Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Per ESPN Aldon Smith has signed with the Cowboys. Who knows whether or not he makes the team or can stay clean, but it would be one of the longer layoffs to return from if successful. What are other long layoffs not involving alternative leagues (e.g.: Doug Flutie, etc.)?

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/289 ... ource-says

First that comes to mind is Joe Montana. He missed the entire 1991 season, and the first 15 games of 1992 before making a cameo against the Lions in the last game of the season.

How about tackle Mike Williams. Played 2002 to 2005 with the Bills. Out if the league three years, then returned in 2009 with the Washington Professionals.

I think quarterback Mark Rypien played in 1997, then sat out 1998, 1999, and 2000 before playing in 2001?

Marcus Dupree played with the LA Rams in 1990 and 1991 after several years off.

Bronko Nagurski left the game a second-team All Pro in 1937 and returned to a WW II-depleted Bears in 1943 to play tackle and then fullback and get his third NFL championship.

(Side note: Fifteen years later, he returned to the field in 1958 in a University of Minnesota varsity-alumni game to pummel his way through the varsity on the opening drvie: https://books.google.com/books?id=mW2zA ... me&f=false).

We have had threads like this in the past maybe even at this version of the forum. I will look for it and post the link here if I find it.

The funny thing was I bumped the thread two times after discovering additional long layoff guys. This happened on the 20th day of two consecutive months. So then I tried to purposefully bump it the 20th of subsequent months. Anyway, I will go look for it.

Frank Tripucka's last season in the NFL was 1952. He returned to football with the Denver Broncos in 1960.

Nice pull on the old thread.

One I'm surprised didn't come up anywhere was Bill Hewitt who played his last snap with the Eagles in 1939 and then came back for a few games with the Steagles in 1943. Of course the Steagles are a special case.

rhickok1109 wrote:Frank Tripucka's last season in the NFL was 1952. He returned to football with the Denver Broncos in 1960.

Just to clarify; Tripucka never left football. He just played it, likely for more money, in the Great White North from 1953-59.