NFL · 17 minutes ago

10 Worst Moves of the 2026 NFL Offseason: Ranking the Biggest Boneheaded Blunders

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

Have Your Say! Which Team Made the Biggest Boneheaded Move of the Offseason?
Join the Bumbling NFL Offseason Debate

The front offices have made their moves, and a few fanbases are scratching their heads heading into minicamps.

Which team made the absolute worst decision of the spring?
- The Rodgers Drama: Should the Steelers have known better than to wait around on Aaron Rodgers, or can you blame them for taking the swing?
- The Panic Moves: Is the Colts' contract for Daniel Jones a bigger disaster than the Ravens panicking and signing Trey Hendrickson?
- The Dallas Special: How do you defend the Cowboys trading away draft picks for Rashan Gary when he was about to be cut by Green Bay?
- The Buffalo Shakeup: Is Joe Brady the guy to finally get the Bills over the hump, or did they make a massive mistake firing Sean McDermott?
Drop your take in the comments: Which of these 10 moves will look the worst by Week 1 of the regular season?
Most Boneheaded Moves of the 2026 NFL Offseason
10 Biggest Blunders of the 2026 NFL Offseason

The NFL offseason is a beautiful time because every fanbase convinces itself that its general manager is a genius. But now that the dust has settled on free agency and the draft, it's time for a major reality check. Good intentions don't win games, and a few teams made decisions over the last few months that could set their franchises back.

We aren't talking about small gambles here. We are looking at massive overpayments, botched trade negotiations, and teams completely erasing their own identity for no apparent reason.

From teams getting played by veteran quarterbacks to front offices completely draining their offensive line depth, these are the 10 worst moves of the 2026 NFL offseason.
1. Waiting on Aaron Rodgers...Again
Who Made the Mistake: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers entered the offseason needing a clear plan under center, but instead, they chose to play the waiting game with Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers reportedly told the front office he would give them a definitive answer before the draft kicked off, but he completely ghosted them when the clock started ticking. It's just another chapter of Rodgers being Rodgers, forcing an entire organization to sit on its hands while premium free agents and draft targets flew off the board.
- The Fall-Out: By the time Pittsburgh realized they were getting left at the altar, the top quarterback prospects in the draft were gone, and the free-agent market was completely picked over. They wasted an entire offseason of preparation on a guy who couldn't even give them a straight answer, until the 11th hour.
2. Extending Daniel Jones for Big $$
Who Made the Mistake: Indianapolis Colts

In one of the most baffling signings of free agency, the Colts decided to hand Daniel Jones a new 2-year extension worth $88 million, up to $100 million with incentives and $60 million guaranteed. Indianapolis needed to look toward the future or upgrade their passing game, but instead committed significant cap space to a veteran quarterback whose ceiling we have already seen.
- The Fall-Out: Tying up financial resources in a middle-of-the-pack quarterback completely limits what this roster can do around their young skill players. It’s a low-upside move that keeps the Colts stuck directly in the loop of mediocrity for the next two seasons.
3. Trading the No. 10 overall pick for Dexter Lawrence
Who Made the Mistake: Cincinnati Bengals

Don't get it wrong, Dexter Lawrence is an absolute force in the interior, but trading away the No. 10 overall pick to get him is a massive overpay for Cincinnati. Cincy could have picked up a franchise tackle like the Giants did with the pick in taking Francis Mauigoa. Caleb Downs went next at 11, and safety is an area the Bengals definitely need improvement after a year when they had a terrible pass D. The Bengals are in a window where they desperately need premium rookie contracts to balance out their massive offensive extensions, and giving up a top-10 draft asset hurts.
- The Fall-Out: Instead of landing a blue-chip offensive lineman or a dynamic playmaker on a cheap four-year deal, the Bengals took on a massive veteran contract. It patches one hole on defense while creating a much bigger structural issue for their long-term salary cap.
4. Botching Maxx Crosby Deal, Then Pivoting to Trey Hendrickson
Who Made the Mistake: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens had a chance to pull off the biggest blockbuster of the spring, but they completely botched the negotiation window for Maxx Crosby. After that deal fell apart in spectacular fashion, the front office clearly panicked, pivoting immediately to sign Trey Hendrickson to a hefty deal just to ensure they brought a pass rusher home.
- The Fall-Out: Hendrickson is a solid player, but he isn't the game-changer that Crosby is at this stage of their careers. Baltimore ended up spending a ton of money on a secondary option after failing to close the deal on their primary target.
5. Overpaying Trent McDuffie in Free Agency
Who Made the Mistake: Los Angeles Rams

The Rams needed secondary help in the worst way, but they completely reset the market by handing Trent McDuffie an astronomical contract. A four-year, $124 million contract extension made McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. The former Chief is an elite cover corner, but the pure dollar amount the Rams shelled out leaves them with almost no flexibility to address the rest of their defensive issues.
- The Fall-Out: When you pay one defensive back superstar money, the rest of your secondary usually suffers. The Rams are betting everything on McDuffie shutting down an entire side of the field by himself, because they don't have the cash left to find him any help.
6. Releasing Dre Greenlaw and Bringing in Nobody
Who Made the Mistake: Denver Broncos

