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Every ranking update ever (Last football update: 2/25/25 Next football update: March ’26)

The making of the list.

The Rules

If you disagree with the placement of an athlete whose prime occurred before 1975, please read The ChatGPT Cautionary Tale before commenting.

Historically undervalued: 🔵

Rank	Player			Position	Years
1	Tom Brady		Why?	QB	2000-2023
2	Jerry Rice			WR	1985-2004
3	Peyton Manning			QB	1998-2015
4	Lawrence Taylor			LB	1981-1993
5	Ray Lewis	🔵		LB	1996-2012
6	Emmitt Smith	🔵		RB	1990-2004
7	Aaron Rodgers			QB	2005-active
8	Reggie White			DE	1985-2000
9	Bruce Smith			DE	1985-2003
10	Aaron Donald			DT	2014-2024
11	Joe Montana			QB	1979-1994
12	Patrick Mahomes			QB	2017-active
13	Drew Brees			QB	2001-2021
14	Deion Sanders			CB	1989-2005
15	Anthony Munoz			OT	1980-1992
16	Brett Favre			QB	1991-2010
17	Barry Sanders			RB	1989-1998
18	Rod Woodson			CB	1987-2003
19	Bruce Matthews			G	1983-2001
20	JJ Watt			DE	2011-2022
21	Joe Greene			DT	1969-1981
22	Alan Page			DT	1967-1981
23	Derrick Brooks			LB	1995-2008
24	Walter Payton			RB	1975-1987
25	Jim Brown			RB	1957-1965
26	Ronnie Lott			S	1981-1994
27	Ed Reed			S	2002-2013
28	Marshall Faulk			RB	1994-2005
29	LaDainian Tomlinson			RB	2001-2011
30	Randy Moss			WR	1998-2012
31	Terrell Owens			WR	1996-2010
32	Steve Young			QB	1985-1999
33	Travis Kelce			TE	2013-active
34	Mike Singletary			LB	1981-1992
35	Randy White			DT	1975-1988
36	Charles Woodson			CB	1998-2015
37	Rob Gronkowski			TE	2010-2022
38	TJ Watt			LB	2017-active
39	Champ Bailey			CB	1999-2013
40	Jonathan Ogden			OT	1996-2007
41	John Elway			QB	1983-1998
42	Junior Seau			LB	1990-2009
43	Randall McDaniel			G	1988-2001
44	Jack Lambert			LB	1974-1984
45	Adrian Peterson			RB	2007-2021
46	Eric Dickerson			RB	1983-1993
47	John Hannah			G	1973-1985
48	Larry Allen			G	1994-2007
49	Willie Roaf			OT	1993-2005
50	Ken Houston			S	1967-1980
51	Walter Jones			OT	1997-2008
52	Michael Strahan			DE	1993-2007
53	Derrick Henry			RB	2016-active
54	Jack Ham			LB	1971-1982
55	Warren Sapp			DT	1995-2007
56	Von Miller	🔵		LB	2011-active
57	John Randle			DT	1990-2003
58	Marvin Harrison			WR	1996-2008
59	Lamar Jackson			QB	2018-active
60	Dan Marino			QB	1983-1999
61	Mike Webster			C	1974-1990
62	Will Shields			G	1993-2006
63	Darrelle Revis			CB	2007-2017
64	DeMarcus Ware			LB	2005-2016
65	Alan Faneca			G	1998-2010
66	Gino Marchetti			DE	1952-1966
67	Bobby Wagner	🔵		LB	2012-active
68	Bob Lilly			DT	1961-1974
69	Johnny Unitas			QB	1956-1973
70	Deacon Jones			DE	1961-1974
71	Merlin Olsen			DT	1962-1976
72	Mel Blount			CB	1970-1983
73	Joe Thomas			OT	2007-2017
74	Brian Dawkins			S	1996-2011
75	Brian Urlacher			LB	2000-2012
76	Ted Hendricks			LB	1969-1983
77	Forrest Gregg			OT	1956-1971
78	Larry Fitzgerald			WR	2004-2020
79	OJ Simpson			RB	1969-1979
80	Earl Campbell			RB	1978-1985
81	Otto Graham			QB	1946-1955
82	Tony Gonzalez			TE	1997-2013
83	Julius Peppers			DE	2002-2018
84	Mike Haynes			CB	1976-1989
85	Jason Taylor			DE	1997-2011
86	Josh Allen			QB	2018-active
87	Myles Garrett			DE	2017-active
88	Troy Polamalu			S	2003-2014
89	Jack Youngblood	🔵		DE	1971-1984
90	Kevin Greene			LB	1985-1999
91	Luke Kuechly			LB	2012-2019
92	Dick “Night Train” Lane			CB	1952-1965
93	Dick Butkus			LB	1965-1973
94	Sammy Baugh			QB	1937-1952
95	Russell Wilson			QB	2012-active
96	Chuck Bednarik			LB	1949-1962
97	Joe Schmidt			LB	1953-1965
98	Julio Jones			WR	2011-active
99	Antonio Brown			WR	2010-2021
100	Terry Bradshaw			QB	1970-1983

The rest of the best football players of all time.