In truth, there are really only a handful of tight ends in the history of the NFL who stack up to Gronkowski. This is a handful that includes Travis Kelce, Kellen Winslow, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, John Mackey, and depending on your generosity, maybe one or two others. Simply put, Gronkowski is in rare company. For the sake of a relevant comparison, Kelce is the best of these names to compare to Gronkowski due to the two’s shared era.

Receiving Yards Per Game (Regular Season)

• Gronkowski – 64.9
• Kelce – 71.8

Receiving Touchdowns Per Game (Regular Season)

• Gronkowski – 0.6
• Kelce – 0.5

Kelce does have a slight edge over Gronkowski in the yardage department, but also has 1.4 more receptions per game. Despite this, Gronkowski averaged ever-so-slightly more touchdowns per game. This could symbolize a difference in the way the two tight ends were primarily utilized. Kelce, as been well-documented, tends to make up his own routes as he goes along, an innovative style of play. Gronkowski was that massive target at 6’6” that was going to go up and get the football in jump ball situations and not be denied.

Gronkowski also has those four Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, four first-team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl selections, and his naming to the Hall of Fame’s All-2010s Team. He’s also unlikely to ever come out of retirement again to play in the NFL, regardless of how many fans may want to see it happen. That means he’s a sure lock for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as he becomes eligible. Like other recent retirees J.J. Watt and Gronkowski’s buddy Tom Brady, that matter of eligibility is the only this keeping him out right now.

We’re talking about one of the top three or four tight ends to ever play in the NFL when it comes to Gronkowski. It’s that simple. No tight end has ever scored as many touchdowns in a single season as he did in 2011. It’s also unlikely that that single-season record will be broken any time soon. No question about it, Gronkowski is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL.

The post Is Rob Gronkowski a Future Hall of Famer? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

10. Jakobi Meyers

By many metrics, 2022 was Jakobi Meyers’s best season so far. Yes, he had more overall yardage in 2021, but he had a higher yardage per reception in ’22 and four additional receiving touchdowns despite playing in three less games. At 26, he’s also in the midst of an athletic prime that should last 3-4 more years.

Meyers has improved in each of his NFL seasons with the New England Patriots and looks to make a solid free agent acquisition for somebody this offseason.

9. Jessie Bates III

Former second-team All-Pro free safety Jessie Bates III has had a solid tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals, having a career high four interceptions in 2022. He’s been a big player in the emergence of the Bengals as one of the better defensive units in the NFL over the last couple of seasons.

It seems the Bengals’ focus will be on extending quarterback Joe Burrow this offseason and that probably means Bates winds up on a new team.

8. Jamel Dean

Jamel Dean may not be the greatest ballhawk to ever play the cornerback position, but he is a solid pass defender at his best. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beginning a new era post-Tom Brady, that probably means not resigning free agent pieces which would further complicate the team’s salary issues.

Dean would make a solid addition to a team looking to strengthen their depth in the defensive secondary and, as a Super Bowl champion, would bring solid leadership to any locker room.

7. Lavonte David

He may now be 33 years old, but Lavonte David remains one of the better linebackers in the NFL. His entire career has been spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but like with Jamel Dean, it’d be nearly impossible for the team to keep him this offseason. Somebody’s likely to get a excellent veteran addition to their roster.

David routinely puts up seasons with well over 100 tackles, including last season when he racked up a total of 124. He’ll surely be able to do that again in 2023.

6. Jordan Poyer

Will the Buffalo Bills bring back Jordan Poyer in 2023? They may not, and the veteran safety who will be 32 by season’s start, could get a decent short-term contract somewhere else. His best seasons have been had in recent years, which is the upside for this safety. The downside is that he spent much of 2022 dealing with injuries that limited his production.

Poyer is one of the NFL’s best safeties and that means he’ll be a hot commodity this offseason regardless of the injuries he dealt with in ’22.

5. Javon Hargrave

One of the defensive anchors for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, Javon Hargrave had a career best 11 sacks. Because it appears the Eagles intend to resign C.J. Gardner-Johnson, is it likely that the defensive tackle ends up somewhere else for the 2023 season? Keep in mind, the Eagles have several other soon-to-be free agents to contend with.

Simply put, there’s no defense in the NFL who couldn’t use a player like Hargrave on their roster. He’s going to get paid by somebody and immediately improve their defense.

4. Derek Carr (Signed with the New Orleans Saints)

Derek Carr seems to be one of the current villains of the NFL, only more fitting having played for a franchise known for its villainy. But the Raiders are done with him. He’s always been pretty good, just not good enough to make a whole lot of noise across the league. Not that the Raiders ever did much to support his efforts (signing of Davante Adams excluded, naturally).

With Carr, it’ll be interesting to see what some team is willing to put around him. The New York Jets have been mentioned and that makes a lot of sense. The Jets are a good young team, and they would benefit immensely from the free agent quarterback.

