Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. Player: Emmitt Smith. Wouldnt you know it? And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. Boomer Esiason was a fine player who remains seen on national television throughout the year, but it is Anderson who is, to this day, the greatest quarterback in the history of the Bengals. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. 25 of 25. 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. Some of the hottest takes one will see as it pertains to Drew Brees involve criticisms of his numbers because of the fact that he has played the majority of his home games inside of a dome. This includes a wide receiver that some younger fans may have never before heard of, and also multiple quarterbacks who are still playing in the NFL as of the posting of this piece. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. 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. The Lions drafted him as a running back. You know the type. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. Bottom line: Quick, name the winningest Seahawks quarterback before the Russell Wilson era. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). 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. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. 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. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." 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. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. He routinely beat defenders with quickness out of his breaks and clever change-of-pace moves, qualities that also served him well as a punt returner. Terry Porter. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. The list of players who are in that club includes Ray Lewis, Rodney Harrison, Brian Dawkins, LeRoy Butler and Ronde Barber. He then led three fourth-quarter comebacks to bring them back to the playoffs in 1965. 1. WebMen such as Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their 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 because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. Know who created those wide-open spaces? Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. After missing most of two years with injury, he returned in 1972 and led the NFL in TDs, yards, yards per attempt, and was an all-pro. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. 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. Smith produced nine 1,000-yard seasons in 10 years, including two 100-plus-catch seasons in an era when they were still relatively uncommon. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. He found the end zone in three different decades. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. Hudson, a two-time NFL MVP, was the dominant receiver in the league at a time when passing attacks were nothing near what they are in the modern game. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. 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. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. He won the Rookie of the Year and the Comeback Player of the Year awards as a professional, and Anderson was named the Most Valuable Player for Super Bowl XXV. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. Bottom line: Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in his momentous 1998 season, but look at the game films and you wont see him fake out many defenders or break many tackles. Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. He must either play for teams so good that they overshadow his accomplishments, or teams so bad that he had to do it all by himself. That is untrue for a variety of reasons. Defensive Player of the Year awards? He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). 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. 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. It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. Why is it that history has seemingly forgotten about Kevin Greene? But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. Provided by Fadeaway World View the original article to see Most seasons with 30 made field goals (7). In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. 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. 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. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. 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. 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. Sometimes it's because they played next to even bigger stars and sometimes it's The prejudice against punters that kept such great players out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame came to an end when Ray Guy was honored by voters. The 2023 wide receiver class is one of the worst in recent memory, but there are some solid options on Day 2 for teams searching for complementary players. He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. 3. 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. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. 30. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. Hull was not just a great lineman but a groundbreaking one. Dont let the numbers fool you Morgan wasnt a one-trick racehorse. Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their names and fame playing pro football. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. Victory propelled Montana to superstardom, while defeat left the 32-year old Anderson to play out the string as a high-percentage passer for a rapidly disintegrating franchise. Names such as Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson probably immediately come to mind. 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). He is Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. 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. Not Fred Dean. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. Bruce found the end zone over 90 times in regular season play during his career, and he is one of five players in the history of the NFL to go for over 15,000 total receiving yards. 1. Brown is now best known as a television personality. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. One of the best players in the league during the 1980s, Monk is too often unappreciated in lists of all-time great wide receivers. Who do you believe is the most underrated player that played at least one year from 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. 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. 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? July 24, 2020July 24, 2020 Koby83 Carson Palmer, Football, Matt Schaub, NFL, Quarterbacks Underrated. 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. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. A new generation of superstar left tackles entered the league as Brown was peaking, and he spent the latter half of his career bouncing from team to team as Tony Boselli, Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones turned the blindside protector into an almost glamorous position. Web#shorts #viral #dunk #edit #fyp #nfl #sports #sportsedits Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. That's not something to hold against a player. James Lofton is one of many cases of players being in the Hall of Fame and nevertheless being vastly underrated when compared with others who played the position. It is easy to understand why he would come up when the topic is being addressed, but that he is not respected as one of the best to play the position is difficult to understand. