Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports. Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. Bottom Line: Leslie O'Neal's career sack total (132.5) would have been much higher had he not missed almost all of two seasons after suffering a devastating knee injury at the end of his rookie season in 1986. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. He was an Owl for the last five seasons. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. 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. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. Here's our All-Time NFL Most Underrated Team. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. 
The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. Born: (2007, 2009, 2012), NFL Special Teams Player of the Year (2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team . Stafford is sub-500 in his Alongside Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills and Vaughan Johnson, Swilling wreaked havoc on opposing offenses. His 217 receiving yards in his first NFL game is still a record. For the greatest underrated NFL players of all time, we're seeking a sort of "correction" for their careers. Born: April 7, 1969 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), Teams: San Francisco 49ers (1991-94), Philadelphia Eagles (1995-97), Seattle Seahawks (1998-2001), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1994), five-time Pro Bowl (1992-96), Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. Bottom line: Modern NFL fans probably can't tell you much about Joe Klecko, which is a damn shame. Of all the players on this list, Jackson might actually be the most underrated. Time has been hard on both of them. Brown spent almost the entirety of his career toiling away in anonymity but was the key blocker for legendary running back Barry Sanders on the Detroit Lions on teams that made the playoffs in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995 a stretch of success almost unfathomable to any modern Lions fan. WebApril 5, 2023 9:13 am ET. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. The 5-foot-9 running back played 16 seasons and finished his career No. Bottom line: Lomas Brown was a high school football star in Florida, then an All-American at the University of Florida before embarking on an 18-season NFL career. Kenn is one of the NFL's all-time great players and leaders, and his impact ranges far beyond his playing career. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). More than anything, though, Rote was a leader and winner. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. Born: Nov. 5, 1987 (Charlotte, North Carolina), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2017), four-time NFL All-Pro (2017-19, 2021), five-time Pro Bowl (2014, 2016, 2019-21). Getty Images. But so were teammates like Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Curley Culp and Jan Stenerud, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Because he is one of the NFL's best defensive players, for one thing. Bottom line: Jake Scott had a fascinating football career. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. He's actually in the Hall of Fame but this 1930s star remains one of the most unknown great players in the game's history. He hit two big free throws with six seconds left to give FAU a three-point lead in the Elite Eight. Ken Griffey Jr.? 
He blitzed (20.5 sacks). Rivers' outsized personality didn't win him many fans outside of the cities he played in during his 17 seasons in the NFL, but the final tally on his numbers tell a story of one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. Teams: Detroit Lions (1985-95), Arizona Cardinals (1996-98), Cleveland Browns (1999), New York Giants (2000-01), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2002), three-time NFL All-Pro (1991, 1994, 1995), seven-time Pro Bowl (1990-96), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1985), Detroit Lions All-Time Team. Turner was the ultimate plug-and-play guy, one of five 49ers to be part of all eight of their playoff teams in the decade. 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. Web31 Likes, 5 Comments - NFL Draft Report (@the_nfldraftreport) on Instagram: "Next up in the prospect rankings, the WR position. Born: May 7, 1964 (Little Rock, Arkansas), Teams: San Diego Chargers (1986-95), St. Louis Rams (1996-97), Kansas City Chiefs (1998-99), Career highlights: Three-time NFL All-Pro (1990, 1992, 1994), six-time Pro Bowl (1989, 1990, 1992-95), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1986). 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. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. In that stretch he was also the head coach at the University of New Mexico, Cal-Berkeley and William & Mary before making the move to the pros where he actually won a championship with the Montreal Alouettes, winning two Grey Cups in 1974 and 1977. 3 career leading rusher and watch their esteem of you as a sports fan grow before your eyes. Tyrer's life ended up being one of the more tragic stories in NFL history following his career. The Ravens won the Super Bowl in Bisciotti's first season as an owner, then again in 2012. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Born: May 6, 1978 (Timmonsville, South Carolina), Teams: New York Jets (2000-05), Atlanta Falcons (2006-12), Arizona Cardinals (2013-14), Career highlights: Four-time NFL All-Pro (2001, 2002, 2008, 2010), five-time Pro Bowl (2001, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013). If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. 
Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. The franchise now has an estimated value of $3.4 billion, and Bisciotti's net worth has grown to $2.7 billion. He led the NFL in interceptions for three seasons, which is tied with Hall of Famer Ed Reed for the NFL record. 30. The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. Sometimes it's because they played next to even bigger stars and sometimes it's because they played on terrible teams. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. No modern coach suppressed passing offenses quite like Fisher, and no team produces offensive stats that look like they come from the early 1930s quite like the Ravens. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Bottom line: Dick Schafrath was one of the more unique individuals to ever play in the NFL, known as much for his talents on the offensive line as for his personality away from the field in a series of bizarre publicity stunts. Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). Unlike many of Marshall's teammates, however, he wasnt an obnoxious self-promoter, which partly explained his absence from the NFC Pro Bowl roster that season. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. He ranked second in the decade with 114 TD Mecklenburg anchored Denver's defense with safety Steve Atwater and helped lead Denver to three AFC titles and three Super Bowl losses. The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. Could Jason Kelce join him one day? WebNFL Network's Willie McGinest, Shaun O'Hara and LaDainian Tomlinson highlight three underrated players in the NFL. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. As a 31-year-old, no less. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. But he ended up being one of the greatest defensive players in franchise history and definitely the greatest pure inside linebacker. Forrest is a leader for FAU. He is as durable and consistent as they come, Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. 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. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. The whole story is kind of amazing considering he started his college career at the University of Cincinnati as a running back. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. Bottom line: Warrick Dunn overcame the murder of his mother, bouts with depression and 5-foot-9 size to have a successful 12-year NFL career. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). Free shipping for many products! For this position, Im giving you my Top 20 " NFL Draft Report on Instagram: "Next up in the prospect rankings, the WR position. 5. 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. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. 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. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. 72 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, we decided to take a look back at the last two decades-plus of the He never played in a conference championship game or a Super Bowl. But he still finished his career with 133.5 sacks. Since joining the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, the franchise is 2-6 in the postseason, although Martin's been fairly compensated for his efforts. 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. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. 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. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. He also was a three-time NFL All-Pro. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. McDole is not known for much of anything anymore, as his AFL stardom came before the Super Bowl era and his Redskins heroics predated the era of Joe Gibbs and the Hogs. That's where the politics of Hall voting come in. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. David Garrard played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2002-2010, and he was drafted in the fourth 14 14. Born: Jan. 6, 1946 (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), Teams: Los Angeles Rams (1968, 1973-77), Philadelphia Eagles (1969-72), New England Patriots (1978-81, 1987), Minnesota Vikings (1982), Seattle Seahawks (1983), Career highlights: Three-time NFL All-Pro (1972, 1973, 1977), five-time Pro Bowl (1969, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977). I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. 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. 3. share. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. One of the most durable players in NFL history, Witten didnt miss a game over his last 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys but lands on the underrated list because of his lack of postseason success. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. An all-underrated team like this one can get flooded with Zach Thomas, Hardy Nickerson, Tommy Nobis and Tedy Bruschi types if we don't get a little choosy. He then led three fourth-quarter comebacks to bring them back to the playoffs in 1965. He clocked a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2012. Doug Christie 9. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. 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. He's a seven-time NFL All-Pro, won a Super Bowl, was named to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade team and holds NFL records for longest play (109 yards) and most career kickoff returns for touchdowns. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. 
Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. 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. Watters has never been a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame, which can be blamed almost solely on several incidents where he alienated teammates with his bad attitude. 72 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, we decided to take a look back at the last two decades-plus of the history of selections in that spot. As much as he means to FAU, that is the only player FAU is scheduled to lose. Reidel Anthony, Florida. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. The Top 10 Most Improved Players of the 2023 NBA Season. 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. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. His 0-6 record in the postseason is an NFL record for most playoff games without a win. And you're never going to guess who's No. He had 2 Pro Bowl appearances in the 2000s, and that didnt even include his best season. Chubb is coming off a good season all things considered. Robertson was one of the NFL's fastest linebackers in the 1970s. 
And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. 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. 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. Many superstars surfaced at this time but perhaps none bigger than Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers who led them to 3 straight titles at the beginning of the decade. In this video, we're diving into the world of basketball and exploring the 5 most underrated players in the NBA today. Try Dave Krieg. He enjoyed one of the greatest receiving games in NFL history: 15 catches, 291 yards and three touchdowns against the historic 2000 Ravens defense. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. By being overshadowed by Brown, achieving his greatest success just before the dawn of the Super Bowl era and getting stuck behind the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning of your grandfather's generation, Ryan earned the title of the NFL's All-Time Most Underrated Player. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. And let's not place the full burden of history on his shoulders, as Marty Schottenheimer, Norv Turner, the Chargers front office and Rivers himself had a hand in making the team a playoff also-ran during those peak years. In all, he was a two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year and played in five Super Bowls, losing every time to set an NFL record. 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. 
Wagner has set himself apart over the last decade and may already have earned a spot in the Hall of Fame as an eight-time NFL All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. 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. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. Headlines. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. April 5, 2023 9:13 am ET. Shareef Abdur-Rahim 8. 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? 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. David Garrard. And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. Some NFL players don't get the love they deserve during their careers. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. WebThrough it all, Stafford, for some reason, doesn't seem to get the respect he deserves. 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. Ellard was an Antonio Brown-level talent in his prime, but his teams were in no hurry to get him the ball. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. After the incredible run, they lose just one player: Michael Forrest. 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. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". "No one was going to catch no ball.". More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. Norton made the key play of the game in the second period, when he stood up Buffalo Bills back Kenneth Davis mere inches from the goal line. While Boldin wasn't always a star, he was stunningly consistent. 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. 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. WebOwens had 784 of his 1,006 career catches in the decade and was one of only four players to record more than 100 TDs in the 2000s. Bottom line: Modern football fans never had the pleasure of seeing Ricky Watters or his distinctive, high-stepping running style in his prime. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 
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