The 15 Most Hated Good Players In NFL History
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The NFL has seen its fair share of incredibly talented players dominate on the field and make legendary impacts, earning respect from their home-team fans and fans of other teams.
Guys like Peyton Manning, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jerry Rice made huge impacts on the field and are admired and respected by everyone who’s played with them and against them, and by the fans who tune in to every NFL game and watch them play.
However, there are extremely talented NFL players who are disliked by fans for their talents and for some of their behavior on and off the field, despite the accolades they’ve earned over the years.
Some of these guys have attitude issues, a dark persona, and egos that made them villains in the NFL.
Which NFL players got a bad rep despite playing well?
Terrell Owens
Owens was one of the greatest wide receivers in the 1990s and 2000s.
However, he alienated fans with his flamboyant celebrations, sideline blowups, and public clashes with his own teammates during his playing career.
Owens created the “T.O.” larger-than-life persona, making him a more “me”- type guy rather than a team player, which frustrated NFL front offices.
In 2005, Owens clashed with Donovan McNabb when he demanded a new contract with the Eagles, which McNabb called a distraction.
Owens eventually got into a fight with team ambassador Hugh Douglas in November of that year, resulting in his suspension for the rest of the season.
Owens would sign with the Cowboys in the 2006 offseason, leaving a bad taste in Eagles fans’ mouths at the time.
Despite all of that, Owens was enshrined in Canton in 2018, and rightfully so.
Michael Vick
Vick was one of the most electrifying quarterbacks to watch in the league, thanks to his dual-threat abilities and elite arm strength.
However, when the dog-fighting scandal broke, Vick’s reputation was damaged, his pubic trust was shattered, he was suspended indefinitely, and he spent 21 months in federal prison.
The federal investigation into Vick revealed that his property was the host of the operation, “Bad Newz Kennels,” revealing horrific practices involving the dogs, which hurt fans who originally saw Vick as a role model.
Vick was released from prison in May 2009 and signed with the Eagles, which was a controversial signing at the time, as animal rights activists and fans saw his crimes against man’s best friend as unforgivable.
He won the 2010 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and one more Pro Bowl that season, and slowly regained support from some fans who believe in second chances during his tenure with the Eagles.
Vick has since revived his image and is currently the head coach of the Norfolk State Spartans in Norfolk, Virginia.
Conrad Dobler
Dobler garnered a reputation as a villain for his aggressive and dirty play by pushing the boundaries of the rules with brutal tactics like head slapping, punching opposing defenders, tripping, and leg whipping.
Dobler was talented, making three Pro Bowls with the Cardinals and helping the team reach the playoffs twice in his career, though they were knocked out of the divisional round by the Vikings and Rams, respectively.
He got into notorious altercations on the field, including physical scuffles with defensive tackle Merlin Olsen, who is known to be a gentle guy off the field, and brawls with Cowboys’ star defensive end Harvey Martin.
Dobler was named “Pro Football’s Dirtiest Player” by Sports Illustrated in 1977, which was a title he embraced like a comic book supervillain.
He even told the famous sports magazine, “I’ll do anything I can get away with to protect my quarterback.”
Dobler also bit other NFL players, tried to gouge his opponents’ eyes out, and committed unsportsmanlike conduct in numerous games.
Tom Brady
Although Brady won seven Super Bowls with the Patriots and Buccaneers, he is still disliked by fans for the constant winning over the years.
Fans had dynasty fatigue when Brady led the Patriots to three more Super Bowls in the 2010s and were tired of all the winning by Brady and the Pats.
Brady was also linked to “Deflategate,” which resulted in a four-game suspension in the 2016 season, and “Spygate,” even though he had no direct involvement.
Brady was perceived on the field as arrogant, which rubbed fans the wrong way, as he was an emotional competitor throughout his career.
Many fans also felt Brady received favorable treatment from the referees, who protected him too much, which fueled the narrative that he played by a different set of rules.
A lot of the Brady hate died out when he joined the Buccaneers and led them to a Super Bowl LV Championship over the Chiefs, as it was fun to see TB12 win a championship on a team that wasn’t the Patriots.
Deion Sanders
Sanders, aka “Prime Time,” is disliked by fans for his unapologetic swagger, flair for self-promotion, and lack of effort during his playing days.
Sanders celebrated with a me-first attitude during his prime, famously high-stepping it in the end zone, rubbing fans of opposing teams the wrong way.
He played for five different NFL teams during his career and was seen more as a mercenary ring-chaser, winning two Super Bowls with the 49ers and Cowboys in 1994 and 1995, respectively.
Sanders also played baseball and sometimes missed training camp, as he was dedicated to playing on the diamond more, which upset traditional football fans.
The polarization continued to follow Sanders throughout his coaching career, especially during his tenure with the Colorado Buffaloes, drawing backlash for his unorthodox coaching style, aggressive use of the transfer portal, and his overprotectiveness of his son, Shedeur Sanders, when he played under him.
Ndamukong Suh
Suh brought an intimidating force against opposing offenses with his physical frame and elite speed.
However, he was ruthless, stomping on opponents, making dangerous plays, and embracing a villain persona.
In 2011, Suh was suspended for two games for stomping on Packers’ guard Evan Dietrich-Smith during the Lions’ Thanksgiving game. That moment made Suh a villain in the NFL, and he embraced it.
In 2014, Suh stepped on Aaron Rodgers’ calf in Week 17 and was initially suspended for one game, but appealed it and had the suspension reversed, allowing him to play in the Lions’ Wildcard matchup against the Cowboys.
