Unbelievable Comebacks and Shocking Twists: Inside the Most Jaw-Dropping Player-Team Reunions of the 2026 NFL Season
NFL players returning to the team that drafted them has been prevalent in recent seasons. Here’s an analysis of how some of the biggest reunions are going this year.
It’s always fun to reunite with an old acquaintance, and NFL teams have been doing that a lot in recent years.
Since 2022, at least 12 players each season have returned to the team that drafted them after playing elsewhere the previous year, including a record 15 last year. Before 2022, the NFL had only one season since 2000 with at least 14 such players returning to their original teams.
In 2026, there are currently 13 such players, not including receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who rejoined the New York Giants after eight years away but was released by the team following Week 3.
Player-team reunions can happen for all sorts of reasons. Some are driven by nostalgia, while others reflect a genuine need at a position or a desire to add a veteran presence to an otherwise young squad.
These are the players currently on NFL rosters who returned to the team that drafted them after at least one year away: quarterback Geno Smith (New York Jets); wide receivers Dyami Brown (Washington Commanders), Chris Moore (Baltimore Ravens) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (San Francisco 49ers); tight ends Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles) and Austin Hooper (Atlanta Falcons); edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney (Houston Texans); linebackers Demario Davis (Jets), Kaden Elliss (New Orleans Saints) and Dre Greenlaw (49ers); defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. (Commanders); and cornerbacks Fabian Moreau (Commanders) and L’Jarius Sneed (Kansas City Chiefs).
We could even add Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who retired in March 2024 but never played for another franchise during his hiatus before making a return this season.
Even more player-team reunions could be on the horizon. There have also been rumblings that veteran receiver Tyreek Hill could sign with the Chiefs and that receiver Jauan Jennings has been floated as a name to watch for the injury-plagued 49ers’ offense, although he would be returning less than a year after leaving in free agency.
Rather than get into the psychology of why teams want to bring back familiar faces, we’re breaking down six of the biggest reunions to find out which are working out for their respective teams.
New York Jets QB Geno Smith
Smith has returned to the team that drafted him in the second round in 2013 and with whom he spent his first four seasons. After spending years with the Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders, he had much more NFL experience going into the second stint with the Jets.
He’s off to one of his more efficient starts through five games, posting 1,084 passing yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. His previous best five-game start came with the Seahawks in 2022, when he posted a 113.2 passer rating with 1,305 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
Smith’s 69.4% completion percentage ranks third in the league, and his zero interceptions are tied with Jared Goff and C.J. Stroud for the fewest among quarterbacks with at least 100 passing attempts. He has a 1.44% pickable pass rate, which ranks second to Bryce Young among 25 quarterbacks with 100+ passing attempts. His 85.6% catchable ball rate leads the group, ahead of the likes of Joe Burrow, Drake Maye and Dak Prescott.
Verdict: Working out
New York Jets LB Demario Davis
The Jets drafted Davis in the third round in 2012 and he spent his first four seasons with them. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2016, then was traded back to the Jets a year later for another season in New York, so this year marks his third stint with the Jets.
His time away from New York, particularly with the Saints from 2018-25, included the bulk of his best-known work. Davis played 147 games elsewhere, recording 623 solo tackles and 33.5 sacks. Across 80 games with the Jets, he had 315 solo tackles and 11.5 sacks.
Davis has been productive in this year’s return, totaling 36 combined tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. His 10.7% run-disruption rate ranks 11th among qualifying linebackers, and his 31.6% pressure rate is 15th. His 81.8% tackle rate, however, ranks 39th among 46 linebackers with at least 100 snaps.
The numbers point to a veteran who can still make plays against the run and contribute as a blitzer, even if his overall consistency hasn’t been at the same level. Davis has brought experience and production back to New York, but there’s room for improvement as the season progresses.
Verdict: Mostly working out
San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel
Before suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5 that’s expected to sideline him for multiple games, Samuel had essentially returned from his year in Washington as the same player who left San Francisco before the 2025 season.
Through five games, Samuel has 16 receptions for 206 yards and three touchdowns, while adding nine rushing attempts for 78 yards. Those numbers translate to similar per-game production to what he posted with the 49ers from 2019-24, when he caught 334 passes for 4,792 yards and 22 touchdowns in six seasons. Samuel has averaged 56.8 scrimmage yards per game in his 49ers’ return, compared with a 69.5 career average entering this season.
His advanced metrics line up with his career numbers, too. Samuel’s 95.0% open rate ranks first among 80 receivers with at least 90 routes run. His 65.0% burn rate ranks 20th, while his 0.2 missed or broken tackles per touch is tied for 23rd.
