15 Of The Biggest Traitor Moves In NFL Free Agency
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Free agency in the NFL is an exciting time for fans to see Pro Bowl talent sign with another team and instantly make them playoff or title contenders.
While many fans feel a sense of betrayal when a player from their favorite team decides to join a title contender for less money, that said, the free agent gets one step closer to earning that elusive Super Bowl win.
Many of these guys are often called ring chasers, mercenaries, or front-runners, as they accept a pay cut just to prioritize winning a Super Bowl, rather than focusing on team-building for long-term success.
What are the biggest traitor moves that happened in NFL free agency?
Darrelle Revis 2014
Revis had a very productive 2013 season with the Buccaneers, where he had 50 tackles, a sack, 11 pass deflections, two interceptions returned for three yards, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
However, the Bucs released Revis to avoid paying a massive $16 million in non-guaranteed money, saving them an additional $1.5 million in bonuses at the time.
Revis signed with the Jets’ longtime bitter rivals, the Patriots, on a one-year, $12 million deal, breaking the hearts of Jets fans.
Revis’ time in New England was productive on the field, as he had 47 tackles, 14 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a forced fumble during the 2014 season.
Oh, and he also made the Pro Bowl and helped the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX 28-24 against the Seattle Seahawks.
However, behind the scenes, Revis did not enjoy playing for the Pats, as he admitted on the “I Am Athlete” podcast; no one liked the locker room.
Revis eventually returned to the Jets in 2015, but spent two seasons with the team, was released, and signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs before retiring in 2018.
Brett Favre 2009
Favre led the Jets to an 8-3 start, but the team finished the year with a 9-7 record.
Favre initially told the Jets he was retiring, but decided to come out of retirement and sign with the Vikings in NFL free agency, breaking the hearts of Green Bay Packers fans.
Despite being 40 years old at the time, Favre went 12-4 as a starter, completed 363 passes for 4,202 yards, and threw 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions in the 2009 season. He also beat his former team, the Packers, twice during the regular season.
Favre also led the Vikings to the 2010 NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints, but lost in overtime after a costly turnover and controversial officiating.
He played one more season with the team in 2010, but injuries derailed that season, and he retired in the 2011 offseason.
Favre had his number 4 jersey retired by the Packers in 2015 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Deion Sanders 1995
Sanders began his NFL career more on special teams with the Falcons, but wasn’t happy being on a team that was going nowhere.
So in 1994, Sanders signed with the 49ers, where he began to see more playing time on defense and helped the team win Super Bowl XXIX over the Chargers, 49-26.
When the 1995 offseason began, Sanders signed a landmark seven-year, $35 million deal with the Cowboys, creating an intense rivalry between the two teams after they met in the NFC Championship Game a year prior.
Sanders played a very productive season with the Cowboys, even though he played in nine games due to dealing with arthroscopic surgery in the first eight weeks of the season, where he had 26 tackles, two interceptions returned for 24 yards, returned a punt for 54 yards, and returned a kick for 15 yards.
He also helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17, solidifying him as a ring chaser.
Sanders spent four more seasons with the Cowboys, then one season with Washington in 2000 before retiring in 2001. He came out of retirement in 2004 and spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2004 05 before retiring for good. Well, he’s still around, but at the collegiate level.
Terrell Owens 2006
After a few seasons with the 49ers, Owens was traded to the Eagles and went on an offensive tear, catching 77 receptions for 1,200 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns. However, his season was cut short due to a fractured fibula and a sprained ankle.
Despite the injury, Owens played his heart out in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Owens then had a falling out with the organization in 2005 due to his larger-than-life personality clashing with the team, resulting in his suspension for the rest of the season.
Owens was released by the Eagles in 2006 and immediately signed with their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, causing a massive rift among Eagles fans.
He played very well with the Cowboys, as he had three straight 1,000-yard seasons, helped the Cowboys reach the playoffs twice, and beat the Eagles twice in three seasons, but lost to them four times.
Owens had brief stints with the Bills and Bengals in 2009 and 2010, then had a short stint with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League, and had one short stint with the Seahawks before he was released before the start of the 2012 season.
DeMarco Murray 2015
Murray was an elusive runner with the Cowboys, dominating on the ground, helping the team reach the playoffs in 2014, and leading the league in rushing yards (1,854) and rushing touchdowns (13).
Murray then signed a five-year, $42 million deal with the rival Philadelphia Eagles, causing a massive rift with Cowboys fans.
His time in Philadelphia was a complete disaster, as he failed to adjust to head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, as he was a downhill runner and not a horizontal spread runner.
Murray played in 15 games for the team and rushed for 702 yards on 193 attempts and scored six rushing touchdowns.
The Eagles traded Murray to the Titans during the 2016 offseason, and he showed flashes of success in the 2016 regular season but dealt with injuries in 2017.
Le’Veon Bell 2019
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Bell was a bruising and game-changing running back who made the Steelers’ offense fun to watch.
By the 2018 season, Bell refused to accept playing under a franchise tag and chose to sit out the entire season after the NFL free agency ended.
In the 2019 offseason, Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets, a massive betrayal of the Steelers and all they’d done for him over the years.
However, Bell’s time with the Jets was a disappointment, as he clashed with then-head coach Adam Gase, struggled on the field, was behind a weak offensive line, and failed to master the team’s offensive schemes.
Bell was released by the Jets in 2020 and had brief stints with the Chiefs, Ravens, and Buccaneers.
Since retiring, Bell has pursued a career in boxing and social media, and he admitted that leaving the Steelers was a massive mistake.
