Sports
Top 5 NFL Players Who Refused to Play for the Team That Drafted Them
The transactions that occur during the NFL Draft are typically one-sided. All 32 NFL teams are allowed to select whomever they see fit, and the players themselves have little autonomy in the matter. Playing in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and most are eternally grateful just to get the opportunity to play the sport of football at the highest level.
That said, however, some players are more willing to suit up for their teams than others. While an infrequent practice, some draftees have refused to play for a franchise, either forcing a trade or playing another sport.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the five best NFL players of all time who refused (or at least initially refused) to play for the team that drafted them.
1
John Elway, QB
Elway threatened to play baseball to avoid the Colts
John Elway was the crown jewel of the 1983 NFL Draft.
The Stanford product was billed as one of the best quarterback prospects of all time, and the Baltimore Colts appeared to be primed to select him with the No. 1 overall pick. However, while the Colts were infatuated with Elway, the feeling wasn’t mutual.
To avoid suiting up for Baltimore, Elway announced that he would instead turn his attention to baseball to play for the New York Yankees, who’d selected him in the second round of the 1981 MLB Draft.
But Elway ultimately didn’t follow through on his promise, mostly because he didn’t need to. The Colts got the message loud and clear, and while they still took him with the top selection, they reluctantly traded him to the Denver Broncos for Chris Hinton, Mark Herrmann, and a first-round pick.
© Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Although the Colts got a fair amount back, the return came nowhere close to matching the value Elway accumulated over the next 16 years in Denver, a career that resulted in two Super Bowl titles, a Super Bowl MVP award, three All-Pro selections, nine trips to the Pro Bowl, and an NFL MVP trophy.
The Colts, on the other hand, weren’t so fortunate. It wasn’t until the team drafted Peyton Manning with the top pick in 1998 that they put their quarterback woes to bed.
Ironically, Manning himself wound up in Denver years later after the Colts drafted Andrew Luck and added a fifth NFL MVP and a second Super Bowl ring to his already stellar resume. The Colts drafted Elway and Manning, easily two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, yet the Broncos got three times as many championships out of them.
2
Jim Kelly, QB
Kelly spent several years in the USFL to avoid playing for the Bills
Whether Jim Kelly meets the criteria for this list is a debate in itself. Technically, he initially turned down the Buffalo Bills, who selected him 14th overall in that same famed 1983 draft.
He instead opted to sign with the Houston Gamblers of the all-new United States Football League (USFL). It wasn’t until the league folded in 1986 that Kelly, who never hid his disdain for cold weather, showed any interest in playing in Buffalo. But with nowhere else to play football, Kelly was simply left without a choice: either suit up for the Bills, who still held his NFL rights, or don’t suit up for anybody.
In the years following the ’83 draft, the Bills were the laughing stock of the league, going 2-14 in both 1984 and 1985. Kelly’s arrival, however, signified a new era of Buffalo Bills football.
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But by 1988, Kelly had the Bills in the postseason and soon after led them to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. In 11 seasons in Buffalo, he racked up more than 35,000 passing yards, threw 237 touchdown passes, and was a two-time All-Pro selection and a five-time Pro Bowler.
Although the Bills were never able to win the big one under Kelly, that doesn’t change the fact that he retired as the most successful quarterback in franchise history.
3
Eli Manning, QB
The future two-time Super Bowl MVP forced his way out of San Diego
The most recent entry on this list, Eli Manning’s refusal to play for the San Diego Chargers has become a colloquialism in sports, as analysts and fans alike often speculate that top NFL draft prospects may “pull an Eli” to avoid playing for a particular team.
Going into the 2004 NFL Draft, the quarterback class was headlined by a three-headed monster: Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger. The Chargers preferred Manning and had a clear path to select him, as they owned the No. 1 overall pick.
The problem was that Manning, a two-time All-SEC selection at Ole Miss, didn’t want to play in San Diego. The Manning family attempted to remain professional, never explicitly stating their reasoning. Regardless of the specifics, Manning didn’t believe going to the Chargers was in his best interest.
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As it went with Elway, San Diego still selected him but then promptly traded him to the New York Giants, with whom Manning spent 16 seasons and broke just about every passing record in franchise history.
