The NFL is a game of inches. Famously, the smallest of margins can change legacies, both for franchises and for superstars. Can you imagine how different the NFL would be if the San Francisco 49ers took Tom Brady? It’s possible he never even starts a game. Or how about if Reggie White stayed in Philadelphia? What happens if Stefon Diggs goes out of bounds during the Minneapolis Miracle? All of those would completely change the narrative, and none made this list.
We’re looking at the “what ifs” that change foundations, for both the teams and the league itself. Some of these show up immediately as defining moments, and others take time to percolate. We don’t want to waste any more time. Let’s get into some what-ifs!
Arizona Cardinals: What if James Harrison went out of bounds?
There isn’t much of a history for the Arizona Cardinals. For the most part, they have been one of the worst teams in the league. They’ve won more than 10 games six times in more than 100 years. One of those seasons was in 1925 when they “won” the NFL Championship. This is a team that might be the worst in the entire NFL. So, when Kurt Warner joined the Cardinals and overtook Matt Leinart as the long-term starter, most expected it to be another moment of failure.
Instead, Warner, along with the likes of Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Edgerrin James, Calais Campbell, and Adrian Wilson, carried this team to the next level. Unfortunately, one mistake at the worst time cost them glory.
Warner was driving the Cardinals to attempt to score right before halftime of Super Bowl XLIII. The Cards were down 10-7 and well into the red zone. Warner threw a pass to the end zone that, if it had gone to his intended receiver, would have put the Cardinals up going into a long halftime. Instead, Harrison intercepted the ball and returned it 100 yards. Multiple times, he was almost knocked out of bounds. Fitzgerald came incredibly close, and if he succeeded, the half would have ended at 10-7.
The Steelers scored late in the fourth quarter in what ended up being the game-winning touchdown. That said, the halftime touchdown likely won them the game. If the Cardinals win that game, it changes how we look at that franchise today. It changes Ben Roethlisberger’s legacy, who had another ho-hum performance on the biggest stage. It changes the Steelers' legacy, who now only has one Super Bowl post Terry Bradshaw. This one had a long reach despite being a play before halftime.
Atlanta Falcons: What if Michael Vick was never arrested?
There’s a lot happening with the Atlanta Falcons franchise, and it’s hard to look at the totality of everything and not put the Dont’a Hightower sack in Super Bowl LI at the top of the list, but this is just so impactful to this franchise and where everything went after it. When the Falcons traded a haul, including the pick that was used on LaDainian Tomlinson, to get the first-overall pick in 2001 and the chance to take Michael Vick, one of the most exciting prospects in history.
Vick wasn’t Peyton Manning or John Elway, but he was a game breaker. For a few years, he was exactly as advertised. He was the greatest rushing quarterback of all time. He was electric, and it all came down in a moment’s notice.
In April 2007, news started to leak that a major criminal investigation was coming to Virginia. It quickly became obvious that Vick was involved. It was one of the most disturbing pieces of news to come out. Vick had just signed an extension to stay in Atlanta, and while things weren’t going great, the franchise was committed to him. Instead, he went to jail for two years, and his career in Atlanta was over.
We saw a different version of Vick with the Philadelphia Eagles. If that version of Vick ever showed up in Atlanta, they might be legitimate contenders. The Falcons were knocked off their axis, and it eventually led to Matt Ryan joining the team in 2008. Does it change a Super Bowl? Probably not, but it changed the Falcons forever.
Baltimore Ravens: What if they never left Cleveland?
The Baltimore Ravens don’t exist without the most controversial move in modern NFL history. After the 1995 season, Art Modell, facing mounting financial problems and a stadium he didn’t like, moved the Browns to Baltimore. Years of legacy gone overnight, similar to the Colts leaving Baltimore decades earlier. The irony is exhausting. Cleveland, a city that had lived and died with this team since 1946, was left with nothing but an empty lakefront stadium. The league eventually worked out a deal that kept the Browns' name, colors, and history in Cleveland while Modell’s team started over as the Ravens, but the damage was done.
The Ravens drafted Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis in their first draft, and that pair became the foundation. At one point, each was the best at their position. Five years later, they were Super Bowl champions. They added a second title in 2013, and they drafted Lamar Jackson in 2018. They have been one of the model franchises of the last 30 years.
Does that happen in Cleveland? Is there some sort of curse on the franchise, or does all this happen no matter the location?
One of the most obvious impacts of the “what if” is: where does that additional franchise go? Does it automatically go to Baltimore, or could there be a football team in Austin right now? Would they try Vegas back then, or would they try something completely outside the box like Toronto or Portland? Honestly, it probably just fast-forwards the franchise going to Los Angeles.
Buffalo Bills: What if the kick wasn’t wide right?
0-for-4. It’s one of the most incredible and painful records in sports. No sports team has ever made it to four straight championships and lost each and every one. What makes it even worse for the Buffalo Bills is that they never won a Super Bowl at that point, and they haven’t won one since.
Of those four Super Bowls that they lost, the one that hurts the most is “Wide Right.” Scott Norwood’s kick at the end of Super Bowl XXV would have walked off the championship. Instead, it gave the Giants another Super Bowl. Dozens of legacies were impacted by that kick. First and foremost, it took a Super Bowl away from Jim Kelly, who would have been considered in a different stratosphere.
