20 most underrated football players of all time 20 most underrated football players of all time

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. TGT Tips! FEDERICO CHIESA. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. That's not something to hold against a player. WebTop ten under-capped England players is a list Foden and Maddison want to avoid Matt Le Tissier won 10 fewer England caps than Carlton Palmer. McDole, nicknamed "The Dancing Bear" because of his boogie on the dance floor rather than his on-field footwork, was known as more of a run defender than a pass-rusher. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. Far from it. Ronald Koeman. Ron McDole falls into that final category. 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. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. 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. 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. 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. When the team inducted Smith into the Pride of the Jaguars ring of honor last year, it was the strange case of a moribund franchise honoring a former receiver still on parole for succumbing to the demons of addiction. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. 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. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Perhaps it's time we look back on how much of an impact he and his Jaguars had on the NFL two decades ago. Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. Dont know about you, but I want Mason on my retro fantasy league team. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. Steve Atwater. 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. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. 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. 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. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Some of the 19 Now that's underrated. Jordi Alba. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. 25 Feb/23. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Super Bowl victories? 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. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? 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 was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. 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. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. As a 31-year-old, no less. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. 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. Then it was off to Carolina, where he earned an All-Pro selection for leading the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team during his age-37 season. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. #5. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. 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. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. Evans is a long shot to do either, which is a shame. St. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. 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. Not enough credit is given to Waller who lacks the Shanahan offense or elite QB to help take his game to the next level. 10. 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. 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. 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. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. 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. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. David entered the league as a terrific coverage linebacker and has continued to grow into an all-around complete linebacker and playmaker. 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? 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. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. He played center, as well, before his career was over. Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. 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. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. Franklin-Myers went from fourth-round draft choice of the Rams in 2018, to a final roster cut in 2019. Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Beachum, OT. 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. Turned out he was skilled and driven enough to be a champion. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. 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. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. 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. Deion Jones is one interception away from tying the all-time record for pick 6's by a linebacker, and he's done it in a fraction of the games. There will never be another player like Marshall. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. 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. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. 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. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. Try Dave Krieg. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. With 4.35 speed, McLaurin can take the top off any defense but has also rounded out the rest of his game since his time at Ohio State. But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. 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. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. His 23 fourth-quarter comebacks (20th overall) are more than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name a few Hall of Famers at the position. 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. Time has been hard on both of them. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll NFL and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. 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. Six All-Pro selections. David was a crucial component of the Bucs defense during their playoff run in 2020 that culminated in a Super Bowl victory. 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? Buckner is a smart player and one of the better-run defenders in football. "I dont get it. 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. 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. 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. Buckner earned his first All-Pro honors in 2020 and still has plenty of untapped potential to take his game to another level at just 27 years old. White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. original sound - ftbl vids 221. 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. Ken Griffey Jr.? Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. Sam Mills rises above the rest of the gritty linebacker pack, at least when it comes to being underrated, because three of his greatest seasons have been erased from history. While every fan base is sure to have two or three names they feel are undervalued and worthy of this list, here are my current top ten underrated players in the NFL. Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s.