3. Josh Jacobs (Signed franchise tag with the Las Vegas Raiders)

Remember when Zamir White was supposed to surpass and bench Josh Jacobs? What a laugh that turned out to be. The disrespected Jacobs only led the NFL in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, and yards from scrimmage in 2022. But the Raiders need a quarterback, so might the running back be found somewhere else in 2023?

Jacobs’s ascendance from average running to one of the league’s best happened seemingly overnight. Having just turned 25, somebody had better pay him now, because his ascendance may not be finished yet.

2. Lamar Jackson (Signed franchise tag with the Baltimore Ravens)

Lamar Jackson is a great football player. That said, he’s now missed a lot of playing time in each of the last two seasons and that’s an undeniable problem. His place among the NFL’s best quarterbacks isn’t in question, but his ability to stay on the field now is. What are the Baltimore Ravens going to do?

Jackson’s move to a different roster for 2023 would be the story of the offseason, but it may well happen. Talent and ability have never been an issue with the former MVP, but he needs to stay healthy.

1. Saquon Barkley (Signed franchise tag with the New York Giants)

The New York Giants went as far as Saquon Barkley took them in 2022 and the running back proved himself more than capable of coming back from past injury-plagued seasons. There are a few notable teams in the NFL who are a piece away from Super Bowl contention, and if the Giants don’t bring Barkley back, he could easily find his way to one of those teams.

The 26-year-old is reaching his athletic prime and now that any lingering questions about his durability seem to be put to rest, some team in the league is going to get one of the best running backs in the game.

The post Top 10 NFL Free Agents for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

One thing about Brady that is beyond question is his longevity. No quarterback has ever been able to remain at the top of the NFL for as long. That makes for a ton of great plays to choose from in compiling a list of his all-time greatest. The ten best prove why he’s one of the best to ever play at the quarterback position.

10. Game-winning Touchdown Against the Saints in 2013

Brady’s New England Patriots took on Drew Brees’s New Orleans Saints in the 2013 seasons. The game was a face-off between two of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL at the time, and, indeed, of all time. With just seconds to go in the game, the Patriots trailed but were in scoring position.

On what would prove to be the game-winning play, Brady hit wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins with just five seconds to go in the game. It was one of many last-moment comebacks in his career, but one of the most memorable.

9. Touchdown Pass to Scotty Miller in the 2021 NFC Championship

Brady’s tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers resulted in a Super Bowl win against the Kansas City Chiefs. In order to get to that Super Bowl, the Buccaneers needed to get by the Green Bay Packers, who had homefield advantage in the game.

Just before the end of the first half, Brady hit wide receiver Scotty Miller on a long pass for a touchdown to put the Buccaneers up by ten points with one second before the half. The throw also put the momentum squarely in the Bucs’ corner for the start of the second half, and they never looked back on their way to victory.

8. Game-winning Touchdown Against the Bills in 2021

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills played one of the best games of the 2021 season. Josh Allen and the Bills have been one of the best teams in the AFC for the last few seasons, and they gave the Brady and the Buccaneers everything they could handle.

Just about everything, that is. In typical Brady fashion, with the game going to overtime, a 58-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman ended the Bills’ challenge to the Bucs. It was yet another example of Brady’s late regulation/overtime theatrics.

7. Brady Catches a Pass from Danny Amendola

Sometimes the best plays are ones that are uncharacteristic. The same goes for the smartest plays. That’s certainly the case for the long catch Brady hauled in on a pass from his Patriots teammate Danny Amendola against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.

https://youtu.be/UXuZSj9BtJg

With the Patriots down 14 points, such a bizarre call was the right thing for the moment, and with Brady moving out wide, Amendola hit him before he was able to move up the field for a massive gain that put the team’s offense back in the right gear.

6. Touchdown to Randy Moss Keeps the Patriots’ Hopes for Perfection Alive

The Patriots’ perfect regular season of 2007 came under threat by the New York Giants, who would famously dethrone them later that season in the Super Bowl. In their regular season matchup, however, things went a bit differently.

Brady hit Randy Moss on a long touchdown that would put the Patriots on top in a game that tested them about as much as any regular season game did that season. Moss’s ability to break away from a covering safety was the perfect situation for Brady to exploit through his abilities with the deep ball.

5. Touchdown to Rob Gronkowski in Super Bowl XLIX

The Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX in an attempt to thwart them from back-to-back Super Bowl wins, which they successfully did after one of the most controversial and questionable play calls in the history of the NFL.

Nevertheless, Brady did his thing in the game as well, hitting Rob Gronkowski on a long touchdown with about 30 seconds left before halftime. The touchdown put the Patriots up by a touchdown, and was just one of the many Brady-Gronk connections that helped to define an era of the NFL.

4. Touchdown to David Givens in Super Bowl XXXIX

The Patriots faced the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXIX in the earlier days of Brady’s long career. With the Eagles taking a touchdown lead late into the first half, the Patriots found themselves with the ball and driving just before halftime.

