Also-ran

Tom's just an also-ran.

It also turned Palmer from an also-ran into a challenger.

I have 37 actors and actresses I would supply for television and radio work and then I have maybe 150 to 200 also-rans who get extra work and television commercials.

[…]some of Mr. Scorsese's accomplishments have been so stunning—that it's impossible to view "The Last Waltz" as anything but an also-ran.

And, of course, it is also far easier, quicker, and less embarrassing to dismiss an also-ran over the phone than it is in person […]

[…]as the drug came out of the R&D laboratory, it could have been just another also-ran […]

The transition from comer to also-ran can be quick […]