The NFL season is coming close to an end, with only four teams remaining in the playoffs, there are more than 1,500 players contemplating what comes next. Some are looking forward to the luxury of a long-term contract and what changes will happen with the coaching staff, while others are looking forward to free agency or a possible trade. There’s another group who is trying to figure out if continuing their career is worth it or if the sport has passed them by.
Star players like Jimmy Graham, Jason Kelce, Aaron Donald, Matt Ryan, and Matthew Slater were just some of the names that called it a career after last season. They all had various levels of success in the NFL, and there will be some interesting Hall of Fame cases there. This offseason, there are just as many stars that could say goodbye to the game.
One quick caveat, the players on this list had to be active for at least one game this season. So, there won't be Julio Jones, Jason Peters, and Patrick Peterson on this list. Instead, we focus on those stars who played their last game of football in 2024-25.
1. Aaron Rodgers
Let’s go with the guy people can’t stop talking about. Aaron Rodgers makes sure that he’s in the headlines. He wonders why people can’t stop talking about him, but then he gives them something to talk about. Now, that something to talk about is whether he will continue his NFL career.
Rodgers is a former four-time MVP and likely a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but since he joined the New York Jets two seasons ago, it’s been a dreadful run. He got hurt in his very first game for Gang Green, missing his entire first season. This season, he very much looked like a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles tendon.
Will Rodgers come back to the Jets? Will he try to play somewhere else? Nothing is for sure, but the retirement talk won’t cease until Rodgers gives us some clarity.
2. Matthew Stafford
The other star quarterback and possible future Hall of Famer on the list, Matthew Stafford has been flirting with retirement for years. He won his Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, but he’s faced major injury issues ever since. This season, Stafford has stayed largely healthy, but we don’t know the injuries he dealt with that didn’t cause him to miss games. He may be hurting, and a soon-to-be 37-year-old might be ready to call it quits.
Stafford has been quite open that retirement is on the table for him this offseason. He just said he was going to “take some time” before making his career decision. He clearly can still play, and he came close to getting the Rams past the Philadelphia Eagles, who look unstoppable at times this season.
The Rams are also very exciting on offense. Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams give this team a feeling of youth to invigorate Stafford. That will drive Stafford to keep playing, and if the Rams play their cards right, they could get even further along in the playoffs. Do the Rams have the right moves that could make them contenders in the NFC?
Then, there’s the money. He has all these bonuses that could pay him upwards of $50 million. That’s not a bad chunk of change to play football one more time. Stafford will talk about his competitive nature, but the rising bank account sure helps.
3. Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. was humbled this season. He signed with the Miami Dolphins in the offseason, but the situation never really worked. Beckham was hurt for multiple weeks, and Tua Tagovailoa was hurt for multiple weeks while Beckham was playing. That’s how he ended his season with nine receptions for 55 yards and no touchdowns. He played nine games this season and never had 20 yards in a game.
He eventually asked for his release, and he expected to find another team to sign him. That never happened. Diontae Johnson, who has been cut multiple times for being a general pain in the behind, has been signed multiple times by multiple contenders. Yet, Beckham couldn’t find a buyer after he asked to leave Miami to make a playoff run.
Beckham was in a bad situation, but he’s also not the player he once was. He really isn’t the player he was two years ago. Injuries have taken away his speed and playmaking ability, and that was his bread and butter.
He’s truly holding on to the name value he still holds, but as we saw this season with Julio Jones, that eventually dries up. It looks like the well is dry for Beckham.
4. Calais Campbell
Speaking of Miami Dolphins, Calais Campbell is another legend who thought he was joining a Super Bowl contender to go for his first championship. Campbell has been on mostly bad teams, spending a majority of his career with the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, but he has been shopping for good teams over the last few years. Now, he hasn’t signed with great teams, but he has been on teams like the Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and the Baltimore Ravens.
This season, Campbell was still effective. He wasn’t a star or anything like that, but he had five sacks and five deflected passes. He added 52 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss. He can still get in the backfield at the age of 38, but that’s an advanced age to keep going. That’s old for a kicker or a quarterback, but it’s ancient for a pass rusher.
Still, Campbell didn’t even come close to that championship he’d likely love to have a shot at. In 17 years, he only made the playoffs in seven different years, playing 15 games. It just hasn’t worked out for him.