Denver decided to cut ties with Dre Greenlaw to clear up some cap space after just one season, which would have been fine if they actually had a plan to replace his production. Instead, the front office basically sat out the rest of free agency, leaving a massive, gaping hole right in the middle of their linebacker corps.
- The Fall-Out: Opposing offensive coordinators are going to spend the entire summer licking their chops, looking at the middle of the Broncos' defense. Cutting a productive veteran without an insurance plan in place is a recipe for defensive disaster.
7. Letting Veteran Offensive Linemen Walk
Who Made the Mistake: Detroit Lions

The Lions' identity over the last few seasons has been built on having the most physical, dominant offensive line in football. That makes their decision to let a massive chunk of their starting front five walk out the door a total head-scratcher. Starting left tackle Taylor Decker was released at his own request, along with veteran guard Graham Glasgow. It gets worse as interior lineman Kevin Zeitler left in free agency, and the team couldn't talk Frank Ragnow out of retirement. Without these longtime cornerstones, the line will be under much fire in 2026.
- The Fall-Out: You can't just replace chemistry and veteran push overnight with late-round draft picks. Detroit ran the risk of completely neutralizing their own run game and leaving their backfield exposed just to save a few bucks against the cap.
8. Trading for Rashan Gary Right Before his Release
Who Made the Mistake: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys managed to give up draft equity for Rashan Gary, completely ignoring the fact that the Packers were literally about to release him for nothing. Dallas jumped the gun in an attempt to box out competition, coughing up mid-round draft picks for a player they could have just signed on the open market a few days later.
- The Fall-Out: Good front offices protect their draft capital like gold, but Dallas panicked and threw away picks for a guy who was heading to the unemployment line. It’s a waste of assets that could have been used to fill out a seriously thin depth chart.
9. Releasing Stefon Diggs
Who Made the Mistake: New England Patriots

The Patriots are trying to break in a young passing game, which makes the choice to outright release Stefon Diggs completely wild. Even if there were locker room concerns and outside legal issues, New England may have jumped the gun. The former Buffalo Bill was found not guilty of the May 2026 felony charges and has appeared to fully address this off-field distraction.

On the field, Diggs was the only proven route-runner on the roster who could consistently command a double-team from opposing safeties. He was also coming off a stellar season for the Pats. Now Drake Maye won't have his veteran wideout, which could really hurt a passing game that was remarkably consistent in 2025.
- The Fall-Out: New England's receiver room now looks like a barren wasteland heading into the summer. They’ve made life infinitely harder on their young quarterbacks by stripping away the only legitimate top-tier target they had on the perimeter.
10. Firing Sean McDermott and Hiring Joe Brady
Who Made the Mistake: Buffalo Bills

Pulling the plug on Sean McDermott felt like a classic case of a front office scapegoating the coach for roster flaws. But replacing him by promoting Joe Brady to the big chair is a massive gamble that could completely backfire on a team that is supposed to be in the middle of a championship window.
- The Fall-Out: McDermott brought a steady, defensive-minded culture that kept Buffalo in the hunt every single year. Handing the keys over to Brady means the Bills are completely shifting their identity on the fly, and any sort of growing pains will slam their playoff window shut immediately.
Have Your Say! Which Team Made the Biggest Boneheaded Move of the Offseason?
Join the Bumbling NFL Offseason Debate

The front offices have made their moves, and a few fanbases are scratching their heads heading into minicamps.

Which team made the absolute worst decision of the spring?
- The Rodgers Drama: Should the Steelers have known better than to wait around on Aaron Rodgers, or can you blame them for taking the swing?
- The Panic Moves: Is the Colts' contract for Daniel Jones a bigger disaster than the Ravens panicking and signing Trey Hendrickson?
- The Dallas Special: How do you defend the Cowboys trading away draft picks for Rashan Gary when he was about to be cut by Green Bay?
- The Buffalo Shakeup: Is Joe Brady the guy to finally get the Bills over the hump, or did they make a massive mistake firing Sean McDermott?
Drop your take in the comments: Which of these 10 moves will look the worst by Week 1 of the regular season?
Most Boneheaded Moves of the 2026 NFL Offseason
10 Biggest Blunders of the 2026 NFL Offseason

The NFL offseason is a beautiful time because every fanbase convinces itself that its general manager is a genius. But now that the dust has settled on free agency and the draft, it's time for a major reality check. Good intentions don't win games, and a few teams made decisions over the last few months that could set their franchises back.

We aren't talking about small gambles here. We are looking at massive overpayments, botched trade negotiations, and teams completely erasing their own identity for no apparent reason.

From teams getting played by veteran quarterbacks to front offices completely draining their offensive line depth, these are the 10 worst moves of the 2026 NFL offseason.