NFL franchises like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles have mastered the art of always being competitive. They never endure lengthy rebuilds or long periods of mediocrity. When a star player leaves, a new one is waiting in the wings and ready to roll. But most teams do not have such a luxury. When an NFL franchise icon leaves — be it retirement, trade, or free agency, their fortunes change entirely — and for the worse.
Here are 10 NFL teams that were never the same once a franchise legend departed.
Find out which NFL teams were never the same after their franchise player left.
New England Patriots: Tom Brady
Like we were gonna start the list with someone else…
The greatest player in NFL history led the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships and NINE total big-game appearances over his 20 years in New England. Yeah, the Pats basically averaged a Super Bowl appearance every second year in the TB12 era.
The NFL’s all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns leader started butting heads with coach Bill Belichick during his final years in New England. It got so personal for Brady that he made the decision to leave the Pats in 2020 free agency and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.We know what happened from there. Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl 55 title in his first season with his new team. The Patriots went 7-9, 10-7,8-9, and 4-13 over the next four seasons without Brady — prompting owner Robert Kraft to “part ways” with Belichick after the 2023 season.
So, that ended the Brady-Belichick debate. The Patriots went from the NFL’s golden franchise to a perennial bottom-feeder. Brady turned the Bucs into a championship team and showed everyone that Bill could have appreciated him JUST a little more?
What can we say? We hope Patriots fans enjoyed Brady while they had him. Nothing lasts forever, and Pats Nation is learning that the hard way.
Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning
Indy had to choose between Manning and another so-called can’t-miss QB prospect in Ryan Leaf at the 1998 NFL Draft. They selected The Sheriff first overall, allowing the San Diego Chargers to take Leaf at No. 2.
One guy went on to become a Hall of Famer. The other went down as the biggest draft bust in history. You probably know which one is which.
All Manning did was take Indy to the postseason 11 times in 13 years at the helm. He won four MVP awards and led them to a Super Bowl 41 championship, plus an appearance in Super Bowl 44.
Unfortunately, Manning had to miss the entire 2011 season after undergoing neck surgery. The Colts tanked their way to a league-worst 2-and-14 without The Sheriff, marking the beginning of the end of his time in Indy.
The Colts and Manning agreed to split ahead of 2012 free agency. The reason was simple: They had the first overall pick and wanted to draft another generational QB prospect in Andrew Luck. With Manning entering his age-36 season and coming off neck surgery, the Colts wanted to ride the safer option.
So here’s what happened: The Colts failed to build an offensive line around Luck. He had five excellent healthy seasons, but his body was so beat down before his 30th birthday that he lost the passion to play and retired abruptly in 2019.
Manning signed with the Denver Broncos after his release from the Colts. He won the 2013 MVP honors and led them to four division crowns, two AFC Championships, and a Super Bowl 50 title in his swan song season.
Since Luck’s retirement, the Colts have been in complete disarray — thanks to a revolving door of quarterbacks. Seeing how Manning still had IT after neck surgery, one can only wonder, “What if” the Colts held onto him longer?
Either way, the]is NFL franchise simply hasn’t been the same since he left in 2012, from annual Super Bowl contender to total irrelevance.
Detroit Lions: Barry Sanders
The long-suffering Lions’ franchise changed forever when Barry Sanders was taken third overall in the legendary 1989 NFL Draft class. Finally, Motown had a new franchise star to build around.
The Lions didn’t exactly provide Standers with the best-supporting cast, but he single-handedly carried them to title contention throughout his 10-year career.
The four-time rushing champion led the Lions to six postseason appearances, going as far as the 1991 NFC Championship Game. That would be Detroit’s final season with a playoff victory until 2023, by the way.
Sanders rushed for 1,491 yards in the 1998 season but shocked the NFL world when he decided to retire in 1999. And with that began a near quarter-century of total irrelevance for the Lions.
