The best one-and-done NFL seasons

One of the NFC's best cornerbacks during his seven-season stay with the Rams, Gray lost his starting job to rookie Todd Lyght in 1991 and landed in free agency. The Texas native chose to join the Oilers and made an immediate impact. Gray intercepted six passes and recovered two fumbles for the Oilers' No. 3-ranked defense. The '92 Oilers are remembered for blowing a 32-point lead to the Bills in the playoffs, but Gray was not the primary culprit amid Buffalo's rally. Nevertheless, new defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan did not wish to bring Gray back in 1993. He finished his career as a Buccaneer.

With respect to non-kicker one-and-dones, Carney is the oldest player to make a Pro Bowl and holds that distinction by two years. At 44, Carney signed with the Giants just before the regular season began. He became Big Blue's kicker after a Lawrence Tynes knee injury and proceeded to make a career-high 92.1% of his field goal tries (35-for-38) while helping the Giants land the NFC's No. 1 seed. Carney even went 1-for-1 on 50-plus-yard attempts. Tynes' 2009 return sent Carney back to New Orleans for his final two seasons.

After his Titans rookie contract expired, Brown went through a strange period. The veteran linebacker continued to play well but journeyed to three teams in four years. The Bills added him on a one-year deal and received a strong investment return. Brown recorded a career-high 149 tackles (11 for loss), added four sacks and forced two fumbles. This came for a 7-9 Bills team that deployed the 19th-ranked defense, and it did not lead to a Brown payday in 2017. He signed another one-year deal, this time with Washington. 

From 2009-19, the Broncos featured a Pro Bowl edge rusher in nine of 11 seasons. However, Denver's Elvis Dumervil-, Von Miller- and DeMarcus Ware-buoyed pass rush encountered multiple problems in 2013. A fax machine fiasco sent Dumervil to free agency, where he left for Baltimore, and Miller was subsequently suspended six games. Enter Phillips, a longtime Charger who signed a one-year deal. He led the Broncos with 10 sacks and added two more in the playoffs. Phillips was essential to Denver's Super Bowl qualification, which happened despite Miller and Chris Harris' late-season ACL tears.

Playing five seasons on one-year contracts from 2019-23, Clowney did not sign with the Ravens until midway through training camp. The nomadic pass rusher became vital to Baltimore's mission. Lacking edge-rushing stability since Matt Judon's 2021 exit, the Ravens depended on rentals Clowney and September pickup Kyle Van Noy. The former No. 1 overall pick produced a career-high 9.5 sacks and added 19 QB hits, helping the Ravens finish as the NFL's top-ranked defense. The 30-year-old defender, who was available for just $2.5 million, added a sack in the playoffs. This earned Clowney an elusive multiyear deal (from the Panthers) in 2024.

A journeyman by 1999, the former No. 1 overall pick followed stays as a Colts, Falcons and Raiders starter with a deal — worth just $400,000 — to become Randall Cunningham's backup. But the volatile veteran supplanted Cunningham, a 1998 All-Pro, after the Vikings' 2-4 start. George (with some help from Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Co.) guided the Vikings back to the playoffs. The 31-year-old quarterback threw 23 TD passes, just 12 INTs and went 8-2 as Minnesota's starter. In two playoff games, George combined to throw seven more TD passes. The Vikings, however, gave the keys to 1999 first-rounder Daunte Culpepper in 2000 and let George walk in free agency.

Rivers' Hall of Fame case is complicated. He garnered more first-ballot Pro Bowls (seven) than Ben Roethlisberger, yet his playoff resume — and the Chargers going 2-for-10 in 2010s postseason berths — will hurt his chances. Rivers' Colts season should help. At 39 and armed with a rookie-dependent skill-position group, Rivers guided Indianapolis to the playoffs. The Colts went 11-5, and Rivers threw 24 TD passes compared to 11 INTs. He averaged 7.7 yards a clip. Rivers' 68% completion rate marked the second-highest of his career. Outdueling MVP Aaron Rodgers in a November game, Rivers also put a scare into the Bills in his wild-card finale.

