Top 100: NFL players all-time list – [2024 Updated]

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We are starting to prepare for an NFL 2024 season with expectations of records and legends. Who is the best NFL player of all time?

In this article, Scott Fujita will summarize for you the list of NFL top 100 players of all time. They are players who have made great contributions to NFL history.

Let’s read on to discover!

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Top 100 NFL greatest players of all-time.

Contents

Who are The Top 100 NFL Players of All Time?

Below is a summary of the top 100 best NFL players of all time:

1. Jerry Rice

Position: Wide Receiver.

Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders.

Highlight achievement: 

2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame, 3-time Super Bowl champion, 13-time Pro Bowl, over 20,000 receiving yards in NFL history.

View more about Jerry Rice

2. Tom Brady

Position: QB.

Team: New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Highlight achievement: 

6-time Super Bowl champion, 4-time Super Bowl MVP, 3-time First-team All-Pro, 2-time Second-team All-Pro, 2009 Player of the Year.

View more:

3. Lawrence Taylor

Position: LB.

Team: New York Giants.

Highlight achievement: 

2-time Super Bowl champion, 9-time First-Team All-Pro, 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

4. Jim Brown

Position: Running Back.

Team: Cleveland Browns.

Highlight achievement: 

8-time First-Team All-Pro, Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1962 Second-Team All-Pro, 9-time Pro Bowl.

Related about Jim Brown

5. Walter Payton

Position: Running Back.

Team: Chicago Bears.

Highlight achievement: 

1 Super Bowl champion, Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, Second-team All-Pro in 1986, Second leading rusher in NFL history.

6. Joe Montana

Position: QB.

Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs.

Highlight achievement: 

Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, 4-time Super Bowl champion, 3-time Super Bowl MVP, 3-time first-team All-Pro, 2-time second-team All-Pro.

7. Reggie White

Position: DE.

Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, and Green Bay Packers.

Highlight achievement: 

Super Bowl champion in 1996, Hall of Fame, AP Defensive Player of the Year, 8-time first-team All-Pro.

8. Peyton Manning

Position: QB.

Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos.

Highlight achievement: 

2-time Super Bowl champion, 14-time Pro Bowl, 3-time second-team All-Pro.

2-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, 2nd most passing yards in NFL history.

9. Johnny Unitas

Position: QB.

Teams: Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers.

Highlight achievement: a Super Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1979).

10. Barry Sanders

Position: Running Back.

Team: Detroit Lions.

Achievements: Pro Football HOF 2004, 10-time pro bowl.

11. Joe Greene

Position: Defensive Tackle.

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers.

Highlight achievement: 

Pro Football HOF (1987), 4-time Super Bowl champion, 5-time First-team All-Pro, 3-time Second-team All-Pro, and 10-time Pro Bowl.

12. Dick Butkus

Position: LB.

Team: Chicago Bears.

Highlight achievement: 

1979 Pro Football Hall of Fame, 6-time first-team All-Pro.

2-time second-team All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowl, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

13. Ronnie Lott

Position: DB.

Teams: Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers.

Achievements: 

2000 Hall of Fame, 4-time Super Bowl Champion, First-team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowl.

14. Anthony Munoz

Position: LT.

Team: Cincinnati Bengals.

Achievements: Hall of Fame in 1998, First-team All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowl.

15. Deacon Jones

Position: DE.

Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers.

Achievements: 

1980 Pro Football Hall of Fame, 3-time second-team All-Pro, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 5-time First-Team All-Pro.

16. Deion Sanders

Position: DB.

Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, and Washington Redskins.

Achievements: 

2011 Hall of Fame, AP Defensive Player of the Year 1994, 2-time Super Bowl Champion, First-team All-Pro.

17. Otto Graham

Position: QB.

Team: Cleveland Browns.

Achievements: Hall of Fame in 1965, 3-time NFL Champion, 4-time AAFC champion,  First-team All-Pro.

18. John Elway

Position: QB.

Team: Denver Broncos.

Achievements: Hall of Fame in 2004, two-time Super Bowl champion, 1998 Super Bowl MVP.

19. Emmitt Smith

Position: Running Back.

Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals.

Achievements: Pro Football HOF 2010, three-time Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP.

20. Dan Marino

Position: QB.

Teams: Miami Dolphins.

Achievements: 

3-time First-team All-Pro, 4-time second-team All-Pro, NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1994), 9-time Pro Bowl.

21. Gale Sayers

Position: Running Back.

Team: Chicago Bears.

Achievements: Hall of Fame in 1977, First-team All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowl.

22. Sammy Baugh

Position: QB

Team: Washington Redskins.

Achievements: 2-time NFL champion, 4-time First-team All-Pro.

23. Ray Lewis

Position: LB.

Team: Baltimore Ravens.

Achievements: 2-time Super Bowl champion, AP Defensive Player of the Year 2003, Super Bowl MVP, First-team All-Pro.

24. Randy Moss

Position: Wide Receiver.

Teams: Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and Tennessee Titans.

Achievements: 4-time First-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl MVP.

25. Don Hutson (Green Bay Packers)

Position: E.

Team: Green Bay Packers.

Achievements: Hall of Fame, 3-time NFL champion, First-team All-Pro.

26. Brett Favre

Position: QB.

Teams: Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Jets.

Achievements: 

2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame, 3-time first-team All-Pro, 3-time second-team All-Pro, Super Bowl champion.

27. Alan Page

Position: DT.

Teams: Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears.

Achievements: Pro Football HOF, NFL defensive player of the year.

28. Bruce Smith

Position: DE.

Teams: Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins.

