The Best and Worst Free Agent Signings in Washington History, Part 1
March 9, 2026
by Steve Thomas
Since this week is the start of the NFL’s annual free agency frenzy – the legal tampering window starts today, and the formal free agency period begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. – I thought it would be fun to dive into Washington Redskins Washington Football Team Washington Commanders Washington history and try to identify the best and worst free agent signings since the advent of free agency in 1993. This can’t really an objective analysis, at least not without me spending a ton of time inventing some statistical criteria and then doing some heavy data processing; rather, the intent here is to just have a fun, or not so fun, dive into team history. Since this effort has the possibility of being a fairly large task, I’m going to break it up into two parts, with the worst signings in this column and the fun part, i.e., the best signings, coming next week.
From a methodology standpoint, a comprehensive list of all team free agents is available on www.spotrac.com back to 2011. However, the signings before that year were a bit harder to locate, so I’m not going to claim that I’ve definitively looked at every single name prior to 2011. Additionally, in general terms, a “worst signing” isn’t going to include a 1 or 2 year contract with a relatively small dollar figure. I’m looking for the players with big, longer contracts who were total busts. And again, this is more of a subjective look at history than some sort of objective, definitive list.
Just for fun, I also added a “Bust level” rating, which is based on nothing more than my subjective views, depending on a combination of the size of the player’s contract and his performance on the field.
Finally, before anyone asks, I do not view Bruce Smith as a free agent bust. With that in mind, let’s get started.
1998
Stubblefield left the San Francisco 49ers to sign a 6 year, $36M contract with Washington in the 1998 offseason. The Redskins intended Stubblefield to be a plus-level starter since he was a 3x Pro Bowler, 3x All-Pro, and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 1997. Things didn’t go particularly well in DC, however. He played a total of 38 games for Washington, and made 115 tackles, including 87 solo, and 7 sacks. The combination of underwhelming performance results and salary cap problems forced the team to release Stubblefield after the 2001 season. He later had big criminal problems, getting convicted in the BALCO incident in 2009, then was convicted of stealing his ex-girlfriend’s mail in 2010. In a dramatically more serious incident, he was charged by the state of California in 2016 with raping a disabled woman. Stubblefield was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 15 years to life. His conviction was overturned on appeal, not because of factual or procedure mistakes, but thanks to a new and silly California law that forbids racially-based language in cases presented by prosecutors. The appellate court held that the fact that the prosecutors stated that police did not search for a firearm connected with the rape because Stubblefield “was a famous black man” was a violation of the California Racial Justice Act of 2020. In my view, the overturning of the conviction meant that the state of California prioritized the vague concept of racial justice – in this case, a minor application thereof, for that matter – over the unquestioned rape of a disabled woman (click here to read a media story about the case). California should be ashamed of itself.
Bust level: Minor
State of California grade: F-
2000
Sanders was one of the most misguided and worst signings in franchise history. Washington signed the brash Dallas Cowboys legend in 2000, the 12th season of his career, to an enormous 7 year, $56M contract. He ended up playing in DC for just one year, after which he retired, temporarily, at the conclusion of the season. The truth is that Sanders played well during one season, with 41 tackles in 16 games, plus 4 interceptions. However, both he and the team earned a significant amount of scorn from the Redskins fanbase when he was allowed to start over team legend Darrell Green. This was the prototypical early Snyder-era splash signing that probably nobody but Snyder actually wanted. Even though he played well in 2000, you don’t get to only play one year of a 7 year deal in the 12th season of your career and not be called a huge bust.
Bust level: Epic
The Redskins brought quarterback Jeff George to the team in 2000 on a 4 year, $18M contract, initially to serve as Brad Johnson’s backup under head coach Norv Turner. However, Johnson got hurt in week 9 and George was forced to start a few games. Things didn’t go well, generally, for either George or the team. Turner was fired and replaced by Marty Schottenheimer, a famously strict and disciplined coach who favored the run game. George and Schottenheimer massively clashed, and Schottenheimer essentially threw George out of the building in early September, 2001.
Bust level: Minor
2002
Washington signed middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter away from the Eagles in 2002 to a 7 year, $36M deal, which was another very large contract for its time. Trotter lasted just two years due to a combination of injuries and the generally horrific Steve Spurrier coaching tenure. He played in just 28 games, with 205 tackles, including 149 solo, 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions. Those are productive numbers, but the team released him in June, 2004, at which point Trotter returned to the Eagles. He played three more years in Philadelphia before moving to Tampa Bay in 2007. Trotter dd not play in 2008, but then came back to Philadelphia to conclude his career in 2009.
Bust Level: Major
2006
Archuleta was one of the bigger bust free agent signings in franchise history. A first round pick by the Cardinals in 2001, he was signed to a splashy 6 year, $30M contract after completing his full rookie 5 year contract. Archuleta only lasted one year in Washington, flaming out in spectacular fashion. He played in 16 games in 2006, starting 7, with 60 tackles, including 49 solo, and 1 sack. He was then relegated to the bench and special teams for the second half of the season. Washington ended up trading him to the Bears in the 2007 offseason for a sixth round pick.
Bust level: Major
Head coach Joe Gibbs traded with the 49ers for Lloyd in the 2006 offseason in exchange for a third and fourth round draft pick. He then signed a 6 year, $31M contact extension. Lloyd only made it through two seasons in DC, playing in 23 games, including 13 starts, with just 25 receptions for 379 yards, 15.2 yards per reception, and no touchdowns. He played in 15 games in 2006, but had just 23 receptions for 365 yards. He then spend the bulk of the 2007 season on injured reserve due to a broken collarbone. Lloyd had a bad attitude during his time with the Redskins and became disfavored by head coach Joe Gibbs, who released him in the 2008 offseason. He was one of the bigger free agent busts in team history.
