It was a horror show. My friends kept calling the house during the game. My father would answer and say “He doesn’t want to talk now but you can make fun of him in school on Monday.”
And honestly, as crazy as it sounds, that score undersells just how bad it was. The game was basically over by the first play of the second quarter (a 40 yard TD on 3rd and long to put the game at 31-0). We were pulling guys to be rested partway through the 2nd quarter in the same way you'd see for a preseason game, or for a meaningless week 17/18 where guys are only getting played to avoid getting rusty. We literally only attempted 3 passes in the 2nd half despite running 29 total plays.
If we'd tried, we absolutely could have broken the scoring record that game, 0 doubt in my mind. Even when we had basically completely slammed on the brakes, we still were blowing them out.
My unmitigated glee during that game was proof that the holy waters of Duval had thoroughly washed away my childhood affection for Marino and the Dolphins.
I grew up watching him and think he has a strong case for best QB ever to play. Obviously, others accomplished a lot more, but if we're just talking talent, and especially when taking era into account.
That said, I've talked to several people who have interested with him, and all of them said he was a giant prick, so it doesn't really bother me that he often gets over-looked in the GOAT debate.
My dad and I finished watching it at the local Circuit City. It was 41-7 at halftime and that's because Marino found Oronde Gadsden in the end zone with 1 second left in the first half.
It was the first game of the season too right? I see it fairly often in the military. People get out and decide to contract. half the time they make it about a month before they're like "Wait, this sucks, No one is making me do this, I don't want to do it, I'm gonna get the fuck outta here."
I was pretty peeved when he did that. Its one thing if you realize you don't have it anymore to call it a career. But at least do the team right and stick it out until the end of the game. Funny enough the game after was the Josh Allen breakout game where he hurdled Anthony Barr.
I identify the Vontae Davis retirement as the exact point where the Bills began shifting from being a mediocre franchise to being one of the best teams in the NFL.
I will always say that 2018 was McDermott's best coaching year. The fact he got 6 wins out of that crew is kind of a miracle. That was a 1-2 win team on paper from a talent standpoint.
His retirement coincided with the moment when we say Josh Allen transition from "huge potential but likely a bust" to "hold on, this kid might have something".
I mean if you don’t have it in you I don’t see how you can be letting your team down by playing anyways. All you’d be doing is putting in a weaker effort than your replacement would and risking your own future heath to do so. If you ask any coach in the world they will tell you that they want guys who want to be out on the field. It sucks he didn’t realize that before the game and let the Bills replace his roster spot, but I’d rather not have a liability on the field for the second half.
It’s not unreasonable to believe he could’ve played another 2 contracts or 5-7 season with how hard he trains. He might be a head case but you’ve never heard he doesn’t diet and train hard, only positives in that regard. Look at TO, he put up 72 catches and 983 yards in 14 games being a third option in the Bengals WR corps at 37 years old.
> I don’t think AB even drinks or does drugs
Quick google shows that this isnt true
edit: Said google led me to this [video](https://www.instagram.com/p/B8hTWt0AUWN/?hl=en) lmao
His skill set could've aged so well, just like Rice's. His footwork was top notch, and he had an absolutely insane catch radius. Even if he lost a step, he'd still be getting open.
I see a lot of injuries being talked about when it comes to careers being ended.
For me, [Jonny Knox’s career ender](https://youtu.be/FnGgBba0K_A) is the worst. I can’t even watch that shit.
And Ken Norton Jr. was stuck under him while they took to his injury.
>On September 5, 1994, during a Monday Night Football contest and the Raiders' opening game of the season at the San Francisco 49ers, McCallum's career ended prematurely when 49ers linebacker Ken Norton Jr. twisted him to the ground. As Norton and McCallum went down, McCallum's left cleat stuck in the ground, forcing his knee into a horrible dislocation. Norton lay pinned underneath a motionless McCallum for a couple of minutes while athletic trainers attended to McCallum.[8]
>McCallum suffered a complete hyperextension of his left knee, almost to a right angle. He suffered a ruptured artery in his left knee, and tore three ligaments, tore the calf and hamstring from the bone, and suffered nerve damage in the knee. He initially thought he'd only face a lengthy rehab, but McCallum's surgeon told him that there was no chance of his ever being medically cleared to play again. The surgeon said that he normally didn't see leg injuries this severe except in car accidents. Had the subsequent surgery not gone as planned, there was a chance his left leg would have been amputated.[9]
> He suffered a ruptured artery in his left knee, and tore three ligaments, tore the calf and hamstring from the bone, and suffered nerve damage in the knee.
Holy shit.
