Who Are The Greatest NFL Players of All Time?

Who are the greatest NFL players of all time, and how do they stack up compared to some of NFL’s MVPS?

We take a look at the 10 greatest football players of all time, and what makes them football legends in their own rights.

When tasked with the responsibility to name the NFL’s Most Valuable Player at the end of every season, a panel of 50 sportswriters has to first define the word valuable and place it into context. For example, sports betting odds on Tom Brady to win MVP this season are 4-to-1. Does he possess so much value that the Buccaneers wouldn’t be a Super Bowl favorite without him? Probably.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Cleveland Browns’ running back Jim Brown was a four-time MVP Award winner. Without him does the franchise win an NFL Championship in 1964? Doubtful. So, when determining the most valuable, it should probably relate to the quality of the team without or without the player, right? Thus, Baker Mayfield, the 30^th of 31 Browns starting quarterbacks over the past 22 seasons, should earn high valuable marks, but he’s far from one of the greatest NFL players of all time.

So, when determining who the greatest NFL players are, it’s somewhat easier than defining most valuable because elite NFL players thrive no matter where they play.

These lists are always subject to debate, but here’s our attempt to carve out a 10-player NFL Mount Rushmore.

Greatest NFL Players of All-Time

1) Tom Brady

Is Tom Brady the greatest football player ever? For years, he’s been deemed a system quarterback up in New England. He then proceeded to relocate to Tampa Bay and win his seventh Super Bowl ring. The 3-time NFL MVP and 5x Super Bowl MVP is the league’s all-time leader in wins, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and pass attempts. Not bad for a sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan.

2) Jerry Rice

To this day Mississippi Valley State continues to work towards becoming the next college football factory. Until that day comes, MVS will continue to hang its hat on the fact that the program produced the greatest NFL wide receiver ever. Drafted in 1985, Jerry Rice would go on to win NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, NFL MVP, and Super Bowl MVP. After 21 professional seasons, Rice remains the NFL record holder with:

• 208 total touchdowns
• 1,549 career receptions
• 22,895 career receiving yards
• 197 career receiving touchdowns
• 23,546 career all-purpose yards

3) Jim Brown

Prior to a successful acting career, James Nathaniel Brown was five-sport high school athlete prior to becoming a four-sport star at Syracuse. In addition to earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1954, he won MVP in 1957, 1958, and 1965. While Brown only played eight NFL seasons, you have to remember the toll he placed on his body participating in basketball, lacrosse, and track, too. He finished with 12,312 rushing yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

4) Barry Sanders

Because Sanders retired early at the age of 30 due to some frustration with the Lions organization, he’s not often believed to be a top 10 NFL great. However, if you simply go back and watch his highlight reel, it’s evident he belongs in the discussion.

He led the league in rushing four times, won two NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards, and MVP in 1997 when he rushed for more than 2,000 yards. Had Sanders kept playing a few more years, he would have easily surpassed then-all-time rushing leader, Walter Payton.

5) Walter Payton

Speak of the devil, which isn’t a fair distinction because after his 13-year Hall of Fame NFL career, Payton was well-known for his humanitarian work with children. Today, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award honors NFL players’ volunteer and charity work. On the field, “Sweetness” was a Super Bowl Champion, league MVP, and Offensive Player of the Year – all with one team – the Chicago Bears. His number 34 is retired by the franchise.

6) Reggie White

Deemed the “Minister of Defense,” Reggie White racked up double-digit sacks in 13 of his 15 NFL seasons. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year won Super Bowl 31 and made 13 Pro Bowls. His 198 career sacks rank second only to Bruce Smith’s 200. However, he played his first two professional seasons for the USFL Memphis Showboats where he compiled 23.5 more quarterback takedowns.

7) Joe Montana

The captain of the San Francisco 49ers dynasty, Montana is a four-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Super Bowl MVP, won NFL MVP honors back-to-back season in 1989 and 1990, and participated in one of the greatest plays in NFL history when he found Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone.

via GIPHY

8) Lawrence Taylor

The Giants linebacker, well-known for ending Joe Theismann’s career unintentionally, remains one of the most feared football players of all time. Taylor, affectionately known as L.T. finished his career as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Super Bowl champion, and won the NFL’s MVP Award in 1986 all as a member of the New York Giants.

9) Ronnie Lott

Best known for electing to have part of his pinky finger amputated rather than have surgery, Lott was a critical cornerback cog of the 49ers Super Bowl dynasty. He won four championships, was named to 10 Pro Bowls and led the league in interceptions twice. His 63 career picks still rank inside the top 10 all-time.

10) Peyton Manning

Prior to becoming a spokesman for every brand under the sun and ESPN color commentator on Monday Night Football, Peyton Manning played some football. The two-time Super Bowl champion earned league Most Valuable Player award honors back-to-back, twice, and five times in all, managed to win Comeback Player of the Year in 2012 and holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single season (55), most passing yards in a single-season (5,477), and most touchdown passes in a single game (7).

Is Brett Favre the Greatest Player in Green Bay Packers History?

Despite the fact that fellow Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr won five NFL championships in six attempts, the overwhelming sentiment surrounding Favre is that he’s the best Packers player ever. He won three Most Valuable Player awards, seven division titles and as 14-point favorites on NFL betting slips, brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Cheeseland with a 35-21 Super Bowl 31 victory over the New England Patriots.

Who Were the Most Passionate Players in NFL History?

The top two images that come to mind when I think about the most passionate players in NFL history are wide receiver Terrell Owens defending Tony Romo:

And Ray Lewis during pregame introductions:

Who is the Oldest Player in NFL history?

On August 3, 2021, Tom Brady turned 44 years old and joined an esteemed fraternity of the top 10 oldest players in NFL history. If he’s eager to capture the crown of the oldest player ever to lace ’em up on game day, he’ll need to play at least four more seasons. George Blanda played 26 seasons and at the ripe old age of 48 connected on an extra point and 41-yard-field goal in his last NFL game as a member of the Oakland Raiders.

Who is the Best Player in the NFL Today?

Up until his recent swoon, all eyes were on Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes as the best player in the game today and leader of a new pro football era. Granted, he’s arguably the best as Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Kyler Murray, and when healthy, Christian McCaffrey, are rightfully in the discussion.

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