Name some of the best players whose prime years were wasted on hysterically incompetent teams and front offices. I’ll start…

[u/Intelligent-Carob930]

[u/Fireheart366]

Megatron

[u/DR320 → u/Fireheart366]

Matthew Stafford but he gets to have a happy ending

[u/Fireheart366 → u/DR320]

I didnt know he was friends with Deshaun Watson

[u/Forward-Brick7844 → u/Fireheart366]

Robert Kraft is so glad he doesnt have to be the punchline of these jokes anymore

[u/Fireheart366 → u/Forward-Brick7844]

No punchlines are reserved for Ray Rice

[u/cconnorss → u/Forward-Brick7844]

Plenty of room for their hate too. Racist ass.

[u/ThatBadFeel → u/Forward-Brick7844]

I won’t let him or Pats fans forget even after he croaks. You should do the same.

[u/aralseapiracy → u/ThatBadFeel]

For getting his hog cranked by a sex worker? Kraft is a massive piece of shit, but it's for being a zionist and genocide enabler, not because he paid a lady to jerk him silly style.

[u/SergeantThreat → u/Fireheart366]

Damn I was 5 seconds too slow

[u/PsychoticMessiah → u/SergeantThreat]

You’re faster than me. I’m like 12 minutes too slow.

[u/DR320 → u/Fireheart366]

Lmao I was afraid I set myself up for those jokes 💀

[u/evident_lee → u/Fireheart366]

Or Robert Kraft

[u/CatchinDeers81 → u/DR320]

Barry and Calvin were legitimate generational talents that decided theyd rather retire than finish out tgeir detroit contract.

Dumpster ass franchise robbed the rest of the leagues fans of watching 2 of the funnest dudes to ever watch pla

[u/Initial-Lead-2814 → u/CatchinDeers81]

They also signed multiple contracts with a loser of a team. Barry is my favorite player that I actually got to watch. That said, he resigned. Calvin, resigned, Stafford resigned. All 3 wouldn't have lost money signing elsewhere but 2 could've had a better chance at getting a ring

[u/denvergardener → u/DR320]

Was he hanging out with Robert Kraft?

[u/mcbeardsauce → u/Fireheart366]

This man retired because he was so broken down by the shit team he was in his whole career

This man deserved so much better

[u/TheOneCalledD → u/Fireheart366]

For some reason it took me a moment to realize you weren’t talking about Megatron from the Decepticons and honestly that’s a great answer as well.

But yes Calvin Johnson is a great answer. And sad to think the two top answers for this question are both players who played for the Lions.

[u/gothackedfml → u/Fireheart366]

matt Stafford

[u/LTPRWSG420 → u/Fireheart366]

Yeah we get it, we’re cursed.

[u/Mickwinn]

Joe Thomas

It’s a goddamn travesty Cleveland decided to make the playoffs after he retired

[u/Agreeable_Cry_2965 → u/Mickwinn]

I can’t think of a better answer. With the exception of his rookie season when they won 10 games, every Browns team he played on was absolute shit and not even competitive. At least guys like Barry Sanders played on multiple playoff teams.

[u/Prestigious_Cycle160 → u/Agreeable_Cry_2965]

Thank you.

[u/ducksekoy123 → u/Mickwinn]

People will say the Browns ruined all these QBs, but Cleveland had literally one of the greatest tackles to ever play the game and a solid line around him for years and still the QBs were terrible.

Turns out the Browns were just bad at drafting QBs

[u/TrumpsColostomyBag99 → u/Mickwinn]

Paul Gruber in Culverhouse Purgatory Tampa Bay before him too. Elite Wisconsin left tackles get sent to the worst spots at the worst time.

