Our Top 10 NFL players of all-time, Who Will Be Number One?

Trying to come up with a list of the top 10 National Football League players of all-time is no easy task. There are a lot of factors that go into play, such as individual statistical analysis, accolades won, team success and postseason production. Here are 10 players that we believe should be on the list. Fortunately, there are no right or wrong answers. But we are always interested in your opinions.

10) Emmitt Smith

One of the best running backs to ever play in the NFL, Emmitt Smith has the record for most rushing yards in a career (18 355) and rushing touchdowns in a career (164). He played 15 NFL seasons–13 with the Dallas Cowboys and two with the Arizona Cardinals. A winner of three Super Bowls with Dallas, Smith led the NFL in rushing yards four times and was named to eight Pro Bowls. He was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1993 and the Super Bowl MVP in the Cowboys’ 30-13 win over the Buffalo Bills on January 30, 1994.

9) Brett Favre

An 11-time Pro Bowl representative, Brett Favre played 16 NFL seasons as a quarterback with the Green Bay Packers from 1992-2007, two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and one season each with the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons. While with the Packers, Favre won one Super Bowl, led the NFL in touchdown passes in a season four times and passing yards twice. Among the NFL records, Favre holds include most consecutive seasons with 3000 passing yards (18), the longest touchdown pass in NFL history (99 yards) and most consecutive games with a pass completion (298). Favre was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

8) Ray Lewis

One of the most intimidating linebackers in NFL history, Ray Lewis played his entire 17 year NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens from 1996-2012. He is second all-time in tackles with 1562. Lewis also had 31 interceptions, 19 forced fumbles and 41.5 sacks. A 13-time Pro Bowl representative, Lewis was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003. In 2004, Lewis became the first linebacker in NFL history to win a Super Bowl and be named the Super Bowl MVP in the same season. Lewis also retired as a Super Bowl champion as he helped the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 on February 3, 2013.

7) Drew Brees

A 13-time Pro Bowl representative, Drew Brees has the NFL records for most career passing yards (76, 884), most career completions (6821) and as of December 16, 2019, most career touchdown passes (541). He played his first five NFL seasons with the San Diego Chargers from 2001-2005 but has been the starting quarterback with the New Orleans Saints since 2006. In 2010, Brees was the Super Bowl MVP as the Saints beat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. Seven times Brees has led the NFL in passing yards and four times in touchdown passes. He was the NFL’s offensive player of the year in 2008 and 2011.

6) Walter Payton

A nine-time Pro Bowl representative, Walter Payton played 13 seasons at running back with the Chicago Bears from 1975-1987. He was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1977. That season he led the NFL and set career highs in rushing yards (1852), rushing touchdowns (14) and total yards (2121). Payton is second all-time in rushing yards with 16 726. In 1986, he won a Super Bowl with the Bears as Chicago hammered the New England Patriots 46-10.  The reason why Payton is ahead of Smith is that he averaged 88 rushing yards per game, while Smith averaged 81.2 yards per game.

5) Barry Sanders

This Detroit Lions running back might have only played 10 NFL seasons from 1989-1998, but was simply unbelievable. He would constantly make opposing defenders miss and was extremely tough to bring down, as shown by his remarkable 99.8 rushing yards per game. In every season Sanders played in the NFL, he was named to the Pro Bowl. Four times Sanders led the NFL in rushing yards and had a career-high 2053 yards in 1997. That season Sanders was the NFL’s most valuable player and had a miraculous 128.3 rushing yards per game. Not many players retire while in their prime, but Sanders did just that following the 1998 season. Sanders holds the NFL record for most seasons with 1500 rushing yards (five), and most consecutive games with a minimum of 1000 rushing yards (14).

4) Peyton Manning

This 14-time Pro Bowl representative quarterbacked the Indianapolis Colts from 1998-2011 and the Denver Broncos from 2012-2015. In 2013 with the Broncos, Manning set the NFL records for most touchdown passes in a season with 55 and most passing yards in a season with 5477. A five-time NFL most valuable player award winner, Manning won a Super Bowl with the Colts in 2007 (where he was the Super Bowl MVP) and with the Broncos in 2016. Three times Manning led the NFL in passing yards in a season and four times led the NFL in touchdown passes in a season.

3) Jim Brown

A fullback, Jim Brown played for the Cleveland Browns from 1957-1965. While playing in an era before the Super Bowl ever existed, Brown did win the NFL Championship Game with the Browns in 1964 but has generally not got the attention he deserved. Like Sanders, Brown was named to the Pro Bowl every season of his NFL career. A three-time NFL MVP (1957, 1958, 1965), Brown led the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine NFL seasons. Brown’s 104.3 rushing yards per game is an NFL record.

2) Jerry Rice

The best wide receiver in NFL history, Jerry Rice played 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 1985-2000, three full seasons with the Oakland Raiders from 2001 to 2003, and then shared his time with the Raiders and Seattle Seahawks in his final season of 2004. Rice holds the NFL records for most receptions (1549), receiving yards (22895) and touchdown receptions (197). A 13-time Pro Bowl representative, Rice was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1987. A three-time Super Bowl champion, Rice was the Super Bowl MVP in 1989. Six times he led the NFL in receiving yards in a season and six times he led the NFL in touchdown catches.

1)Tom Brady

Over the last two decades, Tom Brady has simply had an amazing career as the quarterback of the New England Patriots. Remarkably, it is still going at age 42. The six-time Super Bowl champion (NFL record) has been a Super Bowl MVP four times, the NFL MVP three times, and has been named to the Pro Bowl 14 times. It is the playoffs where Brady holds most of his significant NFL records. They include most touchdown passes in the postseason (73), postseason passing yards (11179), playoff wins by a starting quarterback (30). With Brady at the helm again this season, the Patriots are once again Super Bowl contenders.

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