David Corenswet as "Mr. Irrelevant": Why This Film Is Shaking Up the Oscar Race

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents David Corenswet as "Mr. Irrelevant": Why This Film Is Shaking Up the Oscar Race.

Picture this: you're 335th in the NFL Draft. Nobody's counting anymore. You're "Mr. Irrelevant" – and yet someone writes a film about you. That's exactly the story of John Tuggle, and it's exactly the one now putting David Corenswet in the Oscar race.

The last pick of every NFL Draft has carried that nickname for decades – usually with a wink and not much pathos. With Tuggle, the setup is different: he was a running back from California, drafted by the New York Giants in 1983 at pick 335. A story screaming for Hollywood. And Hollywood has answered: Paramount is reportedly planning with "Mr. Irrelevant" to mount a bid for the next Oscar season.

Football teams are always looking for an edge. This Oscar season, Paramount may have found one in David Corenswet.

Who Was John Tuggle?

John Tuggle was a running back from California, drafted by the New York Giants in the 1983 NFL Draft at pick 335 – the last pick. The nickname "Mr. Irrelevant" has clung to the final pick of every draft for decades. The fact that this particular material is being adapted now is deliberate: according to Variety, Paramount is hunting for the next "Blind Side" moment – a feel-good sports drama the Academy loves and that simultaneously pulls a broad audience into theaters.

David Corenswet Beyond Superman

Anyone who last saw David Corenswet in the role of Superman might be surprised. With "Mr. Irrelevant," he ventures into a deliberate counterpoint: no gods, no alien invaders – just a true sports story about an underdog. For Paramount, that's a calculated risk. The goal is to establish Corenswet as a character actor, not a one-note action hero. The screening with NFL veterans in New York – reportedly including figures close to Tuggle – is meant to help build credibility in the football world before the film enters the Oscar race.

Why the Comparison to "The Blind Side" Is No Accident

"The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock brought not just a box-office hit in 2009, but also an Oscar for Best Actress. The trick back then: a true story, an outsider, and a leading actor who disappears to give the character room. That's exactly the pattern Paramount appears to be repeating with "Mr. Irrelevant." Whether it pays off depends on two factors: Tuggle has to mean something to audiences – including those who don't watch football – and Corenswet has to prove he can deliver without a cape.

What This Means for You

If you've only ever seen Corenswet on screen as Superman, "Mr. Irrelevant" offers a chance to rediscover him. The film is also an entry point into a story that nearly vanished in the '80s NFL – and now, decades later, is finding its way onto the big screen. Whether it turns into an Oscar will be up to the Academy. That Paramount is gunning for one, after the New York screening, is no longer much of a secret.