Over 500 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of NFL Players Whose Careers Ended Too Soon
Voting Rules
Vote up the athletes you wish had played longer.
Football is one of the most dangerous sports for players and one of the hardest on atheltes' bodies, meaning the list of NFL players whose careers ended too soon is long and unfortunate. While some players made their mark in the short time they had before injuries or tragedy took them out of the game, some were not around in the league long enough to showcase the full extent of their talents.
Perhaps the most famous NFL player to have his career cut short is Pat Tillman, who famously left the NFL after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to join the military and died as a result of friendly fire. Other popular players like Troy Aikman and Gale Sayers, while they did not suffer the same tragic end as Tillman, were forced to retire after multiple injuries made the game impossible to play.
So check out this list of the top football players whose short careers left fans wondering what might have been if not for injuries or tragedies or just not wanting to put their bodies through the pain anymore. Vote up the players you wish you could have seen take another snap and the ones you think retired too early.
NFL career years: 1987-1990 Teams: Los Angeles Raiders
Bo Jackson was a human highlight reel on the football and baseball fields until a hip injury ended his football career and set back his baseball career.
NFL career years: 1998-2001 Teams: Arizona Cardinals
Pat Tillman left the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the United States Army after 9/11. He was killed by friendly fire while deployed in Afghanistan. The Cardinals retired Tillman's No. 40 and inducted him into the franchise ring of honor.
Barry Sanders was closing in on Walter Payton's all-time rushing record, but realizing that the Lions' franchise wasn't close to putting a winning product on the field, he chose to retire with his health intact rather than chase Payton.
NFL career years: 2004-2007 Teams: Washington Redskins
Sean Taylor was fatally shot in his Miami home during a burglary. He was posthumously selected to the 2007 first-team All-Pro and the 2007 Pro Bowl team, and he was inducted into the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame.
Gale Sayers, nicknamed the "Kansas Comet," entered the NFL with much hype and was immediately recognized as the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1965. After suffering a serious knee injury in 1968, he returned and won Comeback Player of the Year in 1969. But a subsequent knee injury ended his career at age 28.
NFL career years: 2012-2019 Teams: Carolina Panthers
Luke Kuechly was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro who was the 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year. Nicknamed "Captain America," Kuechly was a fan-favorite who left the game at the age of 28. Though he did not specify his exact reasons for retiring, he suffered numerous concussions throughout his career and had missed multiple games as a result of those injuries.
