The NFL is no longer the only option when it comes to playing professional football. It is, however, the goal for almost every aspiring football player because it is the most lucrative and it is the most popular professional sports league in the entire world next to soccer and cricket. But if you want to earn a living at playing professional football, the NFL is going to be the goal.
But there are thousands of collegiate football players, ever year, that end up never playing football past college because they either give up on it or they cannot find a league to play for and earn a living. A majority of those players end up trying for a year or two, holding onto that dream of playing in the NFL, until finally they have to hang up their cleats and call it a career.
What about the players that end up in the NFL but find themselves being replaced by younger, stronger, faster, and overall better players? What do they end up doing with their lives after being released by a NFL team and not being able to find a home?
By 2020, there is going to be multiple options for these types of players. The Alliance of American Football begins in February of 2019 and Vince McMahon, the infamous owner of the WWE, announced that he will be bringing back the XFL in 2020.
Let's take a look at ten former NFL players still playing in random leagues and the 10 other players that will be joining them very soon.
20 AAF: Stephen Hill
Most people remember the name Stephen Hill because of his rookie season with the New York Jets. The former Georgia Tech wide receiver stoodout right away when he caught five passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns in his NFL debut. But that was really the last time you would hear his name called for the rest of the season.
During his second year, he had another big game against Buffalo when he caught three passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. It would be the last time we truly got to experience his NFL abilities. He would eventually go to Carolina in 2014 before being cut in August of 2016.
He is signed on to play in the Alliance of American Football for the Atlanta Legends.
19 Next to Go: Tyvon Branch
It does not matter how talented a player is, there is no way to stop someone from getting injured. Unfortunately, some players are more susceptible to getting injuries than others. It is the price you pay to play the game and for Tyvon Branch, injuries has caused his once promising career to come to a screeching halt.
For the past two seasons, he played 15 games for the Arizona Cardinals but was sent to injured reserve shortly after tearing his ACL in November of 2017. He has since been trying to find a team to play for but has not been able to.
With so many options coming up, his odds of playing in the NFL could be limited while his chances elsewhere are very high.
18 AAF: Matt Asiata
In 2014, Matt Asiata rushed for three touchdowns in two separate games. That season he started nine games and ended up getting 164 carries for 570 yards and nine touchdowns. He benefited from the NFL's season-long suspension of Adrian Peterson, after Week 1. That move caused the Minnesota Vikings to scramble to find players to take over and between Asiata and Jerrick McKinnon, they managed just fine.
But then Adrian Peterson returned in 2015 and that pushed Matt back to special teams. The next season, AP tore his meniscus and the Vikings were right back to where they were in 2014.
He was not re-signed by Minnesota in 2017 and ended up cut by the Detroit Lions not long after.
17 Next to Go: Alfred Morris
When Alfred Morris signed with the San Francisco 49ers this past August, he knew he was going to be behind Jerrick McKinnon and would be fighting for playing time with Matt Breida. But then McKinnon tore his ACL and was lost for the season and many analysts expected Alfred Morris to become the starter. However, he was passed up by Matt Breida, who has done a great job in the role.
Now that he is 30 years old, his time to sign a long term deal is almost over and he is becoming the 49ers last option in the running game, leading to a chance he moves on from the NFL in 2019, and if things continue going down this road, he will find a job elsewhere fairly easily.
16 CFL: Austin Collie
No one knew about Austin Collie until he was paired with Peyton Manning after the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. In his first season, he rose to fame with 60 receptions, 676 yards, and seven touchdowns, as a rookie. The next year, he caught 58 passes for 649 yards and eight touchdowns.
The year Peyton Manning got hurt, and missed the entire season, 2011, Collie ended up with 54 receptions for 514 yards and just one score. That would be the last time Austin Collie was able to produce at the NFL level.
He would eventually find himself in the Canadian Football League where he now plays for the BC Lions.
15 Next to Go: Eric Decker
In August of this past year, Eric Decker finally announced his retirement from the NFL. He is ready to move on to the next chapter of his life and spend time with his wife and kids. It appears as though he is moving on from football as part of his retirement. But even though he seems to be set on giving up all kinds of football, that does not mean he will not be offered by just about every major pro league.
