NFL Players Who Came Out Of Retirement

NFL Players Who Came Out Of Retirement

Pat Alexander
Updated January 6, 2025 23 items
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2.0K votes
307 voters
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Vote up the best NFL players to make a comeback.

Who is the best NFL player to ever come out of retirement? These athletes who came out of retirement were among the best NFL players in their heydays. For that reason, after stepping away from the game momentarily, that fire burning inside these retired athletes' guts simply wouldn't let these NFL legends quit. Over the years, plenty of NFL stars have retired only to change their minds shortly after, including some of the best NFL players of all time. Who is the best NFL player to come out of retirement? Which NFL players had the best comeback careers? 

Most recently, one the best players in the NFL right now, superstar quarterback Tom Brady, returned to the game after a very brief hiatus. Only a couple years before Brady, his longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to lace them up once more and helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV. NFL greats like Jason Witten, Marshawn Lynch and Eric Weddle have all made comeback attempts in the past few years as well, with Weddle winning Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

Vote up the best NFL players who came out of retirement.

Most divisive: Ricky Williams
Over 300 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of NFL Players Who Came Out Of Retirement
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  • Tom Brady
    1
    287 votes

    Tom Brady

    Original career: 2000-2021

    Time Spent Retired: 40 days

     Second career stint: 2022

    Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr., universally recognized as Tom Brady, is an American professional football player known for his exceptional career in the National Football League (NFL). Born on August 3, 1977, in San Mateo, California, Brady's passion for football was ignited at an early age. He attended Junipero Serra High School where he excelled in both football and baseball. His prowess in baseball was so impressive that he was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft. However, his love for football prevailed, and he chose to pursue it, enrolling at the University of Michigan. While studying at Michigan, Brady served as a backup quarterback for his first two years before becoming the starter in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Despite initial struggles, his perseverance led him to set several school records. His college success caught the attention of the New England Patriots, who selected him 199th overall in the 2000 NFL draft. This marked the beginning of an illustrious professional football career, in which Brady emerged as one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history. Brady spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, during which he led the team to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six of them. His performance, marked by exceptional leadership, strategic acumen, and unparalleled precision, earned him four Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and three NFL MVP awards. In addition to these accolades, Brady holds numerous NFL records, including the most career touchdown passes and the most career passing yards. After two decades with the Patriots, Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, leading them to victory in Super Bowl LV in his first season, further solidifying his status as one of the greatest players in the sport's history.
    • Birthplace: San Mateo, California, USA
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots
    • Position: Quarterback
  • Randy Moss
    2
    250 votes

    Randy Moss

    Original career: 1998–2010

    Time Spent Retired: 5 months

     Second career stint: 2012

    Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is a television sports analyst and former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007), the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17 in 1998), and is second on the NFL all-time regular season touchdown reception list with 156. He currently works for ESPN as a studio analyst for their Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown programs. Moss played college football for Marshall University, and twice earned All-America honors. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft, where he played for seven years before a trade in 2005 brought him to the Oakland Raiders. On April 29, 2007, Moss was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick, where he set the single-season record for touchdown receptions. On October 6, 2010, Moss returned to the Vikings in a trade from the Patriots, but his second stint in Minnesota was short-lived, and was waived by the team less than a month later, being claimed by the Tennessee Titans. After sitting out the 2011 season, Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2012 season then opted to retire prior to the 2013 season. He played in two Super Bowl games, XLII with the Patriots and XLVII with the 49ers, both losses. On February 3, 2018, he was selected to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
    • Birthplace: Rand, West Virginia
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Team: Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers
    • Position: Wide receiver
  • Deion Sanders
    3
    205 votes

    Deion Sanders

    Original career: 1989–2000

    Time Spent Retired: 3 years

     Second career stint: 2004–2005

    Deion Sanders, also known as Prime Time and Neon Deion, is a name that resonates with sports enthusiasts worldwide. Born on August 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida, Sanders made his mark in both football and baseball, a rare feat that underlines his exceptional athletic prowess. He attended Florida State University, where he excelled in multiple sports, including football, baseball, and track. His collegiate career was marked with numerous accolades, including the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation's best defensive back in 1988. Sanders' professional career is just as illustrious. In the NFL, he played for five teams over a 14-year span, including the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens. He is notably one of the few players to have won the Super Bowl with different teams - the 49ers in 1994 and the Cowboys in 1995. In baseball, Sanders graced the fields for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants over a nine-year MLB career. He remains the only athlete to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. Beyond his athletic achievements, Sanders has had an impactful career as a sports analyst and coach. Following his retirement from active sports, he became an analyst for CBS Sports and the NFL Network, providing insightful commentary and analysis. In 2020, he took on the role of head coach at Jackson State University, and then later became the head coach at University of Colorado Boulder in 2022. Through his journey from a multi-sport athlete to a respected sports figure, Deion Sanders' legacy continues to inspire future generations of athletes.
    • Birthplace: Fort Myers, Florida
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Team: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers
    • Position: Cornerback
  • Rob Gronkowski
    4
    224 votes