As the Patriots got closer to the end zone, Brady tossed a pass out to wide receiver David Givens which was caught for a touchdown allowing the team to tie the game with an extra point heading into the locker room. This particular touchdown is extremely important in the history of the Patriots’ dynasty, revitalizing them in a big moment.

3. Flea-flicker Against Steelers, #2

Brady hurt the Pittsburgh Steelers on two different flea-flickers in his career. The second of these flea-flickers went for 34 yards in the 2017 AFC Championship game, as the Patriots were yet again on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.

Once again, sometimes the best plays are the ones that are uncharacteristic and that we simply don’t see coming. Brady reminded us of this several times throughout his career. That was the case once again with his flea-flicker pass to Chris Hogan.

2. Flea-flicker Against Steelers, #1

The original Brady flea-flicker against the Steelers was even better than the second one, as it went for 56 yards to Jabbar Gaffney for a touchdown. It put the Patriots up by double digits in the third quarter and stands out as one of the greatest plays of the Patriots’ 2007 perfect regular season.

Brady’s penchant for bizarre plays at opportune moments is one of the reasons he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks to every play in the NFL. Not only that, his penchant for these kinds of plays almost always went for huge gains. This was a picture-perfect example.

1. The Touchdown That Created a Dynasty

The first touchdown Brady threw in a Super Bowl put the Patriots up ten points against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. The pass was to David Patten just before halftime. It wasn’t particularly special as far as touchdown passes go, but there’s no question it’s the most significant pass of Brady’s career.

This touchdown created the Patriots dynasty and ended what many thought was going to be a Rams dynasty. It completely uprooted the expectations of the league at the time. The heavily favored Rams found themselves down by double digits at halftime against a young quarterback named Brady, and we’ve all lived through the rest of the story.

The post 10 Greatest Plays of Tom Brady’s Career appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

10. 49ers Goal-line Stand (Super Bowl XVI)

The San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals met in Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Superdome in Pontiac, Michigan. The slightly favored 49ers, led by Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, and Ronnie Lott, put together a goal-line stand in the third quarter that stands out as one of the all-time great Super Bowl moments.

After Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson failed to get in the end zone on first down and Pete Johnson lost a yard on second down, Anderson tossed the ball to Charles Alexander who, on a missed route, was brought down by Dan Bunz to force fourth down.

9. Lynn Swann’s Bobbled Catch (Super Bowl X)

Lynn Swann had just four receptions for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys, but they were four of the biggest receptions in Super Bowl history, going for a total of 161 yards and a touchdown. The most memorable of the four receptions stands out as an all-time great Super Bowl moment.

In the January sun at the Miami Orange Bowl, quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a long pass down the field to Swann who somehow came down with the 53-yard reception after a bobble. Though the 64-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was longer, the bobbled catch is even more memorable, standing out as one of the most improbable catches in NFL history.

8. Vince Lombardi’s Last Game with the Packers (Super Bowl II)

Super Bowl II between the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders at the Miami Orange Bowl wasn’t one of the more competitive games in Super Bowl history, with the Packers taking a quite easy 33-14 win. But it is one of the most memorable games in NFL history because it was the final game Vince Lombardi would coach for the Packers.

In a moment forever secured in NFL history, the Packers carried Lombardi off the field after securing the win over the Raiders. The legendary coach would be stricken ill and die untimely just two years later in 1970 at just 57.

7. Jackie Smith’s Drop (Super Bowl XIII)

Jackie Smith is one of the NFL’s all-time greatest tight ends, as well as one of the all-time greatest Cardinals. His Hall of Fame resumé comes entirely on the merits of his St. Louis Cardinals career. However, his one season with the Dallas Cowboys provided the moment that is perhaps most attached to his NFL career.

In a Miami Orange Bowl Super Bowl rematch between the Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Roger Staubach attempted a pass to a wide open Smith in the end zone in the third quarter. In an uncharacteristic turn, Smith dropped the ball, killing a sure touchdown for the Cowboys. It’s long been said that Smith expected the ball to be thrown by Staubach in his usual manner, but Staubach, seeing how wide open his target was, decided to loft it to him. Regardless, the moment lives in Super Bowl history.

6. Patriots Comeback (Super Bowl LI)

The largest comeback in Super Bowl history happened at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas in Super Bowl LI. Whether you see the comeback as a testament to Tom Brady’s greatness, an all-time great halftime adjustment, or an epic collapse by the Atlanta Falcons, the game is one of the most memorable Super Bowls ever played.

With the score 28-9 in favor of the Falcons at the start of the fourth quarter, the New England Patriots rattled off 19 consecutive points to tie the game and set it to overtime. After Brady hit James White, Danny Amendola, and Chris Hogan to get the Patriots down the field, a pass interference call would put the team in the red zone. On a pitch to White, the most improbable win in Super Bowl history was cemented as he scored the final touchdown.

