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In the NFL, individual effort and sacrifice on behalf of a player can build careers. However, there are certain factors that a player can’t control, most notably the team that drafts him and the teammates that surround him.
We’re seeing a new era of young players, especially quarterbacks, who look to have a hand in recruitment at the NFL level. For example, Joe Burrow lobbied for former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase to be drafted by the Bengals.
There is a reason for this trend: many NFL players have seen their careers falter due to their team holding them back.
On that note, here are five NFL players who had their careers ruined by being on a bad team.
#1 Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions)
Many consider Barry Sanders the greatest running back to have ever played in the NFL. The Detroit Lions drafted him, and their lack of quality was hugely detrimental to what Sanders achieved.
Despite rushing for over 2,000 yards in an outstanding 1997 season, in which he won the NFL MVP award, Sanders was never able to lead the team to success.
Sanders was humble and had no interest in anything other than team success. So, it hurt him immeasurably when, after their run to the NFC Championship game in the 1991 season, the Lions never again won a playoff game with him on the team.
On four further occasions, the Lions rode on Sanders’ rushing ability to the postseason, and on all four occasions, the team lost.
Sanders retired after just 10 seasons in the NFL. It is widely thought that the constant pain of falling short influenced his decision to quit despite being in his prime.
#2 Archie Manning (New Orleans Saints)
Archie Manning is now better known for being the father of legendary quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, but the former signal caller was supposed to have a legendary career of his own.
Selected second overall in the 1971 NFL Draft, Manning joined the New Orleans Saints in what proved to be a career-killing move.
In 11 seasons with the Saints, he was never part of a team with a winning record. The Saints never built a strong team, painfully ignoring the offensive line and watching him take 337 sacks.
Manning was the shining light on a poor team for so long, which is why he isn’t remembered as fondly as his sons. His talent was wasted in New Orleans, and he took a physical beating for it.
This also explains why he took such a keen interest in keeping Eli away from the Chargers in 2004. He just didn’t want the same thing to happen to his son.
#3 Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns)
It's difficult to gauge just how valuable an offensive line is to a team that doesn't have a franchise quarterback. Even though Joe Thomas played on some truly awful Cleveland Browns teams, he was still able to become a great player.
His career prospects were killed by the Browns' inability to draft effectively in key positions, and his loyalty to Cleveland cost him a shot at a championship.
Thomas was voted to the Pro Bowl 10 times, yet his NFL record stood at 48 wins and 128 losses by the time he retired. This is staggeringly bad. A player who was arguably the best in his position never played a single snap in the playoffs because the Browns never made the postseason with him.
To put into context how good Thomas was, he made 6,680 pass-blocking attempts, and only 30 ended in sacks. No other offensive lineman has ever been voted to 10 successive Pro Bowls.
If he hadn't been stuck with the Browns, Thomas could have won a championship.
#4 Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions)
Calvin Johnson was an elite receiver, and when paired with Matthew Stafford, he should have been able to make deep playoff runs. Instead, "Megatron" is simply remembered as being a highlight package on a Detroit Lions team that was poor for so many years.
The Lions simply ignored their defense in offseason moves, relying on Stafford and Johnson to ensure things didn't get too embarrassing. But this was a waste of the receiver's natural talent.
Johnson had such a good frame for a receiver; he was tall, quick, and physically strong in 1-v-1 battles. He could catch virtually anything.
Johnson was part of the Lions team of 2008, which went 0-16, and he had caught for over 10,000 yards before he was even 30.
For a player as talented as "Megatron" was, the fact that he played just two playoff games is a crime. The Lions lost both of those games as the franchise struggled, and Johnson retired without the fanfare his play deserved.
#5 Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts)
Andrew Luck makes this list purely because of the physical toll he went through in Indianapolis.
Drafted as the heir-apparent to Peyton Manning, things began well for Luck, as he reached the playoffs and the AFC Championship game that has since become known for 'deflategate.'
However, the Colts simply refused to do anything about their struggles on the offensive line, leaving Luck with virtually no protection. A string of hard hits and brutal treatment from defenders left Luck with injuries that some have compared to those suffered by car-wreck victims.
A constant stream of rehab and recovery work prevented Luck from ever fulfilling his talent in the NFL. He retired after just six seasons in the league when he was supposed to be the natural successor to Manning and Tom Brady.