If Campbell does return, it’s best to assume he does it with a different franchise. There are too many questions surrounding the Dolphins, and Campbell needs something like a sure thing to return to the gridiron. If he doesn’t get the perfect situation (San Francisco feels like one that would entice him), then he will say goodbye to the game that made him.
5. Brandon Graham
Brandon Graham is currently enjoying the Philadelphia Eagles’ run in the playoffs from the sidelines. He’s been able to ponder his career decision longer than many others on this list. He was ruled out for the season on November 26th. He tore his triceps, an injury that obviously requires surgery.
We overuse the term “heart and soul” player, but there really is no other way to describe Graham’s impact on the Eagles over his 15 years in the City of Brotherly Love. He was playing well in his role up until his injury. He’s still a good player, putting up a statline of 20 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 6 TFLs.
Graham is not the star that Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown are for the Eagles, but his departure from the team might have an even bigger impact. This locker room has felt like it was hanging on by a thread at times this season, but a player like Graham is what they need to come together and focus on what’s important. Even if he’s not on the field, Graham can keep this team on the right path.
The Eagles are still in the running for the ultimate prize, taking on the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game. They could get Graham another Super Bowl ring without him playing in the game. It would be a great prize to send him off into the sunset of his career.
6. Travis Kelce
The retirement that more people in the world will focus on since he’s tied to Taylor Swift, the world’s biggest celebrity, Travis Kelce is contemplating what’s next for him. He did say the “Dead Poets Society” singer wants him to keep playing, but that could change over the next one or two games.
Kelce looked like vintage Kelce this past weekend. He was the best player on the field against the Houston Texans. The Chiefs need this level of Kelce if they are going to seriously pull off the three-peat. Kelce had seven catches, 117 yards, and a touchdown in the Divisional Round. He was able to get open on every single play.
Was Kelce just playing possum this season? Was he holding back on his talent to stay healthy and turn it on in the deep winter? He looked like he could do this for five more years after the way he played on Sunday.
It all comes down to how he looks in the AFC Championship. We truly believe that. If Kelce looks overwhelmed like he has looked at times this season, he might decide he doesn’t want to see his play decline in front of millions of NFL fans. He knows he doesn’t have to work anymore. He’s one of the most popular podcast hosts on the planet with his brother, who retired last year. He’s dating a literal billionaire. Football has become a passion project for him, and if the passion isn’t there, then neither will football.
7. Ezekiel Elliott
What a strange year for Ezekiel Elliott. The Dallas Cowboys brought him back for one more run, but they didn’t really invest in the running back position beyond that. Elliott had some spurts with the New England Patriots the year before, but he in no way showed he should be a starter anywhere. Still, he was getting a huge opportunity to show once more he could be a star. He did not deliver.
He was given 74 carries, and got to just 226 yards. After 15 games, he was released by the Cowboys as it was obvious they weren’t making the playoffs. He signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, but he didn’t do much with the opportunity. He was never activated by the Chargers, and it would be a surprise to see him get another opportunity.
It’s insane that Elliott has fallen front grace this precipitously at just 29 years old. The position is brutal, and this shows just how rare what Derrick Henry is doing this season actually is. If he does call it a career, he finishes 40th all-time in career rushing yards, behind some interesting names like Ahman Green and Chris Johnson, but ahead of Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Larry Csonka.
We don’t think Elliott is a Hall of Famer as of today. He falls just short of the criteria, and he also doesn’t have the playoff performances. There’s too much missing from his resume to get a spot in Canton.
8. Von Miller
This one is a little complicated, as Von Miller has had a hectic few years in the league. After signing a huge contract with the Buffalo Bills, one that many thought would push them over the edge and make them an actual title contender, his tenure in Western New York has been anything but smooth. He only had six sacks this year, and the more concerning fact is that he had just eight QB hits, which was better than the three he had last season, but nothing about this tenure has been positive.
Miller is also dealing with serious legal allegations, of which nothing actually legal came of it. He was suspended for four games this season under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, and many think it stems from a domestic violence allegation in 2023. Even though he claims he did nothing wrong, that suspension might have teams worried about his reputation coming into the locker room.
It would be something teams usually ignore if Miller was providing the type of production that goes with his name value, but he hasn’t been that guy in a few years. This contract has been a disaster for the Bills, and its probably why most of the team had to be placed on the chopping block to get the team’s cap situation in order.
We can’t see a world where Miller returns to the Bills this offseason. Would a team add him in the offseason as a cheap fit? Maybe, but would Miller accept that type of pay cut? We think he’d rather retire.
9. Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney came into the league as one of the best defensive prospects we’ve ever seen. He was dominant out of South Carolina, a non-traditional school for the first overall pick. He came into the league expecting to be one of the best to ever rush a passer. It didn’t turn out that way. Clowney was good, and sometimes he bordered great, but he was never a superstar.
Clowney will finish his career without every having a season with double-digit sacks. He hit 9.5 sacks twice and 9.0 sacks twice, but he was never able to get that 10th. He tied his career high in 2023, so many thought he would be an interesting addition to the Carolina Panthers. His sack number dropped almost in half.
He’s been a journeyman since leaving Houston in 2019. He went on to play for Seattle, Tennessee, Cleveland, Baltimore, and now Carolina. The fact that he never stuck around with one team does hurt his legacy. No fanbase was able to really build a connection with him in the long term, and that means they aren’t going to bat for him. But that’s another conversation.
For Clowney, there is a chance he takes yet another one-year deal, but he could also move into the next phase of his career. He’s made plenty of money, but he is just 31 years old. He isn’t exactly aged out, although his skill is diminishing. We could see him join another team, but it’s just as likely he retires.
10. Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco found lightning in a bottle in 2023, and he turned that into a few million dollars out of Jim Irsay’s pocket. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts last offseason after the Cleveland Browns let the reigning Comeback Player of the Year go to free agency without an offer. Flacco was forced to start a few games after Anthony Richardson had just a dreadful season.
Flacco wasn’t much better in the lineup. His numbers on paper weren’t bad. He had 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. Yet, he wasn’t anywhere close to the player that carried the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs to start the year.
This was honestly a great send off for Flacco to an interesting career. He had possibly the greatest postseason run of any player ever when he won a Super Bowl for the Ravens. He also felt wildly inconsistent for much of his time under center. His big moments far outweigh his low moments. Also, teams tend to regret letting him go. Just ask the Browns.
Flacco turned 40 years old just a few days ago. We are sure he will take some time and maybe even let the market dictate whether someone wants to pay him one more time, but we see teams looking elsewhere for their backups, at least until someone gets hurt next season and the rumors start.
11. Dalvin Cook
Dalvin Cook was once one of the great running backs in this league. This year, he had to fight from the pracrice squad to make a Dallas Cowboys team that was dreadful at the position. He didn’t rush for more than four years on a single carry, and it’s pretty clear that it’s time to hang up the cleats.
Cook’s career is an interesting one. We probably think he had a better career than he actually did. He only truly had a great four-year stretch, and that included one game-breaking season (1,557 yards in 2020). Cook will likely end his career with just over 6,200 yards, which is 92nd all-time. Lamar Jackson is going to pass him in rushing yards next season.
Still, we remember Cook for having this incredible run, despite his inability to stay healthy. He came out of Florida State with injury questions, so it’s not a huge surprise his career turned out this way, but his run from 2019 to 2022 was really good. He deserves his flowers for that.
This is just the way the running back crumbles. More often than not, it’s this fantastic stretch with wild inconsistency sandwiching things. Cook had the same exact career as dozens of running backs before him and dozens more to come.
12. Cameron Jordan
Cameron Jordan is a legend with the New Orleans Saints. He just finished his 14th year in the Big Easy. He was drafted two years after the franchise won its first Super Bowl, and they were steeped in their most relevant window. He was a perfect addition to a team looking for young stars. He wasn’t nationally popular like Drew Brees or even Jimmy Graham and Michael Thomas, but Jordan was a fan favorite and really embraced the New Orleans culture.
Jordan has had a great career, making the Pro Bowl eight times and was a first-team All-Pro one and second-team twice. The Saints got themselves a star, and Jordan has an outside shot to get his bust at the NFL Hall of Fame one day.
As of today, Jordan is no longer a Pro Bowler, but he’s still good enough to get on the field. He put up four sacks this season and added eight QB hits. On top of that, he had four deflected passes and 34 tackles. It was a decent season for a team that was completely lost for most of the year.
However, there’s a lot for Jordan to think about. He has a $20 million cap hit in 2025, which the Saints will likely look for a way to lower. Because they are the Saints, they are in salary cap trouble. Will they look to nickel and dime him after his legacy in New Orleans? It’s also a new coaching staff, and one he still doesn’t know. Who knows who ends up coaching this team, as their top choice (Aaron Glenn) just accepted the job as the head coach of the Jets.
13. Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Lewis reminds fans every season that he’s still in the league. The one-time Jacksonville Jaguars star tight end has been in the league since 2006. Do you know how long ago 2006 is? That’s when the first Cars movie came out. That’s when Shakira told us that her Hips Don’t Lie. 30 Rock debuted on NBC. Microsoft launched the Zune, and the Motorola RAZR was the most popular cell phone. And Lewis was a rookie who caught 13 balls and scored his first touchdown.
Since then, Lewis has played 19 years in the league for three franchises. He’s also been miraculously healthy throughout his career. He’s missed just 23 games across those 19 seasons. He hasn’t missed a game since 2020, even though his impacts have been small at best.
Lewis caught just one ball this entire season for the Chicago Bears. He was a veteran presence in that locker room. This was a relatively young Bears team with a rookie quarterback, so having Lewis in the room is valuable, but we have to be realistic. He’s 40 years old this season, and tight ends usually don’t make it half that long.
His one catch did get the Bears a first down, but that’s obviously not enough. The Bears, or any other team for that matter, can get a veteran who can do more than give them one catch on the season. Lewis should jump into coaching at this point, because that’s basically what he is.
14. Zach Ertz
Speaking of tight ends, Zach Ertz has been a lot more effective on the field than Lewis, but he’s also not nearly the guy he’s been at his peak. There’s an interesting perspective for Ertz, as he’s heading into the NFC Championship Game with the Washington Commanders. He does that against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team he spent most of his career with and won a Super Bowl with in 2018.
This would be a high note for Ertz to go out on. He was able to get back some of his legacy after a few injury-riddled seasons. He finished the regular season with 66 receptions, 654 yards and seven touchdowns. He hasn’t hit those numbers since the Eagles traded him to the Arizona Cardinals.
With everything hitting a head at the same time, and Ertz’s advanced age (36 years old), this might be the perfect time to walk away. We’d see Dan Quinn giving Ertz an immediate job on his coaching staff. He could join what looks like an up-and-coming team. This would be a seamless transition from one career to the next.
It’s possible a team gives Ertz a shot next season, and it’s not like the Commanders have a tight end behind Ertz that should get that spot, but we’re still leaning toward retirement. This is once again a decent tight end draft, and that’s after 46 tight ends have been drafted in the last three years. The position is getting younger, and Ertz is only getting older.
15. Tyreek Hill
This is the true surprise on this list, but we could see the Tyreek Hill-Miami Dolphins relationship getting very ugly this offseason. Like city-mate Jimmy Butler, Hill is likely to ask out of his South Florida home after a dreadful season. Hill suffered from an inconsistent play calling situation, a constantly injured quarterback, and an overall disappointment from a team that was supposed to compete for the AFC East.
Hill hasn’t said this year that he wants to retire, but he has floated the idea in the past. He said after the 2022 season that he only wanted to play for three more years. That would mean he’s retiring after the 2025 season. However, if he’s traded out of spite to a bottom feeder, like the New England Patriots, would he even show up? He’s made plenty of money in his career, and he made it clear what’s important to him is playing for a team that matters.
Will Hill definitely retire? Obviously not. There’s a lot of money on the line, and Hill can really establish a Hall of Fame legacy with one more star-making run. He could be traded to a team like the Chiefs or Bills to put him on a Super Bowl trajectory again. That would reinvigorate his career, and he might even last longer than one expects.
16. Lavonte David
Yet another player expressing uncertainty about his football future, Lavonte David put together a stellar career in Tampa Bay, spending his entire 13-year career with the Buccaneers. He had 5.5 sacks this season, the most he’s had since his second season in the league (which was also his only All-Pro selection). He also forced three fumbles and secured an interception. David is clearly still playing at a high level, but he’s 35 years old. Eventually, the tackles catch up to a body.
The Bucs know pretty well how quickly retirement decisions can change. Just this season, Shaq Barrett went from retiring to accepting a role with the Miami Dolphins, only to get cut in the middle of the season so he could sign back with the Buccaneers. David watched all of this happen, but he likely wants to make more of a final decision.
This is a Tampa legend, and there is some weirdness happening at Raymond James Stadium as the offensive coordinator appears to be leaving for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s probably not something that would impact David greatly, but he might just want to step away if he thinks this might impact the team on the field.
There’s been a lot that David has been able to do with the Bucs. He helped deliver the Lombardi Trophy in 2021, and he’s been the team ambassador around the community. Saying goodbye would be hard, but it sounds like it’s definitely on the table.