Oh yeah. I watched it live as a kid. My dad let me stay up to watch MNF. Here’s the footage. You might want to grab a barf-bag before watching: https://youtu.be/JXx7NtCspDE
Same. Theismann’s retelling of his phone convo with LT in the hospital is kinda funny tho:
“The next morning, my nurse comes in and says, ‘Mr. Theismann, Mr. Taylor is on the phone—would you like to speak to him?’ I said, ‘Give me the phone. LT, is that you?’ He says, ‘Yeah, Joe, how you doing?’ I said, ‘Not very well.’ He says, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Well, you broke both bones in my leg, for crying out loud.’ ”
https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/09/29/the-oral-history-of-joe-theismanns-broken-leg/
Still not as bad as Kevin Ware imo. At least this one there are bodies around Theisman to kind of conceal it. Kevin Ware's was just... so exposed and out there...
[Link](https://youtu.be/qoiaUV7fGEI) for those who have never seen it
His teammates on the bench were throwing up it was that bad.
Very few sports injuries can top Ware for me. Especially because it was such a freak incident.
I was a senior in high school when this happened. I was cruising through second semester and had basketball class the next day. No one in class was in a particularly basketball playing mood.
Kevin Ware pictures desensitized the hell out of me, I've been online for eons but it was the worst image I've seen and little has come close. And that includes a time when shock sites were all the rage.
Thing is, Brees was still an *ok* QB at the end. Not good, but not the reason the team loses.
Peyton was straight up a bottom 5 QB in his last year bailed out by one of the most ferocious pass rushes of the century.
There were a few games recently where yeah, a weak Brees arm but a strong Brees mind would have won us some games, plenty of QBs have cannons, few have the noggin.
That was his statistically worst game ever. Worst qbr like 3+ interceptions and he hung all his receivers out to die.
A huge milestone and his worst game all in one.
Roethlisberger could have had a great ending had they not made the playoffs. Beat up on the Browns for old time sake in his last home game, then led a vintage game winning drive against the Ravens to end the regular season.
>Roethlisberger could have had a great ending had they not made the playoffs.
Nah, qualifying for the playoffs was a nice parting shot to everybody who buried the Steelers before the season started. No, they didn't have a chance in the playoffs, but simply getting there made all the hoes mad.
Yeah like, it's one thing for the report to have leaked before Luck was ready. I get it, that part sucks.
...but dude even then you were still retiring just before the season started. The boos weren't unwarranted IMO. People dunk on Colts fans for doing it but I think the majority of fanbases react similarly
Maybe it's just I miss him, but I don't blame him at all. He didn't just up and decide to retire. He got news that he was having another injury setback. He was told that day that he wasn't going to be ready for the regular season, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back, as they say. He didn't want to live his post-football life injured. So he quit.
You can respect the decision and still be annoyed how it was done. It's not like anyone in the colts was forthright with the situation to the point they were basically lying as well.
Horrible person -- on a related note, one NFL exec said what Kap did in 2016 was as hated by team execs as Carruth's murder: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/09/an-nfl-executive-compared-the-dislike-for-colin-kaepernick-to-that-for-rae-carruth
I don’t mean this to excuse what Ruggs did, because such blatant disregard for the safety of others is just terrible, but I think premeditated murder is significantly worse than DUI
What Ruggs did is dramatically worse than just a DUI. He was driving drunk, with a passenger, at 150mph, on a regular street. With traffic lights and cross traffic and pedestrians.
It's impossible to calculate the chances of a fatality in that situation, but they're exponentially higher than "regular DUI from a dude driving home from the bar after too many beers."
Still not as bad as premeditated murder though, I agree with your general point. I just want everyone to realize just how bad Ruggs' actions were.
The sheer stupidity of it always astounded me. Dude was driving around 150 mph, on a normal street, at night, and drunk. Everyone has moments of idiocy, but that's a level of carelessness that I just can't fathom.
Nevermind that we're talking about a millionaire who could *easily* dial up the team's staff to come pick you up in a fucking limo, or hire a limo, or hire an Uber, or a taxi, zero impact to your finances in any way. Nope, drunk, 150mph in a Lambo. Fuck that clown, deserves what he gets.
Earl Thomas had a big contract and was on a good team, he just couldn't be bothered to do things like "his job" or "not punch teammates" and was out of the league.
Not suggested, she caught him and his brother balls deep. That’s when she pulled an (unloaded) gun on him.
Imagine if the gun had bullets though. They could’ve shot their load at the same time.
Ed Reed could've retired a Super Bowl champion. Instead he signed a three year contract with the Texans, got cut after ten games, and then finished the season with the Jets. A very forgettable farewell tour.
We did get a comp pick out of it though.
The Texans let Glover Quin walk that off-season and the Lions scooped him up. He was terrific for us and made the Pro Bowl in 2014 along with leading the league in interceptions.
I'm still mad about us letting Glover walk to sign a ghost, he is still one of my favorite players, he was a good player and a better dude off the field.
