Sports 5
Who are the NFL’s greatest players? Obviously it is difficult to compare players of different eras and many great players were active when I wasn’t even alive yet. So this list will only comprise of players that were active within the last 40 years.
Quarterbacks
Tom Brady (2000 – 2022) – played a whopping 22 years!
7x Super Bowl Champion (36, 38, 39, 49, 51, 53, 55)
5x Super Bowl MVP (36, 38, 49, 51, 55)
3x NFL MVP (2007, 2010, 2017)
3x First Team All Pro (2007, 2010, 2017)
3x Second Team All Pro (2005, 2016, 2021)
15x Pro Bowl
Career Quarterback Wins (251)
Career Passing Completions (7753)
Career Passing Attempts (12050)
Career Passing Touchdowns (649)
Career Passing Yards (89214)
Peyton Manning (1998 – 2015)
2x Super Bowl Champion (41, 50)
1x Super Bowl MVP (41)
5x NFL MVP (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013)
7x First Team All Pro (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013)
3x Second Team All Pro (1999, 2000, 2006)
14x Pro Bowl
Joe Montana (1979 – 1994)
4x Super Bowl Champion (16, 19, 23, 24)
3x Super Bowl MVP (16, 19, 24)
2x NFL MVP (1989, 1990)
3x First Team All Pro (1987, 1989, 1990)
2x Second Team All Pro (1981, 1984)
8x Pro Bowl
Patrick Mahomes (2017 – present)
3x Super Bowl Champion (54, 57, 58)
3x Super Bowl MVP (54, 57, 58)
2x NFL MVP (2018, 2022)
2x First Team All Pro (2018, 2022)
1x Second Team All Pro (2020)
6x Pro Bowl
Aaron Rodgers (2005 – present)
1x Super Bowl Champion (45)
1x Super Bowl MVP (45)
4x NFL MVP (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021)
4x First Team All Pro (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021)
1x Second Team All Pro (2012)
10x Pro Bowl
Career Passer Rating (102.6)
Career TD-INT ratio (4.3/1)
Steve Young (1984 – 1999)
3x Super Bowl Champion (23, 24, 29)
1x Super Bowl MVP (29)
2x NFL MVP (1992, 1994)
3x First Team All Pro (1992, 1993, 1994)
3x Second Team All Pro (1995, 1997, 1998)
7x Pro Bowl
John Elway (1983 – 1998)
2x Super Bowl Champion (32, 33) – what a way to end your career “back-to-back Super Bowl
victories!”
1x Super Bowl MVP (33)
1x NFL MVP (1987)
3x Second Team All Pro (1987, 1993, 1996)
9x Pro Bowl
Brett Favre (1991 – 2010)
1x Super Bowl Champion (31)
3x NFL MVP (1995, 1996, 1997)
3x First Team All Pro (1995, 1996, 1997)
3x Second Team All Pro (2001, 2002, 2007)
11x Pro Bowl
Most Career Consecutive Starts (321)
Most Career Interceptions (336)
Dan Marino (1983 – 1999) - best player to never win the Super Bowl?
1x NFL MVP (1984)
3x First Team All Pro (1984, 1985, 1986)
3x Second Team All Pro (1983, 1994, 1995)
9x Pro Bowl
Eli Manning (2004 – 2019) – “Bradyslayer”
2x Super Bowl Champion (42, 46) – defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots both times (including
the “perfect season”)
2x Super Bowl MVP (42, 46)
4x Pro Bowl
Troy Aikman (1989 – 2000) – almost 4 peated!
3x Super Bowl Champion (27, 28, 30)
1x Super Bowl MVP (27)
6x Pro Bowl
Drew Brees (2001 – 2020)
1x Super Bowl Champion (44)
1x Super Bowl MVP (44)
1x First Team All Pro (2006)
4x Second Team All Pro (2008, 2009, 2011, 2018)
13x Pro Bowl
Most Consecutive Games with a Touchdown Pass (54)
Jim Kelly (1984 – 1996) – went to 4 straight Super Bowls!