5. Titans Just Short (Super Bowl XXXIV)

At the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the Tennessee Titans gave the “Greatest Show on Turf” all it could handle. Led by the warrior Steve McNair, the Titans just wouldn’t go away. The high-powered St. Louis Rams were on the ropes as McNair led the Titans offense down the field one last time late in the fourth quarter.

As the clock stood at six seconds remaining in the game, McNair and the Titans had time for just one more play in an attempt to tie the game. A final pass was completed to wide receiver Kevin Dyson who had darted across the middle of the field to get open. Rams linebacker Mike Jones wrapped up Dyson, as the receiver reached out for the end zone and came up just short of the goal-line as time expired.

4. James Harrison’s Interception (Super Bowl XLIII)

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida was the sight of one of the greatest Super Bowls in NFL history. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals exchanged a number of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history, one of which was James Harrison’s goal-line interception return for a touchdown.

Harrison intercepted a pass from Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner to take away a Cardinals touchdown, returning it 100 yards for a touchdown just before halftime to increase the Steelers’ lead to 17-7. At the time, it was the longest play in Super Bowl history.

3. Larry Fitzgerald’s Touchdown (Super Bowl XLIII)

Again, during Super Bowl XLIII, one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history took place. This time, Larry Fitzgerald provided the moment on a 64-yard touchdown catch from Kurt Warner to give the Cardinals their first lead of the game 23-20 with under three minutes to go in the game.

This moment was massive, as it appeared the Cardinals may have been on their way to winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history, their only championships coming in the pre-Super Bowl era of the NFL. It didn’t happen, of course, as the Steelers would go down and score on a game-winning drive that provided yet another list-worthy moment.

2. Helmet Catch (Super Bowl XLII)

Then-University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona was the site of the famous “helmet catch” by David Tyree to lead the New York Giants to victory over that season’s thought-to-be-unbeatable New England Patriots, who had gone 16-0 in the regular season. Eli Manning’s escape from pressure to make the pass was perhaps equally as improbably as the catch itself.

The Giants’ victory was over a Patriots team favored by double digits. In fact, the Giants didn’t even win their division during the regular season. All of this adds up to one of the ultimate David vs. Goliath stories in professional sports history.

1. Joe Namath’s Guarantee (Super Bowl III)

Super Bowl III at the Miami Orange Bowl remains the biggest moment in Super Bowl history. Charismatic New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath’s guarantee of victory over the seemingly superior Baltimore Colts was one of the gutsiest, some might say stupidest calls in professional sports history. Nevertheless, the 19.5-point underdogs pulled off the impossible.

The game was also huge in changing perceptions around the game of pro football. At the time, it was believed that AFL teams stood absolutely no chance against NFL teams, having been beaten badly in the first two Super Bowls. The brash, confident Namath laid waste to that idea, on his way to 206 passing yards, an MVP performance, and what is still the greatest moment in Super Bowl history.

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When we talk about the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Burrow’s name is rarely mentioned with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. But considering that these quarterbacks have failed to beat Burrow’s Bengals, are we overlooking him? Mahomes and Allen both have physical abilities that are above those of Burrow, but how much does that actually matter? There’s something about him that puts him on the level of the league’s best quarterbacks.

It’s been said, in one fashion or another, that Burrow possesses something that isn’t quantifiable, and that that’s what puts him in the same class as Mahomes and Allen. That like Joe Montana before him, Burrow is just too cool. Certainly, this is true. Without a doubt, he’s “cooler” than Mahomes and Allen. But there are other things about his game that put him on that same level, if not even beyond it.

Career Completion Percentage

• Burrow: 68.2%
• Mahomes: 66.3%
• Allen: 62.5%

Burrow is simply more accurate than Mahomes and Allen. The reason for this is that he’s comfortable taking what opposing defenses give him rather than being obsessed with the home run-type plays that we think of with Mahomes and Allen. In fairness, Mahomes, in particular, has adjusted to being able to lead his offense without those relying on those big plays. This is less so the case with Allen, who needed to be Superman in order for the Bills to be a threat this season.

This wraps back around to Burrow’s “cool” factor. He knows he has the best wide receiver core in the NFL at his disposal with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, but he’s levelheaded and confident enough to know he doesn’t have to make superstar plays at all times. But there’s another level to this as well. It disguises the big play potential of the offense. Burrow is keen enough to know this and the offense rallies around it.

So, no, Burrow doesn’t possess the physical abilities of Mahomes and Allen. He isn’t going to be slinging the football around the yard at ridiculous angles and he isn’t going to be hurdling defensive backs on 40-yard runs. But he is going to dissect opposing defenses and open them up for the right plays at the right moments, slowly and surely. His football IQ is probably higher than either Mahomes or Allen, his composure is clearly higher, and his intangibles are unmatched among his contemporaries. All of that may just make him the best overall quarterback in the NFL, even though he isn’t the most talented.

