The 10 Most Disappointing Sports Teams Over the Last Decade
The unfortunate reality of professional sports is that big-name players and high-dollar contracts do not guarantee success.
Only one champion can be crowned, after all.
Looking back at the last decade in major North American leagues, there are plenty of disappointing examples. Optimism faded as losses piled up.
The choices are not simply a reflection of teams that ended the furthest below a large preseason win total. For example, the 2024 San Francisco 49ers would fall in that category, but the Niners dealt with a truly absurd list of injuries throughout the season. Likewise, injuries barely kept this year's Philadelphia 76ers from this list.
As a result, the picks are subjective based on a combination of offseason moves, expectations and in-season results.
2015 San Diego Padres
1 of 10
On the heels of a fourth consecutive sub-.500 record, the San Diego Padres took an all-in approach for 2015.
That offseason included trades for All-Star catcher Derek Norris, recent AL Rookie of the Year recipient Wil Myers and big-name outfielders Matt Kemp and Justin Upton, along with adding pitcher James Shields in free agency. As the season began, the Padres swung another deal to land superstar closer Craig Kimbrel.
And, whew buddy, did it fail miserably.
San Diego stumbled early, fired manager Bud Black after a 32-33 start and trudged to a 74-88 finish. As the season ended, the Padres sat 18 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
2015 Philadelphia Eagles
2 of 10
Otherwise remembered as the year Chip Kelly tore it down, the 2015 campaign was unkind to the Philadelphia Eagles.
And that would be putting it nicely.
Kelly wrestled away control of the roster and soon executed a couple of shocking trades. Philly dealt star running back LeSean McCoy for linebacker Kiko Alonso and sent quarterback Nick Foles with two draft picks for Sam Bradford.
Plus, the Eagles did not retain wide receiver Jeremy Maclin but signed running back DeMarco Murray and cornerback Byron Maxwell in free agency.
Projected to win the NFC East and compete for a Super Bowl, the Eagles instead fired Kelly late in a 7-9 season.
2017-18 Oklahoma City Thunder
3 of 10
One year earlier, Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double in his MVP-winning season. He carried the Oklahoma City Thunder to 47 wins and a playoff trip.
Then, the franchise traded for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony that offseason.
Armed with those star reinforcements, surely OKC would improve! Obviously, you know the result was not a great one.
Oklahoma City ended up managing 48 wins and again enduring a first-round playoff exit. Melo's awkward fit, Andre Roberson's injury and a shaky reserve group contributed to the hyped team's letdown.
2019 Cleveland Browns
4 of 10
"The Browns are Back."
Yes, that infamous Sports Illustrated cover story is burned into the memories of NFL fans. After a late surge with quarterback Baker Mayfield and interim coach Freddie Kitchens in 2018, the Cleveland Browns won the offseason, too.
They traded for All-Pro receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and pass-rusher Olivier Vernon, also shelling out a huge contract for defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. Beckham paired with former LSU teammate Jarvis Landry at receiver, while Vernon and Richardson bolstered a unit led by All-Pro edge Myles Garrett.
Cleveland promptly lost 43-13 to the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, a result that portended a dreadful 2-6 start and 6-10 finish.
The enduring moment, rather than 2019 being Cleveland's long-awaited surge, was Garrett swinging his helmet at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.
The Browns were not back.
2022 Denver Broncos
5 of 10
Broncos Country, let's rid yourselves of this memory.
The offseason brought new coach Nathaniel Hackett and—through a massive trade with the Seattle Seahawks—quarterback Russell Wilson. That combination served as Denver's hope of snapping a six-year playoff drought.
From the very beginning, Hackett looked outmatched as a head coach in clock and overall game management. Denver ultimately posted an NFL-low 16.9 points per game, wasting a defense that kept eight of its first nine opponents under 20 points.
Denver fired Hackett after a 4-11 start, and the Broncos matched a franchise-worst mark of losses in their 5-12 season.
2022 Indianapolis Colts
6 of 10
The opposite side of the Peyton Manning connection also fared poorly in 2022.
Yes, the Indianapolis Colts did not have Super Bowl expectations that season. But in an unspectacular AFC South, the Colts absolutely had an opportunity to compete for a division title and playoff spot.
They landed quarterback Matt Ryan and signed star cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The veterans seemed to reinforce a roster that posted a 9-8 record in 2021 and finished ninth in the league in both scoring average and defense.
Immediately, the troubles were evident. Indy tied the hapless Houston Texans in the opener and lost 24-0 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2.
Following a 3-5-1 start, the Colts fired Frank Reich—and for some reason replaced him with TV analyst Jeff Saturday, who had never coached above high school. His tenure is best remembered for squandering a 33-0 lead to the Minnesota Vikings.
So much for a division title. Indianapolis went 4-12-1.
2021-22 Brooklyn Nets
7 of 10
There will probably be a documentary on the 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets one day.
Even as Kyrie Irving's absence loomed over the roster, the franchise stood atop the Eastern Conference with a 29-16 record in late January. Kevin Durant and James Harden had propelled the Nets until Irving eventually suited up—for road games.
But then, Brooklyn unraveled.
Durant's knee injury preceded an 11-game losing skid, a slide that included the Nets trading Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons after the 10th setback.
Brooklyn continued to slip despite Durant's return in March, ending the regular season just 44-38 before the Boston Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of the playoffs.
2023 New York Mets
8 of 10
The good news: Steve Cohen heavily invested in the New York Mets, showing the fanbase a genuine desire for pursuing the World Series.
Following a 101-win season, the Mets loaded its Max Scherzer-led pitching staff with Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, Adam Ottavino and David Robertson. They re-signed closer Edwin Diaz, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and utilityman Jeff McNeil to significant extensions, as well.
The bad news: The season went very poorly.
Diaz missed the year because of an injury at the World Baseball Classic, but New York's issues stemmed from collective poor performance. The rotation was barely a league-average group, and the lineup finished a meager 20th in runs per game.
Not only did the Mets trudge to a 75-87 record, they ended an unsightly nine games behind the Miami Marlins for the third wild-card spot.
2023-24 Phoenix Suns
9 of 10
At the trade deadline in the 2022-23 campaign, the Phoenix Suns pulled off a blockbuster for Kevin Durant. Although they exited the playoffs in the second round, the Suns entered the offseason with a wave of optimism.
But the wheeling and dealing was only starting.
Ownership replaced head coach Monty Williams with Frank Vogel. Phoenix dealt Chris Paul and immense draft capital for Bradley Beal, then shipped out DeAndre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen and depth. Ultimately, the Suns headed into the regular season as a top NBA Finals contender.
However, that newfound star power around Devin Booker led Phoenix to a measly two-win improvement at 49-33. Even worse, the Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Suns out of the postseason's opening round.
And the situation has only devolved further in 2024-25.
2024-25 Nashville Predators
10 of 10
The necessary asterisk is that the 2024-25 NHL season, as of this writing, still has a little under two months remaining.
But the Nashville Predators already need a miracle.
This outlook certainly wasn't expected when Nashville—after collecting 99 points in 2023-24—broke open the checkbook for veteran center Steven Stamkos, defenseman Brady Skjei and winger Jonathan Marchessault. Plus, the Preds agreed to a massive extension with goaltender Juuse Saros.
In short, this wasn't supposed to happen. This, currently, is Nashville sitting 16 points out of the Western Conference wild-card picture at a pace of 0.8 points per game compared to 1.2 one year ago.
Winning the offseason didn't result in regular-season success.
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