Long before Rice moved across the Bay Bridge, Hall of Fame players left their original teams because they weren't ready to retire or accept backup roles, or couldn't get the money they wanted. Fullback Jim Taylor, who embodied the toughness of Vince Lombardi's Packer dynasty, fled Green Bay for New Orleans after the 1966 season to earn the kind of money Lombardi was paying his young backs. And that was 27 years before free agency. Taylor had one poor season for the Saints and retired.
Happy endings are scarce in closing chapters of even the most storied careers.
John Unitas in San Diego, Joe Namath in Los Angeles, Franco Harris in Seattle and O.J. Simpson in San Francisco are among those who late in the day couldn't recapture the brilliance that put them in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. They are among 15 Hall of Fame players from the Super Bowl era who spent their glory years with one team but moved on for a final season or two. Ten of those players were quarterbacks, running backs or receivers. Their new teams apparently believed they still could make an impact. But only two, wide receiver Lance Alworth and tackle Forrest Gregg, went on to play for Super Bowl champions.