The post Is Joe Burrow the Best Quarterback in the NFL? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The versatility of the position is one of the reasons why it’s so exciting. The greatest at the position have been bruisers, elusive speed freaks, balanced attackers. They’ve done their work inside the tackles, on the perimeter, and out of the backfield. But just who exactly are these backs?

10. Lenny Moore

Lenny Moore was arguably the NFL’s first dual threat running back in terms of running and catching the football. As one of the integral parts of the Baltimore Colts’ offense throughout the 1950s and 1960s, alongside Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry, and John Mackey, Moore led the league in scrimmage yards per touch a remarkable six consecutive seasons between 1956 and 1961.

The two-time NFL champion Moore led the league in yards from scrimmage and combined rushing and receiving touchdowns in 1957 and led the league in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns again in 1964, the same season in which he led the entire league in points scored. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a five-time All-Pro selection.

9. Gale Sayers

As great as the Kansas Comet was, he will always be one of the NFL’s greatest unanswered questions. Gale Sayers played just seven seasons in the league for the Chicago Bears, retiring in the midst of his athletic prime at just 28. Had persistent knee injuries not forced his early retirement, he may well be much higher on this list. Even so, he managed to lead the league in rushing yards per game in three of those seven seasons.

Sayers was extremely elusive and agile which made him one of the most difficult running backs to tackle in NFL history. This talent also enabled him to be one of the league’s all-time great special teams players. In three consecutive seasons from 1965 to 1967, he led the league in all-purpose yards, twice going over the 2,000 mark (2,272 in ’65, 2,440 in ’66).

8. Marshall Faulk

Marshall Faulk was the engine allowing the St. Louis Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf to reach its highest potential. In three consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2001, he was selected as the NFL’s offensive player of the year. Like Lenny Moore before him, he was a specialist at catching the football out of the backfield as well as a traditional running back.

Faulk, who made a name for himself before his Rams days with the Indianapolis Colts, solidified his mark on the NFL with the Super Bowl team of 1999. In the ’99 regular season, he put up 2,429 total yards from scrimmage, breaking down to 1,381 rushing yards and 1,048 receiving yards, as well as 10.2 receiving yards per target.

7. LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tomlinson’s 2006 season stands out as one of the greatest individual seasons by a player at any position in NFL history. His 28 rushing touchdowns that season remains a league record even with the schedule jumping from 16 games to 17 starting in the 2021 season. Though this kind of season was never replicated, the rest of his career is equally worthy of praise.

Tomlinson led the NFL in rushing touchdowns for the San Diego Chargers in two seasons other than ’06 as well, in 2004 and 2007. Only Emmitt Smith scored more rushing touchdowns in league history. Few running backs have ever been as consistently great as he was for much of his career.

6. Eric Dickerson

Eric Dickerson was the Los Angeles Rams of the 1980s. In five seasons with the team, he led the NFL in rushing yards in three of them, including the ’84 season when he went for 2,105. He also had a great season with the Indianapolis Colts in ’88, which was one of four seasons he put up over 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

Dickerson slowed down beginning in the third year of his tenure with the Colts, but for most of his career he was consistently a threat to rush for over 1,200 yards. His 2,105-yard mark from ’84 still stands as an NFL single-season record, having been approached but never topped a couple of times by the likes of Adrian Peterson and Derrick Henry.

5. Barry Sanders

When you think about the history of the Detroit Lions, the first player that probably comes to mind is Barry Sanders. Few, if any, running back in league history has been as consistent. Even more impressive is that he played on teams that were generally less than stellar, with an offensive line that was likely lesser than many of the other great backs in league history.

Sanders also retired young at just 31 and just 1,457 shy of the then all-time rushing record held by Walter Payton. It’s entirely conceivable that he may have been able to reach that record had he chosen to keep playing. Nevertheless, there’s never been a back who has ever achieved more in the NFL with less.

4. Walter Payton

It was no mistake that Walter Payton became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. After all, he was an absolute work horse. Between 1976 and 1979, he led the league in carries each season, reaching the mark of 369 in the ’79 season. Less known than the rushing record is that he also retired as the all-time leader in receptions as a running back, again pointing to his workload.

Plenty of lists have Payton higher than four, but that’s the appropriate placement. His numbers are more the result of repetition and the sizable workload he maintained rather than his being more talented than others on this list. However, there is something to be said for a running back who could hold up that level of play for so long.

3. Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith is currently the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, owing largely to his longevity at this running back position. In 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, he had 11 seasons of at least 1,000 rushing yards and led the league in rushing four times. As part of the Cowboys dynasty of the 1990s, he was also one of the great postseason performers in league history.

What’s more, Smith is also the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. His style of play was deceptive because he never appeared to be all that fast, elusive, or powerful. Yet there were never better running backs in the league while he was active, a testament to his vision in the backfield, on the go, and knowledge of situations.