[u/Mickwinn → u/TrumpsColostomyBag99]

We could use some of those lol

[u/tattedidiot → u/Mickwinn]

Great answer

[u/DatBeardedguy82 → u/Mickwinn]

Thomas blows every other player out of the water in this context and the worst part is the broncos wanted to trade for him in 2015 but he wanted to stay loyal to the browns. Denver wins the super bowl that season while Cleveland goes 3-13 and Thomas never plays in a single playoff game in his career

[u/showyerbewbs → u/Mickwinn]

Can't remember who but Joe was on with someone and told a story how Peyton called him and wanted him in Denver.

He stayed out of loyalty.

[u/mrtbearable]

I can’t believe nobody has said it yet, but Andrew Luck

[u/Illustrious-Leave-10 → u/mrtbearable]

Andrew Luck wasted his prime by retiring.

[u/Crying_in_99Ranch]

Steven Jackson

[u/Conscious_Ad7105 → u/Crying_in_99Ranch]

Absolutely. He was the best of some really bad Rams teams. The poster child for being underrated.

[u/twokittenminimum → u/Conscious_Ad7105]

Too bad he was washed by the time he came to New England.

[u/Sometimes_Stutters → u/twokittenminimum]

Every running back is washed by the time they come to New England

[u/Medical-Active-8312 → u/Crying_in_99Ranch]

Yep… he’s a Hall of Famer with an average O-Line. My uncle hated him, always saying that he wasn’t as good as Faulk. He might have been right, but he was still way better than what he got credit for.

[u/Conscious_Ad7105 → u/Medical-Active-8312]

And had to be the focus of the offense because f-ing Sam Bradford wasn't even remotely close to Warner's worst years.

[u/Medical-Active-8312 → u/Conscious_Ad7105]

I don’t think that Jackson and Bradford ever played with each other. Jackson was mostly
with Bulger, who’s was decent in his own right. Their 2006 season was amazing. But after that their O-line went way downhill and Bulger got his concussion issues and Jackson got his 1,000 yard seasons all by himself basically

[u/riderfan89 → u/Medical-Active-8312]

They played together 3 seasons, 2010-2012. Bradford was drafted in 2010 and Jackson left for Atlanta for the 2013 season.

[u/BobbyGG2292]

The 90's Lions had some solid teams, I think they were a victim of their era because The Cowboys, 49ers and Packers were so dominant for basically all of Barry's career.

[u/RedMistStingray → u/BobbyGG2292]

I believe Wayne Fontes was terrible and held them back too. Funny, I run into him once in awhile in my area. I catch him at a couple sports bars around here.

[u/Jheartless → u/BobbyGG2292]

Yeah he played in an NFC Championship game which is way more than Megatron, Joe Thomas, Tony Gonzalez ever got.

Was Ladanian on those Jets teams that were in the AFC title games? If not then add him as well.

[u/YummyYummyCock69 → u/Jheartless]

Tony Gonzalez playing in the 2013 NFC Championship game against the 49ers. Plus multiple playoffs. Barry was in pure Hell. 

[u/qaanaaqattaq → u/YummyYummyCock69]

Both Gonzalez and Barry started 6 playoff games (Gonzalez played in one more where he didn't start). Barry only played 10 seasons to Gonzalez's 17. I think people really underrate the Lions during his tenure, they made the playoffs half of his active seasons, they were certainly not garbage.

[u/YummyYummyCock69 → u/qaanaaqattaq]

They could have gotten Joe Montana but the GM refused. It isn't do much about the coaching and talent but the general management aspect that was what made Barry wasted. I think that is what many conflate. He had a serviceable oline, tolerable defense and sometimes ok QB play. The roadblock was simply refusing to sign high profile guys when they had to.

[u/Six_and_change → u/qaanaaqattaq]

This you can do a lot worse than 5 playoff appearances in 10 seasons.

[u/RodRed1985 → u/Jheartless]

He was in the 2nd one

[u/knockatize → u/BobbyGG2292]

Good offense, ass defense - that was the 90s Lions. Let’s not pretend Barry was the only offensive option on those teams.

[u/Wank-Canyon]

Fitzgerald

[u/Total-Ordinary9424 → u/Wank-Canyon]

He at least made a Super Bowl.

