Playing in the NFL is hard work. While it is only 17 games, they are grueling as can be – and there is a boatload of preparation that goes into getting prepared for each match up – both physical and mental.
Getting treatment, studying the gameplan, you name it! There is no shortage of prerequisites to try and get ready for gameday at the professional level!
This only exacerbates the relatively short shelf life that the game’s players have… After all, it is only so long before a guy can get his body and mind up to speed to perform at an NFL-caliber level.
And thus far in the 2024 season, we have seen quite a few players that look like their best days are now behind them, as their performances have dipped, the injuries are piling up, and the spark that made them stars seems to be flickering out.
AKA – they may be ready for retirement!
Let’s dive into 10 big-named players that might be on the golf course at this time next year!
Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns
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Let’s get an obvious one out of the way early… The Deshaun Watson saga in Cleveland has been nothing short of a nightmare. For him as a player, for the team, the fans, for humanity, in nearly every aspect possible—this one has been an unmitigated disaster!
After sitting out the 2021 season due to off-field issues, AKA allegedly being a terrible person, Watson returned in 2022 with the Cleveland Browns, only to look like a shadow of his former self.
In time, it has gone from bad to worse. He played just six games in each of his first two seasons in Cleveland and, well, didn’t look particularly good doing it.
Think about it in the context of his final season on the field in Houston in 2020, when he completed over 70 percent of his passes for 4823 yards and 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions… In the 12 games he started in ‘22 and ‘23, he threw more interceptions, 9, and combined threw for just 2217 yards and 14 touchdowns.
And the stats don’t even tell it all. The guy looks absolutely lost out there… And he has zero love for the game of football anymore.
Fast forward to 2024, and things have only gotten worse. He is a $230 million dollar anchor on what would otherwise be a potential Super Bowl contending Browns team in the AFC and he knows it.
Everything about his body language, disposition in the media, and, frankly, his play on the field screams that he’s ready for retirement.
And who knows… with the latest allegations, he may get pushed toward that reality in short order.
Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
The Adam Thielen story has been a wonderful one to watch unfold over the past decade or so.
He went from undrafted free agent to Pro Bowl wide receiver, making plays all over the field for the Vikings. But since joining the Carolina Panthers, it’s been all downhill.
The gutsy wideout proved that he still had something in the tank last year, but through two games in 2024, Thielen has just five catches for 69 yards, and it is starting to look like his explosiveness may be fading out entirely.
He’s a smart player with great hands and provides a veteran presence, but when the legs start to go, there’s only so much you can do.
And even if he still has what it takes to keep balling at the NFL level, is it really worth it to continue if he has to do it in a Panthers uniform?
I get that Thielen is a fierce competitor and the kind of guy who has always been willing to put his body on the line for his team, but on some level, he has to feel ridiculous at 34 doing that for Carolina.
Maybe we’ll see some revitalization down in Charlotte now that they have finally pulled the plug on the Bryce Young experiment—not that Andy Dalton is all that much better… but in any case, no one would blame Thielen if he’d rather call it quits and hit the links now than finish out the season!
Calais Campbell, DL, Miami Dolphins
Campbell has played some of his best football in his 30s and continues to go strong at age 37. He went south to Atlanta after recording 5.5 sacks in 14 games with Baltimore last season but is quickly approaching the end of his career. He has one sack so far, but it looks like he’s lost a step in a big way.
At 6’8″ and nearly 300 pounds, Calais Campbell has been one of the most dominant defensive linemen of the past decade. The man is a five-time Pro Bowler and has been on the fringe of the Defensive Player of the Year conversation multiple times, but at 37 years old, it looks like he is starting to lose his edge.
Campbell has been a constant disruptor in the backfield throughout his career, but it is now starting to look like he is struggling to get off blocks.
He has managed to notch one sack through two games this year, but it doesn’t look like the same guy that we are used to seeing—even as recently as last year when he was with the Falcons!
Of course, his career longevity has been impressive, but at this point, Campbell may be running on fumes—not the premium fuel required to get that massive frame firing at a Pro Bowl level.
Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens
Justin Tucker has been a mainstay in Baltimore since he signed as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2012 NFL draft. Tucker ended up being one of the biggest UDFA signings in Baltimore’s history.
For what feels like an eternity, Justin Tucker has been the gold standard at the kicker position. Full stop.
His leg strength, accuracy, and composure under pressure made him one of the most feared kickers in the NFL.
Yes… “feared kickers” sounds like an egregious oxymoron, but Tucker brought validity to that word combination.
Since 2012, all he’s done is become an eight-time All-Pro, a seven-time Pro-Bowler, and the Ravens’ all-time leading point scorer. And if you were looking for some icing on the cake of what many expect to be a Hall of Fame career – Tucker’s 66-yard game-winning field goal in 2021 still stands as the longest in NFL history.
