10 NFL Legends Who Would Break The NFL If They Played Today
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
When it comes to pro sports, it’s often difficult to compare players from different eras. As players and rules evolve over the years, so does the game. However, there are certain players, those who’ve dominated their eras, who are the athletes who are most likely to be successful during any era of the game. With that in mind, let’s examine 10 legends who would’ve been even better if they played in today’s NFL.
Which NFL legends could have played in today’s game?
Dan Marino, QB – Miami Dolphins
Dan Marino is often referred to as the “greatest quarterback to never win a Super Bowl,” but he is also in the conversation for the greatest quarterback ever. Not only was he an all-time great, but if Marino played today, he would hold almost every quarterback record in the books, as he did when he retired.
To the younger readers out there, yes, he was that good! The arguments for Marino’s success in today’s game are many. First, let’s talk numbers. He was a 9x Pro Bowl selection, a 3x All-Pro, won numerous awards, among them an MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and a Hall of Fame induction. From 1983-1999, Marino led the NFL in completions 6x, yards 5x, touchdowns 3x, had 33 4th quarter comebacks, and 47 game-winning drives.
By the time of his retirement, the Dolphins legend held 45 NFL records, including passing yards (61,361), Touchdowns (420), and completions (4,967). Not enough? OK, let’s talk ability. Marino had one of the quickest releases and strongest arms in the history of the game, which helped him rank among the least sacked quarterbacks.
Another factor helping #13 is that the game has changed. Over the years, the league has instituted rules that have heavily protected the quarterbacks, limited what secondaries can do, and protected the passing game. Finally, Joe Montana, arguably the GOAT, once said that he considered Marino the best ever. There is no doubt that if Marino played today, he would be the most dominant quarterback in the league.
Warren Moon, QB – Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs
There were a lot of great quarterbacks in the 1980’s and 1990’s. If you asked fans and experts to rank the best ones, you’d probably end up with a list that would include Elway, Marino, Montana, Kelly, Aikman, Fouts, and Favre. See who’s missing? That’s right, it’s Warren Moon. The man spent 17 years as a quarterback in the NFL shredding defenses; he could’ve spent more.
After a successful college career, Moon elected to go to the Canadian Football League (CFL) rather than the NFL. According to reports, NFL teams did not believe in Moon as a quarterback and wanted him to switch positions. This was done primarily because of racial biases that existed towards black quarterbacks at the time Moon would’ve been entering the NFL. His time in the CFL was spent winning. Over 6 years in Canada, Moon led his team to 5 consecutive Grey Cups, the CFL version of the Super Bowl.
If we added his CFL stats to his NFL stats, Moon would be ranked 5th all-time in career passing yards and 6th all-time in touchdown passes. Despite missing 6 years due to racism, Moon was an all-time great. Like Dan Marino earlier, the rule changes that benefit the passing game would benefit Warren Moon as well.
Lawrence Taylor, OLB – New York Giants
First and foremost, Lawrence Taylor might be the greatest defensive player to ever step onto a football field. Period. Stop. End of story. A bona fide NFL legend. The 2nd overall pick of the 1981 Draft by the New York Giants, not only would Taylor go on to be an all-time great, but he also completely revolutionized the game. The 8x All-Pro, 10x Pro Bowler, 3x Defensive Player of the Year, 1986 MVP, 2x Super Bowl champion, member of the All-1980’s Team, and Hall of Famer, racked up 142.0 career sacks, including a league-leading 20.5 in 1986.
Yet his greatest achievement came by completely changing the role of an outside linebacker. Before LT, outside linebackers played a more reactionary game, dropping into coverage or following the running back. The Giants’ star defender turned the position by attacking the line of scrimmage. His ability to prey upon quarterbacks and move the play behind the line of scrimmage completely disrupted offenses across the league.
Opposing teams created entire schemes designed to stop Taylor; they didn’t work, which is why he is considered one of the scariest linebackers in the history of the game. Taylor’s ability to completely revolutionize the defensive aspects of football would easily translate across eras.
Jack Youngblood, DE – Los Angeles Rams
From 1971 to 1984, Jack Youngblood terrorized offenses across the NFL. The Hall of Famer was a 7x Pro Bowl nod, a 5x All-Pro, a Defensive Player of the Year, a 7x member of the All-NFC team, and a member of the All-1970’s Team. Youngblood was a top defensive player for a long time in the NFL, but he wasn’t necessarily the best player of his era, although he did have 151.5 career sacks.
He didn’t revolutionize the defensive end position. So why is the Rams’ defensive star on our list? Toughness. Youngblood might be one of the toughest players in the league. The toughness he displayed on a football field would be unmatched in today’s game. Youngblood once played in 201 consecutive games. In fact, the only game he missed was in his final season. But it’s not just the consecutive games; in 1979, he pulled off a miraculous display of toughness.
During the Rams’ first playoff game that season, the DE suffered a serious injury, a fractured left fibula. However, despite the injury, Youngblood continued on to play in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. As if that wasn’t enough, he then went on to play in that year’s Pro Bowl before getting surgery. Honestly, I can’t see any player in today’s game matching that level of toughness.
For that, there’s no reason to think that if Jack Youngblood stepped onto a football field today, he would wreak havoc.
Deion Sanders, CB – Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington, Baltimore Ravens
When Deion Sanders burst onto the scene in 1989, he was like nothing we had ever seen before. Besides being an elite talent and fun to watch, Sanders revolutionized the cornerback position and was a triple threat on the field. The first step in transforming the cornerback role was his elite speed. An NFL legend, indeed.
