NFL: No F***ing Loyalty
This offseason has been one for the ages. Already we’ve seen a former league MVP (Newton), two former Super Bowl MVPs (Flacco and Foles), and a man coming off a 5000 yard, 30 TD season (Winston), be handed their walking papers. That quarterback class alone is unprecedented, but what’s really mind boggling is I didn’t include the 22 combined Pro Bowl seasons or nearly 135,000 passing yards of Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers. That’s also only taking quarterbacks into account and disregarding the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Todd Gurley, Devante Freeman, and Stefon Diggs.
This offseason has been outrageous to say the least. One thing that has been made abundantly clear is that loyalty is not a high priority for either the players or their organizations.The NFL could easily stand for No F’ing Loyalty. While the 2019 free agency period has been an extreme example of this, the NFL and it’s players are notorious for late career divorces. The following are the ten most glaring examples of a player who finished their career, in the wrong uniform.
- Phillip Rivers - Indianapolis Colts
Notable Achievements
- 8x Pro Bowler
- All time Chargers passing leader (74,751)
- All time Chargers TD leader (397)
San Diego decided to move on from Drew Brees and roll the dice with the young Phillip Rivers. While Brees has become one of the most prolific passers in the history of the league, Rivers put up some pretty gaudy numbers himself. Rivers will likely finish his hall of fame career with the Indianapolis Colts, as the two sides parted ways this offseason.
- Tony Gonzalez - Atlanta Falcons
Notable Achievements
- Hall of Fame
- 6x All Pro
- 14x Pro Bowler
- Kansas City career leader in Receiving Yards (10,940), TDs (76)
- Most career Tight End receptions
Tony Gonzalez is the greatest Tight End in the history of the game. Not only does he pace all TEs in yardage, he also leads all wide receivers not named Jerry Rice as well. Gonzalez was a dynamic talent for the chiefs and their best player for well over a decade. He ended his career in Atlanta averaging 88 catches, 895 yards, and 8 TDs. Tony clearly still had it.
- Adrian Peterson - Arizona Cardinals / New Orleans Saints / Washington Redskins
Notable Achievements
- 1x League MVP
- 4x All Pro
- 7x Pro Bowler
- Vikings career leader Rushing Yards (11747) TDs (102)
- 2,097 rushing yard in 2012
Adrian Peterson has been the best running back of his era. In 2012 Peterson finished less than 10 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record and became only the 7th player ever to rush for over 2000 yards in a season. Peterson likely would have put up even more ridiculous numbers had he not had to miss the better part of a season on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and serving a suspension. Adrian Peterson bounced around to Arizona and New Orleans before settling in Washington and adding a few more 1000 yard seasons to his hall of fame resume.
- LaDanian Tomlinson - New York Jets
Notable Achievements
- Hall of Fame
- 1x MVP
- 3x All Pro
- 5x Pro Bowler
- Chargers all time Rushing Yards leader (12,490)
- Chargers career TD leader (138)
The Chargers made one of the most shocking draft day trades of all time shipping Michael Vick off to the Falcons. At the time it looked like a grave mistake. It was, but for the Falcons. The Chargers drafted 2 hall of fame talents that year with Tomlinson and Drew Brees. Tomlinson would go on to become the most electric Charger to ever lace them up. Tomlinson would rewrite the record books in San Diego before winding his career down as a Jet. He proved to San Diego that he wasn’t finished yet averaging 47 receptions, 1005 yards and almost 5 TDs a season in his two year stint with the green team.
- Brett Favre - New York Jets / Minnesota Vikings
Notable Achievements
- Hall of Fame
- 3x MVP
- 3x All Pro
- 11x Pro Bowler
- 1x Super Bowl Champion
- Packers career Passing Yards leaders (61,665) TDs (442)
The greatest soap opera I ever witnessed took place as Brett Favre got involved in a nasty love triangle with his former spouse Green Bay, and their new lover Aaron Rodgers. After announcing that they would be moving on from the legendary gunslinger, Favre took his talents to the Jets and posted very mediocre numbers in his one year in New York. The following season he went back to the NFC North and signed with the rival Vikings. Favre was able to take Minnesota on a great run to the NFC championship game losing a heartbreaker in overtime. Favre threw for 4,202 yards, 33 TDS and only 7 interceptions in that magical 2009 run. The following season was not as kind as Favre ended his career with a whimper throwing 19 interceptions and only 11 touchdowns.
- Emmitt Smith - Arizona Cardinals
Notable Achievements
- Hall of Fame
- 1x MVP
- 4x All Pro
- 8x Pro Bowler
- 3x Super Bowl Champion
- NFL career rushing leader (17,162)
- NFL career rushing TD leader (153)
Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin...the list goes on for all time great Dallas Cowboys. Yet one man has set himself apart as the greatest to ever wear the star. As a Cowboys fan this one hurts more deeply than the others. Emmitt Smith broke the NFL rushing record and then was turned loose by the only team he had ever known the following season. After Emmitt posted at least 1000 all purpose yards in each of his first 13 seasons, he failed to reach that mark for the only time in his career during his first year with the Cardinals. Emmitt did go out on a high note with 1042 yards and 10 TDs in his final act. Fun fact, one of those TDs in the final season came on Emmitt’s only career passing attempt, as he became the oldest player in league history to throw for his first career passing TD.