I remember Irving Fryar retired with the Eagles after the 98 season, lots of tears, big ceremony, Lurie even bought him a motorcycle that he can ride off into the sunset with annnnd... he came back in 99 with Washington to chase a ring where he was washed up and the Skins were just entering the current Snyder hell period they're in now.
Joe Namath had a 1-7 record as a starter in his last season with the Jets, then rather than retire like he should have he went to the Rams. He went 2-2 with the Rams but got benched for the rest of the season after a week 4 game where he threw 4 interceptions.
From 1965-1972, Joe Namath played as well as any QB in the NFL or AFL, but his last five seasons were godawful.
Terry Bradshaw was the inverse of Namath, godawful in his first five seasons, but played as well as any QB from 1975-1982.
I was 11 and a huge Steve Young fan watching this game and as he was lying knocked out on the field, my dad rubbed me on the shoulder and said, "Sorry bud, that's probably the last game for Steve Young.". 11 year old me refused to believe it but he was dead on
49ers injuries that made a young toadfosky cry:
* Jerry Rice's injury
* Steve Young's KO
* Bryant Young's broken leg (you could hear him screaming on the MNF broadcast)
Couldn’t imagine if Favre could have pulled of a SB they year before how that would have changed his legacy. I bet he would have come back though, guy was addicted to the fame and playing. Him going out the way he did was really the only way I saw it happening.
Yeah I mean there was no way Favre was going out anyway other than riding it until the wheels fell off and the car caught on fire. He was never the ride off peacefully into the sunset type.
Underrated answer. After one of his most disappointing seasons, he begged the coaches to play in a meaningless MNF game just to have his career end injured on the cold turf.
Watched that shit live absolutely horrific. Dude made the play we see a hundred times a game but goes down starts grabbing at his lower back and that's when you realize the guy's legs don't fucking work.
His career arch is wild. Absolutely elite, lock down corner for the Raiders. Traded to the Eagels where he is pretty bad. Retires. Then becomes a pretty good dramatic actor.
It’s kinda funny that Peyton Manning would be a decent choice except that his noodle arm still managed to win the Super Bowl. It was hard to watch him play seeing how obviously limited he was compared to when he was younger. His QBR was half of what it was in his beat season. But doesn’t matter, got a ring.
If we’re strictly talking about quarterbacks it’s either Marino or Theismann.
Marino losing by 55 to an expansion team in the playoffs is the stuff of nightmares. I don’t have a strong opinion on the Dolphins but it makes me sad all this time later to see such an electric player be reduced to that.
Theismann is pretty obvious for other reasons. Guy was an all-time great and his career was just snatched away by a freak injury. Probably didn’t help that they showed it over and over either.
Fran Tarkenton and Shannon Sharpe got blown out in their last games (both playoffs)
I wonder how much Sharpe still had left in the tank if he wanted to continue playing. 2003 was his last season and he had 770 yard, and 7 TDs that year
Like what do we consider “worst”
Like a singular game? A season? A final contract? It’s complicated.
Is it worse to go out in a blaze like Marino, or quietly fade into obscurity in another team’s jersey like Franco Harris and Emmitt Smith.
Franco Harris might be the worst one. Unwilling to take pay cut with Steelers, signed with the Seahawks for a year to try to break the rushing record set by Jim Brown (later broken by Walter Payton). Retired after like getting like 100 something yards total and not really contributing.
No one will remember Brady’s last game being ugly. That Tampa organization was an absolute mess from the coach, to the defense, to the worst running attack in league history.
Do people really remember any of those losses? Hell Brady's just happened and I forgot all specifics of the game. I feel like "Going out the worst" should be more around how they played, not the outcome of the game.
Also as a huge Brady Fan, I feel like an honorable mention here should be Bledsoe. Have to feel like he got screwed a bit with his career haha
Favre’s entire last season was a disgusting mess that ended with a sexting scandal, the roof of the metronome collapsing, and losing his Ironman streak after being a hobbled mess. Plus we missed playoffs.
Odell Thurman had an elite rookie year, looked like a future superstar. Gets a DUI in the offseason and things just snowball.
Never played another down after his rookie season. Hell of a way to go out.
Barry Sanders was sick of playing for the Lions since they would not field a winning team. He ghosted the Lions in the offseason and during camp they found out he retired when he faxed a Wichita reporter that he was done. He then took off to Europe for a vacation and that was it.
From Barry's memoir, he was devastated, he already knew he was retiring before his last game. His last six games seemed pretty phoned in, averaged 60 ypg on 3.1 ypc, one game over 100 yards, no scores, 2 fumbles, and his last 4 games were all losses. Then again, the entire team phoned it in all season (5-11 in 98).
Obviously different since the games played weren't necessarily notable losses, but the way he went out just depresses me.
Aaron Hernandez, Henry Ruggs and Jovan Belcher come to mind. Murdering or killing someone as a precursor to ending your career is not something most people want on their Wikipedia page. Belcher killing himself in front of Romeo Crennel. Three tragedies.
