Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to a player selected with the final pick in anNFL draft. Players chosen with this pick are often released from the team that drafted them before the regular season begins. Some exceptions includeJacque MacKinnon,Ryan Succop,Marty Moore, andBrock Purdy.
"Mr. Irrelevant" and "Irrelevant Week" began in 1976 when formerUSC and pro football receiverPaul Salata founded the event inNewport Beach, California. Salata had a short and "irrelevant" career in professional football, playing the1949 AAFC season as a member of theSan Francisco 49ers and in the1950 NFL season for the firstBaltimore Colts, and sought to bring attention to other unlauded players for whom a professional career was likely to be fleeting.[1]
Originally organized by Salata and fellow members of the Balboa Bay Club,[1] after each draft the new Mr. Irrelevant — last player selected in the annualNFL draft — and his family are invited to spend a week during the summer in Newport Beach. A trip toDisneyland, a golf tournament featuring a main foursome consisting of the highest-handicapped golfers from each of four neighboring courses,[1] aNo Start/No Finish regatta,[1] aroast giving advice to the new draftee, and a ceremony awarding him theLowsman Trophy are traditional activities associated with "Irrelevant Week". The trophy mimics theHeisman Trophy but depicts a playerfumbling a football.[2]
"Irrelevant Week" gave so much publicity to "Mr. Irrelevant" that in1979 theLos Angeles Rams, with the penultimate pick, intentionally passed to let thePittsburgh Steelers, with the last pick, choose before them. The Steelers also wanted the publicity and passed as well. The two teams continued to refuse to choose a player untilNFL CommissionerPete Rozelle forced the teams to pick, with the Steelers winning the pick. The incident led to the "Salata Rule", which prohibits teams from passing to get the final pick.[3]
Prior to the establishment of Mr. Irrelevant in 1976, the first final pick to make the Pro Bowl wasBill Fischer, who was the last pick in the1948 NFL draft. He was drafted by theChicago Cardinals after his junior season atNotre Dame. He opted to stay in school, and won theOutland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman in 1948. The Cardinals drafted him again in1949, this time with their first-round pick.
Jimmy Walker was the final pick in the1967 NFL draft, despite never having played college football. His main sport, however, wasbasketball, in which he was a consensus All-American and the nation's leading scorer as a senior atProvidence College. Walker was the first pick in the1967 NBA draft, and opted for a career in theNBA.[4]
Since the NFL Draft was cut to its current seven-round format in 1994, players presented with this dubious honor have more often succeeded in making the team that drafted them, with some making significant contributions.
Tyrone McGriff was perhaps the most successful Mr. Irrelevant from the pre-1994 era. He was drafted by thePittsburgh Steelers with the last pick of the 12th round in 1980. He made the 1980NFL All-Rookie Team, and played two more seasons for the Steelers. In 1983, he moved on to theMichigan Panthers of the upstartUnited States Football League. He won a league championship ring that year, as well as a spot on the USFL All-Star Team.
John Tuggle started five games as a fullback his rookie year, and was named the 1983New York Giants Special Teams Player of the Year. However, during the 1984 training camp, he was diagnosed with cancer. He never played again, and died in 1986.
Mike Green played a significant role in theChicago Bears secondary in the 2000s, and played from 2000 to 2008.[7]
Jim Finn was on the roster as afullback for theNew York Giants on their victory inSuper Bowl XLII. Prior to the 2007 season, Finn was placed on injured reserve and never played a game for the Giants on their road to the Super Bowl that year, having been replaced byMadison Hedgecock. He had been the Giants fullback for four seasons.[8]
Ryan Succop, the2009 designee, became the startingkicker for theKansas City Chiefs. He went on to tie the NFL record for highest field goal percentage by a rookie in a season with 86.2 percent, and also passed NFL Hall of FamerJan Stenerud for most field goals made by a rookie in Chiefs history. Succop was awarded theMack Lee Hill Award that year.[9] He has been a starting kicker since his rookie season. Succop moved on to theTennessee Titans for the 2014 season and was signed to a contract extension in early 2018 before being released in March 2020 and signing with theTampa Bay Buccaneers in early September. He proceeded to winSuper Bowl LV with the team, becoming the second Mr. Irrelevant to win an NFL championship, and first to play and win a Super Bowl as a starter and an active player.