The 2004 draft is a bit unique in that all three of the highly sought-after quarterbacks panned out. Manning and Roethlisberger both won a pair of Super Bowls, and Rivers, who spent almost the entirety of his career with the Chargers, put up huge numbers but never made an appearance in the Big Game.
4
Rich Gannon, QB
Gannon was traded shortly after he declined to change positions
If New England Patriots running back Rich Gannon sounds strange, you’re not alone. But in the 1987 NFL Draft, this was a possibility.
Gannon, who had a stellar career at the University of Delaware, was taken in the fourth round that year by the Patriots, who proposed changing his position. Running back, wide receiver, and defensive back were all on the table.
Some may have found this pitch flattering as it suggested Gannon was athletic enough to play these challenging positions, but he took it as an insult and seemingly felt that New England was telling him he wasn’t good enough to be an NFL quarterback, a proposition with which he vehemently disagreed.
After Gannon informed the Patriots of his desire to stay at quarterback, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings.
It took him some time to find his footing in the league, serving mainly as a backup in his six seasons in Minnesota and four years with the Kansas City Chiefs. He also spent a season in Washington, but missed the entire campaign with an injury.
But things finally began to materialize once he joined the Oakland Raiders in 1999. Wearing silver and black, Gannon made four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and was named NFL MVP in 2002, the same season in which he took the Raiders to the Super Bowl.
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Some players enter the NFL with irrational confidence, turning down opportunities they believe are beneath them. Not being a blue-chip quarterback prospect, Gannon’s insistence on staying at the position was questioned.
As time went on, though, it became clear he made the right decision. It’s unlikely Gannon would’ve been a very successful pro had he changed positions and was rewarded for betting on himself.
5
Bo Jackson, RB
Jackson’s decision to pursue multiple sports stemmed from his disdain for the Bucs’ owner
Bo Jackson was a multi-sport phenom at Auburn, starring in football, baseball, and track. Although Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy, some NFL teams were concerned that his aspirations on the diamond would interfere with his football career.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held the No. 1 overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft, and their owner, Hugh Culverhouse, invited Jackson to visit Tampa Bay to take a look at the franchise’s facilities. However, this seemingly innocuous trip may have been fuelled by ulterior motives.
Culverhouse told Jackson that the visit was approved by the NCAA, which was essential for Bo to maintain his baseball eligibility. In reality, the NCAA had not permitted the trip and stripped Jackson of all remaining collegiate eligibility.
While many of the specifics of Jackson’s infamous visit have been kept under wraps, it’s easy to see why it caused him to sour on the Bucs, as he felt he’d been betrayed and set up. He vowed never to play for Tampa Bay, a promise he kept even after the Buccaneers selected him with the first overall pick.
Jackson was so set on never suiting up for Tampa Bay that he entered the MLB Draft that summer and was taken in the fourth round by the Kansas City Royals.
The following spring, the Los Angeles Raiders took Jackson in the seventh round of the ’87 draft. Careful not to make the same mistake as Culverhouse, Raiders’ owner Al Davis promised Jackson a full-time salary and allowed him to miss games early in the year to finish up his baseball duties with the Royals.
All these decades later, it can be argued that Jackson’s decision both built and destroyed his legend. On one hand, Bo became the only athlete in history to be elected to a Pro Bowl and the MLB All-Star Game.
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Conversely, Jackson playing two sports simultaneously may have contributed to his career ending prematurely. His legacy has become increasingly convoluted over the years, built on both fact and myth.
Bo Jackson is possibly the greatest overall athlete to ever play in the NFL, but he never reached his full potential.
Ian Wright and Patrick Vieira weren’t impressed with Jesse Marsch’s comments after Canada’s defeat to Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday afternoon.
After a draw against Bosnia and a 6-0 rout of Qatar, Canada went into their third and final group game against Switzerland knowing a draw or better would see them qualify for the knockout rounds as group winners.
However, they were unable to get the result they needed as Switzerland picked up all three points. Promise David’s 76th minute goal wasn’t enough for Les Rouges as they suffered a 2-1 defeat, condeming them to a second-place finish in Group B.
