You will find some familiar Hall of Fame snubs on this list (like Jim Marshall, pictured above), but also plenty of players who were even snubbed from the Hall of Fame snubs, plus some current players who aren't getting their due. Who knows what the NFL might have looked like then? Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. Naturally, it also guarantees that some of the best players in the country get overshadowed and forgotten in the sport's warp-speed news cycle. According to Next Gen Stats, Johnson averaged 3.6 yards of separation for each target during his rookie season, the most of any receiver in football. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. The best teams in the AFL proved to be NFL-caliber, but the bottom of the league was populated with a nearly bankrupt franchise or two, so the best players clumped on the best teams and stood out from the crowd. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. One of the greatest defenders in the history of a storied franchise, Young is just another victim of bad timing when it comes to getting the reputation he deserves. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. That may tick him off. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. It would rank 16th all-time, except that if we allow Marshall's sacks into the record, we would have to make room for Deacon Jones, Mean Joe Greene and others. Coaches rave about his work off the field and his dedication to improving his craft. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. No modern coach suppressed passing offenses quite like Fisher, and no team produces offensive stats that look like they come from the early 1930s quite like the Ravens. Know who created those wide-open spaces? And then there is plain old forgotten. Whether they were disrespected by the media, or scrappy fan-favorites, every NFL team has had a selection of players that didnt get the attention they deserved. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. A dominant presence as a run blocker, Moton uses his athleticism to get to the next level of the defense in a hurry. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. The fullback has become a non-factor in many of todays NFL offenses, but Juszczyk remains an integral part of how the San Francisco 49ers run their offense. He began his career at the tail end of Jim Harbaugh's great defensive teams, but he has since battled both injuries and the incompetence of the Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly experiments. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). Hmmm. To understand why he is not in the Hall of Fame, you must familiarize yourself with both the era he played in and the vagaries of Hall voting. Try Dave Krieg. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. The most similar current player to Anderson is Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell, but Bell plays in a modern offense that amplifies his production instead of suppressing it. The 6'2" Wright was renowned as a run-stuffing cornerbackthat's him tackling Walter Payton in the photobut he also intercepted 26 career passes, even though opposing quarterbacks spent much of his career avoiding him. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. Also, the field was often a block of ice. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. St. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. Web12. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. They lost to the Vikings 30-14 in the 1974 Wildcard Round, and they were defeated by the Rams 35-23 in the opening round of the playoffs in 1975. Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. He is also infamous for admitting on ESPN Radio that he once purposely let Packers defender Sean Jones sack Scott Mitchell so the struggling quarterback would get knocked out of a game. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Six All-Pro selections. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. The NFL is a star-driven league. Starting in at least 13 games every year since entering the league in 2012, David has finished just one season with less than 100 tackles. They say you know an offensive lineman is doing a great job when his name is rarely brought up, but its time Moton is talked about more for his success. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. Pro Bowl? He didnt just take up space, either. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. One of the most well-traveled quarterbacks in NFL history, Vinny Testaverde hung around long enough to register the seventh-most passing yards ever in his 20-year career. If Morgan had played in a pass-happy offense with a Pro Bowl quarterback and hands-off rules, you would find him in Canton right now. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). In the nine seasons that Aaron Smith had double-digit starts, their D ranked among the top nine in yards allowed every time, but his consistent play went over the heads of many. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. There have been too many players in NFL history to count, so naturally, many of them werent going to get the attention they deserved for their play. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. After making the Pro Bowl twice early in his career, David has failed to make it since 2015 while still playing at a high level. Terry McLaurin has played through one of the more unstable quarterback situations in football with Washington since entering the league but continues to emerge as one of the top wideouts in football. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 13, It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. His 23 fourth-quarter comebacks (20th overall) are more than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name a few Hall of Famers at the position. By the time Rivers is retired for five years, the "San Diego Chargers" will be as relevant as the Dayton Triangles, and Hall voters will be too busy rubber-stamping Tom Brady and Drew Brees to get to a guy from a lost city who couldn't win the big one. With that in mind, NFL Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. Its a frigging joke that Taylor isnt in the Hall of Fame discussion. Bottom line: In his 15th and final season, the 36-year-old Ken Riley had eight interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns, one of the most incredible performances by an old man ever. They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. Here are ten of the most underrated college football players of all time. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed Hes on the short list of running back leaders in yards per rush (4.6, 17th), touches (2,824, 25th) and yards from scrimmage (14,079, 35th) in NFL history. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. Passing wasn't really their thing. While coverage is Bates' strength, he can still lay the big hit and be a factor in run support. Williams' career-high in receptions is only 49, but with increased targets, he has already recorded 31 catches over the first five games in 2021. There are over 120 teams that compete in the FBS, which means that storylines and hidden superstars abound. Hes the only quarterback with AFL and NFL titles on his resume and he darn near pulled it off in the Canadian Football League as well. In the 1950s and the days of 12-game regular seasons, he rushed for 3,078 yards, nearly 1,000 more than the runner-up. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. He started for the Rams in their Super Bowl seasons at the beginning of his career and then earned Pro Bowl berths for Washington from 2009 through 2012 when he was in his mid-30s. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. During his first four seasons, three with the Ravens and one in Oakland, Waller caught just 18 passes on 29 targets while also being suspended all of 2017. Now that's underrated. Bottom line: One of the premier long-ball threats of any era, Stanley Morgan ranks 10th in yards per reception (19.2) and 39th in touchdown catches (72) on the all-time list. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. Greenwood, but there are dozens of other great old players clamoring for their chance who didn't enjoy the glory of playing for a "team of the decade.". Honourable Mentions Hajime Hosogai, Hertha Berlin DM, Age: 27 Ellard was an Antonio Brown-level talent in his prime, but his teams were in no hurry to get him the ball. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. That voter meant every fanbase has a beloved old defender, renowned for his toughness and leadership, that they swear belongs in the Hall of Fame. Time has been hard on both of them. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Mills was a USFL All-Star in all three seasons of the league's existence, and he led the Philadelphia and Baltimore Stars' Doghouse Defense (coached by Jim Mora) to a pair of league titles. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. Bowman is a four-time All-Pro and tremendous all-purpose linebacker who emerged as a stalwart leader for teams that otherwise might have packed it in before Labor Day. But things were different in the long-ago 1990s, when the sports universe belonged to teal-emblazoned expansion franchises and a youngish Tom Coughlin received a binder full of press clippings from the mother of a wide receiver ready to call it quits after injuries derailed his Cowboys career. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. Fred Warner gets a lot of attention at linebacker for the 49ers, but Dre Greenlaw flies under theradar as a young playmaker quickly on the rise. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Buckner is a smart player and one of the better-run defenders in football. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. Guys who played in Jacksonville repeatedly have been crapped on in Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame votes, none more so than Taylor during and after his 11 seasons there. 10. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. Jones has also recorded at least 100 tackles every year since entering the league with the exception of 2018 when he played in only 6 games. Oakland Raiders. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Randy Gradishar. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. Since 2013, Jones has registered six double-digit sack seasons including a 17 sack season in 2017 that led the NFL, and a career-high of 19 in 2019. Drew Brees endured an average of just 24 sacks per season in Evans' All-Pro seasons, despite typically dropping back to pass over 650 times per year. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. Sanders was an extremely 'Nuff said, right? Man Utd's double winning Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. #5. Full name: Jordi Alba Ramos Date of birth: March 21, 1989 Age: 33 years old (as of 2023) Place of birth: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain Height: 1.70 m Current team: Mike Williams is an elite deep threat at wide receiver and has maintained an average YPC of over 15 every year since 2018. The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. He was overshadowed by more famous teammates throughout his career. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. Anderson is no Hall of Famerthe middle of his career is a morass of ordinary-at-best seasonsbut he was a pioneer and an innovator. Entering 2021, Moton had allowed only 10 sacks in over 2,000 pass-blocking snaps. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. But the diminutive Brees would not have been able to lead the Saints to a Super Bowl and several seasons as top contenders without a clean pocket, particularly right in front of him. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that.