It also seriously affected Bill Parcells' legacy. Would we view him the same way if he didn’t win that Super Bowl? Plenty of coaches won one Super Bowl, but winning that second one changes his legacy and puts him in the conversation with the best of all time. Parcells still has his coaching tree growing to this day. Does that happen if he wins just one Super Bowl?
But the legacy of the Bills as a franchise is the most impacted. There is a clear line between franchises that have won a Super Bowl and those that have not. The Bills could be seen completely differently, but now there’s extra pressure. Heck, there’s pressure on Josh Allen because of this missed kick.
Carolina Panthers: What if John Kasay doesn't kick the ball out of bounds in Super Bowl XXXVIII?
The Carolina Panthers have come close to the Super Bowl championship multiple times with multiple rosters. No attempt was ever closer than Super Bowl XXXVIII. That was the moment that cemented Tom Brady’s legacy, but we’ll get to that in a moment. First, let’s talk about the Panthers.
Carolina was down 21-10 early in the fourth quarter. They scored a touchdown when Mushin Muhammad caught a 13-yard pass. A failed two-point conversion made it 21-16. Brady drove the Patriots down the field, but a mistake led to an interception in the end zone and put the ball on the Panthers’ 10-yard line. Then, Muhammad put forth one of the best plays in Super Bowl history. He caught a pass and ran down the field, scoring 85 yards from the line of scrimmage. Out of nowhere, the Patriots blew a two-score lead, and the Panthers were up.
The two teams traded scores again, tying it 29-29 with 1:08 left to play. John Kasey, usually a very reliable kicker, made the biggest mistake of his career. He kicked the ball out of bounds, putting the Patriots on the 40-yard line. It was an easy drive into field goal range, and Adam Vinatieri drove it home.
Vinatieri doesn’t get into the Hall of Fame without this kick. Brady is the goat, not the GOAT, of this Super Bowl if the Patriots lose. The Panthers are considered one of the best expansion franchises after a championship. Muhammad is considered differently. Jake Delhomme is in a different tier. The list goes on. All because the kicker messed up on what’s supposed to be the easiest part of his job.
Chicago Bears: What if the Bears draft Joe Montana?
The NFL Draft “what ifs” could fill this entire list, so we wanted to keep this to the most egregious and historical decisions. Everyone could be on this list for missing out on Tom Brady in 1999, but nobody had him as a starter coming out of that draft, let alone what he became. Joe Montana was a different story, and the Chicago Bears’ history with the quarterback position speaks for itself.
In the 1979 NFL Draft, Montana went in the third round. It’s considered one of the best picks in the history of the draft. The San Francisco 49ers were able to draft Montana is a draft that could have been considered one of the biggest disasters ever. They traded the number-one overall pick in the draft for… O.J. Simpson.
Scouts with the Bears had a first-round grade on Montana, who had fallen to them in the third round at pick 66. However, general manager Jim Finks overrode his scouts and took Willie McClendon to bolster their running back depth. See, the Bears already had Bob Avellini and Mike Phipps. But no, they needed depth behind… Walter freaking Payton.
The Bears would go through quarterbacks until Jim McMahon took over, and he helped the 1985 Bears win the title, but one of the greatest defenses and running backs had just one title because of the quarterback position. With Montana, we could easily see those four San Francisco 49ers championships going to the Bears.
Cincinnati Bengals: What if they agreed to New Orleans' 1999 draft trade proposal?
The Cincinnati Bengals spent most of the ’90s as one of the worst-run franchises in football, but the 1999 NFL Draft was a chance to turn it around. They were going to get the player who was going to lead the Bengals into the new millennium. They held the third overall pick and badly needed a quarterback. There were some really good quarterback prospects in this class.
Mike Ditka, meanwhile, had fallen in love with Ricky Williams and was willing to do something no coach would do today: mortgage the entire franchise to get him. The trade for Ricky Williams is famous today. Ditka reportedly offered Cincinnati every pick the Saints had in that draft for the right to move up and take the Texas running back. The Bengals said no, took Akili Smith, and the rest is a cautionary tale.
Smith was awful and is considered one of the worst draft picks ever. He set the Bengals franchise back a generation. He started 22 games and threw five touchdowns. Meanwhile, they could have taken Daunte Culpepper with the pick, or they could have traded with the Saints, and taken Cade McNown (who wasn’t great, to be fair), but they would have built the depth of their franchise.
Between the 1999 and 2000 drafts, the Bengals could have taken linebacker Joey Porter, defensive end Aaron Smith, cornerback Jerry Azumah, wide receiver Donald Driver, linebacker LaVar Arrington or Brian Urlacher, and wide receiver Laveranues Coles. Even if McNown wasn’t the guy, they had the depth to build a contender, and they could have drafted Tomlinson in 2001, giving even the worst quarterbacks a chance. Heck, even Akili Smith could win with this squad.
Cleveland Browns: What if they stuck with Baker Mayfield?
There are probably bigger things happening in Cleveland, but the dominoes that come from abandoning their most successful quarterback since they rejoined the league are too interesting a story not to tell. With the number-one overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Browns shocked everyone by taking Baker Mayfield over Sam Darnold. That itself is an interesting what-if for both the Browns and Jets. Would Mayfield have been a better option for New Jersey?
