For NFL fans, few things are tougher than watching your favorite players retire. You spent years watching and idolizing these guys, and it’s a difficult transition when they’re suddenly no longer on your television screens on a weekly basis.
Over the years, NFL fans have been lucky — or unlucky, depending on the athlete — to see some great players come out of retirement. Rob Gronkowski had a beautiful two-year run after ending his initial retirement. Other icons like Randy Moss and Deion Sanders, however, were shells of their former selves when they came back after initially walking away.
Some of the more recently retired NFL stars still appeared to have a little something left in the tank when they hung up their cleats. If they came back in 2023, we’re sure they’d still be impact players. Here are 10 former NFL stars we’d LOVE to see come out of retirement.
Tom Brady
Start with the obvious, shall we?
Brady’s final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can only be chalked up as a disappointment. They were a prime Super Bowl 57 favorite entering the season but barely won a laughable NFC South division with an 8-and-9 record. And then they were humiliated on their own turf by the Dallas Cowboys on wild card weekend.
Thing is, Brady wasn’t the problem for Tampa. If it weren’t for some of his signature magic, the Bucs would’ve likely had a top-five pick. Behind a horrendous o-line and the league’s worst rushing game, Brady still completed 66.8 percent of pass attempts for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns against nine interceptions.
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Brady can still play, and we just assumed he would join A QB-needy team like the Las Vegas Raiders or even his boyhood team, the San Francisco 49ers — with injury concerns to Brock Purdy and Trey Lance.
We hate the idea of Brady going out the way he did in his final season. Can’t he pull a Brett Fave and flip-flop on his retirement one more time? Why retire when you can still sling it?
Here’s hoping he takes our advice and comes back for one last hurrah. We can’t accept the GOAT retiring when he’s got plenty left in that golden arm.
Andrew Luck
The ex-Indianapolis Colts star QB is one of the greatest “what ifs” in NFL history. There’s no telling how many Lombardi Trophies Luck and the Colts could have won together if injuries and a terrible offensive line didn’t cause him to lose his desire to continue playing.
It’s hard to blame Luck for retiring before his 30th birthday back in 2019. Injuries took a physical and emotional toll on him, and he hasn’t even given second thoughts to a comeback nearly four years later.
We’re spitballing here, but what if a few years away from the game has changed Luck’s mind? What if he’s fully healthy and more motivated to attempt a comeback? We wouldn’t bet against the No. 1 pick of the 2012 NFL Draft still being a franchise-changing quarterback.
There will always be that aspect of “unfinished business” attached to Luck’s name…unless he comes back. We aren’t holding out any hope, but we can still dream, right?
Rob Gronkowski
If Tom Brady un-retires at the age of 45, why can’t a 34-year-old Gronkowski come back too?
Like Luck, Gronkowski went through a plethora of injuries that prompted him to retire not once, but twice. There’s no telling how jaw-dropping his stats would have been if Gronk didn’t suffer so many brutal injuries.
In his final NFL season with the Bucs in 2021, Gronk hauled in 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns despite missing five games. It’s worth noting that Gronk averaged 66.8 receiving yards per game — which is more than his career average of 64.9.
The man is a freak of nature and could still play ball. Maybe he wouldn’t want to be used in run-blocking as much, but as a red zone weapon and in goal-line plays, why not? He would still do it better than most!
If reuniting with Tommy Terrific isn’t an option, why doesn’t Gronk join the hometown Buffalo Bills and try to bring a Super Bowl championship to Orchard Park? That would make his legendary status in the football world even more, well, legendary.
Luke Kuechly
Like Andrew Luck, Luke Kuechly — another superstar from the deep 2012 draft class — shocked everyone when he abruptly announced his retirement.
Kueckly spent his entire eight-year career in Carolina. He earned Pro Bowl nods in each of his final seven seasons, along with 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The 5-time first-team all-pro was the heart and soul of a Panthers’ defense that helped the team to three straight NFC South division titles from 2013 to 2015 — as well as a trip to Super Bowl 50, where they fell to the Denver Broncos.
We’ll argue any day that Kuechly should be inducted into Canton in his first year of eligibility. That shouldn’t be up for debate.
Kuechly retired early because of concussions. Might a few years away from the game help him feel more physically and mentally ready for a comeback? He was a once-in-a-lifetime talent at linebacker for Carolina, so we have little doubt that he’d still be a beast if he returned to football in 2023.
We know the odds are very, very unlikely here. But it certainly would be fun to see him come back — be it with Carolina or a Super Bowl contender — even for just another season or two. Or even just half a season to pursue a championship.
The option is still there, Luke.
Ali Marpet
Another ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneer! Are you surprised?
Marpet was one of the NFL’s premier guards during his seven-year career. He just didn’t get much recognition for it until Tom Brady arrived.
The Super Bowl 55 champion stunned the world when he announced his retirement at the age of 28 in 2022. Even when Brady announced his return a couple of weeks later, it wasn’t enough for Marpet to change his mind.
It’s no coincidence that the Bucs’ offensive line cratered after losing Marpet in 2022. Per Pro Football Focus, Marpet didn’t allow a single sack in Tampa’s Super Bowl 55 championship season, and he only allowed one in all of 2021.
