One of the hot topics of debate not only among NFL fans but pundits as well is who is the best football player of all time. Fans will also enjoy the best NFL coaches of all time and the best NFL quarterbacks currently in the league. It's a very difficult question to answer and one that can't be answered very easily. Would you rank a quarterback above an offensive lineman or a defensive end versus a wide receiver? Many of the players on this list have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, so this is a list of the best of the best NFL players.
All time greats like Jim Brown and Jerry Rice and legends like Joe Montana and Lawrence Taylor deserve to be on this list. These players were famous stars in the league when they played, causing chaos on the field, terrorizing opponents, and breaking their fans' hearts. Fans of American football can agree that regardless of position, the players on this list should be considered among the best football players ever. These players' stats and overall influence on the way the game was played factor into why they're considered the 100 best ever.
Vote for the football player you consider to be the greatest of all time. It's not an easy choice and you pretty much can't go wrong with any of these superstar NFL players. There's a reason why they're considered the best football players ever and this your chance to choose who is the best of the best.
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15,9846,600Lawrence Taylor
LinebackerBirthplace: Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
Age: 56
Teams: North Carolina Tar Heels football, New York Giants
2
24,42912,650Tom Brady
QuarterbackBirthplace: San Mateo, California, United States of America
Age: 38
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3
11,8925,414Deion Sanders
Cornerback, Punt returnerBirthplace: Fort Myers, Florida, United States of America
Age: 53
Teams: Florida State Seminoles baseball, Washington Redskins, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons
4
11,1145,754Randy Moss
Wide receiverBirthplace: Rand, West Virginia
Age: 43
Teams: Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings
5
7,2863,445Drew Brees
QuarterbackBirthplace: Austin, Texas, United States of America
Age: 41
Teams: New Orleans Saints
6
9,6334,576Bo Jackson
Running backBirthplace: Bessemer, Alabama, United States of America
Age: 57
Teams: Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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21,61211,743Jerry Rice
Wide receiverBirthplace: Crawford, Mississippi, United States of America
Age: 57
Teams: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers
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9,5785,025Ray Lewis
LinebackerBirthplace: Bartow, Florida, United States of America
Age: 45
Teams: Baltimore Ravens
9
5,6002,883Larry Fitzgerald
Wide receiverBirthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
Age: 32
Teams: Arizona Cardinals
10
18,0179,916Barry Sanders
Running backBirthplace: Wichita, Kansas, United States of America
Age: 52
Teams: Oklahoma State Cowboys football, Detroit Lions
11
8,4934,593Joe Greene
Defensive TackleBirthplace: Elgin, Texas, United States of America
Age: 74
Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, North Texas Mean Green football
12
14,4007,973Jim Brown
Running back, FullbackBirthplace: St. Simons, Georgia, USA
Age: 79
Teams: Cleveland Browns, Syracuse Orange football
13
5,9613,122Calvin Johnson
Wide receiverBirthplace: Newnan, Georgia
Age: 34
Teams: Detroit Lions
14
3,8881,977Gale Sayers
Running back, Return specialistBirthplace: Wichita, Kansas, United States of America
Age: 77
Teams: Chicago Bears, Kansas Jayhawks football
15
8,7634,740Emmitt Smith
Running backBirthplace: Pensacola, Florida, United States of America
Age: 51
Teams: Florida Gators football, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys
16
4,2192,201Ed Reed
Free SafetyBirthplace: St. Rose, Louisiana
Age: 37
Teams: Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets
17
7,9044,331Dick Butkus
Linebacker, CenterBirthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Age: 73
Teams: Chicago Bears
18
4,6942,456Tony Gonzalez
Tight endBirthplace: Torrance, California, United States of America
Age: 39
Teams: California Golden Bears football, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs
19
17,68310,055Walter Payton
Running backBirthplace: Columbia, Mississippi, United States of America
Age: Died at 45 (1954-1999)
Teams: Chicago Bears
20
4,1002,178Charles Woodson
Cornerback, Return specialistBirthplace: Sebring, Ohio, United States of America
Age: 43
Teams: Michigan Wolverines football, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers
21
2,3381,197Anthony Muñoz
Offensive tackleBirthplace: Ontario, California
Age: 62
Teams: USC Trojans football, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals
22
3,3891,801Jim Thorpe
Running back, PunterBirthplace: Oklahoma, United States of America
Age: Died at 65 (1888-1953)
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Oorang Indians, Canton Bulldogs, Arizona Cardinals, Rock Island Independents
23
14,3898,252Peyton Manning
QuarterbackBirthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Age: 44
Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos
24
7,2954,129Ronnie Lott
Cornerback, SafetyBirthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
Age: 56
Teams: USC Trojans football, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs
25
3,8602,047Troy Polamalu
Strong SafetyBirthplace: Garden Grove, California, United States of America
Age: 39
Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers
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