After Sanders’ retirement, the Lions made the playoffs only four times between the 1999 and 2022 seasons. They didn’t win a single playoff game during that period and constantly recycled through inept GMs and mostly terrible coaches.
Detroit finally began turning a corner when Dan Campbell and Jared Goff arrived in 2021. The Lions went all the way to the NFC title game in 2023 and have masterfully built up a long-term window of Super Bowl contention.
But for over two decades following Sanders, that franchise was in complete misery. Patience pays off though, right Lions fan?
Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly
In another relatively recent case…
One year after hitting the jackpot by taking Cam Newton first overall in 2011, the Panthers hit a grand slam by selecting Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly with the No. 9 pick in 2012.
Now, the two franchise cornerstones were in place for the Panthers to return to NFL relevance.
Carolina had its coming out party in 2013, winning the NFC South crown with a 12-4 record. That would be the first of three straight division titles for the Newton and Kuechly-led Panthers – who got as far as Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season.
After getting back into the postseason as a wild-card team in 2017, the Panthers were hit by injuries and slumped to a 7-and-9 finish in 2018. Newton missed all but two games in 2019, and the Panthers limped to a 5-and-11 record.
In another brutal blow, Carolina’s seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker decided to retire at the age of 28 because of multiple concussions. Newton was also released in the offseason, and the Panthers were stuck in scrutiny after that.
Under owner David Tepper, Carolina has become the NFL’s most boring, unwatchable and dysfunctional team. You think a renowned locker room leader like Kuechly would have stood for this garbage? Of course not.
You can argue that Carolina would have still sucked with Kuechly. You’re probably right. But at least they were competitive and had some pride on the field before his retirement. Now, they’re just an annual mess without his leadership and ability to single-handedly take over games.
Seattle Seahawks: Richard Sherman
Some of you might question this entry. We’re not saying the Seahawks would have still been great if they kept Sherman beyond 2017, but the records don’t lie. This team has NOT been the same since they released Sherman in 2018.
The ‘Hawks began a massive roster overhaul after missing the postseason in 2017. Kam Chancellor retired because of a neck injury. Other defensive stalwarts, such as Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Jeremy Lane, and Byron Maxwell, also left Emerald City.
The last Legion of Boom member, Earl Thomas, suffered a season-ending injury in 2018 and departed in free agency.
You see, Sherman still had lots of football left in him. In 2018 free agency, he joined the archrival San Francisco 49ers, earning Pro Bowl and second-team all-pro nods in 2019—helping the 49ers to a Super Bowl 54 appearance.
The Seahawks, by the way, have won a SINGLE playoff game since they cut ties with Sherman. They also haven’t had a top-10 scoring defense since his departure. Ya can’t help but wonder if a healthy Sherman could have been the difference in their 2018 and 2019 postseason runs.
Ah well, the Seahawks will always have the memories of the “Legion of Boom” and their Super Bowl 48 championship.
Dallas Cowboys: Michael Irvin
As great as the ‘90s Cowboys dynasty was — they won three Super Bowls over a four-year span between 1992 and ‘95 — there are plenty of “what ifs,” too.
What if Jerry Jones never forced Jimmy Johnson out? What if Michael Irvin didn’t suffer a career-ending spine injury? What if concussions didn’t force Troy Aikman to retire at just 34 years of age?
Looking back, though, it was Irvin’s injury that marked the beginning of the end of Dallas’ dynastic run. That year, Irvin caught 74 passes for 1,057 yards and a touchdown. Dallas finished 10-6 and lost to the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card Round.
In 1999, the Cowboys started out 3-0 before Irvin suffered his season-ending spine injury against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas went 3-and-5 the rest of the way, barely squeaking into the postseason with a .500 record before getting crushed by the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round.
1999 was also Deion Sanders’ last year in Big D, as well as Aikman’s last healthy season. After Irvin retired, America’s Team sunk to long-term mediocrity and wouldn’t win another playoff game until 2009.
