5 NFL players whose careers were ruined by the teams they were stuck with
In the NFL, individual effort and sacrifice on behalf of a player can build careers. However, there are certain factors that a player can’t control, most notably the team that drafts him and the teammates that surround him.
We’re seeing a new era of young players, especially quarterbacks, who look to have a hand in recruitment at the NFL level. For example, Joe Burrow lobbied for former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase to be drafted by the Bengals.
There is a reason for this trend: many NFL players have seen their careers falter due to their team holding them back.
On that note, here are five NFL players who had their careers ruined by being on a bad team.
#1 Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions)
Many consider Barry Sanders the greatest running back to have ever played in the NFL. The Detroit Lions drafted him, and their lack of quality was hugely detrimental to what Sanders achieved.
Despite rushing for over 2,000 yards in an outstanding 1997 season, in which he won the NFL MVP award, Sanders was never able to lead the team to success.
Sanders was humble and had no interest in anything other than team success. So, it hurt him immeasurably when, after their run to the NFC Championship game in the 1991 season, the Lions never again won a playoff game with him on the team.
On four further occasions, the Lions rode on Sanders’ rushing ability to the postseason, and on all four occasions, the team lost.
Sanders retired after just 10 seasons in the NFL. It is widely thought that the constant pain of falling short influenced his decision to quit despite being in his prime.
#2 Archie Manning (New Orleans Saints)
Archie Manning is now better known for being the father of legendary quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, but the former signal caller was supposed to have a legendary career of his own.
Selected second overall in the 1971 NFL Draft, Manning joined the New Orleans Saints in what proved to be a career-killing move.
In 11 seasons with the Saints, he was never part of a team with a winning record. The Saints never built a strong team, painfully ignoring the offensive line and watching him take 337 sacks.
In 1981 Archie Manning has the highest salary in the NFL at $600,000.
College freshman Arch Manning will make several times more.
Manning was the shining light on a poor team for so long, which is why he isn’t remembered as fondly as his sons. His talent was wasted in New Orleans, and he took a physical beating for it.
This also explains why he took such a keen interest in keeping Eli away from the Chargers in 2004. He just didn’t want the same thing to happen to his son.