From Superman: Man of Tomorrow to the last pick in the NFL Draft, David Corenswet is taking on a very different kind of hero.
Paramount Pictures has released the official trailer and poster for Mr. Irrelevant, the inspiring true story of John Tuggle, the New York Giants running back who was selected with the final pick of the 1983 NFL Draft.
Corenswet stars as Tuggle alongside Isabel May and Michael Shannon, who portrays legendary Giants head coach Bill Parcells. Directed by Jonathan Levine and written by Nick Santora, Mr. Irrelevant opens exclusively in theaters on December 25, 2026.
Mr. Irrelevant Trailer Introduces David Corenswet as John Tuggle
The trailer introduces Tuggle as the ultimate football underdog: the last player selected in the last round of the 1983 NFL Draft.
That distinction earned him the traditional “Mr. Irrelevant” label, but Tuggle refuses to let his draft position determine what happens next. He arrives at the New York Giants determined to prove that being picked last doesn’t mean he belongs there any less than anyone else.
His opportunity comes as Bill Parcells, played by Michael Shannon, begins his first season as the Giants’ head coach. The two men enter that season with something to prove, turning Tuggle’s unlikely NFL opportunity into more than a conventional story about making a football team.
Isabel May also stars as Tuggle’s newfound love, while David Krumholtz, Tuwaine Barrett, Thaddeus LaGrone, Alexander England, Spencer House and Tandi Wright round out the cast.
Who Was John Tuggle?
John Tuggle was a running back selected by the New York Giants with the 335th and final pick of the 1983 NFL Draft, earning him the title “Mr. Irrelevant.” Despite entering the league as its final draft selection, Tuggle made the Giants roster and contributed as a running back and special teams player under first-year head coach Bill Parcells. His NFL career was ultimately cut tragically short by cancer, but his perseverance turned Tuggle’s story into something much bigger than where his name appeared on draft day.
Although Tuggle played only one season with the Giants, he was named the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year. After he died from cancer at age 25 in August 1986, the Giants wore his No. 38 on their helmets throughout the season that ended with the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.
Michael Shannon Plays Bill Parcells in Mr. Irrelevant
Michael Shannon takes on another major figure in Tuggle’s story as Bill Parcells, who was beginning his first season as head coach of the New York Giants when Tuggle arrived in 1983.
That pairing gives Mr. Irrelevant two underdog stories operating at the same time. Tuggle is fighting simply to prove he belongs in the NFL, while Parcells is trying to establish himself as a head coach.
Parcells would eventually become one of the NFL’s most celebrated coaches, winning two Super Bowls with the Giants. Mr. Irrelevant, however, catches him near the beginning of that journey.
Mr. Irrelevant Poster
Paramount also released the official poster for Mr. Irrelevant alongside the new trailer.
Who Stars in Mr. Irrelevant?
David Corenswet leads Mr. Irrelevant as John Tuggle, with Isabel May starring as the woman who enters his life during his unlikely NFL journey and Michael Shannon portraying New York Giants coach Bill Parcells.
The cast also includes David Krumholtz, Tuwaine Barrett, Thaddeus LaGrone, Alexander England, Spencer House and Tandi Wright.
Jonathan Levine directs from a screenplay by Nick Santora. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Levine, Gillian Bohrer and Santora serve as producers.
The film is a Skydance Sports production alongside Megamix and Blackjack Films, with Paramount Pictures distributing.
When Does Mr. Irrelevant Come Out?
Mr. Irrelevant opens exclusively in theaters on Friday, December 25, 2026.
The Christmas Day release gives audiences a true-story sports drama built around one of football’s great underdog stories: a player defined by being selected last who refused to let that distinction define what he could accomplish.
Thomas Miller is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Seat42F, covering television, movies and streaming entertainment. He launched Seat42F in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades covering the entertainment industry.
