5 biggest one-year wonder RBs in NFL history ft. Jay Ajayi

NFL best one-year wonder RBs ever

#3 - Steve Slaton

Steve Slaton rushing for the Houston Texans

The Houston Texans selected RB Steve Slaton out of West Virginia with their third-round pick of the 2008 Draft. The move looked excellent to begin with, as Slaton had 1,282 rushing yards, as well as adding nearly 400 yards through the air.

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However, going into his second year Slaton decided to add 20 pounds to his frame, which immediately backfired as he lost the burst he had as a rookie.

The Texans released Slaton midway through the 2011 season and after spending the rest of the campaign with the Miami Dolphins, he never appeared in another NFL game.

#2 - Jay Ajayi

Jay Ajayi burst onto the scene during his sophomore season in 2016, amassing almost 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns after having just 200 yards as a rookie the year prior. This included an outstanding stint where Ajayi became just the fourth player in NFL history to have over 200 yards in back-to-back weeks.

Despite this, that was as good as it got for Ajayi who did manage to win a Super Bowl ring the following year after being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ajayi barely surpassed 500 yards during his entire stay in Philadelphia, and was out of the league in 2017, all before turning 27.

#1 - Peyton Hillis

Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns will be best remembered as being a victim of the 'Madden Curse' after appearing on the cover of the popular game back in 2012.

It was back in 2010 where Hillis had his one-year wonder season as after joining the Browns in that offseason, he had 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, while adding 477 yards and another couple of scores through the air.

However, his bruising style meant that 2010 was the only season in which he played all 16 games. This, along with the 'Madden Curse' has been blamed for Hillis' burnout, as he never had more than 600 yards in a season again, and was out of the league by 2014.

About the author

Matthew David Wear is an NFL writer for Sportskeeda based in Manchester with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland. He has a total work experience of 10 years, having previously worked for the likes of FourFourTwo, World Soccer, Soccer AM, Sunderland Echo and ALS Fanzine.

Matthew follows the Cincinnati Bengals since he feels that they have been underdogs without achieving much success just like his native Sunderland AFC. If he could ever go back in time, he would want to change the 'holding' call on Logan Wilson that led to the Rams winning the game.

His favorite NFL players are Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Logan Wilson and Trey Hendrickson, while his favorite coach is Andy Reid for his unparalleled offensive tactics. His favorite Super Bowl is the LII edition where the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots and Nick Foles was declared MVP.

To stay at the top of his craft, Matthew keeps himself updated with stats, plays fantasy football, and makes sure all the data in his work are from reputed sources. When not working, Matthew likes to stay outdoors and engage in running and hiking.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman