10 NFL Stars Who Became Washed Overnight

Barring a catastrophic injury, we expect the career of a star professional athlete to follow a certain arc. Typically, that arc has a clear beginning, clear middle, and clear end, but sometimes something happens that alters the course of that arc. We can’t always put our finger on what caused the alteration, but regardless, the player’s NFL career completely craters. From the height of the arc, they come crashing down. 

Let’s take a look at 10 NFL players who were destined for stardom but instead saw their careers fall like meteorites.

Which NFL players went from good to bad almost overnight?

Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back

Ezekiel Elliott’s career autobiography should be titled “A Tale of Two Careers.” It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. The Best – Elliott was the 4th overall pick by the Cowboys in the 2016 draft and immediately took over the starting running back role in Dallas. In that rookie year, he rushed for 1,631 yards on 322 carries, both of which led the league, and added 15 rushing touchdowns. 

He was awarded the Sporting News Rookie of the Year, made the Pro Bowl, and was an All-Pro. Elliott was limited to 10 games in his sophomore season but still put up modest numbers. He exceeded the 1,300 rushing yard mark in 2018-19, once again leading the league in 2018. The Worst – After his first 6 years in Dallas, in which Elliott rushed for 7,386 yards with 56 touchdowns, the overused back began to show wear and tear in his 7th season, rushing for what, at the time, was a career low 876 yards. 

Seeing the signs, the Cowboys released Elliott after the 2022 season, and he played a disappointing season with New England in 2023. However, by that point, his effectiveness was essentially nothing. Elliott was out of the NFL after 2024, but he remains a perfect example of a player who simply stopped being effective almost immediately.

Le’Veon Bell, Running Back

What happened to Le’Veon Bell? The running back out of Michigan State seemed like a future star when he was drafted in 2013, and his first 5 years in the league backed that up. From 2013 through 2017, Bell carved up opposing defenses out of the Pittsburgh backfield. In that span, the star back amassed 5,336 rushing yards with 35 touchdowns, 2,660 receiving yards with 7 touchdowns, was a 3x Pro Bowl selection, and a 2x All-Pro. In 2018, when the Steelers placed the Franchise Tag on Bell for the second time, he decided to sit out the season. 

That may have been a mistake, as his skills were clearly impacted by the time off. Bell signed a 4-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets in the 2019 offseason, but it was clear from the first game in New York that he was not the same. Bell’s struggles were so apparent that the Jets released him halfway through the 2020 season, wrapping up his time in New York after a year and a half. From there, Bell’s last two seasons saw him spend time in Kansas City, Baltimore, and Tampa before deciding to retire. 

His post-Pittsburgh stat line was an incredibly modest 1,218 rushing yards with 7 touchdowns and passing statistics not even worth mentioning. When it comes to Le’Veon Bell, it’s obvious that he became washed up because his skills eroded during his holdout, ending a once-promising career.

DeMarco Murray, Running Back

Are you starting to notice a trend with running backs on our list? I am. DeMarco Murray was a 3x Pro Bowl selection, an All-Pro, the 2014 AP Offensive Player of the Year winner, a 3x time 1,000-yard rusher, including an NFL-leading 1,845 rushing yards in 2014, and a total of 6,515 rushing yards with 43 touchdowns. Not bad for his first 6 years in the NFL. 

The 2017 season, Murray’s seventh in the league, saw him rush for a career low 659 yards. That dip surprised many, especially considering that Murray rushed for 1,287 yards the year before. Regardless, it was becoming apparent that his game was aging, and the Titans were ready to move on, replacing him with the younger, more effective Derrick Henry. 

Murray was only 30 years old and a free agent when he retired in March of 2018. Could he have continued? Probably. Was there still life in his legs? Maybe, but clearly, he saw the decline in play during his final year as a member of the Tennessee Titans. Injuries, abuse from being an NFL running back, and the inevitability that comes along with all of that, led DeMarco Murray to walk away from the game before being humbled by it. A noble choice, but it still earns him a spot on our list.

Albert Haynesworth, Defensive Tackle

When one is considered to be among the worst free agent signings in NFL history, there has to be some type of historic collapse associated with their tenure. Prior to signing a massive free agent deal with Washington in 2009, Albert Haynesworth built a resume that included being an anchor of Tennessee’s front line and one of the most feared defensive linemen in the league. Despite his feared reputation, or perhaps inspired by it, Haynesworth was not without his issues. 

During the 2006 NFL season, he was suspended for 5 games for stomping on the unhelmeted head of an opposing player. He returned to have his two most successful seasons in 2007 and 2008, earning Pro Bowl berths and being named an All-Pro both years. When free agency hit after the 2008 season, the defensive tackle was ready to cash in… and he did. Haynesworth signed a 7-year, $100 million contract with Washington. 

This marriage was a disaster from the start. Almost immediately, Haynesworth exhibited diva-like behavior. He fought with the Washington coaches, showed up out of shape, failed conditioning requirements, and quit on the field in the middle of plays. It was almost a relief when Washington suspended him for the last 4 games of 2010, but by that point, the relationship was irreparably damaged, and Haynesworth was traded to New England. Once he was signed to a large contract, the on-field play of Albert Haynesworth fell off a cliff.

Carson Wentz, Quarterback

Carson Wentz’s career was like a house built on a fault line. The Eagles couldn’t have asked for a better start to the first four years of Wentz’s career. He surpassed 3,000 yards passing all four years, including 4,039 yards in 2019, was an MVP candidate, and won a Super Bowl. Things were good, and the Eagles decided to build around him. But 2020 saw a few tremors as the quarterback’s play began to decline. 

Wentz only threw for 2,620 yards and led the league with 15 interceptions. Philadelphia, sensing something was wrong, was right to sell their property on the fault line and traded Wentz to the Colts for two draft picks, a first and a third. Wentz had a rebound year in Indianapolis, but the Colts decided an upgrade was preferable to a rehab and moved the quarterback to Washington. 

Once in D.C., the tremors turned into a full-blown earthquake as Wentz completely bottomed out. Due to injuries and inconsistency, he only started 7 games for Washington before being released by them. Wentz spent his final three seasons in the NFL as a backup quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings, appearing in only 10 games from 2023-25. Carson Wentz went from being a franchise quarterback to a journeyman backup almost overnight, becoming another worthy entry on our list.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Running Back

It’s been a while since we’ve discussed a running back on our list, so let’s examine one. Next up, Maurice Jones-Drew. The 2nd round draft pick by Jacksonville in 2006, Jones-Drew took a few years in the NFL before reaching his true potential, and when he did, after a meteoric three seasons, he crashed back to earth hard. The UCLA product hovered near 1,000 yards rushing for each of the first three seasons of his career. 

Year four saw him fall just short of 1,400 yards. He missed 2 games during the 2010 season but still rushed for over 1,300 yards. In 2011, the then-26-year-old back rushed for a league-leading 1,606 yards, and coming off that successful year, he did what typically comes next – hold out for a new contract. Jones-Drew’s holdout in 2012 led to injuries and a lack of production when he finally did return to the field. 

After 8 years with the Jaguars, he signed a free agent deal with the Oakland Raiders in 2014. Despite signing a 3-year contract, he would play only 1 game in Oakland. Injuries and a decline in production and skill drove Jones-Drew out of the game after only 1 year with the Raiders. Like many others, his production declined at an alarming rate, even for an established NFL player. Yep, there must be something going on with running backs.

Vontae Davis, Defensive Back

The Miami Dolphins drafted Vontae Davis out of Illinois in the 1st Round of the 2009 Draft. Davis came out of college highly rated, as he was ranked as the 3rd best cornerback in his draft class, and he was starting in Miami’s secondary by the middle of his rookie year. 

Davis would remain a starter for the Dolphins for his first three years, but after losing his starting role before the 2012 season, he was traded to the Colts. He would go on to spend 6 years in Indianapolis, where he earned his only 2 Pro Bowl selections. The 2018 season saw the Pro Bowl cornerback sign a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. Davis didn’t play in Week 1, but in Week 2, he shocked the sports world. 

After giving up a touchdown to the Chargers, Davis left the game in progress and retired from the NFL. After the game, Vontae Davis stated, “Reality hit me fast and hard. I shouldn’t be out there anymore.” If retiring abruptly at halftime of a game doesn’t constitute becoming, in the broadest sense of the word possible, washed up overnight, I don’t know what does?

Todd Gurley, Running Back

I think it’s time for another running back, don’t you? For a brief period of time, from 2015 through 2018, Todd Gurley was considered one of the best running backs in the National Football League. Drafted by the Rams with the 10th pick in 2015, Gurley immediately crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in 3 of his 4 seasons. His 4,547 rushing yards over his first 4 years showed the football world that the Rams had a budding star running back on their hands. 

He also led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2017 and 2018. In addition to being a great runner, Gurley was also pretty good at catching the ball out of the backfield, as evidenced by his 788 receiving yards in 2017. But something happened in the 2019 season. Gurley wasn’t the same back he’d been in his first 4 years. Something was wrong. Most likely, it was lingering knee issues from the injury he sustained in the previous year’s run to the Super Bowl; perhaps that was one of the reasons the Rams lost. 

Regardless, at the end of the season, the Rams, in an effort to save money, cut Gurley. In April of 2020, he signed a one-year deal with the Falcons. He suited up in 15 games for Atlanta, but rushed for only 678 yards, and retired after the season. Todd Gurley was great, but his career simply ended too quickly.

Josh Gordon, Wide Receiver

Josh Gordon’s demons first appeared in college when he was suspended indefinitely by Baylor University for drug use. Despite the issues, the Browns selected Gordon in the 2nd round of that year’s supplemental draft. He flashed potential in his rookie season, but the next year truly revealed his Jekyll-and-Hyde persona. 

He missed the first two games of the 2013 season due to substance issues, but rebounded over the final 14 games of the season to finish with 1,646 receiving yards, a Pro Bowl selection, and being named an All-Pro. It looked like the Browns had a star in the making; however, things took a turn for the worse starting the next season. Gordon was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2014 season. 

He returned for the final 5 games but was once again suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policies. This suspension would last much longer than the previous one. Due to multiple policy violations and failed drug tests, Gordon would miss the entire 2015 season, the entire 2016 season, and all but the last 5 games of the 2017 season. 

Gordon was traded to New England the following year but was suspended once again. Over his final three seasons, spread out over 4 calendar years, the wide receiver bounced between four teams – the Patriots, Seahawks, Chiefs, and Titans. He was a shell of the receiver who caught 1,646 yards. Gordon became washed up due to personal issues, but he’s undoubtedly a textbook story of what could have been.

Ricky Williams, Running Back

We started with a running back, so let’s end with one. Ricky Williams was a great running back, absolutely dominant for the first 5 years of his career, and then it all went up in smoke. Williams spent the first three years of his career in New Orleans, where he broke the 1,000-yard rushing barrier twice. 

Prior to the 2002 season, Williams was traded to Miami, where he immediately led the league with 1,853 rushing yards and a Pro Bowl berth. The star back followed that up by rushing for 1,372 yards on a league-leading 392 carries. Williams was among the best running backs in the league, and then right before the start of the 2004 season, he retired. Apparently, he chose to retire rather than face a 4 game suspension for failing a drug test for marijuana. 

After sitting out 2004, Williams returned to Miami for the 2005 season (he served his 4-game suspension) before missing the 2006 season, when he was suspended once again. Williams returned for one game in 2007 before going on to suit up in all 16 games from 2008 to 2011. Although he was no longer a starter, he managed to once again break the 1,000-yard rushing mark in 2009. Williams’ decision to explore other outside interests during his playing days contributed to his career fading far too soon.