Barry Sanders and Nine Other NFL Stars Who Retired Too Soon

When I look at the NFL record books, I can't help but wonder how much more some of the league's greatest players could have accomplished had they not chosen to retire early. 

I'm not talking about players like Gale Sayers or Sterling Sharpe, who could have been among the greatest ever if they didn't sustain career-ending injuries.

I'm talking about, well, check out the 10 slides on this slideshow, in no particular order, to see who I mean. 

Barry Sanders, Running Back, Detroit Lions

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28 Sep 1998: Runningback Barry Sanders #20 of the Detroit Lions looks on during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Buccaneers 27-6.

Barry Sanders played 10 seasons and was named a Pro Bowler every year.

He won four rushing titles, including a 2,053-yard campaign in 1997, and averaged 1,526.9 rushing yards per season. Sanders was remarkably durable and played in all but seven games during his career.

When he first retired, everybody just assumed he'd come back. But he didn't, and in doing so, allowed Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith to break Walter Payton's all-time rushing record.

If he had continued playing, I believe he would have topped 20,000 rushing yards.

Jim Brown, Running Back, Cleveland Browns

The greatest player in NFL history, Jim Brown played nine seasons and led the league in rushing eight times. The only year he didn't was in 1962 when Green Bay Packers running back Jim Taylor turned in a career year.

Brown retired with the records for career carries, rushing yards, and touchdowns, as well as single-season carries, yards, and touchdowns. He still holds the NFL record with 5.22 yards per carry.

And he never missed a game during his nine seasons. If Brown had continued playing, he would have come close to 20,000 rushing yards and 200 touchdowns.

Don't forget that he played in an era with 12- and 14-game seasons.

Tiki Barber, Running Back, New York Giants

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 17: Trent Cole #58 of the Philadelphia Eagles intercepts a pass intended for Tiki Barber #21 of the New York Giants on December 17, 2006 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Yeah, Tiki, 36, says he's coming back next season. I'll believe it when I see it.

The Giants running back earned Pro Bowl selections in his final three seasons, rushing for 1,518, 1,860, and 1,662 yards.

His 2,390 yards from scrimmage in 2005 ranked as the second most yards from scrimmage in a single season.

Barber may have been 31 when he retired, but he showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. 

Robert Smith, Running Back, Minnesota Vikings

Drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 1993, Robert Smith played eight seasons before retiring at the age of 28.

He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his final four seasons, including 1,521 in his last year. 

But he retired to pursue a career in medicine. He also stated that he didn't want to risk any serious injuries during his career. 

Kurt Warner, Quarterback, St. Louis Rams/New York Giants/Arizona Cardinals

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 16: Kurt Warner #13 of the Arizona Cardinals looks to pass against the New Orleans Saints during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Louisana Superdome on January 16, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty I

Warner retired when he was more than 38 and a half years old. And I think he retired too early? Yeah, I do.

Kurt Warner didn't begin his NFL career until he was 27 years old (excluding 11 passes as a 26-year-old in 1998), throwing for 41 touchdowns while leading the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. He virtually disappeared from 2002 to 2006, averaging just six starts per season.

He resurrected his career in 2007, led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl in 2008, and turned in one of the greatest single-game performances in postseason history against the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round in 2009. 

Warner was one of the game's biggest role models. Had he played another year or two, he could have locked up a spot in the Hall of Fame.  

Otto Graham, Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

Graham played 10 seasons before retiring as one of the all-time greats. But he was just 34 when he retired. He surely could have played two or three more seasons.

He led the Browns to the championship game every year, winning seven times. He was named a First-Team All-Pro seven times and won four league passing titles.

He's considered one of the top five quarterbacks in league history by most experts. Had he played a few more seasons, he might be everybody's choice at No. 1.

Don Hutson, Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers

Hutson played 11 seasons and was, quite frankly, the greatest player of his era and arguably the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. 

He led the league in touchdowns a ridiculous eight times. He led the league in receptions eight times, including his final five seasons, and he topped the NFL in receiving yards seven times. 

Hutson shattered every receiving record when he played but chose to retire at the age of 32 despite showing absolutely no signs of slowing down.

If he had played five more seasons, even you might consider him to be better than Jerry Rice. 

Charley Hennigan, Wide Receiver, Houston Oilers

Here's a story to illustrate how good Charley Hennigan was.

In 1963, the Houston Oilers brought in a cornerback named Willie Brown. Brown was cut during training camp because he couldn't cover Hennigan. 21 years later, Brown was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Hennigan would be there too, if he continued playing after seven seasons. He caught 82 passes for a then-record 1,746 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1961, and caught a then-record 101 passes for 1546 yards and eight touchdowns in 1964.

He still ranks 12th in career receiving yards per game.  

Christian Okoye, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs

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30 Sep 1990: Running back Christian Okoye of the Kansas City Chiefs (center) moves the ball during a game against the Cleveland Browns at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs won the game, 34-0.

Okoye, nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," stood 6'1 and weighed 260 pounds. He is one of the last running backs any defensive player would want to attempt to bring down in the open field.

In 1989, Okoye had easily his best season, rushing 370 times for 1,480 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

He retired in 1992 after six seasons because he stated that football had become too much of a job and it wasn't fun enough for him. 

Brett Favre, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons/GB Packers/NY Jets/Minnesota Vikings

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 13: Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the bench while playing the New York Giants at Ford Field on December 13, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

This one is a joke. I just had to put down a guy who contemplated retirement as early as 1996 (yes, he really did), and retired and returned twice.

He's officially retired right now, but yeah, we've heard that one before.