- Joe Montana - Kansas City Chiefs
Notable Achievements
- Hall of Famer
- 2x MVP
- 3x All Pro
- 8x Pro Bowler
- 4x Super Bowl Champion
- 49ers career passing yards leader (35,124)
- 49ers career passing TD leader (244)
Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers built a dynasty in the 1980s winning 4 Super Bowls. “Joe Cool” became a legend orchestrating legendary plays such as“The Catch”, as well as a 92 yard Super Bowl winning drive in Super Bowl XXIII. Montana won 2 MVPs, a Comeback Player of the Year award, and was a staple on both the Pro Bowl and All Pro team. After failing to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls in 1990, Montana’s career was derailed due to injury. By the time Montana was healthy enough to play again, Steve Young had established himself as the face of the franchise, and Montana was subsequently traded to Kansas City. Montana was able to lead the Chiefs to the AFC championship in his first season, making his last Pro Bowl team. He limped the Chiefs to the playoffs in his final year, finishing 9-7 and being bounced in the first round against Miami. Meanwhile, Steve Young led the 49ers to their 5th Super Bowl championship.
- Jerry Rice - Oakland Raiders / Seattle Seahawks
Notable Achievements
- Hall of Fame
- 10x All Pro
- 13x Pro Bowler
- 3x Super Bowl Champion
- NFL career leader reception yards (19,247)
- NFL career TD leaders (176)
Jerry Rice began his career with a modest stat line of 49 catches, 927 yards, and 3 TDs. Over the next 11 years he averaged 91 catches, 1404 yards, 12 TDs!!!! His level of production simply has never been replicated by another player. Jerry Rice became the consistent factor as San Francisco transitioned from one hall of fame quarterback to another. Rice suffered an injury in year 13 and only played in 2 games. He came back strong the following year topping 1000 yards once again, but looked to be in decline going into year 15. San Francisco had another emerging hall of fame wide receiver on their roster in Terrell Owens and Rice posted back to back seasons under 900 yards. San Francisco decided to move on from the greatest player in it’s franchise history, assuming that his career was likely over. Jerry Rice would do what he did best throughout his career and prove all the doubters wrong averaging 88 receptions, 1,175 yards and 8 TDs in his first two seasons in Oakland. Jerry would post one more solid season with the raiders with 63 catches for 869 yards in his 19th year in the league, before playing just 17 games over his last two NFL seasons.
- Peyton Manning - Denver Broncos
Notable Achievements
- 4 Time MVP
- 7x All Pro
- 14x Pro Bowler
- 2x Super Bowl champion
- Colts career leader passing yards (54,828)
- Colts career leader passing TDs (399)
- NFL career leader QBR (94.9)
Peyton Manning was selected number one overall in the 1998 NFL draft and would go on to start 208 consecutive games with the Indianapolis Colts. During this stretch he won 3 league MVPs and a Super Bowl MVP. He averaged a modest stat line of 4,217 yards and 31 TDs in that 13 year span. After never missing a game, Peyton was forced to sit out the 2011 season and watched as the only franchise he had ever known drafted Andrew Luck to replace him. Manning would sign with the Broncos and post the best 3 year stretch of his career averaging 4,954 yards and 44 TDs. Peyton posted the best season of his career, and the second best statistical season of all time in 2013 as he led the league with 5,477 yards and 55 TDs. Manning would take the Broncos all the way to the Super Bowl that year, losing to the Legion of Boom Seahawks. After not missing a game in his first three years Peyton finally declined in his last season throwing for only 2,249 yards and 9 TDs in 10 games. He would however end his career on the ultimate high note capturing his second Super Bowl and riding off into the sunset. While Luck would prove to be a franchise quarterback, he never got the Colts to the Super Bowl, while Peyton took Denver to two.
- Tom Brady - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Notable Achievements
- 3 Time MVP
- 3x All Pro
- 14x Pro Bowler
- 6x Super Bowl Champion
- Patriots career leader in passing yards (74,751)
- Patriots career leader in passing TDS (541)
Tom Brady is the greatest football player to ever step foot on the field. Some will argue Brees, Peyton, or Jerry Rice, but when you take the statistical output and combine it with the team successes, there is no argument. Tom Brady is no longer a New England Patriot, pulling a Lebron James and taking his talents to Florida. Brady trails Drew Brees by 2,845 yards and only 6 TDs and joins a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that produced two 1000 yard receivers and over 30 TDs in 2019. Jameis Winston was able to throw for 5000 yards. Will Chris Godwin and Mike Evans help Brady finally catch Brees in the record books? Only time will tell. Tampa Bay instantly became Super Bowl contenders the moment Brady signed on the dotted line. We now enter the final chapter of Brady’s historic career. It should be a great one.
Did I miss somebody? Drop me a line below and let me know your opinion. With so many all time greats spending the twilight of their careers on different teams the NFL clearly should stand for No Fucking Loyalty. Stay True!
Notable Omissions:
Zach
I’d throw Reggie Wayne in there too.