Football fans, rejoice! The NFL is back for another year, and we’re here to break down the greatest NFL players of all time to lace up a cleat. We could say that Peyton Manning is one of the best players of all time because he has been a great quarterback throughout his career, and he is still playing now.
For this compilation, we ranked our top 10 players of all time purely in their on-field abilities. We left off other influencers such as quarterbacks or coaches because we wanted to focus on what these men could do when they touched the field.
If you haven’t seen any of these feats before, then you’re in for a real treat. Don’t be surprised if your favorite player doesn’t rank so high on the list, as this is a very impartial opinion.
Ranking the top 10 NFL Players
Some all-time greatest NFL players are listed below. All the NFL players have played exceptionally well throughout their careers. Some might have been the highest-paid sportsman in the world at some point. It’s challenging to select the greatest NFL player from the list below. Good thing, we don’t really need to! Let’s take a look at our picks for the greatest NFL players of all time.
10) LaDainian Tomlinson – 1687 Rushing Yards, 17 Rushing Touchdowns
Ladainian Tomlinson is one of the best running backs at getting as many yards as possible. He was so good that he set the record for most yards gained in a season for the Chargers. Tomlinson got an astounding 17 rushing touchdowns. His best game was against the Raiders in 2006 when he ran for 135 yards and then went out into the passing game to get another 124 receiving yards for two total touchdowns. He is one of the best all-around backs ever to play the game and deserves his spot on this list.
9) Michael Strahan – 141 Sacks, 5 Spying Touchdowns
Michael Strahan was the best defensive end in his time. He led the league in sacks twice and was an All-Pro three times. His best year was in 2001 when he had 22.5 sacks. He has 141 career sacks and has also scored five defensive touchdowns. Strahan had a lot of solo tackles as well, with almost 300 over his career. He is one of the most dominant NFL players to ever play in the NFL and deserves this spot on the list.
8) John Elway – 3773 Passing Yards, 277 Passing Touchdowns
John Elway is one of the most prolific quarterbacks of his era. He led the Denver Broncos to two Super Bowls and won a pair of Conference Championships as well. He had a lot of passing touchdowns and also had a couple of rushing ones as well. His best season was in 1987 when he threw for 3,198 yards and 22 touchdowns. He retired with 39 touchdown passes to four interceptions over his career. Elway is one of the best quarterbacks that ever played and had some great numbers.
7) Bruce Smith – 200.5 Sacks, 16 Spying Touchdowns
Bruce Smith is the only NFL player to record 200 sacks in his career. He has 161 solo tackles and was an All-Pro four times. He also led the league twice in sacks and had 13 seasons with double-digit sacks over his career. His best season was in 1987 when he had 22.5 sacks. Smith was a crucial part of the Bills and is one of the best pass rushers ever to play.
6) Jerry Rice – 23 Rushing Touchdowns, 1,549 Receiving Yards
Jerry Rice is the best wide receiver in NFL history, no doubt about it. He has 674 career receptions and ranks second all-time, only behind Peyton Manning. He has 16,974 receiving yards and is often considered the most outstanding tight end ever. His best season was in 1987 when he scored 13 touchdowns. Rice is a six-time MVP and has made 14 Pro Bowls appearances. He led the league twice in touchdown receptions and ranks second in career touchdowns at 197. With all his stats combined, he’s probably the greatest football player ever to play the game. Check the NFL scores of the other players here.
5) Marvin Harrison – 1,102 Receiving Yards, 13 Receiving Touchdowns
Marvin Harrison was probably the best receiver in the NFL in his time. He was a six-time All-Pro and was voted to eleven Pro Bowls. He had a lot of receiving yards and scored a lot of touchdowns as well. His best season came in 2002 when he gained 1,524 receiving yards with 13 touchdowns. He retired with 142 catches and 12 touchdowns over his career. Harrison is a seven-time MVP and had some of the best numbers in the NFL.
4) Bill Romanowski – 404 Sacks, 6 Spying Touchdowns
Bill Romanowski was one of the most dominant defensive linemen of his time. He had three seasons where he led the league in sacks, and he also was an All-Pro twice. He retired with 156 sacks over his long career and had almost 25 solo tackles in his career. His best year was 1996 when he recorded 25 sacks. Romanowski is one of the best players that ever played in the NFL and should be in the Hall of Fame already.
3) Lawrence Taylor – 154.5 Sacks, 5 Spying Touchdowns
Lawrence Taylor is probably the most dominant defensive player to ever play in NFL history. He had a lot of sacks and also had some fantastic performances during his career. His best season was 1986 when he recorded 15 sacks and also scored two touchdowns on defense. Taylor was a five-time All-Pro and also was named to nine Pro Bowls. He had 154.5 career sacks which are the third-most in NFL history. Taylor is the best linebacker ever to play the game and should be in the Hall of Fame.
2) Brett Favre – 508 Passing Yards, 33 Passing Touchdowns
Brett Favre has been one of the most dominant quarterbacks ever to play the game. He led the league in passing yards twice and passing touchdowns once as well. He was an All-Pro five times and won a Super Bowl with the Packers. He has 508 career touchdowns and over 4,000 yards completing over 64% of his passes. Favre is a six-time MVP and should be in the Hall of Fame already.
1) Peyton Manning – 539 Passing Yards, 50 Passing Touchdowns
Peyton Manning has been one of the best quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL. He has four MVPs and six division titles. He has a lot of passing yards and touchdowns as well. His best seasons came in 2005 when he threw for 5,477 yards and 37 touchdowns. He is one of the most consistent quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL and played incredibly during his career.
Conclusion
These are the top 10 players in NFL history, rated based on their passing stats, performance, and all of that stuff. These are not the only best NFL players ever, but more so who played better than others.
There is so much to consider like winning their respective league or even playing in the big game. These players played the most crucial position in football, and many of them were dominant for years at a time.
The best player in the NFL today is J.J. Watt, but he played just one game and was only a baby back then. The best quarterback is Peyton Manning, but he has a lot of competition with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
All these guys deserved a spot on the ‘greatest NFL Players of all time’ list, and we hope you enjoyed reading the blog. Let’s find out who is your favorite NFL player. Comment below!