The Patriots' first-round pick in 1998, Edwards looked poised to become a long-term answer in New England. The Georgia product totaled 1,446 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie, helping the Pats to the playoffs. But in one of modern sports' cruelest swings, Edwards suffered a dislocated knee and multiple ligament tears while playing in a flag football game with other 1998 rookies in Hawaii. The injury was severe enough that Edwards nearly lost part of his left leg. He never played for the Patriots again. Edwards resurfaced briefly with the 2002 Dolphins, but the beach injury hijacked a promising career.

Known to a generation of fans as a coach or GM, McCormack was an accomplished offensive lineman and enjoyed a Hall of Fame career as one of the blockers for Otto Graham and later Jim Brown. But McCormack, a third-round 1951 pick out of Kansas, began his career as the New York Yankees' right tackle. He earned the first of his six Pro Bowl nods with the Yanks before serving in the Korean War. When he returned, the NFL's Yankees no longer existed. The Browns acquired McCormack's rights via trade and used him as a starter until 1962.

In 1997, the 49ers signed future Hall of Fame defenders Woodson and Kevin Greene. Both became salary cap casualties in 1998. Woodson started 14 games and intercepted three passes in his lone 49ers season. He remained a cornerback, with the safety transition not occurring until his 1999 season in Baltimore, and assisted San Francisco's No. 1-ranked defense. The 49ers secured home-field advantage but lost to the Packers in a one-sided NFC title game. Woodson moved on and appeared in two more Super Bowls, with the Ravens and Raiders, before his 17-year career ended.

Roberts played on nine teams, but the former undrafted free agent remained a high-end return specialist into his 30s. His best work came at 31 on his fifth team. The Jets signed Roberts for one year and $1 million and saw that deal lead to an All-Pro season. A rare multi-use return man, Roberts returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns and led the NFL in both punt-return average (14.1) and kick-return yards (1,174). The Jets changed coaches in 2019 and did not re-sign 2018's All-Pro kick returner, leading him to the Bills on a two-year deal.

One of Bill Belichick's many recent trades for skill-position talent produced Cooks, acquired from the Saints for a first-round pick in 2017. The young speedster immediately settled in on an offense that was without Julian Edelman all season. Cooks extended his 1,000-yard receiving streak to three, posting 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. His 100-yard showing in the AFC championship game helped the Patriots stave off the Jaguars after Rob Gronkowski's mid-game injury. Cooks, however, suffered a concussion in Super Bowl LII and was traded to the Rams for a 2018 first-rounder. 

The Rams' all-in mission reached its do-or-die point by 2021. Considering what went down in 2022, the Rams did well to make their biggest push when they did. In between their Matthew Stafford and Odell Beckham Jr. pickups, the Rams sent second- and third-round picks for Miller. The Broncos paid the bulk of the former Super Bowl MVP's salary, to fetch better draft assets, and the 32-year-old edge rusher reignited in L.A. After four sackless games to start his Rams tenure, Miller ripped off nine over his final eight contests. This included four playoff sacks. Miller stripped Tom Brady in the divisional round and dropped Joe Burrow twice in the Rams' Super Bowl LVI win.

In addition to changing coaches after a 12-4 season, the 2015 Broncos went into training camp with a reconfigured offensive line. Early in camp, however, GM John Elway added a difference-maker at guard. After two Pro Bowls with the Eagles, Mathis signed a one-year, $4 million deal and became the Broncos' left guard. He provided stability for an offense navigating a new system, a breaking-down Peyton Manning and seven Brock Osweiler starts. Mathis graded as Pro Football Focus' top run-blocking guard in 2015, helping C.J. Anderson to a strong playoffs and celebrating a Super Bowl title in his lone Denver season.

