Ideally, veterans acquired via free agency or trade will help improve a team’s fortunes. Typically, it’s helping a team go from mediocrity to the playoffs or playoff participant to Super Bowl contender.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was last season’s best veteran acquisition. 2023 was supposed to be a transition season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Tom Brady retiring. A fourth straight playoff berth wasn’t expected with Mayfield taking over for Brady on a fully-guaranteed one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $8.5 million through incentives.
Mayfield was up to the task of replacing the future first-ballot Hall of Famer. He had the best season of his six-year NFL career. Mayfield connected on 64.3% of his passes for 4,044 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to post a 94.6 passer rating.
The Buccaneers won a third consecutive NFC South title with a 9-8 record. Tampa Bay then advanced to the divisional playoffs for just the third time in 21 years with a 32-9 wild-card game win over the Philadelphia Eagles before losing 31-23 to Detroit Lions.
Here’s a look at several veteran newcomers living up to or exceeding expectations as the quarter mark of the 2024 NFL season arrives.
The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal to be a bridge quarterback after spending the 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers backing up Brock Purdy. The original plan was for a transition to 2024’s 10th-overall pick, J.J. McCarthy, to take place at some point this season. That went out of the window because McCarthy is out for year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Darnold is resurrecting his career after failed attempts starting at quarterback with the New York Jets as 2018’s third-overall pick and the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Through four games, the Vikings are the NFC’s only undefeated team while Darnold is completing 68.9% of his passes (73 of 106 attempts) for 932 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions for a 118.9 passer rating. Darnold is leading the NFL in both touchdown passes and passer rating.
There were some concerns about whether Henry could be a case of diminishing returns because he turned 30 years old in January and crossed the 2,000 career carry mark during the 2023 season. The Ravens felt signing Henry to a two-year, $16 million contract worth up to $20 million through incentives with only $9 million guaranteed was worth the risk.
Henry is demonstrating he has plenty of gas left in the tank. He is leading the NFL with 480 rushing yards while averaging 6.0 yards per carry. He is tied for the league lead with five rushing touchdowns and six total touchdowns. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Henry’s 185 rushing yards over expectation are the NFL’s best mark.
The Chicago Bears securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which was used to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams — thanks to trade with the Carolina Panthers last year — made Fields expendable. The trade market for Fields, who was 2021’s 11th-overall pick, was softer than the Bears were anticipating. Fields was dealt in the middle of March to the Steelers for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick that converts to a fourth-round pick if he takes 51% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps during the 2024 season.
The expectation was that Russell Wilson, who signed a fully guaranteed one-year deal for only his league minimum $1.21 million salary in March right after the Denver Broncos released him, would begin the season as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. An aggravation of a right calf injury Wilson suffered at the start of training camp has kept him out of action. Fields has taken advantage of Wilson being hurt. He’s thrown for 830 yards with three touchdowns and one interception while connecting on 70.6% of his passes (77 of 109 attempts) for a 98.0 passer rating. Fields has also used his legs by gaining 145 yards on the ground and scoring three times. The 3-1 Steelers are atop the AFC North with Fields under center.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has consistently deflected questions about who starts once Wilson is healthy. Fields could make it a moot point by continuing to show improvement while Wilson is sidelined.
The Eagles gave Barkley the type of long-term deal he had been seeking from the New York Giants before playing the 2023 season under a $10.091 million franchise tag. Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract averaging $12,583,333 per year. The deal is worth as much as $46.75 million through incentives and salary escalators. There are $26 million in guarantees, of which $24.5 million was fully guaranteed at signing.
Barkley is Philadelphia’s best offensive weapon so far this season. His 435 rushing yards are third in the NFL. Barkley is averaging 6.0 yards per carry. He has been one of the NFL’s best dual threat running backs since entering the NFL in 2018. That hasn’t changed. Barkley also ranks third in the league with 520 yards from scrimmage. His five touchdowns (four rushing and one receiving) are the NFL’s fourth most for 2024.
McKinney got the top safety contract in free agency from the Packers. He signed a four-year, $67 million deal worth up $68 million through incentives and salary escalators. At $16.75 million per year, McKinney is the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid safety. McKinney has a league-leading four interceptions. He has picked off a pass in each game this season.
Greenard had a 2023 breakout season for the Houston Texans with 12.5 sacks in the 15 games he played. The Vikings rewarded him with a four-year, $76 million contract averaging $19 million per year in free agency. Out of the $42 million in guarantees, $38 million was fully guaranteed at signing. Greenard has picked up where he left off last season. His four sacks are tied for fifth in the NFL. Greenard’s 22 quarterback pressures (combined sacks, quarterback hurries and quarterback hits) are tied for the NFL’s third most, according to Pro Football Focus.
Seibert has had a hard time solidifying himself as an NFL kicker ever since the Cleveland Browns released him early in the 2020 season. The 2019 fifth-round pick had been with five other NFL teams when the Commanders signed him after the regular season opener for $1,062,500, his league minimum salary for the remaining 16 games, to replace Cade York. Seibert quickly rewarded the Commanders for switching kickers by making a franchise-record seven field goals in his debut to account for every point of a 21-18 Week 2 win over the Giants. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts. Seifert has been perfect in his three games with the Commanders, going 10-for-10 on field goals and 9-for-9 on extra points.
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