Did we miss the chance to truly appreciate the unique Darren Sproles?

Every NFL fan knows Darren Sproles. His lightning-quick moves in the open field. His ridiculous talents as a return man. His ahead-of-his-time skill set as a receiver, which made him a favorite of both Philip Rivers and Drew Brees.

The veteran running back was an almost revolutionary player who helped pave the way for the likes of Tyreek Hill to take the league by storm.

Unfortunately, the 34-year-old's career seems to be in jeopardy after he somehow tore his ACL and broke his arm on the same play in Week 3, potentially robbing him of the opportunity to end his NFL career in the way he deserves.

And if this is the end, the scatback deserves his due.

Yes, every NFL fan knows Darren Sproles. But despite the plaudits he's received, he arguably remains criminally underrated.

It's becoming more and more common to see running backs whose skills as a runner are matched by their talents as a receiver. Christian McCaffrey is a prime example, and he was taken with the eighth overall pick in this year's draft - which almost certainly wouldn't have happened 10 years ago.

As the NFL moves further and further toward spread, up-tempo offenses, players are no longer required to meet certain positional criteria - every combination of shape, size, and speed has a place. The NFL is better for it, and part of the credit goes to Sproles.

Listed at a generous 5-foot-6 and 190 pounds, Sproles could have easily just become another undersized guy lost in the shuffle of the NFL when he entered the league in 2005 with the then-San Diego Chargers.

However, after an uneventful first two seasons, Sproles quickly became one of the most feared players in the league.

First with the Chargers, where he made the NFL swoon with his penchant for spectacular, weaving touchdowns. (His longest receptions from 2008-10: a 66-yard touchdown in 2008, an 81-yard touchdown in 2009, and a 57-yard touchdown in 2010. Pure insanity.)

And then with the Saints, the perfect landing spot for such a versatile player.

Alongside Brees and tight end Jimmy Graham, and with head coach Sean Payton at the height of his play-calling genius, the Sproles-era Saints were basically unstoppable on offense.

In 2011, Sproles' best statistical season with the Saints, he put up more than 2,200 all-purpose yards (a feat he's achieved four times in his career, more than any other player in NFL history).

He averaged an astonishing 6.9 yards per attempt on 87 carries and caught 86 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns, all while being one of the league's most dynamic returners.

The Saints traded Sproles to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014, likely assuming the then-31-year-old was on the verge of a steep decline - a fair assessment considering his size and reliance on agility, never mind the history of 30-plus running backs.

But, like he has throughout his NFL career, Sproles defied the odds. (The Saints, meanwhile, haven't made the playoffs since trading him.)

Rather than fade into obscurity, Sproles continued to be, well, Darren freaking Sproles. He put up career highs in total punt-return yardage and average per return in 2014 while continuing to be a home-run threat out of the backfield.

Oh, and he scored four - that's four - punt-return touchdowns from 2014-15.

Never.

Punt.

To.

Sproles!

Despite all his magic, a gold jacket likely isn't awaiting Sproles upon his retirement. He hinted he would hang 'em up after this season - though it remains to be seen if this injury motivates him to end his career on a high note in 2018 instead.

But his impact on the game is undeniable. Every time McCaffrey lines up as a receiver and takes a short pass to the house, we should thank Sproles. Every time Hill goes from the backfield, to the slot, to out wide, to returning kicks, we should thank Sproles.

Sproles was ahead of his time, providing a vital bridge from the likes of Adrian Peterson to today's multi-dimensional, elite backs such as Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson.

Every NFL fan knows Darren Sproles. We should be more grateful we did.