl MVP honors and a “Philly Special”-themed statue. Getting quite a bit accomplished in 13 Eagles 2.0 begins, Foles additionally elevated a listless 2018 team to a final-eight look.

The Buccaneers outbid the defending Tremendous Bowl champion Ravens for Johnson’s companies in 2001. That signing most likely altered the early-2000s NFL. The previous Minnesota and Washington QB, who signed a five-year deal value $28 million, helped the Bucs’ dominant protection stampede to the Tremendous Bowl XXXVII title. The 34-year-old passer made the 2002 Professional Bowl and threw 5 landing passes within the playoffs. Tampa Bay has not received a playoff recreation since. Johnson was a four-year Buc; the Ravens’ protection needed to accept Elvis Grbac after which Kyle Boller. 

Following retirement No. 2, Favre went from New York to Minnesota. An arm harm restricted Favre with the Jets; he recovered in 2009 to have one of many biggest age-40 seasons in American sports activities historical past. Favre signed a two-year, $25 million deal in August 2009 and threw 33 landing passes — his most since 1997 — and elevated the Vikings’ offense from seventeenth in 2008 to fifth in ’09. The Vikings swept Aaron Rodgers‘ Packers that season. A Favre late-game INT proved expensive in a loss to the Saints within the NFC title recreation, and his 2010 season didn’t go almost as effectively. However the Corridor of Famer made a significant affect throughout a brief Minneapolis keep.

The longtime Eagle skipped the 1996 season, briefly retiring. Dennis Green lured him again to soccer in ’97, regardless of merely a $425,000 wage (which was decrease than the Saints’ $700K supply). A prudent funding. After Cunningham changed an injured Brad Johnson and led the ’97 Vikings to a wild-card win in New York, he teamed with rookie Randy Moss to assist the Vikings set the NFL scoring file in a 15-1 1998 season. The 35-year-old QB threw 34 TD passes throughout a masterful first-team All-Professional season. Although the Vikes fell in need of Tremendous Bowl XXXIII and Cunningham was gone from Minnesota by 2000, he redefined his profession in a single season.

Substance-abuse points led to the previous top-five decide’s Panthers downfall, however he quickly stabilized a Giants workforce that had lacked a dependable passer since Phil Simms‘ retirement. The Giants gave Collins a four-year, $16.9 million deal in 1999; he had them in Tremendous Bowl XXXV a yr later. His masterpiece got here in a five-touchdown cross NFC championship recreation — a 41-0 romp over the Vikings. Collins, who additionally led the Giants to the 2002 playoffs, was Large Blue’s starter till they acquired Eli Manning in 2004. Collins caught on with Tennessee in 2006 and resurfaced at 36 to usurp Vince Younger and led the ’08 Titans to the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

The Panthers initially acquired a seven-season starter on a two-year, $4 million pact in 2003. Delhomme delivered instantly, main Carolina to its first Tremendous Bowl that yr. The Saints gave Delhomme scant work in 4 seasons, however Aaron Brooks‘ former backup guided the Panthers to a few NFC South titles and two NFC championship video games. Delhomme went punch for punch with Tom Brady in Tremendous Bowl XXXVIII, helped Steve Smith start constructing his Corridor of Fame file, made the 2005 Professional Bowl and earned two Carolina contract extensions. Regardless of a five-INT outing within the ’08 playoffs, the previous UDFA was a free company success story.

The 49ers including Garcia in 1999, after his five-year Calgary keep, proved essential. Aeneas Williams‘ vicious hit on Steve Younger ended his profession that September, and Garcia’s heir-apparent run started early. From 2000-02, Younger’s elusive successor made the Professional Bowl. He led the 49ers to the playoffs throughout the ’01 and ’02 seasons. After separating from Terrell Owens, Garcia additionally quarterbacked postseason video games with the Eagles and Bucs and wound up within the ’07 Professional Bowl underneath Jon Gruden in Tampa. Garcia performed for 5 groups however was by no means traded, guaranteeing a spot in free company lore.

Invoice Belichick didn’t prioritize conserving a soon-to-be 43-year-old Brady in 2020, solely to see him push the place’s boundaries additional that season. Becoming a member of the Buccaneers on a totally assured two-year, $50 million contract, Brady turned the lacking piece for a well-built workforce lacking QB stability. Brady guided the Bucs, with the assistance of a top-five protection, to a few street playoff wins (albeit in largely fanless environments attributable to COVID-19) and a Tremendous Bowl blowout win. He was higher in 2021, incomes second-team All-Professional honors whereas guiding Tampa Bay to a franchise-most 13 wins. A transparent decline got here after Brady unretired to play in 2022, however the QB legend burnished his legacy in Tampa.

Testaverde’s first post-Bucs cease was in Cleveland, and he began within the Browns’ most up-to-date playoff win. The Browns gave the previous Heisman winner a one-year deal in 1993 to again up Bernie Kosar, similar to of their days at “The U,” however Invoice Belichick surprisingly reduce Kosar that October. Testaverde quarterbacked the Browns/Ravens till 1997, and on a mere one-year, $1.5M deal, had the Jets within the ’98 AFC title recreation. He made a Professional Bowl with the Ravens and Jets, steered Gang Inexperienced to a different playoff berth and held each the Ravens’ and Jets’ single-season TD cross marks (33 and 29) for 23 and 17 years, respectively. 