Those numbers are better than his career averages in some areas. Over his career, Samuel has posted a burn rate of 58.1% and an open rate of 75.4% – so his effectiveness and route running persist this season – but his 2026 rate of missed or broken tackles forced per touch – indicating his ability to make defenders miss – is below his career average of 0.380.
Samuel was producing before his hamstring injury interrupted his return. How well the reunion ultimately works out will depend in part on his ability to get back on the field.
Verdict: Was working out before injury
San Francisco 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw
Greenlaw’s return to San Francisco has reunited the linebacker with the defense where he developed into a key contributor. Having spent the 2025 season with the Denver Broncos, his familiarity with the 49ers’ scheme and a history of making plays in big moments remain evident.
Greenlaw appeared in just eight games for the Broncos last season, recording 15 solo tackles, 1.0 sack, 2.0 TFLs, two quarterback hits, two passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble. His time in Denver was hampered by injuries and a brief NFL suspension before his release this past offseason, so his return to San Francisco has allowed him to get back to the level he showed during his first stint (2019-24) with the 49ers.
Through his early games back, Greenlaw has recorded 18 solo tackles and forced a fumble. His impact has extended beyond the box score: His 12.0% run-disruption rate ranks 10th among 54 linebackers with at least 90 snaps, while his 55.6% pressure rate is second and his 26.7% burn rate allowed fourth in that group.
All of those numbers are better than his career averages, too. In fact, Greenlaw and Kaden Elliss of the Saints (he’s also back with his original team) are the only linebackers among qualifiers to have a run-disruption rate above 8.5%, pressure rate above 27.0% and burn rate allowed below 50.8%.
Greenlaw’s combination of run defense and pass-rush impact has made him a valuable piece of the 49ers defense again. If he can stay on the field and avoid further distractions (he was ejected in Week 5 and is now suspended for Week 6), this reunion looks like a strong fit.
Verdict: Working out
Houston Texans Edge Rusher Jadeveon Clowney
The Texans brought Jadeveon Clowney back in August, seven years after he had moved on from the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2014. After spending time with six other teams, Clowney has given Houston a veteran presence on the edge and flashed the pass-rush ability that made him such a disruptive force during his first stint with the franchise.
Clowney recorded 29.0 sacks, 64.0 TFLs and 67 QB hits in 62 games with Houston from 2014-18. In 91 games elsewhere from 2019-25, he added 37.5 sacks, 56.0 TFLs and 82 QB hits.
This season’s return to the Texans has produced encouraging early signs, even in a limited role. He has three solo tackles, four assists and 1.5 sacks through three games, and his 24.3% pressure rate ranks 22nd among 88 edge rushers with at least 30 pass-rush snaps. His 10.8% knockdown rate is tied for fourth in that group, and his 5.4% adjusted sack rate is 17th.
Clowney’s production doesn’t make him an elite pass rusher at this stage of his career, but the early numbers suggest he can still make life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks. For a Texans team bringing back a familiar face, that’s a worthwhile return.
Verdict: Could be working out better
Kansas City Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed
The Chiefs reunited with Sneed this year after trading him to the Tennessee Titans in 2024, hoping to bring back a cornerback who played a key role in their championship defense. To date, their reunion hasn’t delivered the results they hoped for in the secondary.
Sneed spent four seasons with the Chiefs from 2020-23, recording 223 solo tackles, 40 passes defensed, 10 interceptions and 6.5 sacks in 57 games. He then played just 12 games over two seasons in Tennessee, totaling 37 solo tackles and three passes defensed without an interception or sack.
Through four games back in KC, Sneed has 16 solo tackles, two passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. But his coverage numbers have been less encouraging. His 50% burn rate allowed ranks 42nd and 76.9% open rate 52nd among 65 cornerbacks with at least 90 coverage snaps. His 2.17 burn yards per snap rank 48th, and he’s been flagged four times, tied for the third most in the group.
Sneed’s 50.0% burn rate allowed is worse than his 47.0% career mark and his 76.9% open rate allowed is well above his 66.2% career average. Those numbers point to a cornerback who has struggled to find his previous form since returning to Kansas City.
With younger options such as Nohl Williams and rookie Mansoor Delane in the mix, Sneed will need to show more consistency in coverage to justify the Chiefs’ reunion. His return hasn’t been a disaster, but the early results leave plenty to be desired.
Verdict: Not working out
For more coverage, follow along on social media on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and X.
The post How Are the Best Player-Team Reunions Going in the 2026 NFL Season? appeared first on Opta Analyst.
Post Comment