The Philadelphia Eagles clinched their ticket to Super Bowl 59 this past Sunday with their 55-23 victory in the NFC Championship over the Washington Commanders, largely on the back of running back Saquon Barkley’s 118 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.
Barkley was signed by Philly last offseason, and with the Eagles clinching their third Super Bowl appearance since 2016, here’s a group of free agent signings who, like Barkley, will go down in history.
Peyton Manning – Denver Broncos (2012)
I can’t think of a better signing to start this list off. From his debut in 2012 to his win in Super Bowl 50 in 2016, it felt like Peyton Manning in that “Orange Crush” Denver Broncos jersey was the face of the league – whether it was his off-the-field presence or his play, we all came to know and love Manning.
Manning wasn’t just the face of the league due to his ubiquitous commercials or his personable energy, he was an absolute unit. Over 17,000 passing yards, 140 passing touchdowns, two Super Bowl appearances and one ring in just four years as the starter for Denver.
Manning signing with the Broncos is an example of when everything that can go right with a free agent quarterback goes right – Manning set statistical records, won personal hardware and won the Broncos their third and most recent championship. It’s also important to note that the Broncos were in a revolving door at the QB position before they signed him, and Manning put an end to it.
Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints (2006)
When Drew Brees had signed with the New Orleans Saints, the city was still reeling from a historically devastating hurricane that had landed just seven months earlier. The 2005 Saints were a vagabond bunch without a leader who split their home games among San Antonio, Baton Rouge and New York.
As soon as Brees walked into the Superdome, the Saints became winners — he won his first home start against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in the Saints first game back. That same season, Brees took a 3-13 team to the conference championship game.
Brees passed for over 68,000 passing yards, 491 touchdowns, won a Super Bowl and revived a long-since-dormant franchise. I’ve written ad nauseam about how impactful the Brees signing was for the franchise and city of New Orleans, so to keep it short – Brees is the poster child for a shorthand list of great free agent signings.
Reggie White – Green Bay Packers (1993)
For those who are unaware or, like me, were born in an era where free agency was commonly accepted, they might know that at one point, NFL players were not allowed to leave their teams once their contracts had expired. In the summer of 1993, the floodgates opened up for a free agency period, and out came Reggie White.
It’s rare that one of the all-time greats leaves his team, signs with a new one in the offseason and then creates another career worthy of Canton in his new jersey. When White was playing his home games at Lambeau Field, he recorded 68 sacks in six seasons as Green Bay’s leading pass rusher of the late 90s.
White’s most memorable moment of his career might just be with the Packers in Super Bowl 31, where he sacked New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe three times over the course of the game. Similarly to Brees and Manning, White’s tenure with Green Bay signaled a culture change for a Packers franchise who hadn’t won a Super Bowl since 1968 – we can also thank Reggie White for the success of free agency in general.
Kevin Mawae – New York Jets (1998)
Mawae’s spot on this list might raise some eyebrows for a few reasons – maybe it’s because this list has amazing quarterbacks, or maybe it’s because he’s a lineman, but the selection of a Hall of Famer should be easy to agree with. I was deliberating on whether to give this spot to former Jets running back Curtis Martin, but it was his center who opened the lanes for him to run.
The rap sheet is absolutely golden – six Pro Bowl nods, three-time All-Pro and a nomination to the HOF All 2000s Team. From 1998 to 2004, Mawae was a startling lineman for a whopping 177 consecutive ball games for New York.
If you think about all of the things that you want the cornerstone of your team’s O-line to be, Mawae was that and more. It’s a shame the Jets couldn’t find a franchise quarterback to put behind their stalwart center – perhaps if they did, more people would be familiar with Mawae’s game.
Tom Brady – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)
The phrase “end of the day” often comes to mind when discussing Tom Brady’s spot among the annals of football history. Fans can talk for as long as they want about different quarterbacks – but at the “end of the day,” TB12 comes out on top.
Wind the clocks back to 2020 – Brady’s career was seen as having one foot out the door and left Foxborough in shame. Little did we all know Brady would take the Bucs to three straight playoff appearances and a victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
If it wasn’t for Brady having two of his best statistical seasons in Tampa and winning a ring against Mahomes, I’m not so sure if the masses view Brady as the “end all be all” in the GOAT debate today. People argue whether Brady needed coach Bill Belichick or vice versa, but I think the real nugget is that Brady needed Tampa Bay.
Gage Wellman is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected] or @GageWellmanKSTV on X.