2. O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson’s 1973 season is arguably the greatest individual season in the history of the NFL. In a 14-game schedule, he managed to rush for 2,003 yards, averaging 143.1 rushing yards per game. Imagine how many yards he gets if that’s a 17-game schedule. However, it took a few seasons for the Buffalo Bills to bring in a coach who would feature him so heavily.

In terms of sheer talent, no one tops Simpson. His longevity may not match that of Emmitt Smith or Walter Payton, but he was far more talented than either of them. Persistent legal problems have long since deterred the public’s attention away from his playing career, but there’s no denying his place as one of the NFL’s all-time greatest players.

1. Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s dominance over the NFL was unreal. In his nine-year career, there was only one season that he didn’t lead the league in rushing and in rushing yards per game. He led the league in rushing touchdowns in five seasons. He led the league in yards from scrimmage in six seasons. It’s similar to the way Wilt Chamberlain once dominated the NBA.

The eight-time All-Pro selection and three-time MVP is one of the five greatest players in NFL history. At 6’2”, 232 lbs, Brown was a bulldozer running the football. His 104.3 career rushing yards per game is the most in the history of the league. No player has ever had his level of superiority over his contemporaries.

The post Top 10 Running Backs of All Time appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Vance Joseph

Recent history has shown that the Cardinals are a franchise that likes to promote from within the organization. Given this tendency, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph seems like a candidate for consideration as the next head coach. That being said, he may not be the right pick for this particular situation. If the team is looking to move beyond the sick taste that is currently in its mouth, internal promotion isn’t likely to be the way to get there.

Joseph had one other opportunity as a head coach in the NFL for the Denver Broncos in 2017 and 2018, in which he finished with a coaching record of 11-21. That doesn’t inspire a lot of hope for his candidacy this time around, despite the Cardinals’ tendency for internal promotions. If the team is serious about getting back to the status of a playoff contender in the NFC, it’s going to require looking elsewhere.

DeMeco Ryans

DeMeco Ryans’s name has been floating around the rumor mill economy as a possible NFL head coach next season. At the moment, the defensive coordinator of arguably the best defense in the league right now is a hot commodity. The Cardinals could take benefit from taking a look at him as their next coach.

But will Ryans want the challenge of going from an NFC frontrunner to a struggling franchise? Or might he look at another team in need of a head coach, like the Broncos or Houston Texans, the latter of which he has an established history with. Perhaps the fate of the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs will help to sort out these questions.

Sean Payton

The most obvious choice for the Cardinals is to bring in Sean Payton. A return to an NFL head coaching position for Payton seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, with the Cardinals and Broncos both showing interest in him. His .631 career winning percentage is a huge reason why. To turn things around in Glendale, it’s got to be the hiring of this Super Bowl winning coach that does it.

There is enough talent on this Cardinals team even with the retirement of J.J. Watt and the likely leaving of DeAndre Hopkins to be players in the NFC West. Payton can bring to this organization something they’ve been lacking since the departure of Bruce Arians: a true leader. What’s more, Kyler Murray deserves to have a coach who fully knows how to nurture his talents and lead him into the maturity necessary to be one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. The Cardinals’ intentions as a franchise will be revealed in this choice. It needs to be Sean Payton.

The post Who Will Be the Next Arizona Cardinals Coach? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

There is also the factor of championships that clouds this conversation. It’s a difficult balance to keep; on one hand, great quarterbacks often lead their teams to championships; on the other hand, individuals don’t win championships. Winning a championship is the job of a team. To determine who the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history are, all the elements that make up a career need to be properly contextualized, free of any recency bias, raw number worship, or blind adherence to championship wins.

10. Joe Montana

Joe Montana won four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers dynasty of the 1980s. His efficiency as a passer was unmatched by any other quarterback of his era. He led the NFL in completion percentage five times, including in 1989 at 70.2% through 13 games, an incredible accomplishment in an era far less quarterback-friendly than the league is today.

Montana is also one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, constantly coming up big in moments when the 49ers needed it. He played a major role in the emergence of one of the league’s all-time greatest players, Jerry Rice, and the tandem became one of the most potent QB-WR pairs the league has ever seen.

9. Aaron Rodgers

Four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. He routinely makes throws that would be impossible for the vast majority of quarterbacks who have ever played. His ability to read defenses is also one of his greatest assets. Six times he has led the league in interception percentage index, an important diagnostic tool for making sense out of raw numbers.

The Green Bay Packers have routinely been contenders since Rodgers took over at the helm, leading generally more successful teams than his predecessor Brett Favre did. This speaks to his ability to adjust to a new situation. Throughout his career, he’s helped develop Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and Davante Adams.

8. Drew Brees

In the history of the NFL, there’s been only one quarterback who has helped to redefine the definition of airing it out more than Drew Brees. Four times he threw for over 5,000 passing yards in a regular season. What’s more, five times he completed over 70% of his passes in a regular season. This helped the New Orleans Saints become a perennial contender in the NFC.

