The Biggest One-Hit Wonders In NFL History

25 Of The Greatest One-Hit Wonders Of The NFL In All Of History - Do You Remember Him?
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25 Of The Greatest One-Hit Wonders Of The NFL In All Of History – Do You Remember Him?
Burtland Dixon
| 4/20/26
Of all the professional sports leagues, the NFL tops the list as one of the most difficult for athletes aiming for a long and successful career. Consistency, as well as staying healthy, and injury-free, are only a few stress factors for professional football players. They constantly look over their shoulder to make sure a younger, aspiring star doesn't come up and swoop their spot. But it happens, and many football players are done before they even got started. We've compiled a list of NFL players who left the game before you even got to know them. Some of these names should ring a bell.
The Butt Fumbler - Mark Sanchez
Al Bello/Getty Images
Mark Sanchez never had standout numbers. He couldn't compare to Tom Brady or even Eli Manning. However, early in his football career, Sanchez found some success. When Rex Ryan took over for the New York Jets, he became the quarterback. All of sudden, the Jets were in the AFC Championship game for two straight years. They would lose both times to the Steelers and Colts.
The air was full of optimism for Jets fans, something they haven't felt in a while. Everyone was ready for him to become the franchise quarterback they had wished for. Interestingly enough, he became one of the worst and gave us the infamous "butt fumble" on Thanksgiving Day 2012 when he ran into his teammate's rear end, and led to another touchdown for the Patriots.
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Derek Anderson Was The Best Cleveland Quarterback In Recent Memory
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One thing that is really sad about the Cleveland Brown organization is the constant dish of mediocracy they keep serving their fans. Year after year the fans have to endure a terrible season. Then one year, Derek Anderson showed up and things started to look up.
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Anderson led the Browns to a 10-6 record. He threw for 29 touchdowns and people thought the Browns were going to turn the corner. The very next year, Anderson fell apart. He only played nine games and ended up being benched. He is now nothing more than a backup.
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Larry Brown Was The Super Bowl MVP
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Larry Brown is a name that some have forgotten in football. Brown played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1991-1995. The defensive back had an amazing performance in Super Bowl XXX and wrapped up the year with MVP honors.
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Brown also had a pretty good season that year in 1995: making six interceptions, two touchdowns, and 124 return yards. The following season, the Raiders took him from Dallas and he only started one game for Oakland in a span of three years. They cut him from his contract after just 12 games.
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Don't Say Steve Beuerlein In Carolina
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The people of Carolina are still haunted by the name of Steve Beuerlein. They thought he was the quarterback of the future, but he let them down. Maybe fans should wait and see what happens before jumping to grandiose predictions. However, in 1999, he did give them a reason to believe he would perform. Beuerlein put up monstrous numbers: 4,436 passing yards and 36 touchdowns.
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Like many of the other players on this list, the following season was not the same. He left Carolina for the Denver Broncos for two seasons but only started five games during that time. Beuerlein ended up retiring and becoming an NFL analyst.
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Ickey Woods Had A Stellar Rookie Year
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Do the Ickey Shuffle! As a rookie, Ickey Woods had a sensational season. A season that some veterans can't even duplicate. He rushed for 1,005 yards and added 15 touchdowns on the year. The Bengals ended up going to the Super Bowl behind his stellar play. Sadly, injuries would not allow Woods to reach the same heights.
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After he tore his ACL, things were never the same. A season consists of 16 games minus the playoffs. He only played 19 more games total the rest of his career. Woods currently coaches the Cincinnati Sizzle in the Women's Football Alliance.
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Don Majkowski Was Known As The Magic Man
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Imagine finishing second in MVP voting and leading your team to the playoffs. And the only reason you finished second was thanks to Joe Montana. For Don Majkowski, this is a reality. In 1989, he threw for 27 touchdowns during the regular season. Then a couple injury-riddled seasons sucked the magic right out of the 'Magic Man'.
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This made Green Bay realize they had to move forward. So they substituted Majkowski with Brett Farve. Farve would go on to become a legend and Majkowski spent the rest of his career as a backup.
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Vince Young Was The Titan That Never Was
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Vince Young led his Texas Longhorns to a National Championship over the highly favored USC Trojans. It seemed that he would be poised to be a great NFL quarterback as well when he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans. He struggled his rookie season but showed flashes of greatness so fans were still on his side.
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Once he got to the NFL, he essentially became nothing more than a scrambling quarterback. He had an unheard of seven rushing touchdowns in his rookie year. Young just couldn't figure out the NFL game as well as he did in college and as a result, he was out.
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Robert Griffin III Suffered From Knee Injuries
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What can we say about Robert Griffin III? Someone that had so much potential had it all snatched away, thanks to a knee issue. In college, Griffin was also an Olympic caliber track and field athlete in the hurdles. During his rookie season, he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award after passing for 3,200 yards and running 815 yards.
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There was some skepticism surrounding his first playoff game because his knee wasn't fully healed. Many thought he should have sat the game out but Griffin still played. As a result, he tore his ACL. After that, his running prowess was limited and he was reduced to just a pocket passer. He was never the same again.
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Michael Clayton Falls Right Off
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When Michael Clayton was drafted in 2004 by the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay had no clue what they were about to witness. As a rookie, he turned in 1,193 yards paired with seven touchdowns. But it looks like that season was fool's gold. He would never have another successful year.
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Clayton's next best season had him at 484 yards and only one touchdown. From stud to bust, Clayton is the definition of a one-hit wonder. He would go on to play for the Giants as well but nothing came of it. He was out of the league quick.
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From Covers To Retired: Peyton Hillis
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Maybe this fall from grace is the result of the notorious "Madden cover curse". The curse states that any player that is on the cover of the EA Sports Game will have a terrible year the following season. For Peyton Hillis, he had to retire. In 2010, Hillis pulled a fast one on the Browns' fan base and fantasy football owners.
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He gathered 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. These stats are what led to his Madden cover and him holding out from training camp so he could get more money. He ended up never running for more than 600 yards in a season following that great year. He also had to retire several years later due to con…

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