Team turnover: Which NFL teams have seen the most roster turnover over the last three seasons?

Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay with defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

• Highest return rates: From 2021 to 2022, the Los Angeles Rams had the highest return rate at 86.8%. Next were the Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions at 81%.

• Lowest return rates: The Chicago Bears (34%), Las Vegas Raiders at (41%) and Atlanta Falcons (45%) had the lowest return rates over that same stretch.

• By division: Looking at roster retention by division since 2020, the NFC West had the highest average rate of return (72%), while the AFC South and NFC North had the lowest average rate of return (63%).

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes


Roster turnover is a big deal in the NFL. If a team can maintain a solid roster despite the ebb and flow of the modern game, they will enter the season on the right track.

With the excitement of free agency and the draft now behind us, it's the perfect time to look at which NFL teams have had the most roster turnover over the past three seasons.

Note: The NFL logo represents the league-average percentage of returning players.

The above graphic shows the percentage of players that returned to the same team year over year.

From 2021 to 2022, the Los Angeles Rams had the highest return rate at 86.8%. Next were the Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions at 81%. The Chicago Bears (34%), Las Vegas Raiders at (41%) and Atlanta Falcons (45%) had the lowest return rates.

Looking at roster retention by division since 2020, the NFC West had the highest average rate of return at 72%, while the AFC South and the NFC North had the lowest average rate of return at 63%. If we go by conference, the NFC has a slight edge, returning 67% of players to their teams on average. The AFC is slightly below, at 66%.

Is there a relationship between return rate and success in the following season?

An initial study shows that there is not a strong correlation between the two variables, likely because we're not accounting for the quality of returning or departing players or the strength of schedule.

This is something we can explore in greater detail in future articles.

The Rankings (2020, 2021, 2022)

2020

2021

2022

 

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