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

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