Achievements: 

8-time First-team All-Pro, 2-time Second-team All-Pro, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

29. Jack Lambert

Position: LB.

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers.

Achievements: 

4-time Super Bowl champion, 6-time First-team All-Pro, 2-time Second-team All-Pro, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

30. John Hannah

Position: G.

Team: New England Patriots.

Achievements: First-team All-Pro.

31. Bob Lilly

Position: DT.

Team: Dallas Cowboys.

Achievements: Hall of Fame in 1980, Super Bowl Champion (1972), First-team All-Pro.

32. Ed Reed

Position: S.

Team: Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and New York Jets.

Achievements: 

Super Bowl Champion, 5-time First-team All-Pro, 3-time Second-team All-Pro.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2004), Longest Interception Return in NFL History. 

33. Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane

Position: CB.

Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Chicago Cardinals.

Achievements: 

1974 Pro Football Hall of Fame, 7-time Pro Bowl, 7-time first-team All-Pro, most interceptions in a season in NFL history (14).

34. Drew Brees

Position: QB.

Teams: San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints.

Achievements: Super Bowl champion, 2-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year,  First-team All-pro.

35. Gino Marchetti

Position: Defensive End.

Teams: Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts.

Achievements: Hall of Fame in 1972, seven-time First-Team All-Pro.

36. Tony Gonzalez

Position: Tight End.

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons.

Achievements: 6-time First-team All-Pro, 4-time Second-team All-Pro.

37. Rod Woodson

Position: DB.

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders.

Achievements: 

1993 AP Defensive Player of the Year, 2009 Hall of Fame, 2001 Super Bowl champion, First-team All-Pro.

38.  Eric Dickerson

Position: Running Back.

Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons.

Achievements: 1999 Hall of Fame, AP Offensive Player of the Year, 5-time First-team All-Pro.

39. Mel Blount

Position: DB.

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers.

Achievements: 1989 Hall of Fame, 4-time Super Bowl champion, AP Defensive Player of Year, First-team All-Pro.

40. O.J. Simpson

Position: Running Back.

Teams: Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers.

Achievements: 1985 Hall of Fame, 5-time First-team All-Pro.

41. Aaron Rodgers

Position: QB.

Team: Green Bay Packers.

Achievements: 

Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, 2-time First-team All-pro,  Second-team All-pro (2012), Seven-time pro bowl.

42. Ray Nitschke

Position: LB.

Team: Green Bay Packers.

Achievements: 1978 Hall of Fame, 2-time Super Bowl champion, First-team All-Pro.

43. Forrest Gregg

Position: T.

Teams: Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys.

Achievements: Pro Football HOF (1977), 3-time Super Bowl Champion, 7-time First-team All-pro, nine pro bowls.

44. Chuck Bednarik

Position: C/LB.

Team: Philadelphia Eagles.

Achievements: Hall of Fame in 1967, 2-time NFL champion (1949, ‘60), First-team All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler

45. Jim Thorpe

Position: RB.

Teams: Cleveland Indians, Canton Bulldogs, Oorang Indians, New York Giants, Chicago Cardinals.

Achievements: First-team All-pro in 1923.

46. Mike Singletary

Position: LB.

Team: Chicago Bears.

Achievements: Super Bowl Champion, 7-time First-team All-pro, Second-team All-pro 1990.

47. Red Grange

Position: RB.

Teams: Chicago Bears, New York Yankees.

Achievements: Pro Football HOF, 2-time First-team All-pro.

48. Roger Staubach

Position: QB.

Team: Dallas Cowboys.

Achievements: Super Bowl MVP.

49. Jim Parker

Position: OG/OT.

Team: Baltimore Colts.

Achievements: 9-time First-team All-Pro, Second-team All-Pro.

50. Bronko Nagurski

Position: FB.

Team: Chicago Bears.

Achievements: 1963 Hall of Fame, 4-time First-team All-Pro.

***

Below are 50 great names that remain on the list of the greatest NFL players of all time.

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NFL players with many achievements.

51. John Mackey

52. Terrell Owens

53. Merlin Olsen

54. LaDainian Tomlinson

55. Gene Upshaw

56. Steve Young

57. Marshall Faulk

58. Raymond Berry

59. Earl Campbell

60. Junior Seau

61. Charles Woodson

62. Lance Alworth

63. Bart Starr

64. J.J. Watt

65. Larry Fitzgerald

66. Mike Webster

67. Jack Ham

68. Joe Namath

69. Orlando Pace

70. Art Shell

71. Ted Hendricks

72. Randy White

73. Bruce Matthews

74. Larry Allen

75. Terry Bradshaw

76. Sid Luckman

77. Jim Otto

78. Michael Strahan

79. Kellen Winslow Sr

80. Adrian Peterson

81. Walter Jones

82. Willie Lanier

83. Michael Irvin

84. Jonathan Ogden

85. Marvin Harrison

86. Derrick Thomas

87. Troy Polamalu

88. Aaron Donald

89. Rob Gronkowski

90. Tony Dorsett

91. Lee Roy Selmon

92. Fran Tarkenton

93. Marion Motley

94. Herb Adderley

95. Adam Vinatieri

96. Darrell Green

98. Willie Brown

99. Franco Harris

100. Troy Aikman

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All-time team most significant moment.

This video also compiled the most renowned names of the best football players of all time in the.

#100: Joe Namath | The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players (2010) | #FlashbackFridays

Final Thought 

Above are the NFL top 100 all time with outstanding achievements in NFL history. Scott Fujita will continue to refresh and update this list. If you are a football enthusiast, don’t forget to join us in this 2024 NFL season.

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