As of Jan 4th 2021, 26,682 players have had the unimaginable experience of playing in the NFL. With all of these players in mind, the hard question is asked, which one of them is the best? As the answer is terribly hard, a few players most likely come to people’s mind. Lots say Walter Payton, some say Tom Brady, but at the end of the day, there are a lot of choices. This is easily one of the hardest topics ever argued, but I narrowed it down to two players.
The first player I have in mind was a defensive superstar; his name was Lawrence Taylor. He made the Pro Bowl 10 times! The Pro Bowl is where only the best of the best players get to play. Keep in mind he only played 13 seasons. Lawrence Taylor was an 8 time, all pro, also winning two super bowls, where only the best two teams play. Lawrence Taylor is a 3 time Defensive Player Of The Year and has earned one Rookie Of The Year. On top of all that, he has 132.5 career sacks, which is 8th best all time. Finally, Taylor is one of the only two defensive players to win the Most Valuable Player award.
The second player that ran through my mind was Jerry Rice, one of the most electrifying wide receivers of all time. To start on all the amazing things he has done, he has made thirteen pro bowls. Out of his nineteen year career, he made the pro bowl 68.42% of the time. INSANE! Jerry is a 10 time all pro and 3 time super bowl champion. Jerry has nearly 23,000 (first all-time) yards and has over 1,500 catches. Lastly, he has almost 200 receiving touchdowns.
This is only my opinion though, there are many answers to this question. When this question was asked to Reggie Rivers (Former NFL player), he said “Do I have to exclude myself? Other than myself I have to go with Barry Sanders, he’s just so small and elusive, nobody could tackle him.” Sports Journalist Ryan O’Halloran said “Jim Brown is definitely a candidate, but I have to go with Tom Brady, his legacy will just never be topped.” There are many answers to this question, but I must choose one. Jerry Rice may have all of his stats and flashy catches, but at the end of the day, I think Lawrence Taylor is just more talented.