But let’s talk about the decisions of the Browns in 2022. Mayfield was coming off his worst season due to shoulder and knee injuries, and the Browns weren’t keen on sticking with him. So, they traded him to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick. In a cruel irony, Darnold was traded there months earlier. The two top QBs of the 2018 draft were on the same roster, competing for snaps.
Meanwhile, the Browns mortgaged their future and their sanity to trade for Deshaun Watson. They gave up their 2022 first- and fourth-round picks, 2023 first- and third-round picks, and 2024 first- and fourth-round picks. Then, the Browns gave Watson a fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million. This all happened while Watson was under investigation by the league for sex transgressions.
The Browns watched as the Texans used those picks to help them get Will Anderson, one of the premier pass rushers in the league. The Browns, meanwhile, are still stuck starting Watson as of the 2026 season, and Mayfield is having success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If this trade didn’t happen, maybe Mayfield still leaves, or maybe he becomes what he was in Tampa, and the Browns get to make the trade for Anderson. Or even crazier! They actually made something of the Myles Garrett era.
Dallas Cowboys: What if Jerry Jones never cut the players from the Herschel Walker trade?
The Dallas Cowboys' legacy comes down to one trade. The Herschel Walker deal with the Minnesota Vikings will go down in history as the deal that built a dynasty. With those picks, the Cowboys got Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Alonzo Highsmith, Kevin Smith, Darren Woodson, and Clayton Holmes. However, the trade wasn’t directly for draft picks. It had one of the strangest poison pills we’ve ever seen in a sports trade.
Originally, the Cowboys traded for LB Jesse Solomon, LB David Howard, CB Issiac Holt, and DE Alex Stewart. The deal was universally panned as a disaster for the Cowboys, and it was considered even worse when Jerry Jones cut all of these players. However, there was a clause in the paperwork that said if these guys didn’t make the roster by a certain date, then the Cowboys would get premium draft capital instead.
Do the Cowboys still get to call themselves America’s Team if they go five decades without a championship? That’s the reality they are staring at with this “what if.” Without Smith, they don’t win the championships, let alone the rest of the stars that came from this.
And what about the Vikings? Would they have had that ever-elusive championship if they hadn’t made this deal? Walker was good for a year, but then he fell off. They could have used this depth with good teams coming in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Denver Broncos: What if they drafted Josh Allen?
We know, another draft one, but this one makes too much sense. The Denver Broncos already had Paxton Lynch and Brock Osweiler on the roster at quarterback for the 2017 season. Trevor Siemian was there, too. Some would say the Broncos “had” to give them a shot in the 2018 season. One of them had to work out, right?
When the fifth pick came, Josh Allen was on the board, and the Broncos certainly had a discussion, but they ultimately went with Bradley Chubb, a talented pass rusher coming out of Georgia. It was the safe pick. Safe doesn’t win championships. Chubb was really good for the Broncos, but Allen is the best quarterback in the league.
Where would the Broncos be today with Allen under center? Would he finally have a championship to his name? Definitely wouldn’t have been as bad as whatever they threw out there for the AFC Championship Game in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Bills might have to pivot to Josh Rosen, who stinks. Maybe they get bold and take Lamar Jackson, but we don’t see it with the seventh pick. That was going to be Rosen, and the Bills might be where the Browns are today.
Detroit Lions: What if they traded Barry Sanders?
One of the most famous “feet to the fire” moments in the league is when the world knew that Barry Sanders had requested a trade out of Detroit in 1999. Prior to this, he announced his retirement due to the frustration of never being a contender (among other things). Sanders was possibly the best running back in history, and he was a little over 1,400 yards from Walter Payton’s rushing record.
He was two years removed from winning the MVP, and teams would line up for his services. He had plenty of career to go. He was 31 years old, which is old for a running back, but this is a special talent. A team would pay well for his services.
Instead of this feud with the most talented player of his generation, the Lions could celebrate Sanders' legacy and let him try his luck in a Super Bowl. They could have gotten multiple draft picks to make the move happen, and the Lions could start over, which they were doing anyway.
This is one of the many examples of the Lions shooting themselves in the foot when the right move is obvious. Trading Sanders is a win-win situation. It’s sad he doesn’t want to play for the team, but that’s a self-inflicted error. The Lions never had the right team around Sanders, but another franchise could help him. If you didn’t want him going to the Packers or Vikings, then control the situation and send him elsewhere. Just don’t do what actually happened.
Green Bay Packers: What if they let Brett Favre retire in Green Bay?
The Brett Favre retirement saga was the most annoying saga in NFL history. It led ESPN for like… three years. The will-he-won’t-he was worse than a Lifetime movie. He “retired” multiple times, but he always came back. He was still playing at a high level, but the Packers had already moved on in their minds. Aaron Rodgers was ready to go.
But what if the Packers allowed Favre to spend his twilight years in the franchise that made his name? Favre would return to a 2008 Packers team that was in transition. Bubba Franks, Corey Williams, and others left along with Favre, but if he stuck around, the team would probably add more to the roster to accommodate another run towards greatness.
Even if Favre has the rough 2008, the Packers could see the 2009 season Favre had with the Vikings. They went 11-5 with Rodgers, so a similar win total was easily on the table. They lost 45-51 in the playoffs to the Arizona Cardinals, but if Favre can use his veteran experience to win that game, he could be the one playing in the Super Bowl, and he might even win one.
