The 2022 NFL offseason looked great on paper for a lot of teams with some marquee moves, especially involving trading for accomplished veteran quarterbacks. Now that most of the receipts are in with four weeks left in the regular season, some of those good deals can be deemed absolutely awful.
The worst of the bad moves have plenty in common, with most involving quarterbacks. Whether it was a trade, signing or trade-away, they are all decisions that didn't deliver with the expected returns:
From the obvious Mile High No. 1 to other head-scratchers, Sporting News ranks the worst of the bad moves from one of the worst offseasons in recent memory:
POWER RANKINGS: Cowboys, Vikings, Giants get exposed; 49ers, Chargers, Lions make playoff noise for Week 15
1. Broncos trade for QB Russell Wilson
This will go down as one of the worst deals in NFL history unless Wilson experiences a major renaissance with a likely new offensive coaching staff at 34 next season. Wilson cost the Broncos two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft picks, a fifth-round picks and three players in March. Then he agreed to a new five-year, $245 million extension in September.
Denver is locked into an expensive and regressing Wilson as their starting QB through 2025. The team is also handcuffed trying to improve going forward in regards to draft capital and the salary cap. A 3-10 record and an inept offense is a hard gut punch from which to recover for the organization.
2. Commanders trade for QB Carson Wentz
Wentz landed on injured reserve with a fractured finger, but he was just activated. Now he'll be healthy and making $28.3 million as the backup to Taylor Heinicke as Washington makes a wild-card playoff push.
The Commanders gave up only a second- and third-round pick in 2022 plus a conditional third-rounder in 2023, while getting a second and seventh along with Wentz. They also can get out of the deal next year with no dead money and recoup $26 million in salary-cap space.
But the whole idea of thinking Wentz, the 29-year-old former rival Eagles QB, would be an upgrade after his one-season Colts fade was misguided. The Commanders are now winning games with running game and improved defense, in spite of the QB situation. Heinicke has just been average, and even that has more appeal over the wild Wentz.
3. Chargers sign CB J.C. Jackson
Jackson, coming off some huge big-play seasons for Bill Belichick and the Patriots' pass defense, was a blockbuster supposed game-changing signing for the Chargers. They splurged on the now 27-year-old for five years, $82.5 million.
Before going down for the season with a dislocated kneecap in the Week 7 loss to the Seahawks before a bye, Jackson was ineffective and struggling in coverage outside of Belichick's scheme. After putting up 17 combined interceptions in the previous two seasons, Jackson didn't get any ahead of his injury.
4. Titans trade away A.J. Brown
Former GM Jon Robinson was trying to make a savvy cost-cutting move by sending Brown to the Eagles ahead of giving him a pricey contract extension in his prime for his Age-25 season. It backfired in the worst way.
The Titans did get first- and third-round picks and did believe that rookie Treylon Burks would be the new version of Brown. But injuries (toe, concussion) have limited Burks' availability and the Titans' passing game has missed the domination of Brown while he's become a superstar playing with Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. It also was strange for Tennessee to move such an experienced impact player as an AFC contender.
It's not a coincidence the Titans decided to part ways with Robinson right after Brown torched their defense in a dominant revenge game in Philadelphia in Week 13.
5. Colts trade for QB Matt Ryan
Jim Irsay, GM Chris Ballard now former coach Frank Reich kept the veteran revolving door open at quarterback, thinking a fading Ryan would be an improvement over Wentz and restore some of the success the team had with one season of a pre-retirement Philip Rivers in 2020.
The 37-year-old showed his limited arm strength right away and when the offensive line and running game let him down, he became a sitting duck as an immobile pocket passer. The benching for Sam Ehlinger was weird; putting Ryan back when Jeff Saturday replaced a fired Reich was weirder. Let's hope the Colts realized they need to go back to investing a high draft pick on a potential true franchise QB replacement for Andrew Luck in 2023.
