Top 10 NFL Players Who Didn't Look Right in Another Team's Uniform

In the NFL, you have legends who made their legacy playing for one franchise, but they then played for a second team or even a third in some cases.

Often, they do this near the end of their career in a surprising turn of events.

The Top Ten

Emmitt Smith (Arizona Cardinals)

Emmitt James Smith III is a former American football running back who played both college and professional football. He became the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 18,355 career yards and 164 rushing touchdowns. Smith played the majority of his professional career with the Dallas Cowboys before finishing... read more

Emmitt Smith, one of the three superstar "Triplets" for the Cowboys in the 1990s, was a legendary running back with many accomplishments throughout his tenure in Dallas. Eight Pro Bowls, three Super Bowl titles, and an MVP award.
He became a Cowboys icon, and whenever you hear his name, you immediately associate him with the Cowboys. His final year, he suited up for the Arizona Cardinals in a very forgettable campaign.
Joe Montana (Kansas City Chiefs)

Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana Jr., nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "The Comeback Kid," is a retired American football quarterback. He is best known for his time with the San Francisco 49ers, where he led the team to four Super Bowl championships. Montana is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks... read more

Joe Montana obviously built his name and legacy for the San Francisco 49ers with four Super Bowls and three Super Bowl MVPs. But in the early '90s, he would swap red jerseys and play for the Chiefs. He played there for a few seasons and brought some success to KC, but at the end of the day, it still didn't feel right.
But hey, thanks Joe! You'll always be a part of Chiefs Kingdom.
Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League. Brady is known for being the only quarterback in history to win seven Super Bowls and is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time... read more

This is the most recent to happen. Tom Brady made a legacy for the Patriots starting in 2001 with the Tuck Rule Game, and the rest is history. Easily one of the most legendary and accomplished players in NFL history, who has declined in recent years, decided to go to Tampa Bay.
Of all teams, this may have been the most shocking as Tampa has been irrelevant since 2002. We'll see what happens, but let's just say history suggests it will be a flop most likely.
Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings)

Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He is a three-time NFL MVP and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Favre also played for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets... read more

Contrary to popular belief, he didn't go directly from Green Bay to Minnesota. He had a brief stint as a Jet before pulling the ultimate betrayal to the Packers fanbase by going to their biggest rival. Just like Joe Montana, he somehow wasn't bad with the Vikings and nearly got them to the Super Bowl, but it still wasn't right to see a Packers legend as a Minnesota Viking.
Randy Moss (Tennessee Titans)

Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Moss is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers in the history of the NFL.

I don't think anything was as unceremonious, as oddly forgettable, as Moss's eight-game run with Tennessee in 2010. Claimed off waivers after a botched return to the Vikings that year, the former Minnesota superstar and Patriots record-breaker made more noise in 2012 with the NFC champion Niners than he did catching passes from Kerry Collins.
I didn't even know this happened until I did some research, so yeah.
Johnny Unitas (San Diego Chargers)

John Constantine Unitas, nicknamed "Johnny U" or "The Golden Arm", was an American professional football quarterback. He played from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Unitas is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the National... read more

Johnny U was one of the best quarterbacks of his era, and he had a lot of ties to the Baltimore Colts with 10 Pro Bowls in his career. However, he then played a season for the San Diego Chargers, and that didn't go well as he had just a 40.0 passer rating. Making the early legend's departure just odd and forgettable.
Joe Namath (Los Angeles Rams)

Joseph William Namath, nicknamed "Broadway Joe," is a former American football quarterback and actor. He played for the New York Jets and led them to victory in Super Bowl III, earning MVP honors. Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Sure, he may be the most overrated quarterback in history, but "Broadway Joe" had ties with the New York Jets comparable to Montana's ties with the Niners. There's no way around it. A legendary Super Bowl win and plenty of MVP honors will do that for you, especially in a market like the Big Apple.
Like many other quarterbacks, he tried to get a little more out of his career. He went across the country to play for the Rams. His numbers as a one-time Ram in '77 were actually slightly better than his final outing with the Jets, but three touchdowns and five picks in four games isn't an ideal way to go out with a bang.
Jerry Rice (Seattle Seahawks)