There is clearly lots of high-level football left in Marpet. Wouldn’t it be awesome to watch him provide some much-needed protection for another great NFL quarterback?
Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals is the first one who comes to mind. Imagine if Marpet went there to chase a second ring? There’s also Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears, Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins and Josh Allen of the Bills — all of whom would love to have a guy like Marpet lining up in front of them.
What if Marpet went to a team with a young stud QB and helped them avoid taking so many brutal hits? He’s the hero that one of these quarterbacks so desperately needs…and deserves.
Maurkice Pouncey
Like several others on this list, Pouncey should be inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He spent his entire 11-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning nine Pro Bowl selections along with NFL All-Decade Team honors.
Pouncey was the heart and soul of that Steelers’ o-line for over a decade, and it was quite the blow for Pittsburgh fans when he opted to walk away from the game at just 31 years of age. It’s no wonder that Pouncey and Ben Roethlisberger were so emotional together following the team’s 2020 wild card loss against the Cleveland Browns.
It was a sad way for the all-time great center to go out. It felt like there was unfinished business for those two together, but only Big Ben came back for another year in 2021.
Pouncey was still at the top of his game when he retired. And here’s another thing: He also never won a Super Bowl, as his Steelers fell to the Green Bay Packers in the big game during Pouncey’s rookie year.
Hey, the Steelers need help on the o-line, and their new competitive window is just opening. Would Pouncey consider going back there? What about joining a title contender in need of a center? Wouldn’t the Bengals make perfect sense?
Just a suggestion…
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitz-magic was a fan favorite wherever he went. The well-traveled journeyman quarterback would have his flashes of brilliance with one team, get benched, come back in, light it up, get benched again. Wash, rinse and repeat.
Fitzpatrick was just always so fun to watch with his fearless, gunslinger mentality. Unfortunately, he suffered a hip injury in his debut for the Washington Football Team in Week 1 of the 2021 season, and he would never play again.
Fitz retired at the age of 39 in the 2022 offseason. Thing is, Fitzpatrick could still sling the football in his final season with the Miami Dolphins back in 2020. And he’s an ideal short-term replacement option for any team who loses their starter during the season.
Several teams should be calling Fitzpatrick about a return in 2023. The dude never got to play in a postseason game, which is a travesty. Might he be enticed to sign on for a couple million bucks, get limited playing time but still get the chance at a Super Bowl ring?
Let’s hope so, because we’d love to see more Fitz-magic. We never got enough of it.
Julian Edelman
Injuries limited the longtime New England Patriots’ fan favorite to six games in 2020, which turned out to be his final NFL season. A true shame, because Edelman was still a game-changer when healthy.
Edelman announced his retirement after the 2020 season. Now that he’s been healthy and rested for two years, why not consider coming back — especially if Brady and Gronk decide to join him for one LAST DANCE?
Edelman probably wouldn’t be a starter if he came back, but he could enjoy a rotational role — especially on third downs. Even if Brady doesn’t come back, wouldn’t it be fun to see Edelman serve as a weapon for someone like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts or Josh Allen?
Plus, y’know, Edelman was just all-around one of the NFL’s ultimate good guys who always charmed with his calm personality. We need guys like that in football, which makes his potential return to football all the more enticing for us football fans.
J.J. Watt
The 3-time Defensive Player of the Year turned back the clock and looked like his Pro Bowl self in 2022 – in what turned out to be Watt’s final NFL season.
Watt played a combined eight games in 2016 and 2017, just eight games in 2019 and only seven contests in 2021. Injuries unfortunately took over the back half of his career, but he stayed healthy in 2022 and racked up 12.5 sacks and seven pass defenses in 16 games.
It didn’t just hurt to see Watt retire because he was a fan favorite and still playing at a high level. It also sucked that he didn’t get a chance to pursue a Super Bowl ring, as the Arizona Cardinals won just four games in 2022.
Watt doesn’t have to be a full-time player anymore if he doesn’t want to be. But why not follow the footsteps of guys like Ndamukong Suh and be a rotational piece on a deep front seven? Wouldn’t he be a great fit in Kansas City, San Francisco, or Baltimore?
Watt was simply impossible to hate during his playing career. We want this man to finish his career on a competitive team that at least gives him the shot to win a Super Bowl. And seeing how great he was in 2022, we’ll continue to hold out hope that Watt reverses his retirement decision…
Terrell Owens
The Pro Football Hall of Famer made his pitch to his old team, the 49ers, to sign him for a late-reason run. News flash: The 49ers didn’t bite.
Owens was reportedly also in contact about returning to the Dallas Cowboys, but nothing came out of it. The bottom line is that the 49-year-old is dead-serious about wanting to return to football…even though his last season was way-back-when in 2010.
Here’s the thing: Who wouldn’t want to at least see what T.O.’s still got? Even if he’s just a stickman out there, he’s one of the most hilarious and entertaining sports personalities ever. The entertainment value would be more than enough to make this worthwhile.
And if the Hall of Famer is so sure he could still play at his age, someone should just give him the chance. Seriously, let him run one route, then bench or cut him if you have to.
At this point, I totally expect Owens to keep pushing for an unlikely return to football. What’s the worst that could happen?