After all, he is just 31 years old, has a big frame, speed, and is finally healthy enough to play, just not at the NFL level he has been playing since 2010. He could even end up in the Alliance of American Football League, or the XFL, just to show everyone he still has it.
14 CFL: Chris Rainey
If the name sounds familiar, that's because many people remember Chris Rainey as the tiny speedster from the University of Florida that helped the Gators win multiple National Championships. He was part of the Tim Tebow offense that took the nation by storm and made a name for himself by using his tiny frame to find the open gaps and make the big plays.
He was also the little brother to infamous XFL running back, and kick returner, Rod "He Hate Me" Smart.
But his size was a hinderance in the NFL and he could never quite make it at that level so he went ahead and took a job in the CFL, where he has played for the BC Lions since 2015.
13 Next to Go: NaVorro Bowman
In 2010, the San Francisco 49ers drafted Penn State's star middle linebacker, NaVorro Bowman, in the third round. He spent his rookie season coming off the bench and learning the NFL game. He started just one game that season. But the following year, in 2011, he became part of a one-two punch between him and Patrick Willis. The two linebackers were a nightmare on the field.
But injuries started to slow his plans down and he ended up missing an entire season in 2014. He was eventually released by the 49ers last season before signing with the Oakland Raiders.
He remains unsigned but not retired. He is just 30 years old and would be a tremendous acquisition for any professional football league not named the NFL.
12 CFL: Tre Mason
While at the University of Auburn, Tre Mason spent two years as the team's starting running back, in 2012 and 2013. But it was his improvement from 2012 to 2013 that turned him into a hot name on draft day because he ran for 1,816 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in his final season, propelling himself up the draft board.
His rookie season in St.Louis allowed him a chance to showcase his abilities as he ran for 765 yards and four touchdowns in just 12 games. But then his career took a turn for the worst and he began acting out after the 2015 season. He even ignored all calls from coaches and teammates until they were forced to release him.
He has since been working on getting back into the NFL by playing in the CFL for the Sakatchewan Roughriders.
11 Next to Go: Jay Cutler
Early in his career, Jay Cutler was somewhat of a reliable guy. For example, he was going to throw for 3,600 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. But his biggest issue was never throwing the football, it was winning games. He was known for imploding when the pressure is turned up.
When he signed to play in Miami last season, to replace the injured Ryan Tannehill, who was out for the year, he did an average job but not one worthy of becoming a starter in the NFL. So he decided not to sign anywhere this season to be a backup. To him, it is not worth it.
Maybe he is finished in the NFL but he is certainly not done with football, otherwise he would have announced his retirement already.
10 CFL: Dexter McCluster
The NFL is a wake-up call for many aspiring football athletes like Dexter McCluster, who was the Tyreek Hill of college football at Ole Miss, being able to run and catch the ball. But he was always a bit too short and could never bulk up to become a true NFL WR or RB and he spent seven years in the NFL before finally leaving the league in 2017.
He just recently signed on to play in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts.
He has only played a few games and is still in the process of figuring things out while playing running back, wide receiver, and punt returner.
9 Next to Go: Breshad Perriman
There are many things a pro football player can do to improve his game. He can work on his hands, his route-running, and several other aspects of the game that can make him better. But the one thing he cannot control is his height and speed. That is simply something you are born with.
Breshad Perriman was born with both. He is 6'2", 210 pounds and can run the 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds, a number that was so impressive, it moved him into the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He has only been able to play in 28 games since, battling injuries along the way. He is now in Cleveland, where he is still not getting playing time.
With that kind of talent, it is only a matter of time before he winds up out of the NFL and in the XFL or AAF, where he can get reps and even become a star.
8 AAF: Zach Mettenberger
As recently as 2018, Zach Mettenberger has been working to find his way back into the NFL by joining The Spring League, an elite development league, and scouting event, for talented athletes trying to make a name for themselves at the highest level, the NFL.
Before that, in 2017, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers until he was replaced on the roster by rookie Joshua Dobbs. He has been working to get back ever since.
He has also signed on to play in inaugural Alliance of American Football League as a member of the Memphis Express.