As for Rodgers, he gets traded in this scenario. Maybe it’s to the Jets, like Favre was, or maybe he goes to the Baltimore Ravens and they never draft Joe Flacco. The possibilities are endless, but Rodgers would probably be really good no matter where he went. If Favre still retired in 2010, the Packers could have drafted (checks who went late in the first round in 2010)... Tim Tebow.
Houston Texans: What if they took Reggie Bush?
The Houston Texans “won” the lottery in 2006 when they got the rights to the number-one overall pick. Reggie Bush was coming out in a star-studded draft that included Matt Leinart and Vince Young. The Texans had a sure thing at the top. And then they took Mario Williams.
It was one of the biggest draft shockers ever. Bush would fall to second overall to the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans was reeling from Hurricane Katrina, but they were building something special with Drew Brees. Bush was fine with the Saints, but he never felt special. Every once in a while, he would look like the superstar he was in college.
With the Texans, Bush would have immediately made a huge difference. Ron Dayne led the Texans in rushing that season with just over 600 yards. David Carr was still getting crushed. Defense was not their issue. The offense was a mess. Bush would at least give defenses something to think about, and that could have prolonged David Carr’s career.
Also, it would have given the Texans a chance to open the offense. That would allow Andre Johnson a chance to have a bigger breakout season. If this happens, the Texans might never cut Carr and the Matt Schaub era doesn’t happen.
Indianapolis Colts: What if Andrew Luck never retired?
This one feels obvious. Today, Andrew Luck is 37 years old. He would still be playing and the team he’s on could be a contender. Think about the best talents and how long they last. Matthew Stafford won MVP last season, so who’s to say that the Colts can’t still be competing with Luck under center.
Since Luck “retired,” they’ve tried Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers (twice), Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, and now, Daniel Jones. It’s been eight years since Luck retired. Can you imagine what Luck could have accomplished in the past eight years? Heck, even if the Colts thought Luck would come back, and he did during the 2020 season- that’s another six years in his career.
Luck was on pace for a ton of records, and his output was starting to lead to playoff success. Do the Colts have another Super Bowl with Luck? It’s definitely possible.
And imagine now with Luck and Jonathan Taylor. The Colts would have one of the best one-two punches on offense of anyone.
Jacksonville Jaguars: What if Myles Jack recovered the fumble against the Patriots?
This one comes down to two, and they are both AFC Championship Games. The 1999 Championship Game was the best Jaguars team we’ve ever seen. They were 14-2 and dominated the Dolphins in the playoffs, scoring 62 points in a ridiculous blowout. However, they lost three times to the Titans that season, so the only “what if” is discussing another team making that game. No, the biggest what if comes down to one of the most controversial calls since the Tuck Rule.
And once again, it involved Tom Brady’s Patriots. In the 2018 AFC Championship team, the Jaguars were dominating, especially on defense. They were up 20-10 with around 14 minutes left in the game. Brady was driving, so it seemed like they were at least going to be able to bring it down to a one-score game. Then, Dion Lewis caught the ball on a trick play and ran it to the Jaguars 35-yard line.
Myles Jack stripped the ball and had daylight in front of him to score an easy touchdown. Except, the play was called dead. Instead of letting it play out, the referees made everyone stop in their tracks. The fumble was clear, as Lewis lost control while on his feet, but Jack wasn’t allowed to advance the ball. After the fumble, the Jaguars went 3-and-out.
The impacts are vast. If Blake Bortles made a Super Bowl, his legacy would be completely different. Heck, he might not have fallen apart like he did in Jacksonville. The Jaguars franchise is seen differently, especially if they won.
Kansas City Chiefs: What if Patrick Mahomes went to the Bears?
Ironically, the Chicago Bears had a real chance to get all of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and they made the wrong decision. Hopefully, they finally got it right with Caleb Williams (although, Drake Maye has to stress them out). When it comes to this decision, it impacts the Kansas City Chiefs in many ways.
Patrick Mahomes was this trick-play superstar who was coming out of Texas Tech, not exactly a quarterback factory. However, he appeared to be special right off the bat. There was a concern that some of his tactics would lead to interceptions, but his most interesting comp on draft day was Brett Favre. We know what happened next.
If the Bears took Mahomes, the Chiefs don’t move up in the draft. The Bills make the pick, possibly taking Marshon Lattimore or Deshaun Watson (they ended up taking TreDavious White that season). The QBs available when the Chiefs picked at 27 were DeShone Kizer or Davis Webb, so that likely isn’t happening. Maybe they would have traded up for Watson or Mitch Trubisky, but it seems like they were in love with Mahomes at that point.
Would Andy Reid have the legacy he has today? Probably not. Honestly, he’s probably retired and has no Super Bowl wins to his name. The Chiefs might be more than Mahomes, but they aren’t a contender without him.
Las Vegas Raiders: What if Tom Brady fumbled?
Ah, the Tuck Rule. Honestly, there are too many sections on this list that are directly related to Tom Brady, but we can’t ignore this. There’s no shortage of heartbreak in Raiders history, but this is the moment that still angers Raiders fans more than just about anything. Tom Brady literally owns the Raiders today, and many fans haven’t been able to forgive him for this moment.
