When the playoffs start, everything is on the line regarding a team’s season, someone’s position on that NFL team, and a chance to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February. It is the time for players to shine in potential once-in-a-lifetime performances where they are simply at their best. However, there are a handful of elite NFL players who are second to none, and who never had the opportunity to show their skills in playoff games. Don’t get it wrong- they played their hearts out, during the regular season, but their team just came up short!
Brandon Marshall
Marshall is a six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, who had eight seasons where he topped 1,000 receiving yards. Despite all that Marshall did on the field, he never played in an NFL postseason, in his entire NFL career. Marshall spent his career bouncing around from the Denver Broncos from 2006-2009, Miami Dolphins from 2010-2011, Chicago Bears from 2012-2014, New York Jets from 2015-16, New York Giants in 2017, and the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. Marshall came very close to reaching the playoffs twice in his career. In 2012, while Marshall was with the Chicago Bears, they finished with a 10-6 record but missed out on the playoffs due to the Minnesota Vikings winning against the Green Bay Packers at the same time.
In 2015, when Marshall was with the Jets (where he scored 14 touchdowns (the most in his career). The Jets lost a very crucial week 17 game to the Buffalo Bills, which knocked them out of playoff contention. Marshall spent his final two seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks. Even though the Seahawks made the playoffs in 2018, Marshall was released after the team’s week eight 28-14 win over the Detroit Lions. That marked the end of Marshall’s time in the NFL. He goes down as one of the most talented wide receivers, never to play in a playoff game.
Joe Thomas
Thomas is one of the few Cleveland Browns players from the 2000s who was a dominant ironman. Thomas played in 167 games for the Browns. He was named to 10 Pro Bowls for his valiant effort on the offensive line, despite the Browns constantly shuffling quarterbacks seemingly every couple of weeks or years, depending on how they performed during the season. Thomas and the Browns came very close to the playoffs in 2007, with a 10-6 record. However, the Browns lost a tiebreaker for the AFC North to their rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and lost a wildcard tiebreaker to the Tennessee Titans.
Thomas spent the rest of his career on losing Browns’ teams and retired after the 2017 season when the Browns finished with an 0-16 record. Three seasons later, the Browns returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and won their first playoff game since the 1994-95 season. Thomas got enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, for his incredible performance on the field.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick
Often regarded as one of the best backup quarterbacks to play in the NFL, Fitzpatrick has had his ups and downs in the NFL. However, when Fitzpatrick was electric, he truly brought the spirit of the team he played on, and filled the fan base with hope. Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick spent his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Football Team. The closest Fitzpatrick got to the playoffs was in 2015, with the Jets. Fitzpatrick started in all 16 games for the Jets and helped the team secure a 10-6 record.
Unfortunately, the Jets lost a heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills, in the final game of the regular season, which cost the team a trip to the playoffs. Fitzpatrick continued to bounce around the league until he retired after the 2021 season with the Washington Football Team. Fitzpatrick has since become an NFL analyst for Amazon Prime and also holds the record for most career passing yards and passing touchdowns among NFL quarterbacks, who have never made the playoffs.
Muhammad Wilkerson
Wilkerson is a former defensive end who played for the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers- for one season. Wilkerson anchored a Jets defense from 2011 until 2017, where he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2015, and two second-team All-Pros in 2013 and 2015. The closest Wilkerson got to the playoffs came in 2015 with the Jets. Unfortunately, Wilkerson suffered a broken leg during the Jets’ week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. This was a game that the Jets lost, which also cost them a chance at the playoffs.
Wilkerson’s relationship with the Jets deteriorated in 2017 when it was revealed that Wilkerson showed up late to team meetings or missed them outright and violated team rules. Wilkerson was released by the Jets in 2018 and signed with the Green Bay Packers and played in only three games. Unfortunately, Wilkerson suffered an ankle injury that cost him his season, and the Packers missed the playoffs that year. Wilkerson’s NFL career ended abruptly, as he was suspended after a DWI arrest in March of 2020.
Archie Manning
Manning spent the majority of his career with the New Orleans Saints, from 1971 until 1982. He reached two Pro Bowls during his time in the “Big Easy”, and was enshrined in the Saints Ring of Honor and team Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Manning and the Saints never reached the playoffs. Manning was the Matthew Stafford of his era, who put up good numbers during the regular season, but had a losing team all around him.
Manning was traded from the Saints to the Houston Oilers in 1982, was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1983, and retired from the NFL in 1984. Although Manning never played in a playoff game, his two sons, Peyton and Eli Manning made names for themselves in the NFL, and won two Super Bowls each, enshrining the Manning name in NFL lore. Also keep an eye out on Archie’s grandson, Arch Manning- when he eventually declares for the NFL draft- in the future.
