Former Quarterback: Winning In The NFL Is A Losing Proposition

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Winning in the NFL is a losing proposition no matter how you look at it. If you understand pro football the only thing that matters is winning the Super Bowl, anything else is a failure.

If this wasn’t so, multiple coaches wouldn’t get fired every year, players wouldn’t get benched, traded or cut because their production wasn’t enough. This vicious cycle is perpetuated every year and will continue as long as there is pro football and as long as there is a Super Bowl.

I’m proud of the fact that I played 12 seasons in the NFL, yet, in spite of that, you could argue that my time in the NFL was a losing proposition. I won games, had statistically significant seasons, got to the playoffs, but never won a championship – no rings, no rides in the Disney Parade, no hugging the Lombardi Trophy. I’m not alone in this. Most players and teams live the same fate. They will go their entire career and essentially become a loser.

Look at the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Arizona Cardinals – perennial losers and I mean big losers. The Lions, Jaguars and Texans have never been to the Super Bowl, and probably won’t ever get there. All of these teams, year in and year out, never or rarely even have winning seasons let alone win championships.

Winning in the @NFL is a losing proposition. Most players dont win @SuperBowl or end up in the @Halloffame. The real success is making it there.

— Scott Mitchell (@19scottmitchell) January 14, 2020

Now, look at the good organizations.

The NY Giants have been bad as of late and don’t look to improve anytime soon. What about my Miami Dolphins, one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Note to the NFL, quit hiring NE Patriot assistants, they don't workout. Can't count Vrabel he was a player first.

— Scott Mitchell (@19scottmitchell) January 9, 2020

Then you have some recent Super Bowl participants, like the LA Rams (did they fall off a cliff or what?) they got all the way to the Super Bowl and looked like an up and coming team with an up and coming coach, but where are they this year?

How about the Atlanta Falcons two years ago? Matt Ryan looked like the next elite quarterback, they were winning the Super Bowl by 25 points only to lose in the end, where are they now? That’s right – they are losers.

We make fun of the 2016 Atlanta Falcons for one reason, but in order to get to a 28-3 lead, Matt Ryan had to outplay (and he did): Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady in back-to-back-to-back weeks. Ryan had a passer rating of 135.3, going 70-of-98 w 9 TD, 0 INT.

— kenneth arthur (@KennethArthuRS) January 9, 2020

I wish people understood how hard it is to win in the NFL, not only during a season but especially the playoffs.

One team out of 32 will win each season. The odds of winning are a third of one percent. The fact that the Patriots have won six and been in nine is beyond impressive.

Tony Dungy recently said, “I had Peyton Manning for five years before he even won a playoff game.”

Some of the greats never even win a Super Bowl – Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and, of course, me.

“If you’re a leader, people’s lives should be better because of the influence you’ve had along the way.” – Tony Dungy #leadership https://t.co/EvTWCP3oIc pic.twitter.com/qWYRbNgdGJ

— Darrin Donnelly (@DarrinDonnelly) January 15, 2020

If we know all of this, why don’t we let players develop more, or keep coaches around? I firmly believe if Wayne Fontes was kept as the coach of the Lions during my time we would have won a Super Bowl. If they would have kept the talent on our team together we would have won.

The reason teams win isn’t because their players worked harder, or their coaches were smarter and had better schemes. It’s just the luck of the bounce, being in the right place at the right time.

I worked my butt off for years just to make it in the NFL. I did crazy things to keep myself in the NFL. You hear of Jerry Rice’s insane workouts and Walter Peyton’s crazy workouts. These players were not alone, everyone works hard and does crazy workouts.

For me and most NFL players, we were losers by the standards of the NFL, but I can tell you, that making it to the NFL and staying there for 12 years was a remarkable victory.

I will never forget it, apologize for it, or consider myself a loser. Striving for your dreams, challenging yourself, working hard for something is a tremendous win in my book even if you never win a Super Bowl.

Scott Mitchell is the host of Helmets Off podcast. The show features conversations about the NFL and college football. Listen and subscribe here or wherever you find podcasts.