The Raiders were on this long road back to relevance, with Jon Gruden leading a team of stars to contention. They had all the makings of a dominant depth chart. They had Pro Bowlers and All-Pros at every position. The Patriots were this unknown entity at this time. Brady was the Patriots backup who took over for an injured superstar.
With under two minutes left, the Raiders led 13-10. Charles Woodson blitzed off the edge and hit Tom Brady as he was bringing the ball back down. It came loose, Greg Biekert recovered, and the Raiders we’re moving on. Then the officials went to the replay. It was ruled an incomplete pass under the Tuck Rule, a rule that most fans had never heard of and that was thrown out a decade later. The Patriots kept the ball, Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal in the snow to tie it, and then won it in overtime.
The impacts were vast. The Raiders did make the Super Bowl next year, but without Jon Gruden, and they got destroyed. Does he get traded to Tampa if he wins the Super Bowl? Does Tampa then not get their Super Bowl win? How do we see Rich Gannon’s legacy if he wins a Super Bowl? Is he a Hall of Famer? The laundry list of impacts here comes down to one decision. One most people think was the wrong decision.
Los Angeles Chargers: What if they kept Drew Brees instead of Phillip Rivers?
There are a lot of interesting what-ifs for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, but the Drew Brees question is the most interesting here. Some might argue this one because Phillip Rivers ended up being a great quarterback himself, but the decision to let Brees go due to injury concerns has long-lasting effects on the franchise.
Brees became the greatest statistical quarterback ever for a time. He broke more records than we can count with the New Orleans Saints, and he won that franchise a Super Bowl. Rivers never got to the Super Bowl despite having an insane amount of talent around him. Imagine Brees with a prime LaDainian Tomlinson? How about Antonio Gates? Keenan Allen, Vincent Jackson, and so many others would have big seasons under Brees.
What changes if Brees is the quarterback over Rivers? That’s hard to say. You still have to go through Brady, Manning, Roethlisberger, Palmer, and others. But, Brees had a lot of bad luck in New Orleans after his championship season.
Rivers probably gets traded away or isn’t drafted at all. Maybe the Chargers still draft Eli Manning and trade him to the Giants for the same package. Then, they would be able to draft Sean Taylor, one of the best safeties of his generation. They could build around this offense in 2004 and beyond. Imagine the defense with Shawn Merriman and Sean Taylor? This feels like closer to a championship roster with Brees.
Los Angeles Rams: What if they won Super Bowl XXXVI?
The Greatest Show on Turf was one of the league's most electrifying offenses. Kurt Warner went from stocking grocery shelves to MVP, Marshall Faulk was the league's most dangerous player, and Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and Orlando Pace were superstars at their positions. The Rams scored more than 500 points three seasons in a row. They won Super Bowl XXXIV in the 1999 season, and by 2001 they were a 14-2 juggernaut returning to the big stage as heavy favorites over a Patriots team led by a second-year backup quarterback.
Super Bowl XXXVI should have been a coronation. Instead, the Rams turned the ball over three times, including a Ty Law pick-six, and still fought back to tie it at 17 on a Warner touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. They left Tom Brady 81 seconds and no timeouts. John Madden told the Patriots to play for overtime. Brady drove New England into field-goal range, and Adam Vinatieri hit a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
There are a lot of people who deserve criticism, including Mike Martz who did not do enough with Faulk against a defense that had answers for everything else.
Two titles in three years, plus a third run, with an offense this explosive, is the profile of a dynasty. Warner is a two-time champion and a two-time MVP with a case as one of the great postseason quarterbacks. Martz’s reputation as a genius, rather than a coach who couldn’t close, would be secure. Faulk and the rest of that core are remembered as the team of the era, not a brilliant team that cracked once. And what about the Patriots dynasty? Remember, Brady didn’t make the playoffs the next season. Would they have just kept the course?
Miami Dolphins: What if they signed Drew Brees?
Back to the other side of Drew Brees: his free agency. He had serious questions surrounding him when he became available in 2006. Drew Brees was a free agent coming off a Pro Bowl season with the Chargers, but he had also torn his labrum in the final game of the year. San Diego had moved on to Philip Rivers, and Brees had two real suitors: the New Orleans Saints and Nick Saban’s Dolphins.
Life after Dan Marino has been brutal for the Dolphins. The Dolphins have gone through more starting quarterbacks than almost any franchise, and the moment they had a real chance to fix it, they fumbled.
Miami’s doctors were reportedly uncomfortable with the shoulder, and the team passed. Instead, the Dolphins traded a second-round pick for Daunte Culpepper, who was coming off a major knee injury of his own. Culpepper started four games, was awful, and was gone by the end of the year. Hopefully, the doctors were gone with him.
Brees became one of the best ever, an easy Hall of Famer, and most importantly, a Super Bowl champion. All of this could have been the Dolphins' reward for trusting Brees. Instead, Saban’s legacy in the NFL is a disaster, the Dolphins are still looking for answers at the QB position, and they watched as Brady took over the AFC East with no recourse to stop him. With Brees, they could go back and forth for the division title. It would remain the biggest rivalry in the NFL because of the Brees-Brady of it all. That’s what they took away from us.
Minnesota Vikings: What if Brett Favre doesn't throw the ball?