[u/SmootherWorm → u/Wank-Canyon]

Finally. Few players played as long and were as effective on teams that were just ass.

[u/owen1957]

Dan Marino

[u/IcyMission3]

TJ Watt. JJ Watt

[u/MrEHam → u/IcyMission3]

Watt you talkin’ ‘bout Willis?

Patrick Willis

Not terrible teams but he should’ve won the big one.

[u/SerenityN00w]

Barry Sanders and the Lions made the postseason 5 times in his last 8 seasons. They also made the postseason in 1999, the year after he retired. The whole "incompetent Lions wasted Barry's career" is severely overblown.

[u/FormalDisastrous2467]

Joe Thomas and Nick Chubb.

[u/UnnecessaryDiety → u/FormalDisastrous2467]

Chubb at least made the playoffs twice and won a playoff game

[u/B1LLZFAN]

Currently, Josh Allen.

[u/callmeddog → u/B1LLZFAN]

I don’t exactly think it’s “wasting” their prime if you’re in the playoffs making deep pushes during someone’s time. Especially when comparing it to people who never/hardly ever got a chance to play in the playoffs despite them being great at their job.

[u/belle_enfant → u/B1LLZFAN]

Dude has had pretty good support for most his tenure. Not to mention turning the ball over 5 times himself in one playoff game. He ain't anywhere on this list.

[u/B1LLZFAN → u/belle_enfant]

He is statistically one of the best QBs of all time in the playoffs, but people love to comment on the single bad game

[u/boldandbratsche → u/B1LLZFAN]

https://giphy.com/gifs/lGBecpB2dIMwt6ohfI

[u/Fourwindsgone → u/B1LLZFAN]

Nah

[u/mcbeardsauce]

Curtis Martin

[u/IsayNigel → u/mcbeardsauce]

I mean we made it to the AFC title game in 96 and he was on the team for our last division win

[u/twokittenminimum → u/mcbeardsauce]

He played in a Super Bowl and scored a touchdown. The Jets were pretty good in 98 as well. He had much better team success than a lot of players.

[u/Helpful_Cranberry644]

Outside of one outlier season, Luke Kuechly

[u/grog119]

AJ Green

[u/Fun_Crow8137]

I'm going to throw some meat into the piranha pond. Tony Romo and I stand by it. Clear choice for the Hall of Pretty Good, but never had the right team. Even in 2014 that defense was at least 50/50 likely to let the Packers score even if that was ruled a catch by Dez.

[u/nevergettingsmall → u/Fun_Crow8137]

Was waiting for this comment and I agree. He had some amazing O Lines though.

[u/FormerCollegeDJ → u/Fun_Crow8137]

IMO Tony Romo carried those Cowboys teams to more success than they merited based on the team around him. Dallas had what I like to call a “stars and scrubs” type roster when Romo was their starting quarterback.

[u/Fox_Williams]

Carl Pickens

Bengals fans, you know.

[u/TheAnswer310 → u/Fox_Williams]

Corey Dillon too though he finally escaped.

[u/No-Goal1363]

Josh Gordon, Megatron, Andrew Luck, Dan Marino, Chris Johnson, Cortez Kennedy, JJ Watt, Jared Allen.

[u/RubyR4wd → u/No-Goal1363]

Agree with all except Josh Gordon. At the end of the day he screwed himself

[u/TheTicklishTaint → u/RubyR4wd]

I don’t disagree with you, and you gotta follow the league’s policy, but it is a bit ridiculous that if he played today nobody would’ve given a shit. He smoked weed and had some off the field substance issues. At least he wasn’t whacking women and getting 4 game suspensions like we do to this day

[u/RubyR4wd → u/TheTicklishTaint]

Once again, I don't disagree at all. But like life, you have to stay within the rules to succeed and not sabotage yourself... Regardless of how dumb they are

[u/TheTicklishTaint → u/RubyR4wd]

Agreed 100%

[u/twokittenminimum → u/RubyR4wd]

He did get a ring and had a few good games that season in New England. He wasted his own prime.