Brees led the NFL in yards gained per game played six times, with a high of 342.3 in 2011, and led the Saints to a Super Bowl win to cap off the 2009 season against the Indianapolis Colts. Few players have done more to raise the standing of a franchise in the national sports conversation than he did for the Saints.

7. Sid Luckman

Sid Luckman was coined “the first great T-formation quarterback” by sportswriter Ira Berkow and is still recognized today for his ability to innovate in the passing game. The offensive leader of four Chicago Bears NFL championship teams was proficient in a way no other quarterback was at that particular time. In 1943, an incredible 13.9% of his pass attempts went for touchdowns.

Luckman is also remarkable for reasons aside from his playing career, being one of the most prominent Jewish athletes of all time, and playing during World War II while also being a member of the United States Merchant Marines. He is still tied for the most touchdown passes thrown in a game with seven, being the first quarterback in the NFL to accomplish this.

6. Otto Graham

Incredibly, Otto Graham was the leader of seven Cleveland Browns championship teams in his ten seasons. Four of these came in the AAFC before the franchise entered the NFL, a league they held a complete, undisputed dominance over. These teams also featured the great Marion Motley and were coached by the team’s namesake, Paul Brown.

With seven championships, Graham is tied with Tom Brady as the most decorated quarterback in the history of professional football. He also put up completion percentages over 60% twice in an era with absolutely no pity for offensive play, which is easily the equal of a 70% completion mark under today’s rules.

5. Roger Staubach

Captain America, in many ways, was the prototype for the contemporary scrambling quarterback. Leading the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl wins along the way, Roger Staubach lit up the NFL highlight reel with his elusive style of play which was unlike anything the league had ever seen at that particular time.

Staubach led the NFL in adjusted net yards per attempt four times and in passing rating index five times, with a high of 144 in the 1971 season. But what he’s remembered for more than anything else is being the leader of “America’s Team” whose style of play never knew a game was out of reach while the football was in his team’s possession.

4. Tom Brady

Tom Brady is the greatest of all time, right? We’ve heard it all a million times over. Pump the brakes. Those seven Super Bowls could easily have been two or three without Bill Belichick’s defenses. Nevertheless, Brady’s unmatched longevity and untouchable records are worth noting in and of themselves. He’ll likely be the only member of the 600-touchdown club to ever exist.

No one knows when Brady will finally call it a career, but considering 2021 was the first season he threw for over 5,000 yards, it’s possible he continues to play even after the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season comes to an end. He’s been one of the inevitable facts of life, along with death and taxes, for over 20 years.

3. Johnny Unitas

The great Johnny U had physical abilities unmatched by any quarterback of his era. He led the NFL in passing touchdowns in four consecutive seasons from 1957-1960. This allowed the Baltimore Colts to win three NFL championships, including a Super Bowl win against the Dallas Cowboys to cap off the 1970 season.

Johnny Unitas remains one of the most familiar household names among NFL players 50 years since his retirement. That’s a testament to just how he reimagined the possibilities of the quarterback position. The three-time MVP is one of the most complete passers in the history of the NFL, going for over 3,000 passing yards in a season several times in an era when that wasn’t an easy thing to do.

2. Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning is the greatest passer in the history of the NFL and it isn’t even remotely close. With the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, he was routinely above all other quarterbacks in the league. His 2013 season of 55 passing touchdowns still hasn’t been broken, even with the additional game added to the schedule in 2021.

Manning is the NFL’s only five-time MVP, a mark that likely stands for the foreseeable future. His game IQ is what sets him apart from his contemporaries, including his pocket presence, which was second to none. Despite being a non-scrambling quarterback, he led the NFL in sack percentage index six times, which lends itself to more than just having a good offensive line.

1. Sammy Baugh

Not only is Sammy Baugh the NFL’s all-time greatest quarterback, he’s arguably its all-time greatest player. No quarterback has ever had the efficiency of Baugh, let alone been able to lead the league in defensive interceptions (11 in 1943) while also being the league’s greatest punter. Simply put, he’s an unmatched figure in the history of the league.

Slingin’ Sammy forced the issue at the quarterback position at a time when that wasn’t generally done, and it paid off. He led the NFL in completion percentage index eight times and interception percentage index five times. In 1945, in ten games, he reached the 70.3% mark, which is nearly impossible to fathom. That number reasonably goes for at least 80% governed by the rules of today’s league. Simply unbelievable.

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What’s more interesting at the moment is thinking about which teams are going to fill the final playoff spots in each conference. Here’s a look at how some teams are looking.

NFL Playoff Picture

AFC

• Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are in excellent shape to make the playoffs as the AFC South division champions. Trevor Lawrence is really starting to figure the speed of the NFL out and making the transition the team needs him to in order to be successful. Zay Jones, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram make for solid options for Lawrence to distribute the ball and Travis Etienne Jr. is becoming one of the league’s better running backs. This team is getting hot at the right time.

