Past the midway point of the 2026 NFL season, several offseason decisions are already looking like costly mistakes for the teams that made them. Here are five moves that franchises should deeply regret.
Indianapolis Colts: Signing Daniel Jones to an $88 Million Contract
The Colts re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones in March instead of using the franchise or transition tag. General manager Chris Ballard bet on an eight-game stretch where Jones posted a 7-1 record, 71.2% completion rate, 13-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 109.5 passer rating. However, Jones had a career 70-47 TD-INT ratio, 84.3 passer rating and a 24-44-1 record in 70 games from 2019-2024. He went 1-4 in his final five games before an Achilles tear, then signed an $88 million deal. The move contributed to Ballard's firing.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Extending Baker Mayfield for $165 Million
After Mayfield played through a shoulder injury and went 3-8 with an 80.6 passer rating, 14-10 TD-INT and 195.8 passing yards per game in his final 11 starts, the Buccaneers signed him to a three-year, $165 million extension with $110 million in new guarantees on September 8. Since then, Tampa Bay is 1-4 in games Mayfield has completed a pass, and he ranks among the league's worst in completion rate (60.6%), touchdown rate (2.1%), yards per attempt (6.5) and passer rating (74.9). His cap hit nearly doubles next season from $34 million to $65.7 million.
Los Angeles Chargers: Hiring Mike McDaniel as Offensive Coordinator
McDaniel's arrival was widely praised, but the Chargers offense has been historically bad. Entering Week 10, they rank last in EPA per play at -0.219, have fewer than 20 red-zone trips, and a scoring rate under 30%. They endured a streak of 37 consecutive drives without an offensive touchdown. A two-time Pro Bowl quarterback saw his interception rate more than double from 1.7% to 4.7% and his passer rating drop from 96.3 to 70.4.
Arizona Cardinals: Drafting Jeremiyah Love Third Overall
Love, considered the top running back prospect and arguably the best player in the 2026 draft, has been plagued by three separate ankle injuries and is on injured reserve. In six games, he topped 65 rushing yards once, averaged under 3.5 yards per carry in three games, and had two or fewer receptions in four games with never more than 20 receiving yards. Meanwhile, later-round rookies such as Kaelon Black (90th overall) and Mike Washington Jr. (122nd) are outproducing him.
Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback Decisions Wasting a Elite Defense
The Vikings traded former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick after head coach Kevin O'Connell reportedly wanted nothing to do with him. They then signed Kyler Murray for the veteran minimum and paired him with Carson Wentz. Despite a once-in-a-decade defense, the quarterback situation has left the team unable to capitalize, prompting speculation that defensive coordinator Brian Flores might be a better head coaching option.