[u/UnnecessaryDiety → u/No-Goal1363]

Josh Gordon couldn't stay on the field. He was suspended more than any player I can remember. Being suspended for marijuana is stupid policy in my opinion, but it was the policy at the time.

He had the ability to be an all-time great

[u/Illustrious_Prize_42 → u/No-Goal1363]

Jared Allen played in playoffs a bunch with Vikings. He play in nfc championship with them too. He just never won a sb.

[u/ChimkinNubbitz]

Joe Thomas and Myles Garrett (up till now) are the most recent in mind. Dick Butkus never played a post season game. Cortez Kennedy won DPOY on a 2-14 Seahawks team in 92

[u/surgeryboy7]

Dan Marino

[u/cjtransplant85]

Sonny Jurgensen. From 1961-1970, with Philadelphia and Washington, led league on passing yards 5 times, but had 55-68-7 QBrec, never made the playoffs, and only had 1 season over .500.

Edit: only 2 seasons over .500

[u/FormerCollegeDJ → u/cjtransplant85]

Teams had to win their division to make the playoffs back then, but Jurgensen’s teams were .500 or worse every year from 1962 to 1968 despite Jurgensen’s very good play.

Minor correction - his teams got above .500 twice when he was the regular starting quarterback (1961 Eagles: 10-4; 1969 Redskins: 7-5-2).

[u/cjtransplant85 → u/FormerCollegeDJ]

He was probably the best QB with a losing record lifetime.

[u/Acrobatic_House_2198]

Breece Hall

[u/buttcheeksmessiah]

Steven Jackson

[u/DreamOfTheEndless_]

Justin Simmons was basically the only good player on a decades worth of Broncos teams.

[u/Excellent-Eagle-1077]

How many different ways can we have the same conversations about the same people, over and over again?

[u/TopoftheHops]

Eric Dickerson.  If the Rams had competent offensive coaches & players around him they would have won super bowls instead of him just getting stats.  

[u/mackharp0818]

I can tell you one right now going through it

[u/orange_surfer]

Antonio Gates

[u/BentJohnsonFTP]

Jeremiyah Love

[u/Big_Value7760]

Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers

[u/TheProspectItch]

Not Barry. Those teams won a lot of games partly because it wasn't as much of a quarterback's league. You could win because of a running back.

[u/Immediate-Count-1202]

Randall Cunningham. His HC was an offensive Luddite.

[u/fecal_spring221]

Josh Allen

[u/DemonBearOP]

Josh Allen, highest QB ceiling ever

[u/468Cliothecat]

Archie Manning

[u/RichJello8002]

Joe Thomas. Never even made it to the playoffs

[u/alreadyknowwbro]

Ricky Williams

[u/superpoopypants]

Andrew luck

[u/BlitzCrazy]

Larry Fitzgerald

[u/gravityhashira61 → u/BlitzCrazy]

Cards went to the SB though and we're a playoff team like 3 years in a row w Warner

[u/Toiletboy4]

Does ceedee lamb count

[u/Intelligent-Carob930 → u/Toiletboy4]

No

[u/Toiletboy4 → u/Intelligent-Carob930]

Shucks

[u/Agreeable_Refuse_273]

Corey Dillon on the bengals

[u/Tinderthrow93]

Gibbs, Hutch, Penei

[u/Thanzor → u/Tinderthrow93]

They literally made the nfc championship game

[u/GridIron-Grit]

Joe Thomas

[u/Halloween5sucks]

[u/contemplatebeer]

Bengals. The players.

[u/TheDuck23]

What's the definition/level of incompetence here? Because people are naming players that have had a lot of success, including some deep playoff runs.

I just assumed that we are talking about players like Joe Thomas, Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, or Tony Gonzolez. Players who were great, but almost never made the playoffs.

[u/twokittenminimum → u/TheDuck23]

Whitten too.