Bust level: Major
2009
The worst free agent signing in team history, and probably in the entire history of the NFL, is without a doubt Albert Haynesworth. He signed a 7 year, $100M contract with Washington in 2009, supposedly at the direction of former owner Daniel Snyder, during Jim Zorn’s second and last year as head coach. Haynesworth lasted only 2 years before new head coach Mike Shanahan traded him to the New England Patriots. In those two seasons, he played in a total of 20 games before Shanahan suspended him halfway through the 2010 season. He made just 53 tackles, including 42 solo, and 6.5 sacks. His time in Washington was marred by a terrible, lazy attitude that didn’t gel well with the strict Shanahan. Haynesworth’s signing was a complete bust in every conceivable way, and is without a doubt the low point of Washington free agency.
Bust level: #1 bust of all-time
2012
Washington signed safety Brandon Meriweather away from the Chicago Bears in 2012 to a 2 year, $6M contract, and then signed a one year, $10M extension in 2014. Meriweather actually played fairly well during most his time in Washington, which included 24 games, with a total of 131 tackles, including 92 solo, 9 sacks, and 3 interceptions. However, his time in DC ended somewhat badly, with some strange comments to the press, a suspension for an illegal hit, and a stint on injured reserve.
Bust level: Minor
2014
Washington signed Dallas Cowboys’ star defensive end Jason Hatcher to a 4 year, $27.5M contract in 2014, with the expectation that he would become Washington’s next elite end. That didn’t come close to happening though, as Hatcher had just 45 tackles, including 31 solo, and 7.5 sacks in two years before being released after the 2015 season. Hatcher then retired in the offseason. He certainly qualifies as a major recent bust by the team.
Bust level: Major
Wide receiver Andre Roberts signed a 4 year, $6M contract with Washington in 2013, but lasted only two years before being released after the 2015 season. During that time, he had just 47 receptions for 588 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Bust level: Minor
2015
Washington signed corner Chris Culliver to a 4 year, $32M starter-level contract after a successful 2014 season with the 49ers in which he started 14 games. However, Culliver only made it through one tumultuous year in which he was suspended for one game for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, then tore his ACL and MCL in late November. Washington released him prior to the 2016 season.
Bust level: Average
Washington signed defensive tackle Stephen Paea to a 4 year, $21M deal in 2015 after he completed a successful rookie contract with the Bears. Paea lasted just one year in Washington, playing in 11 games and making 19 tackles, including 11 solo, and 1.5 sacks before going on injured reserve with a toe injury. The team released him in the 2016 training camp.
Bust level: Average
Galette’s case was a bit unusual, in that the team never spent a significant amount of money on him; rather, he came to the team with a huge amount of talent and publicity but instead brought nothing but drama. The Redskins signed him away from the Saints in 2015 on a one-year, $1.6M contract. He then tore his ACL in training camp and missed the entire season, while also being suspended by the NFL for two games violating the league’s personal conduct policy as a result of a domestic violence incident. The team nevertheless signed him to another one-year, $4M contract in 2016, only to have him tear his right Achilles tendon and miss that entire season as well. Washington didn’t relent, signing him to a second one-year extension worth $1.6M. Galette finally played in 2017, with 20 tackle and 3 sacks in 16 games. The team didn’t re-sign him after 2017 after an aborted round of contract negotiations. If the team had paid Galette significant money, he would probably be up there with Haynesworth as one of the bigger busts in team history. However, because his contracts were fairly small, his time in DC is instead relegated to a forgettable negative.
Bust level: Minor
2017
Defensive end Stacy McGee was signed away from the Oakland Raiders to a 5 year, $25M contract, and was expected to be a starter. However, he only lasted two seasons and missed the first half of 2018 when he ended up on the Physically Unable to Perform list due to core muscle surgery. In total, he only played 24 games for Washington, with 11 starts, and made 53 tackles, including 31 solo, and 1 sack. He was released in the 2019 offseason.
Bust level: Average
Swearinger is yet another free agent bust, albeit a more minor one. He signed a 3 year, $13.5M deal after departing the Arizona Cardinals. Swearinger played well for two seasons, with 31 games and 31 starts, with 132 tackles, including 103 solo, 1.5 sacks, and 8 interceptions. However, the team released him near the end of the 2018 season after he made public comments critical of the coaching staff.
Bust level: Minor
2018
Wide receiver Paul Richardson was signed away from the Seahawks to a 5 year, $40M deal during the Jay Gruden era to be Washington’s #1 receiver. Despite the contract, he only lasted two years, playing in 17 games, with 10 starts, and making a total of 48 receptions for 507 yards, and 4 touchdowns. He did a stint on injured reserve in both 2018 and 2019 and never came close to being the receiver for which Washington had hoped. He was released after the 2019 season.
Bust level: Major
2021
Jackson was signed by Washington to a 3 year, $40.5M deal in 2021 after completing ahis rookie contract with the Bengals. Washington brought Jackson to the team in order to be the #1 corner, which ultimately didn’t work. In total, he spent just two seasons with Washington, playing in just 16 games, and making 55 tackles, including 51 solo, and 2 interceptions. He missed some games in 2021 due to injury and COVID, and then ultimately benched. Washington traded him to the Steelers for minimal value in November, 2022.
Bust level: Average
2022
Norwell was signed by Washington in 2022 to a two year, $10M contract for be a starting guard after a successful starting stint with Jacksonville. He started 16 games for Washington in 2022, but was placed on the PUP list in the 2023 offseason and was later released in July, 2023.
Bust level: Minor
Am I forgetting anyone? Disagree with me on any of these? Let me know in the comment section.