But let’s face it, he is only human… And cracks are starting to show. Tucker has missed more kicks from 50+ yards than ever before.
For a player who built his reputation on being automatic from deep, this decline is significant. And while Tucker is still serviceable, it’s clear he’s no longer the lock he once was, and it looks like it is starting to wear on him mentally.
If he ends up eclipsing the fine line between serviceable and liability—don’t be surprised if we see him call it quits in a hurry.
Kicking doesn’t have the same physical toll as playing any other position in the NFL, of course… But when you do anything at a truly elite level, the way that Tucker has done throughout his entire career, it can become incredibly draining, mentally and emotionally, to keep showing up to work.
Also Read: 10 Star NFL Players That Are the BIGGEST Cry Babies In The League Today
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott was once the most feared running back in the NFL. When he came out of Ohio State, he hit the ground running.
No pun intended…
Dad jokes aside, his punishing running style, vision, and ability to wear down defenses made him the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ offense—and to his credit—he maintained that standard for years.
But time catches up with everyone, and Elliott is no exception. His yards per carry have dropped steadily since 2021, and by 2023, he ranked near the bottom of the league in almost every key metric—yards after contact, missed tackles forced, and explosive runs.
There is a reason that people were so puzzled when he and the Cowboys aligned on a reunion after his stint in New England!
Zeke is only 28, but for an NFL running back, that’s ancient. With his declining production and mounting wear and tear, it’s hard to see Elliott sticking around much longer, especially now that he is on a one-year deal and looking more washed up than ever.
Zach Ertz, TE, Washington Commanders
Zach Ertz had a rare combination of the ability to create separation, make clutch catches, and block in the run game made as a tight end that few players have had. In short—he was the complete package—and for a long time.
But at 33—turning 34 in November and having fought through a couple of major injuries, Ertz looks like a player on his last legs.
Through two games with the Commanders, he has really started to look like he is better suited for retirement than enduring the grueling reality of playing tight end in the NFL.
The three-time Pro Bowler has managed just seven catches for 90 yards through two games and doesn’t have much burst left at all.
With his knowledge of the game and 6’ 5” frame, he can still contribute something, but with how things look in Washington—as the team is still in what feels like an eternal rebuild—there are indicators left, right, and center that Ertz is ready for retirement.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Make no mistake about it… Cooper Kupp’s 2021 season was one for the ages. The former third-round pick put up a monster year—one that we may never see a wide receiver replicate.
He totaled 1,947 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns—and became just the 8th receiver to earn Super Bowl MVP honors to top it off.
But since then, it’s been a different story. Injuries have started to plague Kupp, and his 2024 campaign has been marred by yet another setback.
Kupp had an impressive Week 1 performance, but now that he has been sidelined again, and it’s starting to look like a never-ending cycle of injuries and that he might be ready to settle into retirement.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
Okay… Not trying to pour salt on the wound here, but after watching the Dolphins quarterback endure yet another head injury it is hard not to see him as being very much ready for retirement.
After another ugly concussion scare just two games into the 2024 season, the conversation around Tua’s future is starting to shift from “Can he be a franchise quarterback?” to “Should he retire for his own safety?”
While everything that he’s said has been to the contrary, the optics aren’t good, and he really looks like he’s ready for retirement.
And if he isn’t… well… unfortunately, he should probably start preparing himself to be.
De’Vondre Campbell, LB, San Francisco 49ers
De’Vondre Campbell’s All-Pro season in 2021 feels like a lifetime ago.
Since then, his performance has gradually diminished, and now it looks like it is ready to take a nosedive.
After signing with the 49ers in 2024, Campbell has struggled to make an impact, managing just 10 tackles and no sacks through the first few games of the season.
Even more concerning is that he has looked out of sorts in coverage, which has always been a major strength for him.
He is on a one-year deal with the Niners… and with the injuries that they’ve had on their defense, he’ll likely stick it out, but he’s looking very ready for retirement.
Ryan Bates, OL, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears’ offensive line has been a weak spot for years, and while folks in the media expected it to be much improved this year—the results have not been there at all.
Unfortunately, one of their offseason acquisitions, Ryan Bates, has been one of the biggest culprits in 2024, as his block success rate has been among the worst on the team.
Part of the problem we have since discovered is that Bates is dealing with an arthritic condition in his elbow and shoulder, which definitely helps explain why he’s had such a hard time containing the opposing pass rush.
The Bears have decided to force him into some rest and place him on the IR, meaning he’ll be sidelined for at least the next month, and it’ll be Nate Davis at right guard moving forward.
If that doesn’t reek of ready for retirement—I don’t know what does!
Also Read: The Most EMBARRASSING Record Held By Each Of The 32 NFL Teams
