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When you've had enough, you've had enough. As Antonio Brown and Josh McDaniels know, in the NFL, like any industry, people quit. Some do it with grace, an announcement or warning, and a courteous exit. Others tend to just quietly walk out the door and never return. A small fraction of the workforce appears to make it a point to go out of their way to cause as much destruction as possible.
Here's a look at some of the biggest quitters in the sport's history:
#5 Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins
According to Pro Football Network, Ricky Williams was fighting constant marijuana cravings and personal issues when he decided to call it quits. The timing of his farewell from the Miami Dolphins was not the best as it happened in the leadup to team's 2004 training camp.
Many believe the decision tanked the team's prospects that season, and it did. The team went 4-12 that year and head coach Dave Wannstedt was eventually let go due to the season, fans surmised.
#4 Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck bowed out as gracefully as he could, but the timing could not have been worse. The loss of the quarterback essentially doomed the franchise for the season. Some would argue that his retirement continues to damage the team's prospects to this day.
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The quarterback had been through the ringer with constant injuries and had spent multiple years rehabbing in an attempt to get back on the field. However, during a preseason game in 2019, news broke about the quarterback leaving the team for the last time while he was standing on the field.
Fans booed the quarterback as they came to terms on national television that the franchise quarterback was indeed done before turning 30.
#3 Josh McDaniels, Indianapolis Colts
Josh McDaniels is the current head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, but he was almost the head coach of a different AFC team years earlier. In 2018, the Colts and McDaniels made plans to work together that season. Despite reportedly already having started work on assembling a staff, the head coach turned tail and went back to New England Patriots.
The move stunned the NFL and became one of the stories of the offseason. It turned out that the Patriots had pulled a lever, making McDaniels change his mind. The Colts ended up doing decently, putting together a 10-6 season with head coach Frank Reich, but still felt the sting of the 11th hour rejection.
#2 Bill Belichick, New York Jets
Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick almost didn't become one of the leaders of the franchise. The rival Jets had him in their clutches and let him escape. The head coach even appeared in what turned out to be a resignation press conference, turning tail quickly like Josh McDaniels. However, Belichick was even more vicious about it.
He reportedly wrote his notice on a napkin, not even writing out the name of the team he was quitting. According to Pro Football Network, here's how he put it:
“I resign as HC of the NYJ.”
#1 Antonio Brown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In one of the most shocking acts of the last several seasons, wide receiver Antonio Brown of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers soon became vilified. Fans were left stunned as Brown pulled a "squidward" and threw his uniform on the ground before jogging out of the stadium.
This happened mid-game in a showdown against the New York Jets in the 2021 season. Brown reportedly had already felt frustrated going into the contest, and things were brought to a boil. Well, Brown popped the kettle, taking off his shoulder pads on national television.
The drama between Brown and the team took over the news cycle over the next several weeks. Then, during the offseason, media outlets continued to keep an eye on the wide receiver. Since then, the receiver appears to have failed to secure any job offers and unless things change, his last professional time on the gridiron will be jogging off it.
