NFL RecordsTop-10 NFL Draft Picks With the Shortest Careers Since 1980
By NFL Records · Updated September 28, 2026
Injuries, off-field problems, and misjudged talent all show up in this list. These are the players picked in the top 10 since 1980 who appeared in the fewest regular-season games. Games played is a blunt measure — it does not explain why a career was short — so read this as a record of outcomes, not a judgment of the players.
| Player | Pos | Year | Pick | Team | College | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Campbell | QB | 1981 | 6 | GNB | California | 7 |
| Art Schlichter | QB | 1982 | 4 | BAL | Ohio St. | 13 |
| Andre Ware | QB | 1990 | 7 | DET | Houston | 14 |
| Reggie Rogers | DE | 1987 | 7 | DET | Washington | 15 |
| Charles Rogers | WR | 2003 | 2 | DET | Michigan St. | 15 |
| Kevin Allen | T | 1985 | 9 | PHI | Indiana | 16 |
| Trey Lance | QB | 2021 | 3 | SFO | North Dakota St. | 16 |
| Anthony Richardson | QB | 2023 | 4 | IND | Florida | 17 |
| Jamal Reynolds | DE | 2001 | 10 | GNB | Florida St. | 18 |
| Mike Junkin | LB | 1987 | 5 | CLE | Duke | 20 |
| Justin Blackmon | WR | 2012 | 5 | JAX | Oklahoma St. | 20 |
| Dee Milliner | DB | 2013 | 9 | NYJ | Alabama | 21 |
| Kelly Stouffer | QB | 1987 | 6 | STL | Colorado St. | 22 |
| Akili Smith | QB | 1999 | 3 | CIN | Oregon | 22 |
| Josh Rosen | QB | 2018 | 10 | ARI | UCLA | 24 |
| Ryan Leaf | QB | 1998 | 2 | SDG | Washington St. | 25 |
| Brian Jozwiak | G | 1986 | 7 | KAN | West Virginia | 28 |
| Trev Alberts | LB | 1994 | 5 | IND | Nebraska | 29 |
| Heath Shuler | QB | 1994 | 3 | WAS | Tennessee | 29 |
| Evan Neal | OL | 2022 | 7 | NYG | Alabama | 29 |
Data: nflverse draft data (compiled from Pro Football Reference), 1980–2026 drafts. Career outcomes are only compared for classes through 2023, since more recent players are still early in their careers. "Approximate Value" (AV) is Pro Football Reference's single-number estimate of a player's career contribution; it is useful for comparing careers across positions but is not a precise measure. Updated September 28, 2026.