Jesse Marsch Speaks Out After Switzerland Defeat
A win for Canada would have seen them contest their last 32 match in front of their own fans in Vancouver. They have missed that opportunity, though, and will now have to travel to Los Angeles.
The 52-year-old expressed his disappointment at not being able to play their last 32 match in Canada. He told ITV: “It’s been awesome [playing in Canada]. And that’s the disappointment. We just want to continue the energy that’s taken place here in Canada.
“You know, I’ve been through these World Cups, and I’ve been through different big moments in my career. And I know when you get one big win, building on that is so important. And so, I’m disappointed we weren’t able to get the win or draw today to keep us here.
“I’m so thankful for the energy and the country, and certainly in the stadium here today, but we’re going to go to LA. It’s probably going to be an away crowd, it’s going to be a little tougher, but we still want to electrify our country and play really well down there and go after it still.”
It was hoped that Canada’s star player, Alphonso Davies, would play his first minutes at the tournament. The Bayern Munich ace has not yet featured for his nation in the tournament as he recovers from a hamstring injury. He was named on the bench once again for the game against Switzerland, but he did not make his way onto the pitch.
Speaking about his decision not to sub Davies on, despite Canada needing a goal, Marsch said: “Alphonso will be ready. We thought about Alphonso, but we’re just trying to manage him and not put him in a situation where we felt like he’ll be in danger. But he should be ready for the next match.”
Wright wasn’t impressed with Marsch’s post-match interview, saying he sounded a bit ‘performative’.
Wright said: “It doesn’t make sense that you’ve got the opportunity, to play a game, win a game, and stay in your country, where you’ll have the fan’s support. And then he’s talking about how much he believes in this team and the heart of this team. They should have had that at the start of the game so that they could stay here and have a better chance.
“Sometimes he sounds a bit performative to me. I don’t want to be nasty or anything, but he sounds like he’s saying the right thing for the sake of saying it.”
You scored
out of 20
Duncan Ferguson couldn’t understand why Davies did not play any minutes. The Scotsman said: “He’s on the bench, if he’s on the bench so he can put him on can’t he?”
While Vieira also questioned how much Marsch wanted Canada to play their last 32 match in Vancouver. He said: “If you really want to stay in Vancouver, you would have approached the game in a different way. If Davies is fit, he has to play 15 minutes or half-an-hour.
“You need to give him some game-time for him to be ready for the next game. He can’t start. If he didn’t come on today, then it will be very difficult for him to start. Or that will be a massive gamble on his side.
Canada now face a very tough path to the World Cup final. They will play their last 32 match on Sunday, June 28, with South Korea their likely opponents.
UFC Freedom 250 took place at the White House, home of incumbent US President, Donald Trump, on Trump’s 80th birthday on the night of the 14th of June.
It was put on at great expense to the UFC and parent company, TKO. The cost to put the event on reportedly exceeded $60 million. However, it seems that the paychecks for the fighters who took to the Octagon that night were nowhere near that figure, not even combined.
One such fighter’s earnings have stumped one of the most famous boxing promoters in the world in Eddie Hearn, who passionately highlighted the disparity in pay between the two sports in relation to the level of competition.
UFC Freedom 250 Fighter Pay
The biggest earner from the show was Alex Pereira, who, in the penultimate fight of the night, was bested by Ciryl Gane, who earned the interim heavyweight title. However, despite tasting defeat, the Brazilian still pocketed a healthy $10 million. The Frenchman, on the other hand, despite winning, only received $1.25 million.
Those in the main event, Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, with the latter scoring the upset, took home $2.5 million and $2.95 million, respectively.
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A lot of money was spent by the UFC, not just on the White House.
The eight fighters who competed in the four fights before Sean O’Malley versus Aiemann Zahabi shared a combined figure that was only $500,000 more than what Gane earned, coming in at a bill of $1.73 million.
It is the fight purse of the aforementioned O’Malley that has left Hearn scratching his head, especially given his experience with the money thrown around in his area of expertise.
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“You’ve literally got guys making more for an eight-round fight against a guy that I would beat than Sean O’Malley made fighting at the White House.”
