5 worst free-agent signings in Arizona Cardinals history
By Sion Fawkes
Emmitt Smith – RB (2003)
Emmitt Smith came to the Cardinals as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. And after torching the team between 1990 and 2002, the Cowboys started to see flaws in their former great’s game and cut ties with him.
With a big name like Smith in the free-agent market, the Cardinals didn’t hesitate, wooing the running back to the desert.
The results weren’t pretty, with Smith posting 256 yards on 90 carries in 10 games in 2003. While he played in 15 games and rushed for 937 yards and nine touchdowns in 2004, it was clear Smith’s better days were long gone.
The Cardinals were a team Smith used as a temporary landing spot to pad his statistics. But the Cardinals didn’t even get 1,200 rushing yards from the aging back. Smith returned to the Cowboys on a one-day contract not long after the 2004 season to retire.