Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. Old-timers call it the Lawrence Welk trade after a television bandleader of the era who would begin songs by counting off "A one, and a two, and a three". Teams: Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1986, 1987, 1992), Super Bowl championships: Two (1985, 1991). 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. The system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. He finished his career by doing something almost impossible: signing with the Patriots as a veteran role player during one of the few years they didn't reach the Super Bowl. Even without the same speed and athleticism as when he entered the league, David continues to find ways to make impact plays like a seasoned veteran. Karl Mecklenburg. 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. He led the Bengals to a pair of playoff appearances in 1973 and 1975, Joe Montana's high school senior and Notre Dame sophomore seasons. Sam Mills rises above the rest of the gritty linebacker pack, at least when it comes to being underrated, because three of his greatest seasons have been erased from history. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. If Mel Blount, Mike Haynes and teammate Lemar Parrish hadnt been in the same conference, Riley would have made more a few more Pro Bowl trips. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. WebThe Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time 1. Wouldnt you know it? Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. The Hall of Fame eluded Ellard for several reasons: comparisons to Rice, the Rams' move to St. Louis (it takes hometown writers and buzz to mount a campaign) and those five early seasons in a ground-and-pound offense. The rumors themselves were not surprising. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. "Even now I still get pissed off. 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. But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. Mason was frequently his team's most valuable offensive player, but he and Steve McNair made their short pitch-and-catch passes look a little too easy. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. Steve Atwater. 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. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). Along with the legendary Johnny Unitas, Rote probably did more to change the quarterback position than anyone in the pre-merger era even if so few know it. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by, Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images, Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. Jackson then moved on to Atlanta just after the collapse of the Mike Smith playoff teams but before the rise of the current Dan Quinn contenders. No one else is even close. While coverage is Bates' strength, he can still lay the big hit and be a factor in run support. 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. Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. 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. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. The NFL is now full of receivers like Mason, but few of them are as productive as he was for over a decade. WebDuring the next few weeks, we here at NFL.com will unveil our Most Underrated and Overrated Players of All Time for all 32 teams and allow users to determine their 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. Coaches rave about his work off the field and his dedication to improving his craft. Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. Edouard Mendy - Chelsea. Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. 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. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. Waller overcame addiction and his suspension to emerge in 2019, catching 90 passes for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns while starting all 16 games for the Raiders. McDole, nicknamed "The Dancing Bear" because of his boogie on the dance floor rather than his on-field footwork, was known as more of a run defender than a pass-rusher. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. He accounted for all his teams points in a 15-13 white-knuckler that wrecked the 49ers three-peat bid and sent the Giants to Super Bowl XXV. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. Allen made a lot of plays. Buckner is a smart player and one of the better-run defenders in football. Moton started all 16 games each of the last four years, gradually improving and joining the conversation of best right tackles in football. As a pass blocker, Moton has developed into a steady presence capable of holding his own, and at times even dominating top pass rushers that include Joey Bosa and Cameron Jordan. Quarterback is the most important position in organized football and maybe in all of sports, so it should be no surprise that men who play QB dominate the top spots of this list. Steven Jackson arrived in St. Louis just as the Greatest Show on Turf was deteriorating into the Most Miserable Slog in the Midwest. Here are ten of the most underrated college football players of all time. He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. They're the working stiffs who bust their butts at so-called lesser positions, on teams that are seldom seen on highlights shows, let alone national television. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. No matter what the two-time All-Pro accomplished, he could never be Jerry Rice, who cast a long, tall shadow in the same conference. While the 2021 season is still early, Johnson looks to have cleaned up some issues with drops that hindered his 2020 performance and is perhaps the only thing stopping him from gaining more notoriety. He reached the playoffs as a rookie backup in 2004 and a 32-year-old backup in 2015, but zero times in the decade in between. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. As Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase earn praise for helping bring competitive football back to Cincinnati, safety Jessie Bates is a huge reason for the Bengals turnaround on defense. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. Bates started every game during his first three seasons since entering the league in 2018, recording three interceptions in each season and averaging over 100 tackles. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. At only 510, Johnson lacks the ideal size. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. He is also proficient with his right foot and is a versatile player who can play multiple positions in the attacking third of the pitch. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio With that in mind, NFL He once sacked Dan Marino twice on the first two plays of a gamea remarkable achievement, as Marino was one of the least sacked quarterbacks in NFL history. And no Hall of Famers allowed. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. But no one remembers the Greatest Show on Turf for its defense, and Fletcher spent the prime of his career playing for mediocre Bills teams. Evans is a long shot to do either, which is a shame. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. 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. He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. That's where the politics of Hall voting come in. While Stafford's game is Hall of Fame worthy, an 0-3 career record in the playoffs on some flawed Lions teams has done little to elevate his name into the conversation of top QBs. He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. 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. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. Allen has much in common with many others on this underrated list. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Ryan would blitz between five and eight defenders, plus some water boys and maybe a few boo birds from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium. #5. Overshadowed on a bad team for much of his early career, Bates also came from a draft that featured top safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. This past offseason, Juszczyk signed a five-year $27M contract to return to the 49ers, making him the highest-paid fullback in football by a wide margin. Evans, the best pass-protecting guard of his era, was charged with making sure pass-rushers didn't get close enough to Brees to bat his passes down, let alone sack him. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. If not for Schlereth's many health problems that included 29 surgeries, 15 on his left knee alone, he would have been a perennial Pro Bowl selection. Young started his career as the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and ended it as a four-time winner of the Len Eshmont Award, the 49ers' team award for character and leadership. Both Courtland Sutton and teammate Tim Patrick could easily make this list together as neither player is discussed nearly enough. Kolb set the Super Bowl standard for left tackles in Super Bowl IV, when he smoked undersized Minnesota Vikings end Jim Marshall like a bad cigar. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. TGT Tips! Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. There's a statue outside of Lambeau Field commemorating the Lambeau Leap, perhaps the most recognizable and beloved (except to Packers opponents) end-zone celebration in the NFL. They never had any playoff success, even when they did make it into the postseason. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. Ellard moved on to Washington in 1994 and enjoyed a late-career renaissance, averaging 61 catches and 18.8 yards per reception over a three-year span in his mid-30s. That "something" was throwing for more than 29,000 yards and going to four AFL All-Star Games and a Pro Bowl with the Chargers and then leading the Rams to a 12-2 record in 1973. Truth is, Norton should have been Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player, not Troy Aikman, who was the obligatory quarterback pick. Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. 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. 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. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). Tom Jackson. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. Franklin-Myers has the ability to play anywhere on the defensive line and is off to a strong start in the Jets' new 4-3 defense under head coach Robert Saleh. He then became a staple of trivia questions and All-Time Worst Trades listicles, as the Lawrence Welk trade overshadowed an even more impressive moment in Hadl's transaction history. But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. No one plays guard expecting fame and accolades, least of all Wisniewski, who is worthy of all the gritty cliches you can sling at him. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. So whaddya say, fans? It was rival 49ers tackle Bryant Young who the Rams were most concerned about before the 1999 season, when they signed Timmerman as a free agent. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Actually, make that four careers. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. He was usually the Bears' best rusher and receiver in his prime years, catching 40-50 passes per season from Mike Tomczak or the young Jim Harbaugh. Lets not forget they also dominated with cold-blooded efficiency at the other side of the ball, where Keena Turner was rarely out of position at right outside linebacker. Robinson was one of those players.