The ability to keep pace with the opposition’s top receivers allowed the rest of the defense to focus or double-team elsewhere. He was also incredibly adept at intercepting passes, 53 in his career, but it wasn’t just his ability to catch the ball; it was his ability to run the ball after the catch. Sanders returned 9 of those interceptions for touchdowns. Secondly, Sanders used his elite speed to become one of the league’s best return men.
His punt and kick returns often became spectacles. Lastly, he was a triple threat. He was a great defensive player, a great returner, and at times, he would use his speed and, at times, played wide receiver. It’s easy to see why Sanders was a slam-dunk Hall of Fame induction, but with his level of ability, which was almost unmatched, he would be an even bigger star today, especially when you factor in Deion’s marketability.
Jim Brown, RB – Cleveland Browns
There’s an argument to be made that Jim Brown was the greatest running back ever. Whether or not that’s true, he was certainly one of the most dominant running backs ever. In 1957, the Browns drafted Jim Brown with the 6th pick. What they got was a player who would help change the running back position. Brown spent 9 years in the league, making 9 Pro Bowls, winning 3 MVP awards, an NFL championship, and induction to the Hall of Fame.
However, Brown dominated the game like no other running back before him. Over his career, he averaged 104.3 rushing yards per game, a record that still stands today. Brown’s ability has never been questioned, but his redefining the role of the running back puts him on another level. At over 6 feet tall and weighing over 230 pounds, Brown was bigger and faster than the defenders chasing him.
A fast and powerful back, the likes of which the league had not seen before, led defense to change how they played the running game. Like Lawrence Taylor, Brown was a tremendously talented player who changed the game. That type of ability translates across the ages.
Barry Sanders, RB – Detroit Lions
Watching Barry Sanders on a football field was like watching a live-action video game. The NFL legend could make moves on a field that no one could. For 10 seasons, Sanders enthralled fans and confused defenses to the tune of 15,269 career rushing yards (4th all-time), 99 touchdowns, 10 Pro Bowl selections, 6x All-Pro, an MVP award, and a Hall of Fame induction.
Although today’s defensive players are bigger and faster than those in Sanders’ day, with today’s defenses more spread out, Sanders’ ability to juke and avoid defenders would simply result in Sanders running all over today’s defenses. The Lions’ star back ran for at least 1,000 yards a season in each of his 10 years in the league. In fact, he was the first running back to accomplish that feat.
His 10 1,000-yard rushing seasons also tie him with 2 other players for the most 1,000-yard rushing seasons for a career. What’s more remarkable is that Sanders accomplished this while playing for the Lions, a team that only made the playoffs in 5 of his seasons. Simply put, Barry Sanders is the type of running back who could succeed in any era. His deer-like running ability would translate to any era.
Ronnie Lott, DB – San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets
Ronnie Lott is another player who changed the game with his ability, aggressiveness, and toughness. The star was the first defensive player to win First Team All-Pro honors at three different positions. That ability, plus his hard-hitting, bone-rattling hits, allowed Lott to limit receivers crossing the middle of the field and limited the opposing passing game to the sidelines.
His 63 career interceptions still rank 8th all-time. Lott was also one of the toughest players ever. Like Jack Youngblood earlier on our list, the defensive back exhibited a level of toughness that today’s players would never touch. In 1985, he had the crushed tip of his pinky finger amputated so that he wouldn’t miss any games. Only legends would do that in the NFL.
Show me a modern-day player who would do that. You can’t. It was his force play and grit that helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to 4 Super Bowl titles in the 1980’s. Unmatched toughness, tremendous on-field ability, and revolutionizing the game, Ronnie Lott would eat offenses alive if he played today.
Eric Dickerson, RB – Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, Atlanta Falcons
Eric Dickerson was one of the greatest running backs of the 1980’s, and he’s often overlooked when discussing the best backs. It’s easy to see why he is ignored when compared to the likes of the other star RBs at the time, such as Marcus Allen, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders, but make no mistake, Dickerson ranks up there with those greats.
Set in 1984, the Rams running back set, and still holds, the single-season rushing record, with 2,105 yards. He was also a complete workhorse in the backfield, as his average rushing attempts per game were often near the top of the league. That ability to endure a heavy workload helped establish the belief that a team could rely on one heavily used running back.
Dickerson’s ability and size, he was 6’3” and weighed 220 pounds, would translate well to today’s running game, and he would easily be one of the best backs on the field today.
Steve Young, QB – San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another quarterback from the 1980’s and 1990’s? If you’re starting to notice a pattern here of believing that the quarterbacks of that era were better than the quarterbacks of today, you’d be right.
The quarterbacks from the 80s and 90s played in a time when defenses were allowed to get away with more than they can today. The quarterback wasn’t as protected back then as it is today. While we’ve covered that aspect before, Steve Young brings a different twist to the argument than Marino and Moon.
Young had elite passing ability, leading the league in touchdown passes 4 times and completion percentage 5 times, but he was a dual-threat quarterback; he could also run. As a quarterback, Young rushed for 4,239 career rushing yards and 43 rushing touchdowns, ranking 7th and 4th all-time, respectively.
His speed, scrambling ability, ability to evade defenders, and physical toughness, as he typically did not shy away from contact. He was the model for the dual-threat quarterbacks of today, such as Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, and since his ability was as good or better than today’s quarterbacks, it’s no stretch to think that Steve Young would be great today.
