Faces In Weird Places: The Six Most Shocking Team Changes In Football

For many years in the National Football League, many players have made their mark on the team they were drafted, and then left for another team because of other reasons, whether it would be contract issues, or conflict issues within the team that drafted the player.

Inside, I will break down which players' leaving to another team was shocking.

6.Johnny Unitas

Unitas was a great quarterback for the Colts, but it didn't start that way. Unitas was originally drafted by the Steelers in the fifties and was later cut, and was claimed by the Baltimore Colts, where he enjoyed an hall of fame career in Baltimore. Passing for 39768 yards for 54.7 completion percentage, and 290 touchdowns, and 253 interceptions. He was a fan favorite in Baltimore, and was shocking but inevitable when he got released by Baltimore. He was picked by the Chargers and had two forgettable years in San Diego.

5. Rod Woodson

Rod Woodson, one of the best corner backs in Steelers history, was riddled with injuries during his tenure with Pittsburgh, and the Rooneys weren't sure if he would even be healthy like he used to in the late eighties and early nineties, so they let him go.

Woodson would go to play another seven years, much to the Rooney's dismay, and would win a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.

4. Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith enjoyed a successful career in Dallas and was a premier running back with the Cowboys. Running behind the Cowboys' stout offensive line, he amassed 17,162 yards during his 13-year tenure.

After the 2002 season, Dallas released Smith and Emmitt would sign with the Cardinals. His last two years in the NFL ended with a whimper, and seeing Emmitt in the Cardinals red and white instead of Dallas' blue and grey was quite weird.

3. Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice is synonymous with the 49ers. Rice was a big part of the dynasty that ran through the eighties and through the mid-nineties.

He spent 16 years in San Francisco, and had 19,247 yards there. So when the 49ers released him at the end of 2000, Rice signed with the Oakland Raiders, and the image of seeing Rice in black and grey is really different and well...just not right.

Rice would also play for Seattle in his career before finally retiring. The image of Rice will be forever be aligned with the 49ers.

2. Joe Montana

Montana, like Rice, will be also synced with the 49ers' Super Bowl dynasty forever. He spent 13 years in San Francisco and was a big part in taking the 49ers to becoming a dynasty.

However, towards the late eighties and the early to mid nineties, Montana's body wore down and was more prone to injuries. In fact, he missed the 1991 season and also missed the 1992 season.

The 49ers traded Montana to the Chiefs, where he enjoyed a reasonable amount of success there. He started 11 games there in 1993 and led the Chiefs to an 13-3 record. He led them to come-from-behind playoff wins, but lost to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game. He did well in 1994, leading the Chiefs to a second straight playoff berth.

He shortly, thereafter, retired after the 1994 season. Montana will always be remembered with leading the 49ers to becoming a dynasty throughout the eighties.

1. Brett Favre

This man needs no introduction. Favre played for the Packers for 16 years, and then waffled about retiring, and was traded to the New York Jets, where he managed the Jets to a 9-7 record.

Then, Favre retired once more, waffled once more, and signed with the Packers' rivals, the Minnesota Vikings.

Favre led the Vikings to a 12-4 record, where he had the highest completion percentage of his career, highest passer rating of his career, and the lowest interception rate of his career. It's easy to hate on Favre, but you can't deny his legacy. Favre's legacy is what legends are made of, and whether you like it or not, he sure looks dang good in that Vikings jersey.