Top 10 NFL Players Who Retired Too Early
Retirement is inevitable, and everyone will eventually go through it. The NFL is no different.
Some players retire after a long career, due to injuries, or simply because they lose passion for the game. However, there are always a few who choose to hang up their cleats far too soon. Here are some of those players.
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Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was known for his elusive running style and explosive speed. Sanders won the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 1997 and was inducted into the Pro... read more
When Barry Sanders was playing, he was an absolute beast. He played 10 seasons with the Lions, going to the Pro Bowl every year. He also broke countless records and was only 1,500 yards away from passing Walter Payton's record.
While he was still in his prime, the reason he retired was the mismanagement and failure of the Lions organization to build a winning team.
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Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 to May 18, 2023) was an American professional football player and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 1957 to 1965. Brown led the league in rushing yards eight times, was selected to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, earned... read more
When he was playing for the Browns, he was a near-unstoppable man. He led the league in rushing every season except one and was voted to the Pro Bowl nearly every season.
He's arguably the greatest athlete to come through Cleveland (until LeBron).
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Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr. (born September 29, 1985), nicknamed Megatron, is a retired American football wide receiver who played his entire nine-season career with the Detroit Lions from 2007 to 2015. He led the NFL in receiving yards twice, set the single-season receiving yards record in 2012, and was a six-time... read more
Much like Barry Sanders, Megatron walked away from the Lions, likely due to them being a losing organization. He was just 30 when he decided to hang up the cleats and was coming off a 9-touchdown, 1,200-yard campaign in 2014.
His retirement might also have had something to do with the physical toll of football.
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Andrew Luck
Andrew Austen Luck is a former American football quarterback who played his entire career (2012-2018) with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected first overall in the 2012 NFL Draft and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. Luck retired at age 29 due to ongoing injury concerns... read more
Here we have the most recent player to call it quits at only 29. On August 24, 2019, he made it official. Injuries had taken a toll on his body, and he felt he wouldn't be the same player.
Fair enough reason. I just wish he hadn't been on a team like Indianapolis. They didn't deserve him.
Yes, he retired earlier than people expected, but you can understand why. He's been injury-riddled his whole career, and Colts fans booing him really showed they didn't respect him as a person, just an asset for winning.
The timing is the biggest problem here. He retired a week and a half before the season started, leaving the Colts without a starting QB.
If he had retired in May or June, the Colts would've had a chance to either sign or draft a QB.
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Rob Gronkowski
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 Super... read more
Another player who recently retired while at the top. It makes sense, considering he just wasn't the same last year.
Injuries had taken a toll on him, so it makes sense.
I think we saw this one coming. He was always missing at least half the season due to injuries.
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Chris Borland
A fairly recent example that may soon become common practice. He played only one season with the Niners and called it quits due to health concerns.
He had a decent rookie campaign in his only season, but it's understandable why he hung up the cleats.
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Robert Smith
He played running back for the Vikings, and after suffering a few injuries early on, he became a force to be reckoned with, playing from 1993-2000.
He was 28 when he called it quits.
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Al Toon
A stud wide receiver who played eight seasons with the Jets (1985-1992). He was forced into retirement after nine concussions in his eight seasons, and this was before player safety was a top priority.
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Terrell Davis
He started off as a key player on John Elway's Broncos during their back-to-back Super Bowls. After that, he suffered an ACL and MCL tear and was never the same player as before.
At least he has two rings, unlike many other guys on this list.
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Billy Sims
Man, what is it with Detroit Lions players being on this list? Sims was a Heisman Trophy winner in 1978, and after being drafted by the Lions, he was a star early in his career.
In 1984, he suffered a horrific knee injury, and from that point, he could never fully recover.
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Joe Guyon
Although he was 36, he had a baseball injury that forced him to retire a little early, but not before he led the New York Football Giants to the 1927 NFL Championship.
That's the stuff of legend. Its Joeysworld.
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Luke Kuechly
Luke August Kuechly is a former American football middle linebacker who spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Carolina Panthers. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selectee and led the league in tackles from 2012 to 2019. Kuechly retired on January 14, 2020, and has since joined the Panthers' front... read more
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Patrick Willis
Patrick L. Willis is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire eight-year career with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and named First-team All-Pro five times. Willis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall... read more
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Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former professional baseball and American football player. He is the only athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Jackson became a cultural icon in the late 1980s and early 1990s through the popular "Bo... read more
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Christian Okoye
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Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers, also known as "The Kansas Comet," was born on May 30, 1943, and passed away on September 23, 2020. He played college football at the University of Kansas and later joined the Chicago Bears in the NFL, where he played from 1965 to 1971. Despite a career shortened by injuries, Sayers... read more
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Tiki Barber
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Jake Long