Verdict: In

• Tennessee Titans

The Titans are in big trouble. With Ryan Tannehill lost for the rest of the season and an anemic receiving core, they’ve taken on more water than their ship can support. Derrick Henry remains one of the NFL’s best players, but there’s little his potent rushing attack can accomplish if it isn’t accompanied by a competent passing game.

Verdict: Out

• Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa has run into yet another stint of dealing with a concussion, and the Dolphins would be wise at this point to keep him sidelined for the rest of the season (if not longer). Teddy Bridgewater will start against the New England Patriots Week 17. The good news for the Dolphins is that they have enough other playmakers on the team to get through the last two weeks of the regular season, especially considering the Patriots and New York Jets appear to have no interest in making the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers, if they get by the Baltimore Ravens, may have something to say. But that’s a big if.

Verdict: In

NFC

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are a bad football team. Because of the presence of Tom Brady, media giants are squirming to find a reason why they’ll make the playoffs. But this isn’t anything even resembling a playoff team. Brady looks bad, they can barely run the ball, their receivers have under performed, their offensive line stinks. They had to go to overtime to beat an Arizona Cardinals team starting its third-string quarterback.

Verdict: Out

• Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have finally found an identity for their football team. They run the ball. Then they run it some more. It isn’t much but it works for them as of late. There’s more than enough on this team to win an NFC South division that no one else is remotely interested in trying to win. D’Onta Foreman will get the team there himself if nothing else.

Verdict: In

• New York Giants

The Giants have just enough going for them to pass as a winning football team. Saquon Barkley is one of the NFL’s best players and has looked incredible this season. Daniel Jones is just good enough to make the necessary plays for Barkley to carry the rest of the load on their offense. But on defense, Kayvon Thibodeaux looks to be on his way to becoming every bit the player he was expected to be coming out of Oregon.

Verdict: In

• Washington Commanders

This Commanders team is baffling. They found themselves in the position of winning games with Taylor Heinicke. So what do they do? They announce Carson Wentz as the starter for Week 17, a guy who hasn’t accomplished anything in recent memory. It’s almost like they don’t want to make the playoffs.

Verdict: Out

• Detroit Lions

Someone’s got to take the final Wild Card spot in the NFC, so who’s it going to be? You bet it’ll be the Lions. This team is hungry and, despite losing to the Carolina Panthers, has looked near unstoppable over the last several weeks of the regular season. This is a team that wants it, and Jared Goff knows how to win games, particularly with the vast array of offensive weapons he has at his disposal on this team.

Verdict: In

The post A New Year’s Playoff Outlook appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Current Vegas Odds for MVP (FanDuel Sportsbook):

• Mahomes: -500
• Burrow: +600
• Allen: +1000
• Hurts: +1100

It’s important to look deeply into the numbers each of these players has put up to grasp each of their claims to MVP. Hurts has thrown for 3,472 yards in 14 games. For reference, Mahomes has thrown for 4,720 yards, Burrow for 4,260, and Allen for 4,029, all in 15 games. Allen leads all four in passing attempts, leaving his completion percentage at 63.4, which is also the lowest of the four. But Buffalo’s offense goes almost exclusively through him, to a greater extent than any of the others.

This is also shown in the running game, where Allen’s 746 rushing yards dwarfs Mahomes’s 321 and Burrow’s 247. Hurts has 747 in one less game. He also has 13 rushing touchdowns, which is six more than Allen’s total. Hurts’s 13 rushing touchdowns is just one away from Cam Newton’s 14 in 2011 for the most by a quarterback in a single season in the history of the NFL. With two regular season games remaining, should Hurts find himself on track to play, Newton’s record won’t be standing much longer.

The comparison of Hurts and Newton is interesting to examine further. Newton won the NFL’s MVP award in 2015, a season in which he too led his team to a season with just a single loss as a starter. But Hurts’s numbers are better in certain areas.

2015 Cam Newton (16 starts):

• 3,837 passing yards
• 38 passing touchdowns
• 7.8 yards gained per pass attempt
• 10 interceptions
• 636 rushing yards
• 10 rushing touchdowns

2022 Jalen Hurts (through 14 starts):

• 3,472 passing yards
• 22 passing touchdowns
• 8.2 yards gained per pass attempt
• 5 interceptions
• 747 rushing yards
• 13 rushing touchdowns

The only knock on Hurts’s chances for MVP is that missed start against the Cowboys on Christmas Eve. Mahomes, Burrow, and Allen all have an additional start to their credit. It isn’t clear at this point if Hurts will be missing either of the Eagles’ remaining games, with speculation lending itself in either direction at the moment. If he plays in the last two games, his chances are really good. If he doesn’t play in one or both of the remaining games, he’ll fall out entirely, and Mahomes will likely end up with the award on his reputation, let alone his stats.

The post Does Jalen Hurts Deserve to be MVP? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.