The Vikings might have more “what-ifs” than anyone on this list. They’ve gotten so close so many times, but they can never get over the hump. It’s a mixture of luck and mistakes at the worst time that makes being a Vikings fan a cathartic experience. They lost four Super Bowls in eight years in the ’70s, and in 1998 a 15-1 team watched Gary Anderson miss his first kick of the season before Atlanta won in overtime. And yet, the most painful moment came at a time when it wasn’t even necessary.
For years, the Vikings were rooting for Brett Favre to fail. Yet, they had an opportunity to root for him to take them to the promised land. Against the Saints, the ugly side of Favre’s game showed up. Despite one of the most star-studded rosters you don’t remember (Favre, Percy Harvin, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, and Jarrett Allen just begins the conversation), the Vikings were keeping the Saints in the game with four turnovers.
Still, Favre was driving and got the Vikings into field goal range. Unfortunately, a 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty pushed them back, and Favre got desperate. He heaved the ball across his body on the next play with no real receiver in the area, and Tracy Porter intercepted it. That was the last gasp.
If they win that game, the Super Bowl we lost was an all-timer: Favre, the old gunslinger, against Peyton Manning and the 14-2 Colts. It would have been two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and two completely different eras of the position. Without the NFC Championship Game win, there is no Super Bowl XLIV for Drew Brees, the onside kick, or the storybook ending for a city still rebuilding after Katrina. Brees might still be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he doesn’t have the ring, and that title changed how we remember him and the franchise.
New England Patriots: What if Drew Bledsoe never got injured?
This might be the biggest legacy changer in history. Drew Bledsoe was running down the sideline in Week 2 of 2001, fresh off a massive extension with the New England Patriots. He had already taken his franchise to one Super Bowl, and with Bill Belichick looking to bounce back from a 5-11 season, Bledsoe was ready to prove he was one of the top passers in the game. But then he was crushed on the sideline by Mo Lewis, and he would miss weeks of action.
The Patriots’ backup was a second-year pro taken in the sixth round out of Michigan. At Michigan, he kept losing his starting spot to Drew Henson, who was trying to make it in baseball. Tom Brady started winning, the defense started clicking, and the rest is history.
But what if Bledsoe never made that trek down the sidelines? If he never gets injured on a fluke play, Brady may never start. This wasn’t a talent that couldn’t be matched. Heck, look at Brady’s statistics from his first two seasons. He wasn’t even that good.
Brady never starts, and Bledsoe stays in the role. If they never win, Belichick probably gets fired quickly because his schtick doesn’t sit well with Robert Kraft. The Patriots never turn their franchise around, and they might look closer to how the Dolphins look today. Manning might have two more Super Bowls to his name. Russell Wilson probably has another, and we might even be talking about champion Jared Goff still leading the Rams to this day. Truly, if we Thanos snapped Brady out of the NFL consciousness like this, the impacts hit dozens, if not hundreds, of players, franchises, and scenarios in the league.
New Orleans Saints: What if the Dolphins signed Brees?
We’ve talked about the Brees signing twice already, but this truly was the most impactful move. A player this good just doesn’t become a free agent this young. When the Dolphins declined Brees’ services, his only option was New Orleans. So, what if Miami got him? Do the Saints then trade for Daunte Culpepper?
There were a few interesting options. If they wanted to go with a veteran, Jeff Garcia made the most sense. If they wanted to take a shot on someone, they could have gone with Jon Kitna or Josh McCown. However, the one we think they would have gone after is Joey Harrington.
That would not have gone well. Harrington was the first great Oregon quarterback to fail in the NFL. His time with the Lions was awful, and he was cut after they signed Kitna. The Saints would be trying to recover from Katrina with a never was under center.
To this day, the Saints would still be recovering from this move. Who knows, maybe they eventually leave New Orleans entirely. There were some interesting QBs available in 2007, as well, including Brian Griese, Garcia (who revived his career in Philadelphia), and Matt Schaub. Or, they could have been the team to draft Brady Quinn, and that’s an entirely different what if.
New York Giants: What if David Tyree dropped the Helmet Catch?
The New York Giants went on a magical run in 2007, going from a 9-7 afterthought to beating the undefeated New England Patriots. And it happened because of one of the greatest plays in NFL history.
The Helmet Catch takes an unknown figure in David Tyree, and makes him a Super Bowl hero. Up until the fourth quarter, this might have been the most boring Super Bowl, a 7-3 slog between the two defensive stalwarts. The Giants and Patriots traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, making it 14-10 late in the game. On third and 5 from the Giants' 44-yard line, Manning took the snap and immediately faced pressure from three Giants pass rushers. They all had their hands on Eli Manning, and one even had a handful of his jersey and spun him.
Then, Manning chucked the ball into the air, and Tyree had an insane vertical in this moment. If Tyree drops it or if Rodney Harrison decides to go back to his Chargers days and drills him instead of trying to rip the ball away, the Giants are a footnote in the story of the undefeated Patriots. Brady’s GOAT status is solidified even more, and this is considered the greatest team in the history of the league.
Instead, the Patriots' legacy takes a hit, Brady loses his first Super Bowl, and the Manning legacy takes the biggest hit. Eli Manning is expected to make the Hall of Fame, but just one fluke Super Bowl with his career beyond that just doesn’t get him there. The Tyree catch will eventually land him in Canton.
