NFL

25 NFL Stars Who Never Reached Their Full Potential

Darren - September 24, 2021

NFL

25 NFL Stars Who Never Reached Their Full Potential

Darren - September 24, 2021

5. Tua Tagovailoa

Miami fans were very excited to see Tagovailoa play for their franchise. But they didn’t see him until later in his rookie season because Ryan Fitzpatrick started. Then, he displayed a lot of rookie nerves when he finally usurped the veteran. The Dolphins benched him twice because of his mistakes.

Tagovailoa faced a summer of rumors that the Dolphins wanted to trade him. However, he started his sophomore year as their undisputed first-choice QB. Things didn’t get any easier for the former Alabama star. After making a number of mistakes on opening day, he fractured his ribs the following week (via ESPN). There’s no doubting his potential but the NFL is passing him by.

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4. Aldon Smith

Smith had an unbelievably high ceiling. He achieved 14 sacks for the Niners in his rookie year but never started a game that year. As a sophomore, he went even further. This time Smith broke the franchise record for most sacks in a season with 19. It looked like they had a future Hall of Famer on their hands but it wasn’t to be. Smith’s personal issues cost him his career and broke the hearts of fans.

In 2012, police arrested him for a DUI. Nobody condones that kind of behavior but people make mistakes. Unfortunately, this wasn’t just a one-off. The Raiders gave him a second chance but Smith committed domestic violence. Then, he became involved in a domestic battery case and that ended his career (via NBC News). Fans saw his potential but he didn’t have the discipline to make the most of it.

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3. Ray Rice

Rice’s situation was similar to Aldon Smith’s. He proved himself as one of the NFL’s top running backs and was a three-time Pro Bowler. Meanwhile, he helped the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2012. Rice holds a number of franchise records. Unfortunately, he blew his NFL career by knocking his girlfriend out cold and dragging her unconscious body out of an elevator.

This instantly made him unsignable. He had the potential to be a franchise icon and appeared to be a lock for the Hall of Fame. But Rice ruined his image with one punch. Nobody wants to touch a woman-beater as he soon discovered. It didn’t help that he couldn’t deny the incident (via ABC News). The video went viral after cameras captured the incident. It’s a shame that such a talented athlete did this to himself.

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2. Cam Newton

There’s no denying that Newton didn’t live up to his full potential. The former MVP was outstanding in his first few seasons for the Panthers. He set a number of rookie records but couldn’t sustain his brilliance. Injuries wrecked his career and left him on the sidelines. It’s a shame because he had the potential to be one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks of all time.

He played for the Patriots in 2020 and fans saw how his body betrayed him. Meanwhile, he made some poor decisions off the field that caused the team management to lose faith in him. They cut him and replaced him with rookie Mac Jones (via Boston Globe). Newton could have been a truly special QB but he never sustained in his place in the top-tier. Nobody saw this coming after his stunning 2015 season.

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1. Andrew Luck

We’re not saying that Luck wasn’t a great player because he was elite. However, he also retired at the age of 29 and was never able to show his full potential. Many quarterbacks blossom in their thirties because their brain catches up with their arm. Unfortunately, Luck suffered so many injuries that he was unable to take the step toward the Hall of Fame level of greatness. And that was a real tragedy.

He was still a four-time Pro Bowler and led the league in passing touchdowns in 2014. However, Luck absorbed a ludicrous number of hits during his seven seasons in the NFL. The Colts had a genuine franchise quarterback on their hands. But they threw him away because they didn’t protect him. The Ringer reported that he was hit or sacked 352 times across his career.

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25 NFL Stars Who Never Reached Their Full Potential

25 NFL Stars Who Never Reached Their Full Potential

5. Tua Tagovailoa

4. Aldon Smith

3. Ray Rice

2. Cam Newton

1. Andrew Luck

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