George Halas' team completed a successful defense of its 1940 championship, and while Hall of Fame quarterback Sid Luckman led the charge, the Bears' ground game ranked No. 1 in the league and received key contributions from a rookie fullback. The No. 3 overall pick out of Stanford, Standlee rushed for five regular-season touchdowns and added four more in the Bears' two playoff games. Standlee amassed 168 playoff rushing yards, helping the Bears to December routs of the Packers and Giants. World War II interrupted Standlee's career; he resurfaced with the All-American Football Conference's 49ers in 1946.

Tom Brady's seven championships are the modern standard. But a mid-20th-century offensive lineman matched that (sort of). An original member of the All-American Football Conference's Browns in 1946, Gatski joined Otto Graham in helping the team win all four AAFC titles and three NFL crowns by 1955. However, the Hall of Fame center eventually bettered Graham. Paul Brown traded Gatski to the rival Lions in 1957, and after a historic Detroit comeback created a third Lions-Browns title game, Detroit's 59-14 thumping — with backup QB Tobin Rote at the helm — gave Gatski an eighth championship. The four-time All-Pro retired at season's end. 

Interceptions used to come easier. Less sophisticated passing attacks paired with nearly unrestricted defensive freedom created a playground for secondaries. But still, a 10-interception season is nothing to overlook regardless of era. Doll began his career as a Lions safety and finished his six-year NFL run with the Rams, but in 1953, his 10-INT Washington season gave him a historic accomplishment. Doll, who notched 12- and 11-INT years as a Lion, is the only player with three double-digit interception seasons. When Doll retired in 1954, his 41 picks were an all-time record.

Wagner joined the Rams shortly after their Super Bowl LVI win. It turned out to be a bad time to return home; the 2022 Rams went 5-12, submitting the worst Super Bowl title defense in history. This did not stop Wagner, a ruthless accumulator of All-Pro honors. This season marked the Seahawks legend's ninth straight with an All-Pro nod, this one a second-team cameo. Wagner ripped off 140 tackles, intercepted two passes and notched a career-high six sacks. Pro Football Focus graded Wagner tops among ILBs in 2022. Like season two of "Friday Night Lights," this Rams campaign had structural flaws. But the $10 million fully guaranteed they gave Wagner paid off. As the Rams retooled in 2023, a mutual parting occurred.

The NFL was a pit stop for White, a Rhodes Scholar on his way to a lengthy legal career. He became a Supreme Court Justice in 1962. But in 1938, White was the No. 4 overall pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates (who later became the Steelers). He led the NFL in rushing, with 567 yards in 11 games. That total paced the league by more than 100 yards. The Pirates went just 2-9, but White earned first-team All-Pro honors. White began his Oxford stay in 1939 but played for the Lions from 1940-41, including another All-Pro season, before leaving the game.

The 2004 first-round pick enjoyed a 12-year career, but by 2010 he had yet to make good on that draft stock. But after signing with the Titans, Babin broke out. The edge rusher recorded a then-career-high 12.5 sacks, to go with two forced fumbles and an NFL-high 27 QB hits, to earn his first Pro Bowl trip at age 30. He then followed Tennessee's defensive line coach, Jim Washburn, to Philadelphia for the 2011 season. Babin's return to the Eagles produced a whopping 18 sacks. While Babin was a journeyman, he enjoyed a quality stretch in the early 2010s.

Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Steelers, Jefferson and his initial NFL team became embroiled in a contract dispute. The Steelers dealt their talented wide receiver for a modest package, and the Colts landed a difference-maker at a key juncture. Johnny Unitas was entering his age-37 season but suddenly he and Earl Morrall had another playmaker to target. Baltimore's leading receiver in 1970, Jefferson caught 44 passes for 749 yards and seven TDs. He added 139 playoff yards, helping the Colts to their first Super Bowl title. The Colts, however, traded him to Washington in 1971.