Chad Kelly, the2017 designee and formerOle Miss quarterback, is the nephew of formerBuffalo Bills quarterback andHall of FamerJim Kelly. Drafted last largely because injury and discipline questions had lowered his previously high draft stock, Kelly progressed to become theDenver Broncos' second-string quarterback by the 2018 preseason before being released on October 24, 2018.[10] He later signed with the Indianapolis Colts.[11] After moving to theCanadian Football League, Kelly won the109th Grey Cup in relief ofToronto Argonauts starting quarterbackMcLeod Bethel-Thompson.[12] The following season Kelly led the team to a 16–2 record before they lost in the playoffs to the eventual champions in Montreal. He was later awarded the CFL most outstanding player for that season.[13]
Brock Purdy, the2022 designee, was propelled into the startingquarterback role for theSan Francisco 49ers after injuries to the first- and second-string quarterbacks,Trey Lance andJimmy Garoppolo. In his rookie season, Purdy became the only rookie quarterback to beatTom Brady in a starting debut. Purdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant to complete a forward pass, a touchdown pass, and a rushing touchdown in the regular season.[14][15][16] He won all five games he started as San Francisco completed a 10-game winning streak to close out the season, after which he became the first Mr. Irrelevant quarterback to start and win in a playoff game. Purdy was ultimately named a finalist forOffensive Rookie of the Year, finishing third place in voting. Purdy remained the starting quarterback in2023, leading the 49ers to a 5–0 start, a repeat division title, and an appearance inSuper Bowl LVIII, where he became the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl, while setting a new single season franchise record for passing yards.[17][18][19][20] That season, he finished fourth place in MVP voting[21] and was named to his firstPro Bowl, becoming the first 49ers quarterback in two decades to earn the honor.[22] Purdy has been nicknamed "Mr. Relevant" for his immediate impact and rise to prominence.[23] In 2025, San Francisco signed Purdy to a $265M extension.[24]
^Fischer was originally drafted last in the 1948 Draft by the Chicago Cardinals, although he elected to remain at college. He was then drafted by the same team in the first round of the 1949 Draft.
^Although some contemporary sources listDon Nottingham, who had a seven-year career in the NFL, as the last pick of this draft, the Oakland Raiders passed when their time came to pick in the last round and wound up choosing last.
^Pick traded from the Washington Redskins to the New York Giants prior to selection.
^Pick traded from the New York Giants to the Green Bay Packers prior to selection.
^Pick traded from the Washington Redskins to the Los Angeles Rams prior to selection.
^Pick traded from the San Francisco 49ers through the Los Angeles Raiders to the Minnesota Vikings prior to selection.
^Pick traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Los Angeles Raiders prior to selection.
^Pick traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to selection.
^Pick traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the New England Patriots prior to selection.
^Supplemental pick awarded to the reactivated Cleveland Browns, traded from the Browns to the Chicago Bears prior to selection.
^Supplemental pick awarded to the reactivated Cleveland Browns, traded from the Browns to the Chicago Bears prior to selection.
^Supplemental pick awarded to the expansion Houston Texans, traded from the Texans to the Oakland Raiders prior to selection.
^Pick traded from the Denver Broncos to the Tennessee Titans prior to selection. This was a non-compensatory pick.
^Compensatory pick traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Washington Redskins prior to selection; from 2017 onwards, compensatory picks may be traded.
^Supplemental compensatory pick traded from the Houston Texans to the Los Angeles Rams prior to selection.
^Compensatory pick traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the New England Patriots prior to selection; from 2017 onwards, compensatory picks may be traded.
^abcd"Salata's Short Career: Irrelevance is Relative,"Petersen's 19th Annual: Pro Football 1979. Los Angeles: Petersen Publishing Co., 1979, pp. 30–31.
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