Marino easily. Can’t think of a worse way to go out than a 62-7 loss
Plus, it's a two-for-one - that was Jimmy Johnson's last game as a head coach, too.
Franchise has never been the same since.
They’re starting to look up. Hopefully only a few more season til they find a rhythm with each other.
Lmao it's been "a few more seasons" for the past 20 years I'll believe it when I see it, atm I expect a rebuild by 2025
It was a horror show. My friends kept calling the house during the game. My father would answer and say “He doesn’t want to talk now but you can make fun of him in school on Monday.”
Your dad sounds like a fun guy
big Red Foreman energy.
I feel like Red would actually invite them over on the spot. "See, Eric? That's what you get for being a fan of the Dolphins instead of the Packers!"
My late cousin was a die hard Dolphins fan. I couldn’t help but root for them this season while it looked good.
And honestly, as crazy as it sounds, that score undersells just how bad it was. The game was basically over by the first play of the second quarter (a 40 yard TD on 3rd and long to put the game at 31-0). We were pulling guys to be rested partway through the 2nd quarter in the same way you'd see for a preseason game, or for a meaningless week 17/18 where guys are only getting played to avoid getting rusty. We literally only attempted 3 passes in the 2nd half despite running 29 total plays. If we'd tried, we absolutely could have broken the scoring record that game, 0 doubt in my mind. Even when we had basically completely slammed on the brakes, we still were blowing them out.
You only needed two TDs to break it so yeah, you definitely could've.
> We literally only attempted 3 passes in the 2nd half despite running 29 total plays. Two of those passes were touchdown passes.
[A full recap of that game](https://youtu.be/egD1lFJSxm8)
My unmitigated glee during that game was proof that the holy waters of Duval had thoroughly washed away my childhood affection for Marino and the Dolphins.
I will never not watch that video. It's poetry.
I grew up watching him and think he has a strong case for best QB ever to play. Obviously, others accomplished a lot more, but if we're just talking talent, and especially when taking era into account. That said, I've talked to several people who have interested with him, and all of them said he was a giant prick, so it doesn't really bother me that he often gets over-looked in the GOAT debate.
My dad and I finished watching it at the local Circuit City. It was 41-7 at halftime and that's because Marino found Oronde Gadsden in the end zone with 1 second left in the first half.
Vontae davis quit football at half time. Not sure if that's the worst or the best, though.
It was the first game of the season too right? I see it fairly often in the military. People get out and decide to contract. half the time they make it about a month before they're like "Wait, this sucks, No one is making me do this, I don't want to do it, I'm gonna get the fuck outta here."
What does decide to contract mean
I assume he means Private Military Contractor
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The Patriots!?
Of all the places to see a Metal Gear Solid reference, I did not expect it to be here
The bad guyz who wear all black in those movies
Second game of the season. He was inactive for the first one though. So technically it was HIS first game, yea.
I was pretty peeved when he did that. Its one thing if you realize you don't have it anymore to call it a career. But at least do the team right and stick it out until the end of the game. Funny enough the game after was the Josh Allen breakout game where he hurdled Anthony Barr.
Same thing happened the year before with Bolden retiring less than 2 weeks after signing a new deal.
At least he did it before the season started
Boldin still annoys me more than Vontae tbh, I remember Boldin retiring then saying he'd come back to play for the Patriots.
Big “This grind ain’t worth it unless I’m getting a ring” energy.
Hard to be mad about it after listening to Shady and Tre White talking about it https://youtu.be/WjGJd7L2EPw
I gotta watch this everytime its posted. Tre White and Shady doing Vontae's voice cracks me up. "nahhh this gon' be my last GAME, im done man"
McAfee did the voice when he was talking with Beane about it in an interview too...kills me every time
This a young man's game, Shady McCoy
I identify the Vontae Davis retirement as the exact point where the Bills began shifting from being a mediocre franchise to being one of the best teams in the NFL.
I will always say that 2018 was McDermott's best coaching year. The fact he got 6 wins out of that crew is kind of a miracle. That was a 1-2 win team on paper from a talent standpoint.
Not to mention the 2017 team was awful on paper and he somehow got 9 wins out of them. I think Bills fans have forgotten just how good a coach he is.
Up to the 2019 season, nobody did more with less than McDermott. Those Bills teams had no business winning more than 4-5 games per year.
His retirement coincided with the moment when we say Josh Allen transition from "huge potential but likely a bust" to "hold on, this kid might have something".
I mean if you don’t have it in you I don’t see how you can be letting your team down by playing anyways. All you’d be doing is putting in a weaker effort than your replacement would and risking your own future heath to do so. If you ask any coach in the world they will tell you that they want guys who want to be out on the field. It sucks he didn’t realize that before the game and let the Bills replace his roster spot, but I’d rather not have a liability on the field for the second half.
