NFL Free Agency: These 3 signings are truly disasters waiting to happen
Like clockwork, there are, yet again, very poor free agency signings across the NFL. Teams never seem to learn from this.
A tale as old as time, NFL teams have yet again been overpaying free agents. In the 2024 cycle, which three deals have stuck out as being the worst thus far? Thr truly awful free agency decisions usually come in the first wave of free agency when the top players sign. The price tags are typically always a bit higher than the player is worth, and 2024 is no different.
With the NFL salary cap exploding to nearly $260 million, teams have never been more empowered to spend money, and with it being an arms race to the top, there will always be teams being aggressive in free agency. In the quest to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs, a plethora of other NFL teams aren't holding back and are essentially writing blank checks.
Well, there have been a handful of free agency decisions that just do not make sense and easily stand out as being the worst. Which ones would those be?
NFL Free Agency: These 3 signings are truly disasters waiting to happen
1. Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have a new quarterback, and it was the worst kept secret that Kirk Cousins was on the way. Now, Cousins has always been an efficient QB, and there is really no disputing that. He's a strong passer, plays in structure, and has always been able to get the ball to his play-makers.
However, what also can't be disputed is that teams have a very clear ceiling with Kirk Cousins under center, and the Falcons just admitted that they are OK with that ceiling. Cousins has started 145 regular season games in his career, winning 76 of them. He also possesses a 1-3 playoff record even though he's been a statistically efficient QB during his entire career.
In the NFC South, the rest of the teams are pretty weak, so I think the Falcons could perhaps cakewalk through the division and potentially win 10-ish games in 2023. However, that's about the absolute most a team can expect when Cousins is their QB, and signing for $45 million per season is simply a massive overpay.