5 NFL superstars who recovered after terrible rookie seasons
Some of the best players in the NFL have hit the ground running as soon as they were drafted into the league. A recent example of this is Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who in his rookie campaign recorded 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. This was good enough to set the rookie receiving yard record, beating former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson's record a year earlier.
However, some of the best players in NFL history struggled to adapt early on. They had rough rookie seasons and were likely one bad sophomore campaign from being let go. Through hard work and determination, they found their feet and set the league alight. Here are five such examples.
#1 - Alex Smith
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith had one of the most dismal rookie seasons in league history. He was selected first overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith only managed to pass for one touchdown against 11 interceptions in his rookie year, starting nine games after dealing with an injury.
Smith recovered from this and played his best football with the Kansas City Chiefs, who he joined in 2013. He would make three Pro Bowls, as well as mentoring Patrick Mahomes.
Smith would suffer a gruesome injury while playing for the Washington Redskins, suffering a spiral and compound fracture to his tibia and fibia. He made a miraculous recovery to the game, winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2020. In his career he threw for 35,650 yards 199 touchdowns and 109 interceptions.
#2 - Terry Bradshaw
Pittsburgh Steelers icon Terry Bradshaw might be a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, but it didn’t always seem like that would be his career trajectory. Bradshaw was the first overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, but had a terrible rookie season. The Steelers quarterback passed for six touchdowns, whereas he threw 24 interceptions in just eight starts.
Bradshaw would improve and he would pass for 212 career touchdowns as he won four Super Bowl titles. He was voted into three Pro Bowls and was named into the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team. He was never afraid to throw the ball and finished his career with an incredible 210 interceptions.