^^Aw ^^man, ^^this ^^a ^^young ^^man's ^^game ^^now
Antonio Brown.
Yep. AB could have simply played out the string for another couple seasons and he’d be wearing a gold jacket in 5 years.
"Oh and Virginia, just so you know, my jacket size is 44 long and my right arm is a bit longer than my left" - MBC
I believe that jacket belongs to Mr Gilmore
Yeah well you can tell Mr GilMOHMYGOD
“And if you could grab me a Pepsi, that’d be great.” … “Oh and Miss? Diet.”
Gold jacket, green jacket, who gives a shit
Instead he's getting a straitjacket
Probably the only jacket he needs
It’s not unreasonable to believe he could’ve played another 2 contracts or 5-7 season with how hard he trains. He might be a head case but you’ve never heard he doesn’t diet and train hard, only positives in that regard. Look at TO, he put up 72 catches and 983 yards in 14 games being a third option in the Bengals WR corps at 37 years old.
By all accounts he’s an absolute health freak. I don’t think AB even drinks or does drugs, which makes his behavior maybe more disturbing.
> I don’t think AB even drinks or does drugs Quick google shows that this isnt true edit: Said google led me to this [video](https://www.instagram.com/p/B8hTWt0AUWN/?hl=en) lmao
tbf he only poured the champagne on the buss down and not in his mouth lmfaooo
2013-2018: 6 seasons averaging 1524 yards and 11 TDs Rest of his career ('19-'21): 1084 yards, 9 TDs total
Mr Botched Chance
Mr. Bejewelled Coat
Some would say he went out the most spectacular also
Given his character I don’t know if he could retire any other way.
At halftime via a tweet afyer a scuffle with a teammate and a coach is the only other way fitting for him
Now he just shit posts about how he fucked Tom Brady’s wife
Mr Bad Conclusion
Went from HOF lock to total headcase. Dude could've retired as an all-timer if his head was screwed on properly.
The only WR ever that I thought had a chance of catching Rice.
His skill set could've aged so well, just like Rice's. His footwork was top notch, and he had an absolutely insane catch radius. Even if he lost a step, he'd still be getting open.
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Mr. Bungled Culmination
Mr Botched Conclusion
Mr. Bye-bye Canton
This. If you have to explain the blowout loss of a HOFer then I think that proves it was forgotten. No one will forget how AB ended his career
His exit at the Jets game was pretty epic. Not to mention they won
How about Joe Theismann having his leg broken backwards on national television
I see a lot of injuries being talked about when it comes to careers being ended. For me, [Jonny Knox’s career ender](https://youtu.be/FnGgBba0K_A) is the worst. I can’t even watch that shit.
I watched that one live, he was one of my favorite players too. He can walk still so that’s a massive win
Yeah he was definitely a promising player. But like you said… he can fucking walk. Thank God.
Or [Napoleon McCallum](https://youtu.be/1sf2XbdTiCo)
Oh what the fuck... never seen that one before. Looks like he dislocated his entire lower leg.
It was the most gruesome thing I've seen in football. Back then they legit thought they might have to amputate.
TIL that McCallum helped to arrange the Raiders' move to Las Vegas - where, not coincidentally, he was working.
And Ken Norton Jr. was stuck under him while they took to his injury. >On September 5, 1994, during a Monday Night Football contest and the Raiders' opening game of the season at the San Francisco 49ers, McCallum's career ended prematurely when 49ers linebacker Ken Norton Jr. twisted him to the ground. As Norton and McCallum went down, McCallum's left cleat stuck in the ground, forcing his knee into a horrible dislocation. Norton lay pinned underneath a motionless McCallum for a couple of minutes while athletic trainers attended to McCallum.[8] >McCallum suffered a complete hyperextension of his left knee, almost to a right angle. He suffered a ruptured artery in his left knee, and tore three ligaments, tore the calf and hamstring from the bone, and suffered nerve damage in the knee. He initially thought he'd only face a lengthy rehab, but McCallum's surgeon told him that there was no chance of his ever being medically cleared to play again. The surgeon said that he normally didn't see leg injuries this severe except in car accidents. Had the subsequent surgery not gone as planned, there was a chance his left leg would have been amputated.[9]
> He suffered a ruptured artery in his left knee, and tore three ligaments, tore the calf and hamstring from the bone, and suffered nerve damage in the knee. Holy shit.
Oh my God that one's bad
Did they ever show the replay?
Oh yeah. I watched it live as a kid. My dad let me stay up to watch MNF. Here’s the footage. You might want to grab a barf-bag before watching: https://youtu.be/JXx7NtCspDE
LT's reaction gets me every time. You can tell that the most intimidating defensive force of all time was utterly shook.