7 Next to Go: DeMarco Murray
As you might already know, when a NFL player is in their early 30s, and they retire from the NFL, that does not always mean they are finished with football. In fact, the majority of NFL running backs only stick around until they are around 30 years of age before they begin to decline.
Knowing the financial future might be unstable, DeMarco Murray could very possibly show up in the XFL in 2020, knowing the money is going to be there for big player names that Vince McMahon knows he is going to need to get fans into the stadiums.
In other words, his name can still sell tickets and after taking a couple years off, those knees have had time to heal and give him another couple years to play.
6 AAF: Bishop Sankey
Remember him?
Bishop Sankey was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2014 to help them replace Chris Johnson, who was no longer on the team. That left them with a huge gaping hole at running back and they saw something that a lot of other teams did not when it came to the former University of Washington running back, Bishop Sankey.
But the Titans were losing games in 2014 and were always playing from behind leading to them passing the ball more and giving up on the run early and often.
At just 26 years old, Bishop Sankey is making a comeback in the Alliance of American Football League with the San Diego Fleet in hopes this will get him a chance to climb back into the league that spat him out just a couple years ago.
5 Next to Go: Robert Griffin III
It will not take long before Robert Griffin III decides that he can play football for some other league instead of waiting around for two other guys to get hurt before being able to get his shot. It was even worse when the Baltimore Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round of the draft this year, making it seem almost unlikely he will ever play for them.
He has the speed and arm strength to become a star in the AAF or XFL, the only problem is whether or not he is willing to take a pay cut to play. He might just rather cash a check and stay healthy on the sidelines for now. But when that will to play, and be the guy, returns, he will leave.
4 AAF: Trent Richardson
How can a healthy running back be drafted to a NFL team with the third overall selection and become one of the biggest busts in NFL history? How did no one see that one coming when it came to Trent Richardson? He had all the measurements, the speed, and was a big time college football running back from Alabama.
It was his time at the University of Alabama that was his problem, and the problem that NFL scouts missed, that they know about today. That is, that Alabama builds their offense around their offensive lines. Trent played behind four future NFL first round draft picks and three other draft picks, all from the offensive line.
He is signed to play for the Birmingham Irons in the Alliance of American Football League and hopes to bounce back from his career that seemed to be a lost cause until now.
3 Next to Go: Dez Bryant, WR
When Dez Bryant was released by the Dallas Cowboys this past summer, it seemed as if it would not take very long before he would sign on with another team. He might not be worth elite money anymore but he is still a very productive wide receiver that could be an immediate boost for any offense.
But as the season goes on, and no one gives him a call, it seems more likely that his time in the NFL is coming to an end. Many sports analysts believe that he wants to only play for the Dallas Cowboys but their recent trade for Amari Cooper solidifies that goal. He is too young to retire and could end up in the XFL.
2 CFL: Johnny Manziel
The only reason Johnny Manziel is playing in the CFL, for the Montreal Alouettes, is because he wants to make a comeback and restart his NFL career.
However, that is a very long road that he does not realize begins with timing. If he is to make a return to the NFL, he has to beef up and earn the respect of the GM's around the league quickly.
The biggest issue for Johnny Manziel lies in the numbers. In six games in the CFL, this year, he has thrown for 1,092 yards while completing 65.1% of his passes and has just three touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has 177 rushing yards.
But there it is, in black and white. His inability to throw the football accurately, and consistently, to the right receiver. If he struggles in the CFL, he has no chance in the NFL.
1 Next to Go: Colin Kaepernick
Until the NFL allows Colin Kaepernick to play football again, he might not give up on his goal, playing for a NFL team. He continues to pursue his goal and is in no rush to sign with the wrong team immediately. He is waiting for the perfect opportunity to arise and it just might not ever happen because of the controversy surrounding him.
The owners around the NFL are allowing this talented playmaker to sit at home and watch the games instead of going after him for what reason? If Nathan Peterman, Brock Osweiler, Matt Cassel, Geno Smith, or Blake Bortles can get a job, why not Colin? The Jaguars could definitely use a playmaker on offense and there is no way Colin Kaepernick is a worse option than Blake Bortles.