1x USFL MVP (1984)
2x First team All USFL (1984, 1985)
1x First Team All Pro (1991)
1x Second Team All Pro (1992)
5x Pro Bowl
Lamar Jackson (2018 – present)
2x NFL MVP (2019, 2023)
3x First team All Pro (2019, 2023, 2024)
4x Pro Bowl
Most Career Rushing Yards by a Quarterback (6173+)
Kurt Warner (1998 – 2009) *practice squad member in 1994 for Green Bay and played in Arena football
1995 – 1997. Considered the NFL’s greatest undrafted player (Cinderella story).
1x Super Bowl Champion (34)
1x Super Bowl MVP (34)
2x NFL MVP (1999, 2001)
2x First team All Pro (1999, 2001)
4x Pro Bowl
Running Backs
Emmitt Smith (1990-2004)
3x Super Bowl Champions (27, 28, 30)
1x Super Bowl MVP (28)
1x NFL MVP (1993)
4x First team All Pro (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
8x Pro Bowl
Most Career Rushing Yards (18355)
Most Career Rushing Touchdowns (164)
Most Career Rushing Attempts (4409)
Barry Sanders (1989-1998) – best player to never play in a Super Bowl?
1x NFL MVP (1997)
6x First team All Pro (1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997)
4x Second team All Pro (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998)
10x Pro Bowl
Marcus Allen (1982-1997)
1x Super Bowl Champion (18)
1x Super Bowl MVP (18)
1x NFL MVP (1985)
2x First team All Pro (1982, 1985)
1x Second team All Pro (1984)
6x Pro Bowl
Marshall Faulk (1994-2005)
1x Super Bowl Champion (34)
1x NFL MVP (2000)
3x First team All Pro (1999, 2000, 2001)
3x Second team All Pro (1994, 1995, 1998)
7x Pro Bowl
Adrian Peterson (2007-2021)
1x NFL MVP (2012)
4x First team All Pro (2008, 2009, 2012, 2015)
3x Second team All Pro (2007, 2010, 2013)
7x Pro Bowl
Thurman Thomas (1988-2000)
1x NFL MVP (1991)
2x First team All Pro (1990, 1991)
3x Second team All Pro (1989, 1992, 1993)
5x Pro Bowl
LaDainian Tomlinson (2001-2011)
1x NFL MVP (2006)
3x First team All Pro (2004, 2006, 2007)
3x Second team All Pro (2002, 2003, 2005)
5x Pro Bowl
Wide Receiver (none have ever won the NFL MVP)
Jerry Rice (1985-2004)
3x Super Bowl Champion (23, 24, 29)
1x Super Bowl MVP (23)
10x First team All Pro! (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)
1x Second team All Pro (2002)
13x Pro Bowl!
Career Receptions (1549)
Career Receiving Yards (22895 + 2245 in the playoffs)
Games with 100+ Receiving Yards (76)
Career Receiving Touchdowns (197 + 22 in the playoffs)
Career Total Touchdowns (208 + 22 in the playoffs)
Career All-Purpose Yards (23546 + 2289 in the playoffs)
Career Super Bowl Receptions (33)
Work in Progress…
Larry Fitzgerald
Marvin Harrison
Randy Moss
Devin Hester
Cris Carter
Michael Irvin
Calvin Johnson
Terrell Owens
Tight End
Antonio Gates
Tony Gonzalez
Rob Gronkowski
Shannon Sharpe
Jason Witten
Travis Kelce
Linebackers
Derrick Brooks
Ray Lewis
Junior Seau
Lawrence Taylor
Brian Urlacher
Von Miller
Defensive End
Bruce Smith
Reggie White
Julius Peppers
Michael Strahan
J.J. Watt
DeMarcus Ware
Defensive Tackle
John Randle
Warren Sapp
Cornerback
Deion Sanders
Darrell Green
Rod Woodson
Champ Bailey
Patrick Peterson
Darrelle Revis
Aeneas Williams
Charles Woodson