{
  "id": 4879749,
  "title": "NFL’s 11 best comebacks from retirement, ranked ahead of Aaron Donald’s Rams return",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/nfls-11-best-comebacks-from-retirement-ranked-ahead-of-aaron-donalds",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T15:02:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nfl-11-best-comebacks-retirement-150209468.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "11. Jason Witten, TE - After a stellar 15-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, Witten retired in 2017. However, he returned to the league in 2019, starting all 16 games for the Raiders and finishing with 13 catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns.\n\n10. Philip Rivers, QB - Rivers made a surprising return to the NFL in 2020 at the age of 44, after being named a semifinalist for the 2026 Hall of Fame Class. He played three games for the Colts, completing 544 yards and four touchdowns, but ultimately the team missed the playoffs.\n\n9. Steve DeBerg, QB - DeBerg had a distinguished 18-year career before announcing his retirement in 1993. He was called back into action by Dan Reeves, who was now the coach of the Atlanta Falcons. DeBerg started one game that year and played in eight others, completing 30-of-59 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns.\n\n8. Reggie White, DT - White retired from the NFL following the 1998 season, after leading the league in sacks for five consecutive years. He returned to the league in 1999 to play for the Carolina Panthers, starting all 16 games and recording 5.5 sacks.\n\n7. Eric Weddle, S - Weddle spent nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers before joining the Baltimore Ravens in 2016. He retired after the 2019 season, but was persuaded to return by the Los Angeles Rams, who needed a safety for their playoff run. Weddle played in all four playoff games, including recording five tackles in Super Bowl LVI.\n\n6. Marshawn Lynch, RB - Lynch initially retired after the 2016 season, serving as an advisor to players at his alma mater, California. He returned to the league in 2017, signing with the Seattle Seahawks and playing for them until his retirement in 2018.",
  "summary": "Aaron Donald isn’t the first NFL player to come back from retirement. These are the best ones.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "John Lynch shares how the San Francisco 49ers actually feel about Aaron Donald’s return",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/john-lynch-shares-how-the-san-francisco-49ers-actually-feel-about",
        "published": "2026-09-01T10:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "SB Nation",
        "title": "NFL’s 11 best comebacks from retirement, ranked ahead of Aaron Donald’s Rams return",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/nfls-11-best-comebacks-from-retirement-ranked-ahead-of-aaron-donalds-4880124",
        "published": "2026-09-01T15:02:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}