WebThis list is for those players the ones who were great football players and did not get the credit they deserve. Ohhh-kaaaaay, one of the Hasselbecks then? WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. 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". There are over 120 teams that compete in the FBS, which means that storylines and hidden superstars abound. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars overtake Detroit for No. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. 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. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. 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. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. 100-91). The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. No one else is even close. Not only was Fleming good enough to stick with great teams, but he also was the luckiest son of a gun on the face of the earth. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? 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. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. Bottom line: The 1970s Steelers won four Super Bowls two with a power run game, two with a potent pass attack and who better than Jon Kolb to do the heavy lifting? 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. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. And then there is plain old forgotten. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. While under the radar, Bates has emerged as one of the better all-around safeties in football. Who knows what the NFL might have looked like then? He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). Travis Kelce and George Kittle dominate the conversation at tight end but Darren Waller is quickly emerging as a name that should be discussed as well. With his career spread evenly across three teams and zero All-Pro selections (a consequence of playing in the same era as Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher), Fletcher is a Hall of Fame long shot. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. 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. MVP-caliber seasons (1,528 yards, 90 receptions, 16 total touchdowns in 2006) early in his career gave way to annual 1,100-1,200 yard, low-touchdown grinds as the Greatest Show Rams retired one by one and the team fell to 2-14 and 1-15. Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. Oakland Raiders. most underrated footballers of all time That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. 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. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. Jackson probably helped you win a fantasy title or two, but he would be remembered for so much more if he wasn't always on the wrong team at the wrong time. Truth is, Norton should have been Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player, not Troy Aikman, who was the obligatory quarterback pick. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. A longtime semifinalist, his case is about to be handed over to the Veterans Committee, which has done a fine job recently of correcting oversights from Kenn's era. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. 10 Most Underrated Football Players - Sports Al Dente 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. Most Underrated Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Theyre the flat-liners whose drop-dead consistency gets lost with average-to-bad teams, in smaller markets, with brain-challenged organizations that have little, if any, history of success. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. 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. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. 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. Some of the 19 He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. The Jaguars upset John Elway's Broncos and reached the AFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team and then went on to three more playoff berths, culminating in a 14-2 season. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. 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. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. 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. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. 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. The Most Underrated Spanish Player Of All Time? - YouTube Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. 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. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. The Hall of White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. He lacked the straight-line speed to be a game-breaker. 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. most underrated player The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. 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. 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. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. Not enough credit is given to Waller who lacks the Shanahan offense or elite QB to help take his game to the next level. 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. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. Most Underrated American Football Players of All Time Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). 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. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? 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. He was overshadowed by more famous teammates throughout his career. 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. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Sideways. Meet every NFL team's all-time most underrated player. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. 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. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. Photo by JOHN CAPUTO/AFP via Getty Images, ST. LOUIS, MO CIRCA 1980: Ed Jones #72 of the Dallas Cowboys gets blocked by Dan Dierdorf #72 of the St. Louis Cardinals during an NFL football game circa 1980 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. 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. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). Six All-Pro selections. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. Turned out he was skilled and driven enough to be a champion. 'Nuff said, right? On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. 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. WebOnce called the toughest cornerback in the NFL by Jerry Rice, Lewis would have received much more acclaim in his career if hed played a position that wasnt just following other Most Underrated NFL Players Of All Time - The Onion Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. Upon entering the league in 2019, Johnson recorded 59 catches as a rookie and then topped that mark in 2020 with 88 catches. Waller upped his game in 2020 and hauled in 107 passes and nine touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. 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 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.
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