17. Jerry Hughes
Jerry Hughes returned to Houston this season on a one-year, $2.6 million deal. Unlike many of the other names on this list, Hughes isn’t deciding between big money and retirement. The former first-round pick only played seven games this season and had just five tackles. His impact wasn’t really there, and he might be the most likely retirement on this list.
Hughes was once incredibly impactful. After a pretty quiet first three years with the Indianapolis Colts, Hughes revitalized his career with the Buffalo Bills. In his first two seasons in Western New York, he hit double-digit sacks. He spent nine seasons in Buffalo, recording 53 sacks, before signing a two-year deal in Houston.
Things haven’t really clicked for Hughes since DeMeco Ryans took over as head coach. He gave it a go again this season, but it just wasn’t a good fit. He’d probably be able to extend his career if he tried to make it elsewhere, but he chose to stay in Houston, and he didn’t show anything to get someone else to sign him.
Hughes also missed a lot of this season with a hip injury. We don’t want to speculate on the severity, but hip injuries can be incredibly painful and limiting.
18. Yannick Ngakoue
It’s been a strange few years for Yannick Ngakoue. After he requested a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who actually used the franchise tag to keep him in the room, he’s played for six different franchises, including the Ravens twice. He was traded from the Jaguars to the Vikings, who then traded him midseason to the Ravens. After stints with the Raiders, Colts, and Bears, Ngakoue was claimed by the New England Patriots this season.
And he didn’t finish the season on an NFL roster. Despite being one of the worst teams in the league, the Patriots still felt the need to cut Ngakoue right before Week 18. This is a player who went from franchise tag to practice squad in just a few years. It’s not the trajectory anyone expected for the former star.
Maybe Ngakoue accepts another opportunity to push for a roster spot, and we think teams would be willing to give him a shot at the 90-man roster with an opportunity for more, but that might not be his desired progression. He probably thought he was going to be established as a star at 29 years old, but now he’s begging for crumbs at the twilight of his career.
It’s possible he doesn’t officially announce his retirement, and he is always on teams’ minds, but we don’t see him actually suiting up for anyone in 2025.
19. Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson has been known as an overall weapon for his entire career. After the Minnesota Vikings failed to make the most out of the first-round pick, and a mediocre stint with the Oakland Raiders, he moved onto the New England Patriots, who appeared to figure him out. He was a true dual threat with the Patriots in limited snaps. He was a change-of-pace back. Patterson then went on to the Chicago Bears, but they didn’t know how to use him either.
Patterson broke out with the Atlanta Falcons. In his first season, he broke 600 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving. He scored 11 total touchdowns, making him one of the best and most successful weapons in the NFL. The next season, he broke 600 yards rushing and added eight rushing touchdowns. The Falcons made their choice, drafting Bijan Robinson in the first round, and it made Patterson a non-entity.
He signed with the Steelers this past offseason, hoping his former coach Arthur Smith would once again use him like a true weapon, but this season went terribly for him. Patterson finished the year with 135 yards rushing and 80 yards receiving.
It got even worse as the season went on, and things ended terribly. Patterson expressed frustration that he wasn’t used in the Steelers’ playoff game, not even in a return role where he’s a four-time All-Pro. It’s possible a team tries Patterson out as a returner, but it’s just as likely he doesn’t want to deal with that and calls it quits.
20. Harrison Smith
Harrison Smith is a legend in Minnesota. He was once again incredibly effective for a dominant Vikings defense that was fighting for the number-one seed up until the last week of the season. He’s still a good player, but this is a former All-Pro who just finished his 13th season in the NFL, all with Minnesota.
Smith has been open that the grind of an NFL career has impacted him physically and emotionally. He’s praised Brian Flores for coming in and giving him life, but there’s a chance Flores leaves in the offseason. He’s still up for multiple NFL head coaching jobs as the league makes its final decisions. If Flores leaves, there’s a better chance that Smith ends his time in the league.
This season, Smith was playing on a one-year, $9 million deal. That makes him a free agent this offseason, so even if he decided to return, it’s not a guarantee the Vikings would welcome him back. While he’s a legend, that doesn’t mean they want to allocate their salary cap space to him, especially with question marks at quarterback and other premium positions.
This is also not the first time we’ve tied Smith with retirement. He’s flirted with the idea before. Nobody would be surprised if he said goodbye to what is likely a Hall of Fame career.