The No. 1 general decide in 1971, Plunkett soared into the bust realm after shaky stays in New England and San Francisco. The Raiders took a free company flier in 1978. After spending two seasons as Ken Stabler’s backup, Plunkett started a exceptional comeback story. The Raiders traded Stabler for Dan Pastorini , however with the latter not panning out, that left Plunkett in command. Though by no means a Professional Bowler, Plunkett threw seven landing passes within the 1980 playoffs and was Tremendous Bowl XV’s MVP. Regardless of the Raiders repeatedly attempting to make 1980 first-rounder Marc Wilson occur, Plunkett was on the controls for the L.A. Raiders’ dominant Tremendous Bowl XVIII victory. 

Gannon couldn’t replicate Plunkett’s Tremendous Bowl success, however he was a greater quarterback. The Chiefs stored middling starter Elvis Grbac over Gannon, who performed effectively when known as upon throughout his four-year Kansas Metropolis keep, main the latter to Oakland in 1999. The Raiders gave Gannon a four-year, $16 million deal; he gave the Raiders their greatest years for the reason that early Eighties. Gannon made 4 Professional Bowls from 1999-02, was twice the All-Professional quarterback and received an MVP at age 37 whereas main the veteran-fueled Raiders to Tremendous Bowl XXXVII. Gannon’s work towers over each post-Plunkett Raider passer.

Blanda spent 10 years with the Bears however retired in 1959 after George Halas resorted to largely utilizing him largely as a kicker. However as soon as the AFL fashioned in 1960, Blanda signed up and made the Oilers the league’s first glamour workforce. Blanda and wideouts Charley Hennigan and Invoice Groman lit up scoreboards. Houston received the AFL’s first two titles, coming inside a double-OT loss from a league-opening three-peat. Blanda’s 36 TD passes in 1961 remained an AFL-NFL record until Dan Marino’s 1984 work. Blanda spent seven years because the Oilers’ QB and performed till age 48 because the Raiders’ kicker. 

Denied a possibility to be an NFL quarterback upon popping out of school in 1978, Moon turned a five-time Gray Cup champion in Canada. That ignited a 1984 bidding warfare the Oilers received with a wage north of $1 million, which made Moon the NFL’s highest-paid participant. He rapidly turned one of many NFL’s greatest passers, made 5 straight Professional Bowls in Houston and guided the run and shoot-based Oilers to seven consecutive playoff brackets. After a commerce to the Vikings, Moon made the Professional Bowl at 41 upon signing with the Seahawks — the runners-up in 1984’s Moon sweepstakes — and performed till age 44.

Arguably the very best to ever do it, Manning is No. 5 right here as a result of his Colts work is excluded. His post-free company Denver tenure solely lasted 4 seasons — and the ultimate one-and-a-half years featured a decline seemingly accelerated by the neck harm that made him a free agent within the first place — however Manning’s dominance with a fraction of his bodily skills will assist his best-ever case over time. So will the Broncos’ post-Manning swoon. Manning’s five-year, $96M Broncos deal preceded his QB-record sixth and seventh All-Professional honors, 2013’s stratospheric show at age 37 and two Tremendous Bowl berths. A variety of commercials aired too.

The Browns acquired Dawson by way of commerce from the Steelers, however Paul Brown reduce him after two seasons as a backup. In 1962, the Dallas Texans added the 27-year-old passer and noticed him lead the workforce to an AFL championship that season. Dawson turned the face of the relocating franchise quickly after, making six extra Professional Bowls as a Chief and main Kansas Metropolis to 2 AFL crowns and Tremendous Bowl IV. Dawson led the AFL in TD passes 4 occasions, returned from harm in 1969 to assist in giving the AFL a 2-2 file in Tremendous Bowls and Hank Stram mic’d-up immortality. The Corridor of Famer quarterbacked the Chiefs for 14 years. 

Warner most likely had six high quality seasons; these slates went so effectively he is a Corridor of Famer. After his oft-mentioned keep within the Area League and at Hy-Vee, Warner signed a Rams reserve/futures deal in 1997 and threw 11 passes in 1998. From 1999-2001: three Professional Bowls, two MVPs and a Tremendous Bowl MVP. However Warner resurfacing after 5 years off the radar cemented this as an all-time profession. Being solid as Matt Leinart’s backup/tutor, Warner displaced the underwhelming first-rounder and in 2008 had a flawed ’08 Playing cards workforce inches away from a Tremendous Bowl title. He threw 16 TD passes in his first 5 Cardinal playoff video games.

Morphing from an inconsistent San Diegan into the sport’s all-time passing kingpin in New Orleans, Brees is without doubt one of the defining Twenty first-century NFLers. The Dolphins have been iffy on Brees’ shoulder throughout a high-stakes 2006 free company battle with the Saints. His six-year, $60M deal — the primary of many Brees-Saints accords — modified the fortunes of one of many NFL’s worst franchises. Brees gave the Saints a Tremendous Bowl championship, made 13 Professional Bowls in black and gold, broke each marquee profession passing data on “Monday Night time Soccer” and secured first-ballot Corridor of Fame entry. Pretty good.

The Steelers jettisoned Unitas a number of years earlier than they traded Dawson. This one stung worse, with Unitas nonetheless rating excessive among the many recreation’s all-time greats. The Colts took a flier on the previous ninth-round pick in 1956, signing Unitas to a one-year, $7,000 contract (which was even less player-friendly than it sounds). Johnny U took the Baltimore reins full-time a yr later, made the subsequent 11 Professional Bowls and have become his period’s premier passer. Unitas led the Colts to back-to-back NFL titles — the primary in “The Greatest Game Ever Played” — in 1958-59 and retired with 41 extra TD passes (290) than the next-closest quarterback.