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Best comeback after being "cut" (other than P Manning) (1 Viewer)

matttyl

matttyl

Footballguy
I'm trying to come up with a list of the best NFL comebacks after being "cut" by a team, specifically seeing if there might be some light at the end of the tunnel for Bradshaw (maybe one or two more years of #2RB type production). Aside from the very, very strange situation last year after Peyton Manning was "cut" from the Colts, I can't come up with many decent comebacks after being "cut" (so not a UFA or RFA situation).

I have McGahee when going to the Broncos.

Who else?

 
I think it's conventional wisdom to think being cut in the salary cap era isn't really an indication of how well a player can perform. We generally assume that these guys are cut strictly for money reasons and they can still perform at a high level. So, it will be interesting to see what names people come up with.

 
wdcrob said:
There aren't very many that rally after an outright cut... it's more common that a decent player gets traded for peanuts than cut (Lynch, Ryan Grant, Ahman Green, Thomas Jones for example)... a few true cuts that come to mind...

Jimmy Smith

Brandon Lloyd

James Harrison
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Harrison was cut twice before making the Steelers' 53-man roster and became NFL DPOY. My vote goes to the recently departed Silverback.

 
JoeSteeler said:
old school - Johnny Unitas cut by Steelers in 1955 :o :topcat:
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Hard to top that. More recently Kurt Warner is a pretty good success story after washing out with the Packers and then stocking shelves at a grocery store before resurrecting his career in the Arena League.

 
Lots of good names here, but not many who had a "comeback". Warner and Welker and Harrison never never really great NFL players BEFORE being cut. I'm talking about a guy who maybe wasn't a pro-bolwer, but was at least a top 10 player at his position who was then cut....only to again have a top 10-15 season or two.

The only guys I have are Peyton and Willis (cut by Ravens, went to Denver).

 
matttyl said:
Lots of good names here, but not many who had a "comeback". Warner and Welker and Harrison never never really great NFL players BEFORE being cut. I'm talking about a guy who maybe wasn't a pro-bolwer, but was at least a top 10 player at his position who was then cut....only to again have a top 10-15 season or two.

The only guys I have are Peyton and Willis (cut by Ravens, went to Denver).
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Terrell Owens

 
matttyl said:
Lots of good names here, but not many who had a "comeback". Warner and Welker and Harrison never never really great NFL players BEFORE being cut. I'm talking about a guy who maybe wasn't a pro-bolwer, but was at least a top 10 player at his position who was then cut....only to again have a top 10-15 season or two. The only guys I have are Peyton and Willis (cut by Ravens, went to Denver).
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Warner was cut by the Rams.
 
GroveDiesel said:
matttyl said:
Lots of good names here, but not many who had a "comeback". Warner and Welker and Harrison never never really great NFL players BEFORE being cut. I'm talking about a guy who maybe wasn't a pro-bolwer, but was at least a top 10 player at his position who was then cut....only to again have a top 10-15 season or two. The only guys I have are Peyton and Willis (cut by Ravens, went to Denver).
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Warner was cut by the Rams.
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Right, sorry. I was thinking of his "Green Bay" days.

 
I'd vote Warner but other guys I remember that would qualify are Cedric Benson & Stephen Davis. I believe Emmit was cut by Dallas and then had 2 ok years in Arizona. Michael Vick could be considered. Charlie Garner & Rich Gannon resurrected their careers in Oakland for a few seasons IIRC. Can't remember if Thomas Jones was cut by Tampa Bay or just a 1 year deal.

I'm sure there are a lot of defensive guys but we don't notice them as much.

 
Buckna said:
I'd vote Warner but other guys I remember that would qualify are Cedric Benson & Stephen Davis. I believe Emmit was cut by Dallas and then had 2 ok years in Arizona. Michael Vick could be considered. Charlie Garner & Rich Gannon resurrected their careers in Oakland for a few seasons IIRC. Can't remember if Thomas Jones was cut by Tampa Bay or just a 1 year deal.

I'm sure there are a lot of defensive guys but we don't notice them as much.
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I know Davis was cut by the Panthers, but was he cut by the Redskins? Benson is a good one, though his release by the Bears was more due to his off the field issues if I recall.

 
Desmond Howard; cut by the Jaguars before becoming the Super Bowl MVP and pro-bowler with the Lions

Andre Rison also made it to the pro bowl after the Jaguars cut him.

 
matttyl said:
Buckna said:
I'd vote Warner but other guys I remember that would qualify are Cedric Benson & Stephen Davis. I believe Emmit was cut by Dallas and then had 2 ok years in Arizona. Michael Vick could be considered. Charlie Garner & Rich Gannon resurrected their careers in Oakland for a few seasons IIRC. Can't remember if Thomas Jones was cut by Tampa Bay or just a 1 year deal.

I'm sure there are a lot of defensive guys but we don't notice them as much.
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I know Davis was cut by the Panthers, but was he cut by the Redskins? Benson is a good one, though his release by the Bears was more due to his off the field issues if I recall.
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Redskins fans probably remember better than me but I'm pretty sure Davis was cut by them before landing in Carolina. I remember he had a lot of bad blood and anger at Washington for it.

Jones had a pretty good year in Tampa but looking at google I think they let his rookie contract expire instead of cutting him.

 
matttyl said:
Lots of good names here, but not many who had a "comeback". Warner and Welker and Harrison never never really great NFL players BEFORE being cut. I'm talking about a guy who maybe wasn't a pro-bolwer, but was at least a top 10 player at his position who was then cut....only to again have a top 10-15 season or two.

The only guys I have are Peyton and Willis (cut by Ravens, went to Denver).
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Wasn't Warner cut by the Rams and then the Giants before signing with the Cardinals? He looked pretty bad in NY and even in SL right at the end there.

While he never returned to his GSOT highs, he was still productive in Arizona.

I too am trying to think of guys who were somewhat proven and then cut rather than young guys who came out of nowhere.

 
Brett Favre had a pretty good season with Minnesota

12-4

lost in NFC conference game to SB-winning Saints

4202 yards / 7 int

career-high 107.2 passer rating

 
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He won't be counted as the best but should be added to the list.

Ed McCaffrey cut by the Dan Reeves led Giants in 1993. Went on to get 3 SB rings and a Pro Bowl invite.

 
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grateful zed said:
8ebok24 said:
Cris Carter.
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yes! randy moss?
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Traded to Oakland, traded to New England, traded to Minnesota again, and then finally cut. Since getting cut, he's done a whole lot of nothing. Rodney Harrison was an All Pro and 2x Super Bowl champion after getting cut by San Diego. Lawyer Milloy, who got cut by New England upon signing Harrison, had 8 more productive years left in his career. Ty Law led the league in INTs with the Jets a year after he was given his walking papers by the Pats. Takeo Spikes has been cut by a couple teams, but he's still been around forever.
 
Chad Pennington was cut by the Jets in 2007. He was NFL comeback player of the year in 2008 leading the dolphins to an 11-5 record and the division title. In 2008 he became the first Dolphins QB to since Marino to throw for 3500 yards. He also broke Marino's team record for completion percentage that year.

Pennington would blow out his throwing shoulder in early 2009. He rehabbed it and returned in 2010. On his first play from scrimmage in 2010 he blew out the shoulder again. While in rehab for the shoulder he blew out his ACL in a pick-up game of basketball in 2011 and was done.

 
Randall Cunningham

I think he retired not cut but thought he was worth a mention

 
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