10 NFL Players That Are Embarrassing Themselves And Need To Hang It Up ASAP
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
You’re way past your prime and need to retire as soon as possible.
No, it’s not one bad season. The writing’s been on the wall for a while. So with all due respect, it’s time for these 10 NFL players to stop displaying a best-before-date version of themselves and retire.
Let’s dive right into it.
Which NFL players should call it quits after this season?
Travis Kelce
Kelce’s decision to continue playing after the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss in Super Bowl 59 surprised nobody. But it would be a surprise if he decided to continue playing beyond this year.
Kelce has been on the decline for three years now. He hasn’t been his All-Pro self since 2022, which is expected for a guy playing a physically demanding position into his mid-30s. And a player with great pride like Travis Kelce won’t continue playing if he knows he doesn’t have it in him anymore.
In case you didn’t hear, Kelce and Taylor Swift also have a big wedding to plan. With three Super Bowl rings and a spot in the Hall of Fame assured, Kelce is better walking away now instead of going out there for another year and reminding everyone he’s a shell of his former self as an NFL player.
Russell Wilson
Three teams in three years. Benched in the middle of the season in two of them. Yeah, it’s time for Wilson to call it in.
Wilson got a chance to revive his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 following his release from the Denver Broncos. He imploded late in the season, as the Steelers coughed up the AFC North before getting crushed by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.
The New York Giants signed Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency before trading up to snag Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. After a humiliating performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in a Week 3 loss on ‘Sunday Night Football’, the Giants saw enough and benched him for Dart.
Indeed, the Giants’ offense improved significantly under Dart. Even with Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo suffering season-ending injuries, Dart’s toughness and resilience kept his lousy football team in games. Something Wilson couldn’t do.
The Broncos and Steelers couldn’t wait to get rid of Wilson. The Giants won’t even consider the idea of bringing him back. He’s been washed up for a while and clearly has nothing more to offer. Wilson is better off retiring gracefully than collecting more unnecessary paychecks to hold a clipboard.
The sooner he retires from football, the earlier he can line up his next career ride. Giants country, let’s ride out of here and into retirement?
DeAndre Hopkins
Over the past decade or so, few big-name wide receivers have fallen off as quickly as DeAndre Hopkins. And as one of the NFL’s ultimate good guys and NON-diva wide receivers, it’s hard not to feel bad for him as a player.
But unfortunately, age and injuries have taken a toll on “Nuk.” He hasn’t been a Pro Bowler since 2020. He has reached the 1,000-yard mark once since 2021. A brief stint in Kansas City and a trip to the Super Bowl last year couldn’t revive his career.
The Baltimore Ravens took a flier on D-Hop with the hope that he would give Lamar Jackson another playmaking weapon. Instead, Hopkins turned in the least-productive season of his career. The guy even had a few games where he didn’t log a single catch.
If Hopkins couldn’t fix his career with Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, who’s to think he’ll defy father time and return to a Pro Bowl-caliber level in 2026? Hopkins just has to accept that all good things must come to an end and hang up the cleats.
Harrison Smith
Smith has been the heart and soul of the Vikings’ defense for more than a decade. It’s admirable that he’s managed to play 14 seasons at safety — a position where most guys tend to decline once they enter their 30s.
After the Vikings’ surprise 14-win season in 2024, it made sense for Smith to return for another crack at the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, another strong year by Brian Flores’ defense went to waste because of the problems at quarterback.
JJ McCarthy’s first season as the starter was wasted by injuries and inconsistent production. Backup signal-caller Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Third-stringer Max Brosmer, well, tried his best?
As good as Minnesota’s defense was in 2025, however, Smith wasn’t a key reason why. By all advanced metrics, he was one of the league’s worst safeties in coverage. This was easily the worst season of his career, which isn’t surprising because of his age.
Smith also experienced a considerable decrease in playing time due to his limited skill set at this phase of his career. The Vikings have no reason to bring him back. And Smith might wish to retire as a career Viking anyway.
The alternative? Keep playing and get burned in coverage time and again. Why embarrass himself when he can quit while he’s ahead?
Brandin Cooks
The well-traveled Cooks will go down as one of the most underrated players of his era, with six 1,000-yard seasons on four different NFL teams. But Cooks’ last 1,000-yard season was way back when in 2021.
Not only has Cooks been past his prime for a while, but he hasn’t even been a suitable No. 2 receiver since leaving Houston, either. His two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys didn’t net the expected results. His short-lived return to New Orleans also flopped.
And now, he’s basically a forgotten commodity on the Buffalo Bills. Cooks is, essentially, a practice-squad player at this phase of his career. He relied entirely on his speed to make explosive plays, but those days are long gone.