The 47-year-old is no stranger to the big bucks. With his Matchroom Boxing stable and the promotion of Anthony Joshua‘s whole career, Hearn has seen, in some cases, several fighters on the same card earn multiples of what Pereira earned from the White House event, let alone the rest of those who were on the card, including “Suga” Sean.
O’Malley reportedly pocketed just $600,000 for his efforts. Now, the average person would think that amount of money for less than 10 minutes of work shouldn’t be something that is scoffed at. However, his earnings were just 6% of those of Pereira, so some frustration could be understood.
Hearn appeared to feel frustrated both for and at O’Malley and his fellow fighters, citing the purses of boxers as a reason to encourage those in the UFC to fight for higher pay.
“Those guys need to stop being suppressed. I’m just shocked by the mindset of, ‘Oh well, there’s nothing else we can do, really. It is what it is.’
“There’s a guy fighting on the undercard in the fourth fight who’s making more than you.”
Some may see Hearn as being ignorant in appearing to try to tell MMA fighters what to do. However, he has got a point, because MMA can be more dangerous than boxing. In boxing, the only shots are coming from the fists, whereas, in mixed martial arts, the clue is in the name, damage can be caused by punches, kicks, submissions, and takedowns. As a result, those in it should probably be paid more.
Canada are now facing a very tough route to the 2026 World Cup final after suffering a defeat to Switzerland in their match on Wednesday afternoon.
Jesse Marsch’s side went into the match in pole position in Group B and knowing that a point against the European side in Vancouver would be enough to see them clinch top spot.
However, Canada were not able to get the result they needed as they lost 2-1. Switzerland took a two-goal lead early in the second half courtesy of goals from Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi.
Promise David pulled one back with 14 minutes remaining but, despite their best efforts, they were unable to find an equaliser as Switzerland took all three points.
Canada’s Route to the 2026 World Cup Final
If Canada won their group, they would have played their last 32 match in front of their own fans at the Vancouver Stadium. That would have been a huge boost for Canada, but Switzerland will now have that privilege.
Instead, Canada will travel to Los Angeles to contest their first knockout match on Sunday, June 28. They will face the team that finishes second place in Group A: at the moment, that is South Korea. Their other potential opponents are Czechia or South Africa. Canada will fancy their chances, whoever they play.
It gets really tough for them in the last 16 and beyond, though.
As things stand, if they win their last 32 match, they will face either the Netherlands or Morocco. Both teams have been very impressive in the tournament thus far.
A possible quarter-final tie against France or Germany awaits. In the semi-finals, they could face Portugal or Spain. If they make it all the way to the final, they could play either Argentina, England or Brazil.
The bracket is not yet set, and their possible opponents are set to change. However, they would have definitely preferred to have topped the group.
You scored
out of 20
Jesse Marsch Speaks Out After Canada 1-2 Switzerland
Marsch reflected on his side’s performance after the match. He said on ITV Sport:
“I know our team has heart. I know that we have a group that will give everything at every moment. And that’s something to be very proud of. And just the managing the little moments, given the start of the game I thought we were a little tentative and not really aggressive and not really sprinting enough. But, we’re going to focus on the positives, we’re going to focus on the response.
“Again, good performances off the bench. The only thing I wish I would have done differently, I was thinking about going five-at-the-back to really lock things down at half-time, and when we came out like that, then obviously I wish I would have done that. I think I should have done that.”
When asked about Canada’s crowds, Marsch replied: “It’s been awesome. And that’s the disappointment. We just want to continue the energy that’s taken place here in Canada.
“You know, I’ve been through these World Cups and I’ve been through different big moments in my career. And I know when you get one big win, building on that is so important. And so, I’m disappointed we weren’t able to get the win or draw today to keep us here.
“I’m so thankful for the energy and the country, and certainly in the stadium here today, but we’re going to go to LA. It’s probably going to be an away crowd, it’s going to be a little tougher, but we still want to electrify our country and play really well down there and go after it still.
“We’re exactly where we want to be, we finished second in the group, we’re in the knockout phase, and now let’s go for it.”
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