Saquon Barkley 2024
When Barkley was drafted by the Giants in 2018, he was an immediate workhorse on offense, as he dominated on the ground.
By 2024, Barkley and the Giants were having a tough time negotiating a contract with the money he wanted, as he wanted a larger contract.
The Eagles swooped in and signed Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal, which didn’t sit well with Giants’ fans.
Barkley went off, rushing for 2,005 yards on 345 attempts, which led the league in 2024, and scored 13 rushing touchdowns.
He also made his third Pro Bowl and helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX 40-22 against the Chiefs.
Barkley signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension during the 2025 offseason, and he had a 1,000-yard season while the Eagles were knocked out of the Wildcard Round against the 49ers.
Richard Sherman 2018
Sherman was one of the founding members of the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defense, which helped the team win Super Bowl XLVIII in dominant fashion and reach Super Bowl XLIX.
However, by 2017, Sherman’s numbers slowly started to decline, as he had 35 tackles, seven pass deflections, two interceptions for 20 yards, and a fumble recovery. However, he also dealt with a ruptured Achilles.
The Seahawks released Sherman in the 2018 NFL offseason, and he immediately signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the team’s NFC West divisional rival, the 49ers, where he transitioned from being their rival to a leader in the locker room for the team after free agency ended.
Sherman helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl LIV, where the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 31–20.
Sherman’s 2020 season was marked by injuries and had one brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he became a pregame and postgame analyst for Amazon Prime.
Curtis Martin 1998
Martin’s time with the Patriots was a career launchpad, as he had three straight 1,000-yard seasons with the team and helped them reach Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to Brett Favre and the Packers.
In 1998, Martin signed with the Jets and followed his head coach, Bill Parcells, after he was unhappy with the Patriots’ extension offer.
Martin went on to help the Jets reach the 1999 AFC Championship game before losing to the Broncos 23-10.
Martin also had six straight 1,000-rushing-yard seasons during his time with “Gang Green,” and led the league in rushing yards in 2004 with 1,697.
James Harrison 2017
Harrison was one of the fiercest linebackers to play in the league. He was a part of the two Steelers teams that won Super Bowls XL and XLIII and made five Pro Bowls with them.
Even though Harrison signed a two-year contract extension with the Steelers during the offseason, he was released and later signed with the Patriots, a massive blow to Steelers Nation.
Harrison played in one regular-season game for the Pats and three postseason games, including Super Bowl LII, where the team ultimately lost to the Eagles 41-33.
Losing Super Bowl LII was karma for Harrison’s betrayal of the Steelers and their passionate fanbase. Harrison retired from the league in 2018 and is enshrined in the Steelers’ Hall of Honor.
Adam Vinatieri 2006
Vinatieri was one of the best field goal kickers in the league during his dominant run from the late 1990s to the 2010s, as his kicks helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls.
Vinatieri was beloved by Patriots’ fans, but that love was lost when he signed with the Indianapolis Colts via NFL free agency, the team they bullied in the playoffs during the early 2000s.
He left the Patriots for the Colts due to a contract dispute and a lack of long-term security.
Vinatieri played in 13 games for the Colts and made 25 of 28 field goals in the 2006 season, helping the team win Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears, 29-17.
Vinatieri spent 14 seasons with the Colts and retired after the 2019 season.
Neil Smith 1997
Smith was a beast of a defensive end for the Chiefs in the late 1980s and 1990s, as he made five Pro Bowls, was the forced-fumble co-leader in 1994, and was the league’s sack leader in 1993.
Smith became a free agent during the 1997 season and broke the hearts of Chiefs’ fans, signing with the Broncos, the Chiefs’ AFC West rivals.
He made one more Pro Bowl with the Broncos and helped them win Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.
Smith played for the Chargers in 2000, retired in 2001, and was enshrined in the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame in 2006.
Marcus Allen 1993
Allen was a superstar running back for the Raiders during his prime, as he helped the team win Super Bowl XVIII against Washington 38-9, and was named the game’s MVP.
However, things weren’t pretty behind the scenes, as Allen had an intense feud with Al Davis, as he reduced Allen’s playing time during his final seasons with the “Silver and Black.”
Davis signed with their arch-rivals, the Chiefs, in the 1993 season, and he helped the team reach the 1994 AFC Championship Game before losing to the Bills 30-13.
This move was ultimately a massive betrayal of the Raiders’ fans who cheered for him over the years.
Allen helped the Chiefs reach the playoffs three more times and retired after the 1997 season.
Stephon Gilmore 2017
Gilmore was a ballhawk in his prime with the Bills, keeping the team afloat in the early 2010s.
After making his first Pro Bowl in 2016, Gilmore’s contract expired, and he signed a massive five-year, $65 million deal with the Patriots, a move that stung the Bills Mafia after the NFL free agency.
Gilmore flourished in the Patriots’ defense, helping them reach Super Bowl LII and helping them win Super Bowl LIII. Not to mention, he won the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Gilmore’s time with the Pats was memorable, electrifying, and showed ultimate professionalism.
Rich Gannon 1999
In the mid 90s, Gannon kept the Chiefs afloat in the AFC West, as they were a playoff contender.
After the 1998 season, Gannon was released by the Chiefs after they decided to stick with Elvis Grbac and signed with the Raiders, which stung the hearts of Chiefs’ fans.
Gannon saw some success in the latter years of his career, as he won the NFL MVP in 2002, and helped the team reach Super Bowl XXXVII, before they lost to the Bucs.
Gannon’s career with the Raiders can be described as gritty and a renaissance.
