The National Football League is usually harsh with most of the players and the disciplining they apply to players who break “the rules”. But some players, despite regretting their mistakes, were never able to play in the league or simply were never the same again.
But not everything is the fault of the NFL since some players who spent time behind bars for some reason never returned to play at the same level as in their best years. Michael Vick’s case was special and some consider it unique after he was in prison and returned to the NFL.
Some cases were bad decisions by the franchises, other cases were completely the fault of the players. Players who deserve a second chance are numbered on the fingers of our hands, but there are plenty of head coaches who have been wrongfully fired.
Six NFL players and coaches that deserved another chance
- Ricky Williams:a special player, a complete running back with a future ahead of him, but due to his personal drug use (marijuana) the NFL suspended him and he had to retire earlier than expected.
- Eddie Lacy: another running back who was considered a must-have on the roster, but Lacy retired early from the NFL due to weight issues. The NFL did not expel him, but no team was willing to recover his top shape.
- Baker Mayfield: with the Browns was the end of a relationship that was going well but the franchise didn’t want to give Baker another chance. Now the team has to hope that the new quarterback learns all the offense tricks from scratch.
- David Culley: actually he was doing well with the Texans, but Culley entered a bad moment of the team while the situation with Watson was in the process of being resolved. The franchise made a very quick decision and did not wait for another season.
- Brian Flores: the season for the Dolphins was relatively good with Flores in 2021, if it weren’t for the scandal Flores would continue to lead the team as head coach. The Dolphins are back where they started when Flores joined the team almost three years ago.
- Marty Schottenheimer:this is a special mention since he is not alive, but it always seemed unfair when he was fired from San Diego and Washington. What those teams could have achieved from Marty is something they will never find out.