Aaron Schobel
Schobel is a former linebacker who played his entire nine-year NFL career with the Buffalo Bills. Schobel made two Pro Bowls with the Bills and had 14 sacks with the team back in 2006 (the most of his career). Unfortunately, Schobel never was able to reach the playoffs with the Bills, as they were outclassed by the New England Patriots year after year. Schobel’s Bills only had one winning season, which was back in 2004, when the team finished with a 9-7 record, but missed out on the playoffs, despite Schobel’s efforts, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who played their third-stringers.
Schobel last played in the NFL in 2009 where he had 10 sacks and an interception returned for a 26-yard pick-six. Schobel retired from playing football in 2010 after getting released from the Bills. After Schobel retired, the Bills had one winning season in 2014 before returning to the playoffs in 2017 under Sean McDermott’s leadership.
Nnamdi Asomugha
Asomugha is a former cornerback, who was a bright spot in a sea of misery called the 2000s Oakland Raiders. Asomugha made three Pro Bowls during his time as a member of the “Silver and Black.” In 2006, Asomugha had a career-high eight interceptions, a pick-six, a forced fumble, and a sack, despite the Raiders finishing that season with a 2-14 record. In 2011, Asomugha signed a five-year $60 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, joining the likes of Michael Vick, Vince Young, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Jason Babin. Young referred to that Eagles team as the “Dream Team” of football. Unfortunately, the 2011 Eagles were a massive disappointment, and finished the season with an 8-8 record, and missed the playoffs.
The 2012 Eagles were even worse, as they finished with a 4-12 record. Asomugha’s last season in the NFL was with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, where he played in three games with the team and had a pass deflection. Asomugha was released by the 49ers in November of that year and retired from football immediately after. The 49ers reached the NFC Championship game that season before getting bounced by the Seattle Seahawks. Asomugha is currently an actor who starred in multiple TV shows and movies- proving there is life after a football career.
Gerald McCoy
McCoy is a former defensive tackle, who was a bright spot on some miserable Tampa Bay Buccaneers teams in the 2010s. McCoy was a six-time Pro Bowler with the Bucs, as well as a 2013 First-Team All-Pro and a two-time second-team All-Pro in 2014 and 2016, respectively. McCoy also had a career-high 50 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery returned for 12 yards in 2013. Unfortunately, none of the teams McCoy was a part of reached the playoffs. The closest McCoy and the Bucs were to the playoffs was in 2010 when they missed out on a playoff spot thanks to the Green Bay Packers securing the last wildcard spot, despite a 10-6 record. In 2016, McCoy and the Bucs finished the regular season with a 9-7 record and failed to make the playoffs thanks to painful regular season losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. McCoy signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2019 and sacked his former teammate, Jameis Winston 2.5 times in week six of that season.
The Panthers never made the playoffs that year. McCoy had a brief stint with the Dallas Cowboys before being released through an injury waiver in his contract, at the time. McCoy last played in the NFL in 2021 with the Las Vegas Raiders but suffered a season-ending knee injury. McCoy retired from playing football in 2023 and became an analyst for the NFL Network.
Gale Sayers
Sayers was a halfback and return specialist for the Chicago Bears from 1965 until 1971. Sayers had two 1,000-yard seasons during his time in the “Windy City” and earned high praise from his former teammates Mike Ditka and Dick Butkus. Despite Sayers’ success on the field, Sayers never got to see the playoffs as a professional. The closest Sayers and the Bears were to the playoffs was in 1965 when the Bears finished the season with a 9-5 record. Every Bears team Sayers was on after that finished with a 0.500 record or worse, despite everything he did on the field.
Sayers retired from playing football in 1971 due to injuries affecting his performance. Sayers became an athletic director at Southern Illinois from 1976 until 1981 and the interim athletic director at Tennessee State University from 1985 until 1986. Sayers was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.
Dick Butkus
Drafted in the same draft that gave the Chicago Bears Gale Sayers, Butkus was a force to be reckoned with at linebacker in the “Windy City.” Butkus was an eight-time Pro Bowler and a back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner in 1969 and 1970. Butkus is regarded as, arguably, football’s greatest linebacker, during his prime. Despite all that Butkus accomplished as a member of the Bears, the Bears never made the playoffs when Butkus was a part of the franchise.
Butkus’ Bears did finish the 1965 season with a 9-5 record but came up short of the playoffs. Butkus retired from playing football after the 1973 season and became a successful actor and broadcaster. Butkus passed away in 2023, the day the Bears faced the Washington Commanders and won 40-20 in Butkus’ memory.
