Shaun Alexander
There was a time when Alexander was hands down the best running back in the league. In 2005, he won MVP honors after rushing for 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns. Surely, it made sense for the Seahawks to give him an eight-year, $62 million contract after that season, making him the highest-paid running back in league history at the time.
However, Alexander’s brilliant 2005 campaign came during his sixth season in the league. By the time he signed the deal, he was nearly 29, which should have made the Seahawks think twice, which they obviously didn’t. Immediately after that eight-year extension was signed, Alexander struggled to produce and started getting hurt. He went from averaging 5.1 yards per carry in 2005 to 3.6 yards per carry in 2006. Alexander was soon out of the league, playing just three more seasons in the NFL after getting that eight-year extension.