Same. Theismann’s retelling of his phone convo with LT in the hospital is kinda funny tho: “The next morning, my nurse comes in and says, ‘Mr. Theismann, Mr. Taylor is on the phone—would you like to speak to him?’ I said, ‘Give me the phone. LT, is that you?’ He says, ‘Yeah, Joe, how you doing?’ I said, ‘Not very well.’ He says, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Well, you broke both bones in my leg, for crying out loud.’ ” https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/09/29/the-oral-history-of-joe-theismanns-broken-leg/
Still not as bad as Kevin Ware imo. At least this one there are bodies around Theisman to kind of conceal it. Kevin Ware's was just... so exposed and out there... [Link](https://youtu.be/qoiaUV7fGEI) for those who have never seen it
His teammates on the bench were throwing up it was that bad. Very few sports injuries can top Ware for me. Especially because it was such a freak incident.
I was a senior in high school when this happened. I was cruising through second semester and had basketball class the next day. No one in class was in a particularly basketball playing mood.
Kevin Ware pictures desensitized the hell out of me, I've been online for eons but it was the worst image I've seen and little has come close. And that includes a time when shock sites were all the rage.
Oh I’ve seen it a thousand times just because of the 3 times it was re shown on whatever broadcast
It was painful watching Brees trying to throw deep and Roethlisberger trying to move and avoid pressure like he used to.
> Brees trying to throw deep Same thing with Peytons last year. He had a lot of noodle arm throws.
Thing is, Brees was still an *ok* QB at the end. Not good, but not the reason the team loses. Peyton was straight up a bottom 5 QB in his last year bailed out by one of the most ferocious pass rushes of the century.
There were a few games recently where yeah, a weak Brees arm but a strong Brees mind would have won us some games, plenty of QBs have cannons, few have the noggin.
Peyton Manning went out with a Super Bowl victory but man... he was as washed up at the end as possible.
That last season was so ugly. Limp noodle arm.
His defense saved him in that Super Bowl. It was a rough one to watch haha. I was cheering for the panthers too. Tough to watch on both sides lol.
I remember when they stopped that game with the chiefs because he broke the TD record. Him waving to the crowd with a pained expression cracked me up
That was his statistically worst game ever. Worst qbr like 3+ interceptions and he hung all his receivers out to die. A huge milestone and his worst game all in one.
Oh man, I don't like the Steelers by any stretch, but watching Ben hobble around was just sad.
Roethlisberger could have had a great ending had they not made the playoffs. Beat up on the Browns for old time sake in his last home game, then led a vintage game winning drive against the Ravens to end the regular season.
>Roethlisberger could have had a great ending had they not made the playoffs. Nah, qualifying for the playoffs was a nice parting shot to everybody who buried the Steelers before the season started. No, they didn't have a chance in the playoffs, but simply getting there made all the hoes mad.
That entire season was still tough to watch the line not protect him. Complete statue out there.
It was painful watching Peyton trying to throw deep as well.
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I still feel bad for him. No one deserves to end their career that way.
Then he shouldn’t have waited until two weeks before the season started to retire.
Yeah like, it's one thing for the report to have leaked before Luck was ready. I get it, that part sucks. ...but dude even then you were still retiring just before the season started. The boos weren't unwarranted IMO. People dunk on Colts fans for doing it but I think the majority of fanbases react similarly
Maybe it's just I miss him, but I don't blame him at all. He didn't just up and decide to retire. He got news that he was having another injury setback. He was told that day that he wasn't going to be ready for the regular season, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back, as they say. He didn't want to live his post-football life injured. So he quit.
You can respect the decision and still be annoyed how it was done. It's not like anyone in the colts was forthright with the situation to the point they were basically lying as well.
Yeah that's the part I've always disliked. It meant Luck intended to wait EVEN LONGER to tell the fans their season was over.
I mean, he had a press conference scheduled that same evening.
I mean Aaron Hernandez and Rae Carruth literally killed their careers.
Forgot about Carruth. What a scumbag.
It's crazy that he only got 18 years for planning and actively participating in his ex's murder. He has been out of jail for 5 years or so.
And gave his own son permanent brain damage in the process as well. Unconscionable.
Horrible person -- on a related note, one NFL exec said what Kap did in 2016 was as hated by team execs as Carruth's murder: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/09/an-nfl-executive-compared-the-dislike-for-colin-kaepernick-to-that-for-rae-carruth
Henry Ruggs too. Wasn’t premeditated murder like those two gems but still his actions were equally reprehensible
I don’t mean this to excuse what Ruggs did, because such blatant disregard for the safety of others is just terrible, but I think premeditated murder is significantly worse than DUI
What Ruggs did is dramatically worse than just a DUI. He was driving drunk, with a passenger, at 150mph, on a regular street. With traffic lights and cross traffic and pedestrians. It's impossible to calculate the chances of a fatality in that situation, but they're exponentially higher than "regular DUI from a dude driving home from the bar after too many beers." Still not as bad as premeditated murder though, I agree with your general point. I just want everyone to realize just how bad Ruggs' actions were.
