Ryan Fitzpatrick won’t come anywhere close to Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But he will always be remembered as one of the most fun and flawed NFL players to watch in recent history. There was nothing better than watching him sling the ball around with a complete disregard for turnovers. It was certainly more enjoyable than seeing Alex Smith checking down to a running back 12 times a game.
The NFL is a poorer place without Fitzmagic. Sure, he wasn’t great or even good most weeks. However, he was damn entertaining. He could take a middling football team and make them must watch. That’s not easy to do.
With Ryan Fitzpatrick retiring, let’s take a look at some of the most fun and flawed players to watch in recent NFL history. Now, these aren’t the best nor are we including legendary guys. This is all about those pros who were must see TV despite their obvious shortcomings.
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The 7 most fun and flawed NFL players to watch
Mike Alstott
There was something mesmerizing about seeing Mike Alstott and his massive pads running down a football field. Dude was seriously a tank. Now, most of the fullback’s runs were of the go nowhere, short yardage variety. But man, when he got into open space, it was like watching a buffalo stampede. Defensive backs and even linebackers couldn’t stop him.
Alstott was also a sneaky good receiver. He even led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in receptions his rookie season, although that was mostly due to the Bucs having a horrible group of pass catchers. There will probably never be a player like him in the NFL again which is a shame considering just how awesome he was to watch.
DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson is a one-note player. But damn if that note isn’t a sight to behold. He’s a master of the four catch, 120 yards and a touchdown or two statline. Of course, he only hits that a handful of times each season. The rest of the time Jackson is either injured or disappearing. And he is liable to do something stupid both on and off the field.
Gilbert Brown
The joy in watching Gilbert Brown had a lot to do with John Madden’s constant gushing over his rotund physique. The legendary commentator could not stop talking about how big the defensive tackle was. This led to the TV broadcast focusing on his play. And this was quite the eye opener because it took a lot to move the Green Bay Packers’ player. Seriously, it was insane to watch two and sometimes three offensive linemen try to contain him. Plus, Brown had that cool gravedigger celebration. Of course, his weight was also his flaw, and at one point he ballooned up to over 400 pounds.
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Jeff George
It felt that with every pass, Jeff George was trying to throw the ball through his receiver. I’m not sure if he ever threw a touch pass in his entire 12-year career. But holy crap, could he zip one in there. Of course, those moments were fleeting and his passes were just as likely to end in the hands of a defender or in the stands.
Much like Fitzpatrick, George never really got a chance to play for good teams during his time in the league. We did see him work some magic in 1999 when he was called upon to replace an injured Randall Cunningham for the Minnesota Vikings. He went 8-2 throwing darts to Chris Carter and Randy Moss and even won a playoff game. But this was the highlight of his time in the NFL.
Daniel Sorensen
For roughly 80 percent of the season, Daniel Sorensen looks completely overwhelmed playing in the Kansas City Chiefs secondary. He’s missing tackles, giving up catches and doing his best Mike Rumph impression. And then out of nowhere he comes up with some game changing plays that keeps him employed for the next year. It’s actually quite remarkable to behold.
Marques Colston/Wayne Chrebet
In 1995, Wayne Chrebet graduated from Hofstra, went undrafted and worked really hard to eventually secure a spot on the New York Jets roster. In his 11 years with the team, he was a dependable slot receiver who helped lead the way for guys like Wes Welker and Jarvis Landry. He was gritty and had a knack for making tough plays. His numbers may not have been spectacular, but Chrebet was inducted to the New York Jets Ring of Honor. Interestingly, he retired after the 2005 season.
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A few months later at the 2006 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints picked Marques Colston in the 7th round. Like Chrebet, he went to Hofstra, breaking many of his records along the way. Unlike the Jets receiver, Colston was physically impressive. However, there were still plenty of concerns about his game.
It’s safe to say all of those were completely unfounded and Colston went on to have one of the more underrated careers in NFL history. To put it another way, his numbers compare favorably to Calvin Johnson while only playing 11 more career games than the Hall of Famer. And yet, the Saints receiver never made the Pro Bowl and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Vince Young who completed 51 percent of passes and threw more picks than touchdowns.
While Jimmy Graham gets most of the plaudits, he was a fun player to watch despite not being truly elite at anything. One last similarity to Chrebet, Colston was eventually inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame after his playing days came to an end.