6. Falcons trade away QB Matt Ryan
The reason the Colts could even land Ryan was the fact Atlanta alienated its beloved longtime starter by its rumored pursuit of Deshaun Watson, who ended up with the Browns. Ryan has been in decline, but he was still a competent leader who deserved to finish his career with the Falcons before a necessary Steelers-like transition from Ben Roethlisberger.
Marcus Mariota was bound to be a shaky bridge replacement option in a run-heavy offense. Now Mariota, with a knee injury, is giving way to rookie Desmond Ridder in an unceremonious, uninspiring late-season change.
7. Browns trade for QB Deshaun Watson
Over the long haul, Cleveland might see some worthy returns from Watson. But after giving up six draft picks (including three first-rounders) and signing him to a mega contract (five years, $230 million guaranteed), his immediate 11-game suspension made 2022 a lost season with the new QB.
Furthermore, Jacoby Brissett played very well operating the offense replacing Baker Mayfield and was not the reason for the Browns not getting into playoff contention without Watson. The defense behind Myles Garrett has been a huge culprit, especially against the run and the Browns are out of the wild-card hunt after going 1-1 with Watson early and dropping to 5-8. Watson needs to return as an elite passer and runner on the field in 2023 for Cleveland to start feeling good about the investment.
8. Saints re-sign QB Jameis Winston
The Saints were on the fence about re-signing Winston as a free agent following he ended the 2021 season with a major knee injury. The price wasn't bad at two years, $28 million, but then Winston suffered a bad back injury early and when back healthy, he wasn't appealing to play over backup Andy Dalton. Dalton is playing on a one-year, $3 million deal after post-Bengals reserve stints with the Cowboys and Bears.
New Orleans has had two weird fickle years in trying to replace Drew Brees with Winston, Dalton and Taysom Hill in the mix. It should have gone forward in trying to draft a potential franchise QB instead of giving Winston another shot. The Saints can correct that in 2023.
9. Steelers sign QB Mitchell Trubisky
The Steelers signed Trubisky, the former Bears first-round starter and Bills top backup to Josh Allen, to a reasonable two-year, $14.285 million deal. But it was an unnecessary March move given the team was getting locked into drafting Pitt's Kenny Pickett in the first round to replace Roethlisberger in April.
It was a joke to think Trubisky was a good enough bridge for the Steelers to win games with other deficiencies on the team. It also kept Pickett from starting right away and getting all critical developmental action in a transitional season, with the idea of pushing Pickett into a big Year 2 breakout. The good news is, based on Pickett's skill set and confidence, it definitely looks like Pittsburgh hit on its Roethlisberger successor.
10. Rams sign WR Allen Robinson
Before Robinson's season was cut short by a foot injury in late November, he was a big disappointment as a seasoned No. 2 to Cooper Kupp. The Rams splurged on Robinson, the former reliable Bears receiver, to replace Robert Woods and injured Odell Beckham Jr. with a three-year, $48.5 million deal, despite the fact he was turning 29 in August.
in 10 games, Robinson caught only 33 of 52 targets for 339 yards and 3 TDs. There was a lot wrong with the Rams' post Super Bowl passing game beyond Kupp and Matthew Stafford's fade was a big part of it. But Robinson not providing any consistent presence also was a massive factor.
11. Jaguars sign ILB Foyesade Oluokun
Oluokun cashed in on his massive season with the 2021 Falcons, when he led the league with 192 tackles and also was a terrific playmaker in coverage. The Jaguars made a lot of defensive improvements, led by first-round draft linebackers Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd. But the veteran signings of Oluokun and defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi didn't provide the desired return at first.
The Jaguars gave Oluokun a 3-year, $45 million deal because they had a ton of cap space and could afford to do so. Jacksonville nailed its key offensive moves, including Christian Kirk, Brandon Scherff, Zay Jones and Evan Engram. But the defensive misses in free agency might have cost them a real shot at winning the weak AFC South in Doug Pederson's first season.