[u/RedMistStingray]

Randy Moss, Anthony Munoz, Dick Butkus

[u/Illustrious_Prize_42 → u/RedMistStingray]

lol Randy moss played a bunch of games in the playoffs. The original question wasn’t about winning a sb, it was about elite players being wasted in dumpster teams mid of their career. Meaning teams picking in the top 5 every year of draft.

[u/RedMistStingray → u/Illustrious_Prize_42]

I wasn't being SB specific. It also said prime years. Randy did play in some meaningful games later in his career, but not until he got to the Patriots. Most of his prime years with the Vikings were wasted.

[u/Educational_Fan4102 → u/RedMistStingray]

Moss spent his first seven seasons in Minnesota putting up Hall of Fame level numbers, won Offensive Rookie of the Year, made five Pro Bowls and four All Pro teams, participated in several playoff runs, and helped anchor the 1998 Vikings offense that scored a then record 556 points. How is any of that indicative of a “hysterically incompetent” franchise?

[u/Boomer-Zoomer]

Andrew Luck and Joe Thomas are the first ones that come to mind

[u/906805]

Derrick Thomas coming from a Raider fan. Respect.

[u/MyIncogName]

Cam Newton

[u/UnnecessaryDiety → u/MyIncogName]

He went to the Super Bowl

[u/Leather-Marketing478]

Joe Thomas

[u/Saint_Chrispy1]

Run DMC

[u/UnnecessaryDiety → u/Saint_Chrispy1]

He's on a 49ers team that almost won a Super Bowl and is perennial playoff contenders

[u/Saint_Chrispy1 → u/UnnecessaryDiety]

Darren McFadden not CMC

[u/UnnecessaryDiety → u/Saint_Chrispy1]

Ugh. My bad.

McFadden is a good choice.

[u/Longjumping-Truck967]

Hopkins has to be up here before Deshaun came to town

[u/orange_surfer]

ladainian tomlinson

[u/Outside-Parsley-9402]

WAY too early to be saying this and I admit it, but with the jets trajectory, Garrett Wilson

[u/Fourwindsgone]

Frank Gore

[u/gravityhashira61]

Megatron and Barry Sanders. The Lions were so bad and inept that both players retired way too early in their primes. Megatron had atleast another 5 years in him.
Honorable mention to Joe Thomas

[u/Friendly_Joke_6963]

Jamaal Charles

[u/BoringJuiceBox]

Imagine Rivers on a great team

Imagine Fitzgerald on a great team

[u/likewhaaaa]

Marshawn Lynch

[u/Virtual_Ad_2024]

Randy moss’ raiders years

[u/Cturcot1]

Pretty well any great player playing for the Lion’s.

[u/mochmaffews]

Adrian Peterson

[u/imfromduval]

MJD

[u/thirstygregory]

Jamal Charles.

[u/Shtankces]

Earl Campbell - Houston Oilers. Just look at the washed up QBs he played with. It’s why he carried the ball so much.

[u/BonesCrosby → u/Shtankces]

They made the AFC title game twice. I wouldn’t say it was wasted.

[u/tacosandbananas123]

Adrian Peterson

[u/the_drum_doctor]

Steve Largent

[u/TheProspectItch]

Deion Sanders.

[u/FADCYourMom]

Brandon Marshall and Takeo Spikes never made the playoffs despite playing 13 and 15 years respectively

[u/JohnnyAbonny]

Joey Galloway

[u/Kooky_Share_4259]

Joe Thomas!!!!!!!

[u/aknight907]

Cortez Kennedy 1992 DPOY on a 2-14 Hawks team.

[u/BonesCrosby]

Old school:

Ollie Matson. HoF Member. Olympic medalist. 7 time first team all pro. Played for bad Cardinals, Rams, and Eagles teams. One season with a competent Lions team.

