10 worst free agent signings in Jacksonville Jaguars franchise history

9. Worst free agent in Jacksonville Jaguars history: Carlos Hyde, RB

This entry might be a bit shocking because nobody outside Urban Meyer thought running back Carlos Hyde was going to have an impact with the Jaguars when he signed a one-year deal in 2021.

At the time, James Robinson was coming off a year in which he set the league record for most yards from scrimmage by an undrafted rookie with 1,414. However, Meyer seemed to have a preference for Hyde, who played for him at Ohio State.

The thing is that Hyde wasn’t a bad running back. He simply had shown that he wasn’t a featured back. In fact, the 2014 second-round pick had already played for the Jags in 2018 and hardly made an impact, appearing in eight games and toting the rock 58 times for 189 yards. This is why it was a bit surprising to see the team’s brass bring him back for a second stint.

Hyde said that he was going through some stuff when he was traded to Jacksonville in 2018 but he was now more mature. The Florida native started the season behind Robinson but Meyer plugged him into the starting lineup after Robinson lost a fumble against the Los Angeles Rams.

Meyer denied benching Robinson and eventually reinstated him in the lineup but the damage was done. Robinson tore his Achilles later but because Hyde was also hurt, he couldn’t step in his place and take advantage of the opportunity. He was released in 2022 and hasn’t suited up for an NFL game since then.