Jerry Lee Rice is a former American football wide receiver who played 20 seasons in the National Football League, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. Rice holds numerous NFL records, including most career receptions, receiving yards... read more

Rice will forever be linked to San Francisco, where he won three Super Bowls, went to 13 Pro Bowls, and broke more NFL records than any player to ever play the game. This is why it's weird seeing him in a Seahawks uniform playing alongside Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, and Bobby Engram. He was almost a Denver Bronco as well but called it quits in training camp.
Reggie White (Carolina Panthers)

Reginald Howard White (December 19, 1961 - December 26, 2004) was an American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. White played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning unanimous All-American honors. After playing two seasons... read more

Reggie White was often called "The Minister of Defense" and he will forever be known as an all-time great sack artist in history for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. He would retire for a year before coming back again and playing for the Carolina Panthers for a year. It was his worst season in terms of stats in an otherwise Hall of Fame career.
Adrian Peterson (Washington Redskins)

Adrian Lewis Peterson is a former American football running back who played primarily for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. He later joined several other teams, including the Washington Redskins. Peterson won the NFL MVP award in 2012 after rushing for over 2,000 yards that season... read more

The Newcomers

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Edgerrin James (Seattle Seahawks)

Edgerrin Tyree James (born August 1, 1978) is a former American football running back who played eleven seasons in the NFL. He led the league in rushing yards as a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts and later starred for the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. James was a four-time Pro Bowl selection... read more
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Devin Hester (Baltimore Ravens)

The Contenders

Terrell Owens (Buffalo Bills)

Terrell Eldorado Owens is a former American football wide receiver who played for teams including the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He is known for his exceptional talent, athleticism, and controversial celebrations. Owens was inducted into... read more

T.O. was a San Francisco legend who had spent enough time with the San Francisco 49ers to warrant consideration as a one-team legend. He did make a few other late stops, bouncing around a few teams. Without a doubt, they were odd, and he often played the villain.
Apparently, going from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Dallas Cowboys wasn't all too bad in his view. But Buffalo? Of all teams, that had to have been the most head-scratching and bizarre. I don't think anyone remembers his one year being Ryan Fitzpatrick's top target for the Bills.
Terrell Suggs (Arizona Cardinals)

Terrell Raymonn Suggs is a former American football outside linebacker. He played in the NFL from 2003 to 2019, spending most of his career with the Baltimore Ravens. Suggs also played for the Arizona Cardinals and won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season.

He was a longtime Raven who went to Arizona for a year, until the Chiefs picked him up off waivers. And he actually played and got a ring with the Chiefs!
Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)

Peyton Williams Manning is a former American football quarterback considered one of the greatest in NFL history. He played 18 seasons in the league, 14 with the Indianapolis Colts (1998-2011) and four with the Denver Broncos (2012-2015). Manning retired after leading the Broncos to a victory in Super... read more
Rob Gronkowski (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Robert Paxton Gronkowski, nicknamed "Gronk," is a former American football tight end. He played most of his career with the New England Patriots before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After retiring at the end of the 2018 NFL season, he returned in 2020 to play alongside Tom Brady and won another... read more
Franco Harris (Seattle Seahawks)

Franco Harris was an American football player best known for his time as a running back in the NFL. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft as the 13th overall pick. Harris played the majority of his career with the Steelers and briefly joined the Seattle... read more
Ed Reed (Houston Texans)
Kurt Warner (New York Giants)
Tony Dorsett (Denver Broncos)

Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos. Before his professional career, he won the Heisman Trophy while playing for the University of Pittsburgh... read more
Antonio Brown (New England Patriots)
Tim Brown (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Bob Hayes (San Francisco 49ers)
Eric Dickerson (Atlanta Falcons)

Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former college and professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for eleven seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. He is best known for setting the NFL single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984. Dickerson was... read more
O.J. Simpson (San Francisco 49ers)

Orenthal James Simpson (July 9, 1947 to April 10, 2024), nicknamed "The Juice," was an American football running back, broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman, and convicted felon. Once a popular figure with the U.S. public, he is best known for being tried for the murders of his former wife, Nicole... read more
Alvin Harper (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Thurman Thomas (Miami Dolphins)