    Rob Gronkowski

    Original career: 2010–2018

    Time Spent Retired: 18 months

     Second career stint: 2020 - 2022

    New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was among the most popular players in the franchise, thanks to his happy-go-lucky, hard-partying persona and his record of 69 touchdowns in six seasons, which placed him in the National Football League (NFL) history books. Born Robert Paxton Gronkowski in Amherst, New York on May 14, 1989, he was the second youngest of five brothers, all of whom pursued amateur or professional careers in football or baseball. He showed exceptional promise as a high school athlete at Willamsville North High School, near Buffalo, New York; there, he earned 36 receptions for 648 yards and seven touchdowns, which won him a spot on the All-State second team. When the family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2006, Gronkowski continued to prove himself on the field, where he recorded eight receptions for 152 yards and four touchdowns in his senior year alone. His war chest of superlatives, including SuperPrep All-American and Associated Press Class 4-A All-State, attracted the attention of recruiters from numerous state colleges. Gronkowski attended the University of Arizona, where he played for the Wildcats from 2007 to 2009; in his freshman year, he earned 28 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns, which led to freshman All-American status from The Sporting News, among other laurels. He was twice named John Mackey National Tight End of the week in 2008 for recording 47 receptions for 672 yards and a team-best ten touchdowns, and made the watchlist for the Lombardi Award in 2009, though the year was cut short by back surgery. Though the injury hampered his draft standing, Gronkowski was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and signed a four-year contract with the franchise. He immediately established himself by becoming the youngest rookie in NFL history to catch three touchdown passes in a single game. Gronkowski closed his first year with the Patriots with 42 passes caught for 546 yards and 10 touchdowns, and surpassed his entire year's record for reception and yardage in the first eight games of his 2011 season. He would go on to set another record that year, for most touchdowns scored by a tight end in a single season (18), which minted him as starting tight end for the American Football Conference (AFC) at the 2012 Pro Bowl; an ankle injury reduced his efficacy in the Patriots' bid for Super Bowl XLVI, which the team lost to the New York Giants, 21-17. He rebounded for the start of the 2012 season, again setting records as the first tight end to ever score at least 10 touchdown receptions in consecutive seasons. His remarkable record, combined with a reputation for boyish antics and hard partying, made him a favorite among Patriots followers, sports writers and advertisers alike, who tapped Gronkowski to represent a wide variety of sports drinks and ephemera. He would lose most of 2013 to arm and knee injuries, which required multiple surgeries, but Gronkowski rebounded spectacularly for 2014, logging nine passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns by the eighth week. He would go on to boost the Patriots' win over the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX and was named tight end for both the Pro Bowl and All-Pro Team. The following year got off to another stellar star, with 34 receptions for 533 yards and six touchdowns within the first six games; a minor knee injury held Gronkowski back for a week, but he helped bring the Patriots to the AFC Championships, netting eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown before the team was sunk by a two-point conversion. In 2016, he continued his winning streak by breaking Patriots franchise records with his 69th regular season touchdown, which was also his 68th receiving touchdown.
    • Birthplace: Amherst, New York, USA
    • Nationality: American
    • Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots
    • Position: Tight end
  • Reggie White
    5
    155 votes

    Reggie White

    Original career: 1984–1998

    Time Spent Retired: 1 year

     Second career stint: 2000

    Reginald Howard White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was an American professional football player who played defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, and was recognized as an All-American. After playing two professional seasons for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL), he was selected in the first round of the 1984 Supplemental Draft, and then played for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most awarded players in NFL history. The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 13-time Pro Bowl, and 13-time All-Pro selection holds second place all-time among career sack leaders with 198 (behind Bruce Smith's 200 career sacks) and was selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, and the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. During his professional career, he was also known for his Christian ministry as an ordained Evangelical minister, leading to his nickname, "the Minister of Defense". White is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
    • Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Position: Defensive tackle, Defensive end
  • Marshawn Lynch
    6
    154 votes

    Marshawn Lynch

    Original career: 2007–2015

    Time Spent Retired: 14 months

     Second career stint: 2017–2019

    Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft after playing college football at the University of California, Berkeley, where he became the school's second all-time career rusher.After three seasons with the Bills, Lynch was traded to the Seattle Seahawks mid-way through the 2010 season. With Seattle, he made four Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos. After initially retiring after the 2015 season, Lynch applied for reinstatement and was traded to the Oakland Raiders in April 2017, with whom he played two seasons before retiring again. Lynch earned the nickname "Beast Mode" for his powerful running style and consistent ability to run over defenders and break tackles. He is considered by some analysts to be among the best running backs of all-time.Lynch has been cast in the third season of the HBO drama Westworld, set to air in 2020.
    • Birthplace: Oakland, California
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Team: Seattle Seahawks
    • Position: Running back