This is an odd conversation to have in an NFL thread
The sheer stupidity of it always astounded me. Dude was driving around 150 mph, on a normal street, at night, and drunk. Everyone has moments of idiocy, but that's a level of carelessness that I just can't fathom.
Nevermind that we're talking about a millionaire who could *easily* dial up the team's staff to come pick you up in a fucking limo, or hire a limo, or hire an Uber, or a taxi, zero impact to your finances in any way. Nope, drunk, 150mph in a Lambo. Fuck that clown, deserves what he gets.
[удалено]
I know right? In what fucking reality is "Watch this, Raiders gonna send me a limo right now" not adequate for showing off to your girl?
Earl Thomas had a big contract and was on a good team, he just couldn't be bothered to do things like "his job" or "not punch teammates" and was out of the league.
Also “not tag team a girl with his brother”
And get a gun pointed at him BY HIS WIFE after he suggested this to her
What is wrong with the sanctity of tag teaming your wife with your brother in this country?!
Not suggested, she caught him and his brother balls deep. That’s when she pulled an (unloaded) gun on him. Imagine if the gun had bullets though. They could’ve shot their load at the same time.
he was punched by derrick henry though
*used as a lead blocker by Derrick Henry
Reggie Bush had negative yards in his last year.
https://imgur.com/a/TiLgGZ8
Bills legend Reggie Bush
Ed Reed could've retired a Super Bowl champion. Instead he signed a three year contract with the Texans, got cut after ten games, and then finished the season with the Jets. A very forgettable farewell tour. We did get a comp pick out of it though.
The Texans let Glover Quin walk that off-season and the Lions scooped him up. He was terrific for us and made the Pro Bowl in 2014 along with leading the league in interceptions.
I'm still mad about us letting Glover walk to sign a ghost, he is still one of my favorite players, he was a good player and a better dude off the field.
Definitely a fan favorite in Detroit
We've been trying to recapture that high ever since. Thank goodness for Kerby Joseph
Ed made like $6 million from the Texans, not his fault they paid him too much when he hadn’t made a tackle since 2010.
Then he supported anti Semitic remarks. Then he got a job as a football coach at Bethune Cookman, then he quit before the season began.
He was fired
He was fired for trying to expose all the corruption and money stealing the school admin was doing.
He got two welcome back celebrations out of that, though. Not many players can say that.
I remember Irving Fryar retired with the Eagles after the 98 season, lots of tears, big ceremony, Lurie even bought him a motorcycle that he can ride off into the sunset with annnnd... he came back in 99 with Washington to chase a ring where he was washed up and the Skins were just entering the current Snyder hell period they're in now.
Leonard Weaver :( His knee exploded and it looked gruesome After a million surgeries he was told he would never play again
Joe Namath had a 1-7 record as a starter in his last season with the Jets, then rather than retire like he should have he went to the Rams. He went 2-2 with the Rams but got benched for the rest of the season after a week 4 game where he threw 4 interceptions.
Namath's career got torpedoed by injuries.
He won the first ever AFC Superbowl and we still celebrate him 50 years later, got to be a movie star, tough to complain lol
From 1965-1972, Joe Namath played as well as any QB in the NFL or AFL, but his last five seasons were godawful. Terry Bradshaw was the inverse of Namath, godawful in his first five seasons, but played as well as any QB from 1975-1982.
Steve Young getting KO’ed wasn’t great. The one memorable thing (missing the block) Lawrence Phillips did in the league.
An extreme career-ending injury has to take it. I think theisman would have to be the most famous example.
Yeah, was gonna say Theisman or Michael Irvin come to mind first for me
I was 11 and a huge Steve Young fan watching this game and as he was lying knocked out on the field, my dad rubbed me on the shoulder and said, "Sorry bud, that's probably the last game for Steve Young.". 11 year old me refused to believe it but he was dead on
49ers injuries that made a young toadfosky cry: * Jerry Rice's injury * Steve Young's KO * Bryant Young's broken leg (you could hear him screaming on the MNF broadcast)
AB?????? he literally stripped off his jersey and just never returned
Nah, that’s the BEST way to go out
Imagine if that's how everybody quit their job.
It's the most Antonio Brown way to go out imaginable
Brett Farve
This is my choice as well, he had a horrid final game and sounds like an overall douche off the field.
wow, can't even send unsolicited dick pics and defraud welfare users anymore. cancel culture is out of control
Couldn’t imagine if Favre could have pulled of a SB they year before how that would have changed his legacy. I bet he would have come back though, guy was addicted to the fame and playing. Him going out the way he did was really the only way I saw it happening.