New York Jets: What if Aaron Rodgers never tore his Achilles in 2023?
There are a lot of “what-ifs” that the Jets deserve to have on this list. They have more failed draft picks and free agent signings than probably anyone. Zach Wilson alone could have an entire entry. That 2021 draft was stacked, and the Jets used their second pick on a failure. But that’s still not as shocking as what happened in 2023.
Knowing that Wilson wasn’t the guy, the Jets made a move for Aaron Rodgers. In a deja vu moment, the Packers moved on to Jordan Love while their MVP and former champion starter went to the Jets. Rodgers was joining a Gang Green team that looked stacked at every position. Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Quincy Williams, and others on both sides of the ball. They just needed the quarterback.
Running onto the field with the American flag in hand, Rodgers was running into a new era of Jets football. The AFC was open again, and they had a chance to become a Super Bowl contender. Then, Rodgers tore his ACL just a few plays into his tenure. The Jets still won that night in overtime, but the season spiraled with Zach Wilson and a revolving door of backups, and they finished 7-10 with one of the league’s best defenses wasted on a bottom-tier offense.
If he stays healthy, the Jets get a full year of Rodgers with a prime defense and a young group of skill players, and they probably make the playoffs. Does it win a Super Bowl? We’ll never know, but it would end a postseason drought that dates back to 2010 and keep Robert Saleh. Instead, the Jets are no closer to contention as they were immediately after Joe Namath successfully lived up to The Guarantee.
Philadelphia Eagles: What if Carson Wentz doesn't injure his back?
Philadelphia is known as one of the most passionate sports cities in the world. They are rowdy, unpredictable, and have a reputation that precedes them, but when they win, there’s no place you’d rather be. When the Phillies finally ended the city’s drought for a championship, the city was elated, and the party lasted weeks. Still, this is a football city, and the Eagles were the pinnacle.
So many failures in the Donovan McNabb-Andy Reid era made the fanbase even more desperate for a championship. So, when Carson Wentz was drafted and immediately looked like truth. He was good, and then he turned great. In 2017, the Eagles looked like the best team in the league, and Wentz was the favorite to win the MVP.
Late in the year, that all went out the window. Wentz tore his ACL. The injury that has taken down dynasties. And now, the Eagles' hopes were gone. Or so they thought. Nick Foles took over, and he was just asked to keep things on the tracks. That is, until the Super Bowl. Tom Brady was ready to put together one of his best Super Bowl performances ever. And Foles outdueled him. He brought the Lombardi Trophy to the City of Brotherly Love.
But could Wentz have done the same thing? Seeing everything that came after the knee injury, we don’t think so. Foles was the perfect person at the perfect time. And if the Eagles didn’t win that title, then that impacts Doug Pederson’s legacy, but it actually impacts Jalen Hurts more. The Eagles fans did not have the same reaction to Hurts as they did to Foles, and that’s because it wasn’t the first championship. It was great, but it wasn’t great. However, if Hurts was the guy to deliver their first Super Bowl in five decades, the fanbase would take a bullet for the man. Instead, half the fanbase is trying to trade him.
Pittsburgh Steelers: What if it was Phillip Rivers instead of Ben Roethlisberger?
The 2004 NFL Draft was one big concoction of “what ifs.” Eli Manning was drafted by the San Diego Chargers, a team he refused to play for. The Giants drafted Phillip Rivers because that’s who the Chargers wanted, but he was actually not their favorite player beyond Manning. Rumors claimed they would have taken Ben Roethlisberger as a consolation prize.
So, let’s assume Manning and Roethlisberger are off the board; would the Steelers have still drafted Rivers? We assume the answer is yes. Tommy Maddox was not a long-term answer in the Steel City. Better question: would much have changed with Rivers over Roethlisberger?
There would definitely be less controversy in Pittsburgh. Rumors swirled that sexual assault allegations against Roethlisberger pushed the franchise to consider moving on. Rivers was largely a good citizen in San Diego and Indianapolis.
Roethlisberger was also not very good in the playoffs, and he was pretty bad in both Super Bowl wins. Rivers had his own varied legacy in the playoffs, but there’s not much changing between the two. Rivers probably brings a similar brand of success with him if he were drafted, but it’s interesting to think if the Steelers would have won more with Rivers under center.
San Francisco 49ers: What if they never gave up on Joe Montana?
The Steve Young Super Bowl win is the favorite for many San Francisco 49ers fans. It was the one to show that the legacy of this franchise was more than Joe Montana. But why would they want to move on from the greatest player at the position at the time? Montana had four Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVPs, and a résumé that included “The Catch” and the 92-yard drive against the Bengals that won them games in clutch moments.
But injuries started to force uncomfortable questions about the best path forward. Leonard Marshall’s hit in the NFC Championship Game ended San Francisco’s shot at a three-peat, and Montana’s elbow injury cost him all of 1991 and nearly all of 1992. By the time he was healthy, Steve Young had played like an MVP.
Still, many franchises would look at their options and go with the champion 100 times out of 100. In April 1993, San Francisco traded him to Kansas City for a first-round pick. Montana led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game that year, and the 49ers went 10-6 before Dallas beat them in the NFC Championship Game.