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. Dunn left Tampa Bay as a free agent after the 2001 season and headed to Atlanta, largely because of his relationship with Arthur Blank, the Falcons owner. 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. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. Anderson was named to four Pro Bowl squads during his career, ad he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance that did not go Cincinnati's way because of Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. Most Underappreciated RBs of the 2000s. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. 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. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. There will never be another player like Marshall. That Greene remains one of the most underrated defensive players in history is a mystery when you look at the numbers. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Hence, the Campbell video. One of those receivers is He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). He may not have been as good as Jerry Rice or Randy Moss, but there is a solid argument to be made that Lofton is one of the ten best wide receivers in the history of pro football. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Debates about the greatest pass-rushers in the history of the NFL will conjure up mentions of players such as Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan, Reggie White and others. 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. Steve Atwater. But outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his career ended in 2001. 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. He was drafted by the Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, and he was an instant Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. One of those receivers is Flowers, who totaled over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games this season for Boston College. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. Isiah Robertson, LB, Rams, Bills. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. That may tick him off. 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. Sideways. Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Bottom line: Fred Taylor once tweeted, "I earned respect on the field. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. The unfunny joke that has been Isaac Bruce not being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one that is going to end soon. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. If McCree doesn't cough up that fourth-quarter pick, the Chargers beat the Patriots, and perhaps Philip Rivers leads a team that went 14-2 in the regular season to the Super Bowl. 'Nuff said, right? NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Anderson also won MVP honors the same year he won Comeback Player of the Year. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. For some reason, however, the community has somewhat forgotten that Paul Krause had held the record for most interceptions in NFL history for decades. Some of the most-talented individuals to ever play particular positions have, at some point or another, gone unappreciated by fans and even by supposed NFL experts. Former head coach Jim Mora has referred to Mills as the best player I ever coached. Along with being a talented defensive player, Mills was also respected for being one of the smartest defenders on the field during his career. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Ground rules: A max of three Pro Bowl invitations. (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. These are the most unsung NFL quarterbacks of all time. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. For the second installment in underappreciated NFL players, we have the running backs. Appreciate him for being that. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Randall Cunningham is one of the most polarizing individuals regarding these types of discussions. Checking in at 5-foot-9 (on a good day) and 232 pounds, Sam Mills was one of the best pound-for-pound linebackers of his day, and it remains a surprise that voters have not yet deemed him worthy of being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. Guy deserved to be inducted, no question about it, but the day passed long ago for Sean Landeta to receive his invite to Canton. Ken Anderson, QB, Bengals. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. As for being so underrated he's overrated, wellthat's extremely underrated, which justifies Anderson's ranking here. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? Perhaps it's time we look back on how much of an impact he and his Jaguars had on the NFL two decades ago. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. More than anything, though, Rote was a leader and winner. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. 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 of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. Arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles, Cunningham rightfully so makes it into this list. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. These ideas that Marvin Harrison cannot be considered to be one of the greatest wide receivers in the history of the NFL all because he played with Peyton Manning need to be put to bed forever. Jim Marshall, DE, Vikings. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. 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. "I dont get it. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. 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. He is, however, most remembered, for being a wide receiver who was decades ahead of his time. He is one of the best receivers in history, and he has the stats to back up such claims. Andre Reed is an all-time great wide receiver who seemingly cannot escape lists of the most underrated football players in history. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. If Marlon McCree hadn't fumbled that interception in the playoffs after the 2006 season, everything might have been different. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). 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. 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. Born: (2007, 2009, 2012), NFL Special Teams Player of the Year (2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team . He talked the talk and he walked the walk, and Reed should be recognized for being an all-time great receiver by all fans and journalists. In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. Thats been the real surprise. Harrison's numbers should speak for themselves, and those who would say otherwise are either trying to make a point or are simply ignoring how great Harrison was during his career. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. He didnt just take up space, either. But c'mon: 289 regular-season and postseason starts, 127 sacks and four Super Bowl appearances, yet the Hall of Fame turns up its nose at Marshall as just a pretty good defender with a long career? 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. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. 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. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. Perhaps it has something to do with the era during which Tomlinson played, but that L.T. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. WebDeAngelo Hall was quietly one of the best defensive backs of the 2000s. Kenny Anderson may be the most "so underrated that he's overrated" player in NFL historya darling of the stat-head community and common first-guy-mentioned when Hall of Fame snubs come up. 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