Fast forward a quarter-century after Irvin’s retirement. Dallas hasn’t played in an NFC Championship Game since 1995. So yeah, we’d easily argue that Irvin’s career-ending injury was the turning point for this once-proud NFL franchise.
Las Vegas Raiders: Charles Woodson
You could argue that Hall of Fame wideout Tim Brown or former MVP quarterback Rich Gannon belongs on this list. But those were past their primes when they left the Raiders. Woodson was still in the golden years of his legendary career when he left the Silver and Black.
Woodson led the Raiders to the playoffs three years in a row from 2000 to ‘02, including two AFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl 37 appearance. The nine-time Pro Bowler was the heart and soul of the Raiders franchise during his first eight years with the franchise.
In 2006 free agency, Woodson took his talents to Green Bay, inking a seven-year deal with the Packers. He won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009 and led the Pack to a Super Bowl 45 championship in the 2010 season.
As for the Raiders? Oh, you know. Since 2003, they’ve made the postseason twice and haven’t won a single playoff game. Other than that, this once-proud NFL franchise has been doing just fine in the post-Woodson era.
Miami Dolphins: Dan Marino
“Dan the Man” spent his entire 17-year career in Miami, which spanned from 1983 to ‘99. Marino took them to the postseason 10 times, including a trip to Super Bowl 19, where they were crushed by Joe Montana’s dynastic 49ers.
Make no mistake, the nine-time Pro Bowler was past his prime when he retired after the 1999 season. But he was still Dan Marino. His aura and leadership made Miami must-watch TV for almost two decades.
Once he retired in 2000, it kick-started the darkest stretch in Dolphins history.
The Dolphins last won a playoff game in 2000. They’ve made the postseason four times since 2002 — all one-and-done outings. They didn’t find a suitable long-term QB option until getting Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in 2020, but a series of concussion injuries have unfortunately hampered his career.
The Dolphins look no closer to title contention despite the talents of Tua, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane. Man, you young Dolphins fans don’t know how well this team used to have it with Marino.
Cleveland Browns: Jim Brown
The Browns were among the NFL’s top franchises during Brown’s nine-year career, which spanned from 1957 to ‘65. Incredibly, Brown won the NFL rushing crown EIGHT times and led the league in rushing scores five times.
The three-time MVP led the Browns to three NFL Championship games, winning it all in the 1964 season. Despite leading Cleveland to the 1965 NFL Championship Game and despite leading the league in rushing, Brown decided to retire before the 1966 season.
As Cleveland sports fans knew, the city’s sports curse was officially born. The city didn’t celebrate another championship until the Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Championship. The Browns have never played in a Super Bowl. They last played in an AFC Title game in 1989.
They have had one playoff win since 1995, too.
Ah well, the franchise’s historic outlook would be a LOT worse if they never had Jim Brown in the first place. At least you had him for nine years, Cleveland.
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees
Brees played for the Saints from 2006 to 2020, joining them alongside legendary head coach Sean Payton after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Together, these two built the long-struggling franchise into an NFC juggernaut that would compete immensely for 15 years.
The Saints made the postseason nine times in Brees’ 15-year run. They went to three NFC Championships and, of course, defeated the Colts in Super Bowl 44. If not for the NOLA No-Call, they probably have two Super Bowl banners hanging in the Caesars Superdome.
Unfortunately, a string of brutal injuries prompted Brees to retire at the age of 42 in 2021. Lo and behold, this NFL franchise has been mired in mediocrity ever since.
They barely squeaked out 9-and-8 records in 2021 and 2023. They finished 7-10 in 2022. They hit rock bottom in the midst of the 2024 season, leading to the firing of head coach Dennis Allen.
The Saints have been caught in the mushy middle. Not good enough to compete for a Super Bowl, but not bad enough to tank for top-five picks. Unfortunately, Brees’ body betrayed him and forced him to retire earlier than he would’ve liked.
And with that, the franchise hasn’t been the same since he walked away.