There’s little reason for Cooks to continue playing after this season. Unless he wants to remind everyone that he’s a shell of his former self. To us, retirement sounds so much better!
Nick Chubb
It’s difficult not to feel for Chubb, who was easily a top-five running back during his first five seasons. But that horrific knee injury Chubb suffered in Week 2 of the 2023 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers ended his shot at the Hall of Fame. It also marked the unfortunate end of his prime.
The Cleveland Browns moved on from Chubb after the 2024 season, which worked out thanks to the emergence of Quinshon Judkins. Chubb attempted to revive his career with the Houston Texans, who lost Pro Bowler Joe Mixon for the entire season.
But Chubb clearly doesn’t have that same burst or game-changing ability. His age, career mileage, and 2023 knee injury have slowed him down. He lost his RB1 duties to Woody Marks, who really stepped up his game on a Houston offense hit hard by the injury bug.
The love of football and the extra money may tempt Chubb to keep playing. But is it really worth it? His body has taken enough of a beating. He’s well past his best-before date, so we see no reason for him to continue playing. Don’t be surprised if this is the end of the line for the former Browns star.
Lavonte David
David will go down as one of the greatest Tampa Bay Buccaneers players ever. No question about it. He had played up to a super-strong level through his first 13 seasons, displaying incredible consistency and longevity.
But David’s body has started to give in this year. 14 NFL seasons as a hard-hitting linebacker will do that to you. It’s just part of getting old as an NFL player.
The Bucs aren’t Super Bowl contenders anymore, and David’s play has regressed considerably. GM Jason Licht has a thing for clinging to veteran players who helped his team win Super Bowl 50. But that was also five years ago.
David has lost his athleticism and speed that made him a dynamic workhorse and leader on the Tampa defense. Of course, it doesn’t help that his supporting cast on defense has gotten a lot worse.
It’s the right time for David to call it quits and move on to the next phase of his life. The Bucs have to start rebuilding the defense, and keeping David only delays the inevitable. As a lifelong Buccaneer, he’d do this team an excellent service by hanging up the cleats.
Darius Slay
I mean, it already seems like Slay is ready to call it a career anyway. But just in case he gets the itch to continue playing again? Hopefully, he’ll hear us out.
The six-time Pro Bowler has had a phenomenal career that could very well land him in the Hall of Fame. He finally reached the mountaintop when his Philadelphia Eagles took down the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.
After he was released by the Eagles, Slay stayed local and signed with the Steelers. Because if there’s one thing we learned in 2025, it’s that the Steelers love signing players who were at the top of their game five years ago.
Slay had a woeful 10-game stint with the Steelers, however. He allowed a 75 percent completion percentage and a 108.0 passer rating when targeted during his tenure with the Black and Yellow.
After getting waived by the Steelers, Slay was picked up by the Buffalo Bills. However, Slay refused to join the team, with his camp stating that he was considering his future in the NFL as a player.
With that in mind, retirement is clearly the best option for Slay. He is no longer a Pro Bowl-caliber playmaker. He’s a liability and has nothing else to prove or play for. It’s been a great journey, but it’s time for Slay to ride off into the sunset.
Geno Smith
Life comes at you fast in the NFL as a player. Just three years ago, he had a career year at the age of 32. Smith won Comeback Player of the Year honors and led the Seattle Seahawks to a surprise playoff appearance.
A year later, Smith earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. The following year, he threw for a career-high 4,320 passing yards. Believing he was still a high-quality starter, the Las Vegas Raiders acquired Smith in a 2025 blockbuster trade and handed him a two-year contract extension.
A reunion with Pete Carroll was supposed to help Smith sustain his Pro Bowl-like play, especially with Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty as his main weapons. But of course, things don’t always go to plan in the NFL.
Smith is playing like the sloppy QB we saw with the New York Jets, who finally had enough and benched him for Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Smith has been a liability for the Raiders, and they have an easy decision to move on from him after this season. And believe us, there isn’t another team that will target Smith as their starting QB next year. So yeah, Smith better take the hint and retire when he’s let go by the Raiders.
Jalen Ramsey
Once upon a time, it was all too easy to make a case that Jalen Ramsey was the best cornerback in the game. Certainly, the argument was strong during his days with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams.
But those days are long gone. Ramsey, like New York Jets legend Darrelle Revis, has seen his play decline rapidly since turning 30. His last season with the Miami Dolphins was a clear indicator that Father Time had arrived.
His 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers? Even worse. I mean, he went from elite shutdown corner to one of the league’s worst. He’s been lit up in coverage time and time again. There is clearly nothing left in the tank.
A spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is assured for Ramsey. He’s got his Super Bowl ring, too. Doesn’t retiring sound a lot better than letting young studs run circles around you?
