Quarterbacks rise, quarterbacks fall—and some fall hard enough to vanish from the spotlight entirely. Whether it was injuries, poor team fits, or simply losing that magic touch, these signal-callers went from commanding headlines to barely earning a footnote.
These are the quarterbacks who once had the league buzzing, only to fade away like a broken play. From former MVP candidates to playoff heroes, their stories are a reminder that NFL glory doesn’t last forever.
17. Carson Palmer
At one point, Palmer looked like the chosen one in Cincinnati. A few injuries and some lost seasons later, he quietly drifted into the desert and out of the spotlight.
16. Marc Bulger
Bulger had a cannon and ran the post-Kurt Warner Rams offense with poise. Then came the hits, the losses, and a fast fade into NFL oblivion.
15. Daunte Culpepper
When paired with Randy Moss, Culpepper was nearly unstoppable. After injuries and a few forgettable stints elsewhere, he became a “remember him?” guy.
14. Jeff Garcia
Garcia made Pro Bowls and won playoff games, even after leaving San Francisco. But once the journeyman label stuck, he disappeared fast.
13. Vince Young
Vince Young’s rookie heroics had people thinking he was the next big thing. But his NFL star dimmed quickly thanks to inconsistency and locker room tension.
12. Jay Schroeder
Schroeder had a cannon and a run with the Raiders that got people talking. A few short years later, he was just another guy holding a clipboard.
11. Josh Freeman
For a minute in Tampa Bay, Freeman looked like the future. Then came the regression, the benching, and a vanishing act worthy of a magician.
10. Blake Bortles
He led the Jaguars to an AFC Championship Game and looked like a legit starter. The next thing we knew, he was bouncing around practice squads.
9. Matt Schaub
Schaub threw for 4,000+ yards and made Pro Bowls in Houston. Then came the pick-sixes, the benchings, and the quiet goodbye.
8. Mark Sanchez
The “Sanchise” had New York buzzing after back-to-back AFC Championship runs. Then the turnovers piled up, the “butt fumble” happened, and the magic vanished.
7. Colin Kaepernick
Kaepernick took the 49ers to a Super Bowl and was once the league’s most dynamic weapon. But after a few rocky seasons and off-field controversy, he was out of the game.
6. Tony Eason
Eason took the Patriots to the Super Bowl in the ’80s. He lost his confidence, his job, and then basically disappeared from the NFL landscape.
5. Kordell Stewart
“Slash” was a fan favorite with a unique skill set and a Pro Bowl nod. But when the league caught up, he faded fast from QB1 to forgotten.
4. Matt Cassel
Cassel turned one great season with the Patriots into a massive contract. Unfortunately, he never hit those heights again and faded into a backup role.
3. Robert Griffin III
RGIII was electric as a rookie and had all the makings of a superstar. Then came the injuries and a slow, painful fade from relevance.
Read more: This NFL Season’s Top 10 MVP Candidates
2. Drew Bledsoe
Bledsoe was once the face of the Patriots and a legit star. Then Brady happened, and Bledsoe’s fall from elite to afterthought was surprisingly fast.
Read more: 15 Quarterbacks Who Fell Off and Never Climbed Back
1. Cam Newton
Cam won an MVP, dragged the Panthers to a Super Bowl, and made it look easy. But injuries and inconsistency caught up to him, and he suddenly couldn’t find a job.
Read more: 15 Quarterbacks Who Were Never the Same After One Bad Season
