5 Times NFL players got revenge against their former team

Revenge has an interesting place in NFL history.

NFL teams, being professional businesses, are generally good at determining when any player is over the hill. However, despite sophisticated player assessments, there are still times when teams badly misjudge the potential that a player still has left.

Throughout history, this has often come back to haunt teams when players they've misjudged are offered the opportunity for sweet revenge. There have been many such instances, out of which we have curated five revenge stories to look at here.

#5 - Steve Smith Sr., Baltimore Ravens vs. Carolina Panthers

Steve Smith Sr. played for the Carolina Panthers from 2001 to 2013. During that time, he made it to 5 Pro Bowls and won the famous Triple Crown in 2005 by leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

However, his career feats were not enough for the Carolina Panthers to unceremoniously drop him at the end of the 2013 season. By his own admission, he felt stabbed in the back. He vowed that when he plays them again, there will be "blood and guts everywhere."

He stayed true to his promise of revenge when he faced them again with the Baltimore Ravens in September 2014. On the day, he totaled seven receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns, with the Ravens winning 38-10. As he said in his own words,

“I’m 35 years old, and I ran around them boys like they was schoolyard children."

#4 - Marcus Allen, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Raiders

Marcus Allen was a star with the Los Angeles Raiders for 11 seasons. He won Super Bowl XVIII and was named Super Bowl MVP in that game. The following season, he was the NFL offensive player of the year as well as the MVP.

However, by 1993, his relationship with owner Al Davis had deteriorated to the point of non-existence and he was released.

He chose the path of revenge by staying in the AFC West and signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. The following season, he would go on to reach his final Pro Bowl.

He scored a total of two touchdowns and rushed for a total of 109 yards in the two games he got to play against the Raiders that season. He won both those games and ultimately ended up with a 9-1 record against the Raiders when he retired five years later.

#3 - Deion Sanders, San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons

Unlike the two previous examples where the player was let go by the team, cornerback Deion Sanders chose to terminate his partnership with the Atlanta Falcons and join up with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.

He believed he had the best chance of winning the Super Bowl playing for a team that featured legends like Steve Young and Jerry Rice.

He returned for revenge during the divisional round against Atlanta and stayed true to his word. He had a pick-6 and played well enough to see the 49ers run down the Falcons 42-3. He went on to become the Super Bowl champion that season and was also named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The following offseason, he moved on to the Dallas Cowboys for a few years and won Super Bowl XXX with them. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are still waiting for their first Super Bowl - justifying Sanders' decision to initially leave the team.

#2 - Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. St. Louis Rams

Running back Jerome Bettis was deemed expendable by the St. Louis Rams after three seasons when they drafted running back Lawrence Phillips to replace him in 1996. Bettis went on to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and got his revenge the same year.

When the two teams met in November, he rushed for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, routing the Steelers to a 42-6 victory over the Rams.

However, his revenge spanned beyond that game as he went on to establish himself as a Hall of Famer by making it to four Pro Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers and winning Super Bowl XL.

Lawrence Phillips, meanwhile, played just 25 games for the Rams and was out of the NFL by 2000.

#1 - Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New England Patriots

Tom Brady is at the top of many NFL lists and the case here is no different. After being traded away by the Patriots after nearly two decades of service, he returned to Foxborough with the Buccaneers and defeated them in the 2021 NFL season.

Moreover, not only did he beat his former team head-to-head, but he even went on to win a Super Bowl with the Bucs.

The New England Patriots won six Super Bowls with Bill Belichick as head coach and Tom Brady as the starting quarterback. After Brady left New England, there was the question of whether he would fare better without Belichick.

Nonetheless, the debate was settled when the New England Patriots missed out on the 2020 playoffs while Brady went on to win his seventh ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This feat can easily be regarded as the greatest revenge any player has ever gotten against their former team.