ClutchPoints
The undisputed greatest NFL player of all time (Tom Brady) has been retired for a few years now. A new NFL legend has emerged, though, as Patrick Mahomes has certainly established himself as one of the best players ever despite a poor performance in Super Bowl 59. So, that means it is time to update our list of the top 50 greatest NFL players ever.
Position: WR
Years active: 1996-2010
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals
Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2018); 5x First-Team All-Pro; 6x Pro Bowl
Despite the heavy controversy surrounding his career, Terrell Owens was the greatest wide receiver of his day outside of Randy Moss. He was unfortunately stuck on some heartbreakingly good teams: his Niners were on the verge of glory before they ran into a historical anomaly in the early 2000s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and later was a part of the Eagles team that fell victim to Tom Brady. Despite that, his NFL stats and influence are both undeniable.
Position: QB
Years active: 1985-1999
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers
Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2005); 3x Super Bowl Champion; 1x Super Bowl MVP; 2x MVP; 1x OPoY; 3x First-Team All-Pro; 3x Second-Team All-Pro; 7x Pro Bowl; 2x NFC OPoY; 2x Bert Bell Award
The heir to Joe Montana’s throne in San Francisco, Steve Young was a proper successor to the heritage of the Niners. One of the first great mobile quarterbacks, Young was extremely efficient, and he has the fourth-most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 43.
Position: T
Years active: 1956-1971
Teams: Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys
Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1977); 3x Super Bowl Champion; 5x NFL Champion; 7x First-Team All-Pro 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 9x Pro Bowl
The unheralded offensive anchor to the legendary Vince Lombardi’s legendary Packers teams, Forrest Gregg was the wall and heart of eight total NFL championships, including their first two. He later joined Roger Staubach and the Cowboys to nab his third Super Bowl towards the end of his career.
Position: RB
Years active: 1969-1979
Teams: Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers
Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1985); 1x MVP; 1x OPoY; 5x First-Team All-Pro; 5x Pro-Bowl; 1x AP Athlete of the Year; 1x Bert Bell Award; 1x AFL All-Star
We all know why OJ Simpson is ranked this low. You’ll find less successful running backs with shorter careers higher than him on this list, and if not for his sordid history off the field, he might have just been up there with them.
Position: C/LB
Years active: 1949-1962
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles
Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1967); 2x NFL Champion; 10x First-Team All-Pro; 8x Pro Bowl
Concrete Charlie, as he was named, is distinctive as the last and greatest of the NFL’s “60-minute men.” What does that mean? He played full-time minutes on both offense and defense...
