What player in the NFL, past or present, would you have wanted to see succeed so badly but due to injuries, off the field issues, or whatever happened just derailed their career? For me it was unfortunate to see players like Josh Gordon or Justin Blackmon have their careers end or never getting back on track because of off-field issues.
There’s something buttersweet about the guys who hung it up early for their health, Kuechly and Luck come to mind, lots of respect for them but damn I wish I could have seen a few more seasons from each of them
49ers had a stretch of linebackers calling it early. Willis at 30 I think. Chris Borland after one season.
Bowman
Knew I was missing another. Borland sticks in the memory as a badger fan.
God Willis could have coasted in the league for 4 more years, and he’d be considered an easy HOF instead of “longevity concern”. 8 years, 5 1st team all pros 1 2nd team. Dude was so good he made the all 2010s decade team… while only playing for 4 years in the 2010s, with 1 of those injured.
Megatron too. Had plenty left in the tank. Understandable why he retired early, but I think he could have been in the conversation of top 3 WRs of all time if he had stuck around a few more years.
Both him and Barry. Some dark days after they both left abruptly. But, totally understandable. It hurt.
Didn’t Kuechly have like an absurd number of concussions in his football career? I definitely do not blame him for hanging it up