NFL: 30 running backs who got better after leaving their first team
Most of the players on this list are former first-round NFL Draft picks, but Priest Holmes is the polar opposite. He started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens out of Texas.
In his first full season in 1998, he ran for over 1,000 yards and rushed for seven touchdowns. But a young Jamal Lewis’ emergence pushed Holmes to the bench, taking the lead back role on the Ravens’ 2000 Super Bowl-winning team.
Holmes took his ring and went to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001, where he went from an afterthought to the top running back in the league. He became the first undrafted player in NFL to lead the NFL in rushing yards in a season, going for 1,555 total yards.
Things got even better for Holmes for the following year in 2002, rushing for 1,615 yards and a league-leading 21 touchdowns. That was without playing in two regular-season games. Had it not been for quarterback Rich Gannon of the Oakland Raiders, Holmes would’ve been NFL MVP for the 2002 season.
The best was still yet to come for Holmes, going for a then-NFL record 27 rushing touchdowns in 2003. He became the second player with back-to-back 20+ rushing touchdown seasons, the other being Emmitt Smith. Holmes completed his third straight year with 2,100+ yards from scrimmage.
He was a very effective pass catcher from the backfield as well throughout his NFL career. Holmes was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro every season from 2001 to 2003. Simply put, he had one of the best stretches for a runner in league history.
It should have been four straight years, as he was one pace for 28 touchdowns and nearly 1,800 yards from the ground in 2004. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury cut his season to just eight games that fall.
A spinal injury the following year effectively ended Holmes’ career, including all of 2006 and 2007. He finished his career with 86 rushing touchdowns and over 8,000 yards. If healthy stayed healthy in Kansas City, he could have gone over 100 touchdowns and 10,000 yards rushing on the respective stat sheets.