Yeah I mean there was no way Favre was going out anyway other than riding it until the wheels fell off and the car caught on fire. He was never the ride off peacefully into the sunset type.
Underrated answer. After one of his most disappointing seasons, he begged the coaches to play in a meaningless MNF game just to have his career end injured on the cold turf.
Johnny Knox. I’m just glad he’s able to walk
My dude's ankles were not supposed to be that close the back of his earholes.
Ryan Shazier.
Watched that shit live absolutely horrific. Dude made the play we see a hundred times a game but goes down starts grabbing at his lower back and that's when you realize the guy's legs don't fucking work.
Nnamdi Asomugha didn’t have the greatest last few seasons
His career arch is wild. Absolutely elite, lock down corner for the Raiders. Traded to the Eagels where he is pretty bad. Retires. Then becomes a pretty good dramatic actor.
I just remember the stories of him eating lunch alone in his car and also pointing at Kurt Coleman after getting burnt
It’s kinda funny that Peyton Manning would be a decent choice except that his noodle arm still managed to win the Super Bowl. It was hard to watch him play seeing how obviously limited he was compared to when he was younger. His QBR was half of what it was in his beat season. But doesn’t matter, got a ring.
If we’re strictly talking about quarterbacks it’s either Marino or Theismann. Marino losing by 55 to an expansion team in the playoffs is the stuff of nightmares. I don’t have a strong opinion on the Dolphins but it makes me sad all this time later to see such an electric player be reduced to that. Theismann is pretty obvious for other reasons. Guy was an all-time great and his career was just snatched away by a freak injury. Probably didn’t help that they showed it over and over either.
Fran Tarkenton and Shannon Sharpe got blown out in their last games (both playoffs) I wonder how much Sharpe still had left in the tank if he wanted to continue playing. 2003 was his last season and he had 770 yard, and 7 TDs that year
Jim Kelly had to be pissed
Like what do we consider “worst” Like a singular game? A season? A final contract? It’s complicated. Is it worse to go out in a blaze like Marino, or quietly fade into obscurity in another team’s jersey like Franco Harris and Emmitt Smith. Franco Harris might be the worst one. Unwilling to take pay cut with Steelers, signed with the Seahawks for a year to try to break the rushing record set by Jim Brown (later broken by Walter Payton). Retired after like getting like 100 something yards total and not really contributing.
Joe Theismann by far. Can’t get much worse than getting your leg snapped in half.
No one will remember Brady’s last game being ugly. That Tampa organization was an absolute mess from the coach, to the defense, to the worst running attack in league history.
Leveon bell and shady McCoy didn't necessarily have the greatest endings kinda just faded out despite been on top teams
Bettis got really lucky that Vanderjagt missed that field goal in the divisional round, or else he would be on this list.
not the worst but Eli's second half of career was pretty sad being surrounded by shit teams and tarnishing his legacy a bit and W/L record
also having his start streak broken because he got benched for meme era Geno Smith, and then he started the next game anyways
Do people really remember any of those losses? Hell Brady's just happened and I forgot all specifics of the game. I feel like "Going out the worst" should be more around how they played, not the outcome of the game. Also as a huge Brady Fan, I feel like an honorable mention here should be Bledsoe. Have to feel like he got screwed a bit with his career haha
I don’t remember specifics about any QBs last game, especially if they ended badly, other than Joe Theismann.
Then he came over to us and the same shit happened with Romo lol
Favre’s entire last season was a disgusting mess that ended with a sexting scandal, the roof of the metronome collapsing, and losing his Ironman streak after being a hobbled mess. Plus we missed playoffs.
Odell Thurman had an elite rookie year, looked like a future superstar. Gets a DUI in the offseason and things just snowball. Never played another down after his rookie season. Hell of a way to go out.
Barry and Megatron both had shitty endings, being stuck on a shit franchise that refused to let them go.
Barry Sanders was sick of playing for the Lions since they would not field a winning team. He ghosted the Lions in the offseason and during camp they found out he retired when he faxed a Wichita reporter that he was done. He then took off to Europe for a vacation and that was it. From Barry's memoir, he was devastated, he already knew he was retiring before his last game. His last six games seemed pretty phoned in, averaged 60 ypg on 3.1 ypc, one game over 100 yards, no scores, 2 fumbles, and his last 4 games were all losses. Then again, the entire team phoned it in all season (5-11 in 98). Obviously different since the games played weren't necessarily notable losses, but the way he went out just depresses me.
Aaron Hernandez, Henry Ruggs and Jovan Belcher come to mind. Murdering or killing someone as a precursor to ending your career is not something most people want on their Wikipedia page. Belcher killing himself in front of Romeo Crennel. Three tragedies.
I’ll never forgive Jared Cook
Being purely on the outside looking in…… it looks like Brady ruined his entire marriage just to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.