Rankings
50 Greatest NFL Players
The greatest players in American Football history.
Advertisement
| # | Athlete | Sport | Why They Rank Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Brady American · b.1977 |
American Football | The greatest quarterback in NFL history — seven Super Bowl championships with tw… |
| 2 | Jerry Rice American · b.1962 |
American Football | Widely considered the greatest wide receiver in NFL history — all-time leader in… |
| 3 | Lawrence Taylor American · b.1959 |
American Football | The most dominant defensive player in NFL history — changed how the linebacker p… |
| 4 | Joe Montana American · b.1956 |
American Football | Four-time Super Bowl champion who never threw an interception in Super Bowl play… |
| 5 | Barry Sanders American · b.1968 |
American Football | The most elusive running back in NFL history — retired at his peak having accumu… |
| 6 | Patrick Mahomes American · b.1995 |
American Football | Kansas City Chiefs' generational quarterback — four-time Super Bowl champion in … |
| 7 | Emmitt Smith American · b.1969 |
American Football | NFL's all-time leading rusher — three Super Bowl championships with the Dallas C… |
| 8 | Peyton Manning American · b.1976 |
American Football | Five-time NFL MVP — the most cerebral quarterback in league history.… |
| 9 | Jim Brown American · b.1936 |
American Football | The greatest running back in NFL history — Jim Brown retired at the peak of his … |
| 10 | Dick Butkus American · b.1942 |
American Football | The most feared middle linebacker in NFL history — Dick Butkus set the standard … |
| 11 | Joe Namath American · b.1943 |
American Football | Broadway Joe — guaranteed the Jets' Super Bowl III victory before it happened, t… |
| 12 | Johnny Unitas American · b.1933 |
American Football | The original quarterback — Johnny Unitas set the template for the position with … |
| 13 | Walter Payton American · b.1954 |
American Football | Sweetness — one of the most complete players in NFL history, whose 16,726 rushin… |
| 14 | Reggie White American · b.1961 |
American Football | The Minister of Defense — the greatest pass rusher in NFL history, whose 198 car… |
| 15 | Dan Marino American · b.1961 |
American Football | The greatest pure passer in NFL history — Dan Marino's quick release and extraor… |
| 16 | Randy Moss American · b.1977 |
American Football | The most gifted wide receiver ever to play — Randy Moss' combination of size, sp… |
| 17 | Brett Favre American · b.1969 |
American Football | The Iron Man of football — consecutive starts record holder, three-time NFL MVP … |
| 18 | Deion Sanders American · b.1967 |
American Football | Prime Time — the most electrifying defensive player in NFL history and the only … |
| 19 | Ronnie Lott American · b.1959 |
American Football | The hardest hitter in NFL history — Ronnie Lott famously chose to have his littl… |
| 20 | Anthony Muñoz American · b.1958 |
American Football | The greatest offensive lineman in NFL history — Anthony Muñoz's combination of s… |
| 21 | Ray Lewis American · b.1975 |
American Football | The greatest middle linebacker of the modern era — two-time NFL Defensive Player… |
| 22 | Bruce Smith American · b.1957 |
American Football | The all-time sack leader — Bruce Smith's 200 career sacks is the NFL record, ach… |
| 23 | Otto Graham American · b.1921 |
American Football | The most consistently winning quarterback in pro football history — Otto Graham … |
| 24 | Mean Joe Greene American · b.1946 |
American Football | The anchor of the Steel Curtain — Mean Joe Greene's dominance as a defensive tac… |
| 25 | Troy Aikman American · b.1966 |
American Football | The cool, precise leader of the Dallas Cowboys' dynasty — three Super Bowl wins … |
| 26 | Michael Irvin American · b.1966 |
American Football | The Playmaker — the heart of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty, whose tenacious route-r… |
| 27 | Franco Harris American · b.1950 |
American Football | The Immaculate Reception — the most famous play in NFL history, and four Super B… |
| 28 | Steve Young American · b.1961 |
American Football | The most accurate passer in NFL history — Steve Young's perfect 112.8 passer rat… |
| 29 | Mike Ditka American · b.1939 |
American Football | The greatest tight end of his era and the only man to win a Super Bowl as both a… |
| 30 | Alan Page American · b.1945 |
American Football | The first defensive player to win the NFL MVP award — Alan Page's extraordinary … |
| 31 | Marcus Allen American · b.1960 |
American Football | The most versatile runner in NFL history — Marcus Allen's Super Bowl XVIII MVP p… |
| 32 | John Elway American · b.1960 |
American Football | The Drive — John Elway led the most famous comeback in NFL Championship history … |
| 33 | Rod Woodson American · b.1965 |
American Football | The finest cornerback-turned-safety in NFL history — Rod Woodson recorded 71 car… |
| 34 | Chuck Noll American · b.1932 |
American Football | The only head coach to win four Super Bowls — Chuck Noll built the Pittsburgh St… |
| 35 | LaDainian Tomlinson American · b.1979 |
American Football | The most prolific single-season scorer in NFL history — LaDainian Tomlinson's 20… |
| 36 | Ed Reed American · b.1978 |
American Football | The greatest ball-hawking safety in NFL history — Ed Reed's 64 career intercepti… |
| 37 | Lawrence Taylor American · b.1959 |
American Football | The player who changed football — Lawrence Taylor's impact on the game was so pr… |