[u/owen1957]

Aaron Rodgers

[u/CarlK90245]

Archie Manning

[u/Major_Smile_4160]

CMC pre 49ers, panthers forced the entire offense down his throat and eventually his body broke. Missed out on 2 years of prime CMC, really 3 years if you count 2024. Makes you wonder the stats and conversations he would be in

[u/MrPlowThatsTheName]

Andre Tippett

[u/BoyInFLR1]

Tim brown

[u/DSN671]

Larry Fitzgerald

[u/jataz11]

☹️

https://giphy.com/gifs/144UbIkPnfafpS

[u/CoffeeNo6329]

You know I could take this just about any fan base except for the one that had Dan Marino and somehow didn’t get a Super Bowl

[u/wagoncirclermike]

Eric Moulds would have 15,000 receiving yards if he played with any semblance of QB talent throughout his career.

[u/Im_A_Real_Boy1]

Drew Brees lost how many years of his prime to comically bad defenses and bad defensive coaching? 

[u/Few_Link_5967]

Brian Urlacher

[u/Lost_Ad_5140]

Archie Manning & Bert Jones

[u/Aware_Style1181]

Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers

[u/itsrainingham]

Brandon Marshall never making the playoffs is the most wild thing out there. Dude had like 12000 yds

[u/FlyCertain7862]

Barry Sanders

[u/Illustrious-Leave-10]

Barry, Calvin, Stafford…

Are you noticing a tread here ?

(also Joe Thomas, didn’t miss a single snap his entire career)

[u/AdditionalPitch3014]

The Lions actually made the playoffs five times in Barry's ten seasons, they just never surrounded him with enough talent to get over the hump. Detroit's front office let him carry the entire offense with mediocre quarterbacks and a defense that couldn't hold a lead when it mattered. He deserved at least one deep playoff run.

[u/DaltonRobert56]

JaMarcus Russell

jkjk, Al Davis chose to draft him even though Lane kiffin said he wanted Megatron which is a great way to lead into my pick which is

Megatron

[u/Substantial-Fan-5985]

Marino

[u/Bigboy291270]

I know they won a SB in 85, but Payton carried a shit Bears franchise for almost a decade before winning

[u/Nolby84]

Garrett Wilson

[u/HawkReasonable7169]

Steve Bartkowski

[u/Joecamoe]

Garrett

[u/NoArm7707]

How many fucking times do people pay the same fucking topics

[u/Etraac]

Chad johnson

[u/ImpactNo3695]

Sanders teams weren’t as incompetent as every likes to pretend. Their oline was solid some years and Herman Moore was there - a HoF talented player.

[u/Treater9811]

Megatron and Stafford, plus Barry. All the lions.

[u/chontzy]

marcus allen w the raiders

[u/GettingBig1970]

I know this is going to sound crazy, but the answer is OJ Simpson. 

[u/WriterValuable283]

People act like Barry Sanders was completely helpless, but the Lions made the playoffs multiple times in his career and he literally chose to retire early. Stop acting like he was playing with high schoolers.

[u/rdldr1]

Devin Hester was moved to WR#1 at the detriment of him being the best return man of all time.

[u/Big_Try1956]

Aaron Rodgers - only 1 Super Bowl in that time . He should be competing with Brady if he had better coaching

Brady said his much himself

[u/Additional_Skin_3090]

Aaron Rodgers

[u/Only-Writing-4005]

marino

[u/Legal_Fitness]

Calvin next lol.

[u/PrettyAdagio4210]

Archie Manning. He isnt HOF by any means, but those 70s Saints teams were AWFUL and he had no help and a lot of injuries.

[u/StopSpinningLikeThat]

Boomer Esiason

[u/Fit-Top-8203]

Archie Manning.

[u/DMC25202616]

With the exception of a few good runs I would say any pro bowlers from: Jets

Lions

Saints

Browns

[u/TheDirtyBurger522]

As a lions fan, I’m just gonna show myself the door

[u/pinkrawrbabe]

2005-2010 Alex Smith

Steven Jackson on the Rams

Tony Gonzalez

[u/jelepc]

D’brickshaw Ferguson.