If Montana remained, he could still play at a high level for a few years, and Young would have given them the haul they needed to make his twilight successful. A team would have paid maybe the most we’ve ever seen for a QB trade. Montana could finish his legacy with the only team we’ve ever seen him play for, and Young might never win a Super Bowl.
Seattle Seahawks: What if they ran the ball with Marshawn Lynch?
If you ask any football fan what the worst call in the history of the sport is, a large majority would pick the pass play at the end of Super Bowl XLIX. Pete Carroll had Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. He was stopped on first down, but anyone can get lucky once. The Seahawks were a touchdown away from a second Super Bowl win with Russell Wilson, Lynch, and the Legion of Boom. Instead, he called a pass play.
On second down, Wilson tried to force a pass on a quick slant, and Malcolm Butler saw the play coming. He knew the call, and he was ready for the pass. Butler jumped in front of the route, and the Patriots were simple plays away from another championship.
If the Seahawks ran the ball, they would have scored. It’s as simple as that. Then, Brady has like 15 seconds to try and make a comeback. He likely doesn’t, and the legacy of everyone changes. Carroll now coaches a dynasty, and Wilson is the QB. Lynch is an easy Hall of Famer, and the Seahawks go down as one of the best teams of all time.
The Seahawks slowly deteriorated from this decision. Lynch never really got over it, and he’s used this decision to make a fortune in commercials and TV appearances. Wilson was asked to do more in future years, but he eventually fell apart and was traded to the Broncos. The Seahawks eventually purged themselves of this entire team and won a title last season with a brand new team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What if they let Bo Jackson play baseball?
This one is going back, so a little backstory for those who don’t know. The Buccaneers of the 1980s were one of the worst franchises in sports, and in 1986 they got a chance to change that with the first pick in the draft. Bo Jackson was the Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn and arguably the most gifted athlete anyone had ever seen. He ran a 4.1-second 40-yard dash, and he was a legitimate pro baseball prospect. Tampa Bay needed a star, and Bo was the kind of player who could sell out a stadium on his own.
The problem was that Jackson wanted to play both sports, and owner Hugh Culverhouse wasn’t interested. Tampa Bay flew him to Florida for a visit that violated NCAA rules, which cost him his final season of baseball eligibility at Auburn. Jackson was furious and said he wouldn’t play for the Buccaneers. Tampa drafted him anyway. He signed with the Kansas City Royals, the Bucs got nothing, and the rights expired a year later.
To be fair to the Bucs, there was no other worthy pick at the top of that draft. The Bills forfeited their pick to take Bernie Kosar in the supplemental draft. Jim Everett was the other quarterback, but Jackson was the guy. If the Bucs just didn’t hurt Jackson’s chances of a baseball career, it could have changed everything.
And if Jackson is playing in Tampa instead of Oakland, maybe the hip issue treats him differently. Maybe the injuries are different and he has a Hall of Fame career. We’re not sure the details, but it’s possible the Bucs got an even better career out of one of the most dynamic athletes in league history.
Tennessee Titans: What if they gave Vince Young a chance?
There’s no denying Vince Young’s talent. We saw at Texas what can happen when he has the perfect coach. Mack Brown knew exactly how to push him without getting him to give up on the whole situation. He became one of the best college football quarterbacks of all time, and his win against Texas is still a top moment in the sport’s history.
Then, Young went to Tennessee and had Jeff Fischer as a head coach. This is the antithesis of the right coach for him. There are a million misdeeds on both sides, and the two just didn’t mesh. However, a coach like Pete Carroll would have turned Young into a superstar. We truly believe that.
Instead, the Titans could not make up their mind with Young, Bud Adams kept Fischer and Young there for too long together, and it ruined both of their careers. If Adams realized he had a special talent at the most important position but needed a new voice, it would probably have put the Titans in a better position today.
Yes, there are multiple years when the Titans came close to a Super Bowl, but Young was a winner, and they ruined him. His career is known as an NFL bust and the guy who used the moniker “Dream Team” for the 2011 Eagles. It could have been so much more if it wasn’t for Jeff Fischer.
Washington Commanders: What if they took their time with RGIII's recovery?
During the 2012 NFL Draft, the Washington franchise got a gift, trading up to the second-overall pick. There were two superstars at the top of the draft in Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Both were going to be incredible off the jump. Both had terrible ends to their careers due to injuries. However, one was done because of mismanagement by the team.
Few quarterbacks have ever started a career like Robert Griffin III. He was fast, accurate, and fearless, and he ran Mike Shanahan’s offense like he’d been doing it for a decade. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Washington won seven straight games to take the NFC East and make the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
In the Wild Card round against Seattle, RGIII’s knee buckled. He tore his ACL and MCL. Shanahan took heat for leaving him in, and the organization has been defending the decision ever since. Griffin returned for 2013, but the explosiveness was gone. Washington went 3-13, Shanahan was fired, and by 2014 Griffin had lost his job to Kirk Cousins.
RGIII was clearly hobbled in the playoff game, so maybe they can avoid the knee injury entirely. However, the real transgression is allowing him to return for Week 1. What value is there to forcing him back, outside of Mike Shanahan trying to salvage his job? If Washington just let him recover, Kirk Cousins probably starts the season, plays well, Washington gets a chance to choose Cousins or Griffin and trade the other for a massive haul.
Add us as a preferred source on Google