20 most underrated football players of all time10 marca 2023
Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. Ken Griffey Jr.? I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. 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 few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. Measurables. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. 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 had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). He picked off a dozen passes in his career two of them at 38 years of age an absurd number for a 6-foot-4, 265-pound lineman. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. 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. A bit more well-known after recently signing a four-year contract extension, John Franklin Myers is an easy player to root for and deserving of the success he has achieved. McLaurins numbers through two-plus seasons are very similar to Stefon Diggs, who went through a similar quarterback situation early during his career in Minnesota. 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. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. 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 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. 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. 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. Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). The USFL may not have been the NFL in terms of quality, but being the Luke Kuechly of a league that featured Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly and Steve Young should count for something. As for being so underrated he's overrated, wellthat's extremely underrated, which justifies Anderson's ranking here. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. Ogbah has always been a steady presence rushing the quarterback but broke out in 2020 during his first season with the Dolphins. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. 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. 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. Johnny Robinson's credentials make you want to drive to Canton, kick down the Hall of Fame's door and clear a spot for his bust yourself. Bottom line: Quick, name the winningest Seahawks quarterback before the Russell Wilson era. His 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was far from elite level speed either, but none of that has not stopped Johnson from playing fast and producing at a high level for the Steelers. Bahr converted 84 percent of his field-goal attempts (21 of 25), and 98 percent of his extra-point tries (40 of 41) when it counted most. It was the era of great defensive lines with catchy namesthe Rams had the Fearsome Foursome, the Cowboys the Doomsday Defense, the Steelers later added the Steel Curtain, and so forthand Marshall was the Ringo Starr of the Purple People Eaters, the guy who once ran the wrong way for a touchdown and was happy just to be in the band. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. Nope, not Charles Haley. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. Ron McDole falls into that final category. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. 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. Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. Graham has only missed one game since 2012 prior to 2021, and similar to Hughes is a winning culture type of player. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. 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. When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). He played center, as well, before his career was over. Try Dave Krieg. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Fleming was a reliable backup tight end/wide receiver who played with four Super Bowl-winners (and one NFL champion) in a dozen seasons. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. If the soft-spoken scatback had been in the right place at the right time, he would have filled his one nagging void a Super Bowl title and the exposure that accompanied it. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. There would not be another exchange of current Pro Bowlers in the NFL until the Broncos and Redskins exchanged Champ Bailey and Clinton Portis in 2004. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. 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. Steve Atwater. 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. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. Even unspectacular ones manage to rack up a few 1,000-yard seasons and get drafted early in fantasy leagues. And then there is plain old forgotten. He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. Not Fred Dean. Honourable Mentions Hajime Hosogai, Hertha Berlin DM, Age: 27 He played for teams that were more interesting than outstanding, from the Ryan and Rich Kotite-era Eagles to the Jim Mora and Mike Ditka Saints to Jon Gruden's Raiders. The Packers believed they were a veteran quarterback away from a playoff run in 1974, so head coach/GM Dan Devine acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by surrendering a ransom of draft picks huge enough to cause even Ryan Pace to do a spit take: two first-rounders, two second-rounders and a third-rounder. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. 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. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. 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. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. In both New England and Arizona, Jones has wreaked havoc on quarterbacks, demonstrating versatility as a 3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. WebThis list is for those players the ones who were great football players and did not get the credit they deserve. He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. Mostly Schlereth and sidekick Tom Nalen, who were masters of zone-blocking schemes, a major reason why Davis is in the Hall of Fame today. Some of the 19 (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. Sutton hauled in 72 catches for 1,112 yards during his second season in the league before a knee injury cut short his 2020campaign after 1 game. Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Bottom line: Fred Taylor once tweeted, "I earned respect on the field. The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. 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. Steve Wisniewski played guard on a Raiders team that moved in the middle of his career and was just good enough to remind you it was not in the same class as the great Raiders teams that preceded it. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. 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. The NFL is now full of receivers like Mason, but few of them are as productive as he was for over a decade. Efficient? For years, the team couldn't even harken back to its glory days properly, as Smith's Pride of the Jaguars induction was delayed until he was sober and no longer under house arrest. Make no mistake about it, Eric Bieniemys exodus from Kansas City to Washington is only one move on the chess board If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. This commitment to team defense is perhaps one of the main reasons Buckner is not more recognized as one of the top interior defensive linemen in football. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. And no Hall of Famers allowed. 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. 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. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. 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. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). 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. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. Karl Mecklenburg. At 67 Buckner also has a wide arsenal of pass rush moves to pressure the quarterback. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. The career active leader in games started by a defensive lineman is Julius Peppers with 227. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. Shanahan uses Juszczyk as a traditional lead blocking back, but he provides plenty of versatility out of the backfield and with the ball in his hands. 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. 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.". New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. In an era when 50 percent completion rates and 20-interception seasons were common for Pro Bowl quarterbacks, Anderson's 64.9 percent completion rate and quarterback ratings above 90 look like temporal anomalies. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. Upon entering the league in 2019, Johnson recorded 59 catches as a rookie and then topped that mark in 2020 with 88 catches. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. The most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (20) runs with the ball while being tackled by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters (24) in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. An ever-growing backlog of outstanding safeties is queuing up outside Canton, as Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed will soon joinJohn Lynch and Brian Dawkins. Bottom line: Wilber Marshall was the most athletic and versatile linebacker with the legendary 1985 Bears defense he often replaced the celebrated Mike Singletary in pass situations. No one else is even close. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. 1. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. 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. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. David entered the league as a terrific coverage linebacker and has continued to grow into an all-around complete linebacker and playmaker. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. Actually, make that four careers. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. Tom Jackson. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. 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. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). But run defense was king in the era when McDole played, and his 16-year career is littered with big plays: 12 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, two touchdowns, three safeties and a pair of sacks in the 1966 AFL Championship Game. 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. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. So Kenn basically had three careers. Buckner is rarely discussed with the likes of Cameron Heyward, Fletcher Cox, or Grady Jarrett among the top interior defensive linemen (next tier behind Aaron Donald), but he is every bit as talented. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? Pro Bowl? He had the speed to get to the edge and beat defenders down the sideline, the power to plow through tackles, the elusiveness to make things happen in the open field and receiving chops to rival contemporaries Roger Craig or Thurman Thomas. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. If he started his career a decade earlier or a decade later, Young would have anchored the defense for one of history's great teams or helped push the Harbaugh 49ers over the top in the Super Bowl. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". Moton started all 16 games each of the last four years, gradually improving and joining the conversation of best right tackles in football. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. 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. Membership on various All-1960s teams. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. If ever a geezer was meant to play with George Allens Over The Hill Gang, he was the one. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. Who knows what the NFL might have looked like then? Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. 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. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. 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. Put Ellard in another era or even the AFC with an accomplished quarterback, and his legacy as The Best Wideout Not Named Jerry Rice would be that much greater. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Oakland Raiders. 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. 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.
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