NFL’s Best of the Best
That time of the year when football players throw caution to the wind and pump up their ego is upon us. Yes, players love to tell everyone how good they are and, yes, their heads apparently can get a little bigger. But as 2020 rolls further into a year to forget, the distraction of this season’s top NFL player rankings is a welcome one.
And with this year’s season literally hanging in the balance, we decided to throw our own 2 cents worth into the mix, because we too, need the distraction. But when it does kick off, maybe Tom Brady’s season will see him crack the list? Maybe our beloved Falcons will finally have their year? Maybe the Patriots can break the curse and go two from two? Maybe we should put our money where our mouth is with some top betting sites like https://mrcasinova.com/betting/to sweeten those odds? Anyways, love it or leave it, here’s our list.
Jerry Rice
20 years in the pros, three Super Bowl rings, twice voted Offensive Player of the Year, and more points in NFL history for a non-kicker. Yes, it’s the safe choice for number one but that’s for a reason. Stats don’t lie! And this man leads the stats in just about every category on offer. Now, with 20 years of pro ball under his belt, he should have great numbers, but that also shows his ethic and commitment to his job. Widely talked about has been his dedication to fitness and conditioning. For us, G.O.A.T should be streaks ahead of the runner up, and with Rice, that’s exactly what you get. Jerry Rice, we salute you!
Jim Brown
You can say that it’s just about impossible to compare players from different eras, and we agree. That’s precisely what makes throwing Jim Brown into number two so hard. Hand on heart, the greatest running back of all time. Invited into the Pro Bowl each of his 9 years in the league, he still holds the record as the only player to average over 100 rushing yards per game. He was 104.3 with a staggering 5.2 yards per rush. What makes it hard is that the ’50s and ’60s were just such hard times to be a player when compared to today. Does that mean he snuck up the ladder due to pity? Maybe just a touch.
Johnny Unitas
Keen to keep a quarterback out of this list all together proved too hard the more you look into Johnny U. His numbers don’t quite compare to the Bradys of the world but they weren’t kicking around in the ’50s. For us, the reason football became so popular was down to characters like him, not to mention the four titles, three MVP’s and 10 Pro Bowl invitations. You can argue all you want that there were better quarterbacks around and we’d agree, but none like Unitas.
Joe Greene
Defensive tacklers come and go but Mean Greene was by the far the most feared of all lineman in the history of the NFL. He didn’t make our list based on solo performance though. He’s up here because he was a pivotal part of the Steelers ‘ turn around from making up the numbers to leading the charge. His four Super Bowl titles in six years solidified the Pittsburgh dynasty. A reputation as the tough guy, he was also well known to be a great leader to his peers. NFL’s Man of the Year in 1979, the last surviving member of the Steel Curtain and all-round nice guy.
Deion Sanders
To wrap up our top 5 with Sanders has sure to sparked debate/hate. To that we say it’s our list, make your own if you don’t agree. Sanders is highly underrated and although not the toughest guy around, he is some athlete. He’s here because he’s the greatest all-round player the NFL has ever seen. The total package when looking into every aspect. The two time Super Bowl winner goes down as the best pass defenders to play the game and although we don’t think too fondly of Primetime as a character, his 53 intercepts, 155 kickoff returns, 212 punt returns, 60 catches and four fumble recoveries are worthy of the list.
NBA Sets The Standard In Post-Covid Sports And Social Responsibility
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