After a six-year Buccaneers run ended with Dilfer being benched in 1999, he took a one-year, $1 million deal with the Ravens. Starter Tony Banks went four games without producing a touchdown drive, leading Brian Billick to turn to Dilfer. The Ravens went 11-1 with Dilfer as the starter, mounting one of the most dominant Super Bowl runs in NFL history. While Dilfer co-piloted this effort — playing sidekick to Baltimore's menacing defense — he did throw multiple TD passes in five straight games (all wins) to start the Ravens' ascent. The team dumped him for Elvis Grbac in 2001's free agency and paid for it.

Part of one of the best offensive lines in NFL history — the 2000s Chiefs' units, which featured Hall of Famers Will Shields and Willie Roaf — Waters voyaged to the Patriots during the 2011 lockout-marred offseason. He earned his sixth and final Pro Bowl, doing so at age 34, and helped the Patriots back to the Super Bowl. The Pats' starting right guard thrived as a pass blocker, helping Tom Brady to a career-high 5,235 passing yards. But the team again could not stop the Giants in a Super Bowl. Waters refused to report to the Patriots in 2012 and finished his career with the '13 Cowboys.

Following productive stays with the Browns and Falcons, one of the most versatile players in NFL history landed with the Chargers in his ninth season. An otherwise forgettable Bolts team at least had Metcalf, who reminded the football world of his talents. Once an explosive chess piece at running back, Metcalf was a full-blown wideout/return man by 1997. He returned three punts for touchdowns to earn his second All-Pro honor for this skill and aided the Chargers with 40 receptions for 576 yards as a receiver. Aided by this diverse display for a 4-12 team, Metcalf played until 2002.

Emergency trade acquisition Sam Bradford set the NFL's completion percentage record in 2016 but suffered yet another knee injury the following September. Enter Keenum. A former undrafted nomad, Keenum signed a one-year, $2 million deal in 2017. Stunningly, he steered the Vikings to a 13-3 season and the NFC's No. 2 seed. Keenum's 22-TD/7-INT season produced the No. 1 QB DVOA mark, and the Minneapolis Miracle play overshadows the Keenum-Drew Brees playoff duel that ended with 318 Keenum yards. This turned out to be an aberration for Keenum, but the glorious fluke doubled as the Vikings' 2010s apex.

The briefly relevant World Football League interfered with NFL rosters in the mid-1970s, and it hijacked the Colts' in 1974. Already an All-Pro linebacker with Baltimore, the future Hall of Famer declared he would defect to the WFL in 1975 after an option year on his contract. So the Colts traded him to the Packers for a meager return. In an All-Pro season, Hendricks intercepted five passes and recorded a safety. But the 6-foot-7 wingspan warlord gave Green Bay plenty of his signature NFL skill as well. Hendricks blocked seven kicks as a Packer. With the WFL already imploding, the Raiders sent two first-rounders for Hendricks in 1975.

The mid-2010s doubled as an AFC arms race. The Broncos held the upper hand in 2013, cruising past the Patriots in that year's conference title game. They then signed Aqib Talib away from the Pats and added a host of other key contributors. Bill Belichick responded by signing Revis, whom the Buccaneers released after one season. Revis helped tilt the power balance back to New England, delivering his fourth All-Pro season and helping the team back to the Super Bowl. It is difficult to envision the Pats winning that title without Revis Island, but after they declined his 2015 option, his prime ended quickly.

But no corner impacted an NFL power balance like "Primetime." The Cowboys won the 1990s' defining rivalry's first and second rounds, beating the 49ers in consecutive NFC title games. But in September 1994, San Francisco added Sanders on a one-year, $2M deal. The 49ers signed a host of free agents that year; Sanders made the biggest impact. He intercepted six passes, returned three for TDs, amassed 303 return yards and won Defensive Player of the Year acclaim. At 27, Deion was at his lockdown best and catalyzed the 49ers' Cowboys-conquering Super Bowl run. Jerry Jones outbid the 49ers (five years, $30M) for Sanders the following September, and Dallas won Super Bowl XXX.