Suh has been penalized over 115 times in his Hall of Fame-caliber career, and accepted 102 of those penalties. Most of these penalties were offside penalties and moments from his aggressive play.
James Harrison
Harrison earned a reputation for being one of the most hated good NFL players, thanks to his ultra-violent helmet-to-helmet hitting style, frequent fines he racked up, and controversial public remarks.
Harrison anchored the Steelers’ defense in the 2000s and 2010s, where he delivered bone-crushing hits against opponents. Many fans who weren’t Steelers fans viewed Harrison’s hits as dangerous and outside the rules of the game.
He drew backlash for his Men’s Journal interview in 2010, where he took shots at his own teammates Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall and commissioner Roger Goodell. He issued a public apology later on.
Harrison requested his release from the Steelers in 2017 and signed with the Patriots near the end of his career after all he did for the team, causing fans to turn against him.
Regardless of how people feel about Harrison’s on-field play, he’ll eventually find himself in Canton.
Jack Tatum
Tatum was vilified during his playing career for his incredibly unapologetic, vicious, and intimidating style of play that left opponents injured.
Tatum’s style of play wouldn’t fly in today’s NFL, but he found ways to exploit the rules and maximize physical punishment against other players.
During a 1978 preseason game, Tatum delivered a devastating, bone-jarring hit against New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley that damaged his spine and made him a quadriplegic for the remainder of his life.
Tatum wrote a book titled “They Call Me Assassin,” where he admitted his goal was to injure opposing receivers so badly that they would be afraid to catch passes in his presence.
Tatum showed no remorse for his bone-crushing hits, and fans were outraged at his violent style of play back then.
Bill Romanowski
Romanowski was a very hard-hitting linebacker who rampaged opposing offenses with his aggressive style of play, dirty hits, and cheap shots.
Romanowski spat on 49ers receiver J. J. Stokes in a 1997 game and was ejected from a game for kicking fullback Larry Centers in the head in 1995.
In 2003, Romanowski sucker punched his own teammate, Marcus Williams, breaking his eye socket, ending his career, and leading to a lawsuit against him.
Romanowski admitted to steroid use and was tied to the BALCO Steroid scandal, which led fans to believe roid rage led to his violent on-field behavior.
Despite that, Romanowski enjoyed the villain label and was intensely brutal, which disgusted fans of opposing teams.
Adam “Pacman” Jones
Jones is considered one of the most polarizing figures to play in the league, with his elite skills as a cornerback, but they were overshadowed by legal trouble off the field.
Fans of opposing teams don’t like Jones for his aggressive on-field play and the numerous suspensions he racked up during his playing career.
Jones holds the record for most arrests off the field in the 21st century, with 10 arrests, ranging from public intoxication, a shootout in Las Vegas, assault, and drug possession.
Because of the incident Jones was involved in, he was suspended by the league for the entire 2007 season.
Jones revived his career with the Bengals and made the Pro Bowl in 2015.
However, Jones slammed into Amari Cooper’s head with his helmet, ripped his helmet off, and pushed him to the ground in a 2015 game against the Raiders.
Jones also had his undisciplined moments with the Bengals, like drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the team’s playoff matchup against the Steelers, which ended up hurting the Bengals.
Rodney Harrison
Harrison earned a reputation for becoming one of the most hated players in league history with his aggressive, hard-hitting, and boundary-pushing play in the secondary.
Harrison was voted the dirtiest player in the NFL in 2004 by his peers for his rough antics and brutal hits.
He was suspended for one game in the 2002 season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Jerry Rice.
When Harrison joined the Patriots in 2003, he further embraced the villain role by helping them win two Super Bowls and become a dynasty in the 2000s, irritating opposing fans.
Harrison was suspended for the first four games of the season after testing positive for human growth hormones.
Despite being disliked by opposing fans, Harrison made two Pro Bowls and was a brilliant defensive back who dominated the competition during his days with the Chargers and Patriots.
Ben Roethlisberger
As talented as Roethlisberger was during his career with the Steelers, fans dislike him for his off-field allegations and his polarizing personality with the team.
Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault in 2008 and 2010 by two women. No charges were filed; the NFL suspended Roethlisberger for six games (later reduced to four) in the 2010 season.
Roethlisberger’s own teammates in the NFL, Joey Porter Sr., James Harrison, and Antonio Brown, have called him out as not being a good teammate and referred to him as a selfish player.
Despite all of that, Roethlisberger made six Pro Bowls, led the league in passing yards twice, and is a two-time Super Bowl Champion.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers was beloved by many in his early years, taking over for Brett Favre and leading the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV Championship.
NFC North fans outside of Green Bay hate Rodgers for the constant winning and domination during the regular season.
However, in 2021, Rodgers faced criticism and backlash for his views on the COVID-19 vaccine and promoting conspiracy theories.
Rodgers has shown diva-like behavior on the field, expressed high-profile frustrations, refused to talk to the media, and hasn’t won a playoff game in recent years.
Despite all of that, the four-time MVP will be a lock for Canton.
Vontaze Burfict
We could make a list of why Burfict is one of the most hated talented players in NFL history, for the dirty hits, cheap shots, and suspensions he racked up during his career.
Fans hated Burfict’s old-school playing style that violated the league’s player safety rules, his racking up numerous penalties, and his lack of shame when making these hits.
Burfict’s most infamous moment came in the 2016 Wildcard Round, when he hit a defenseless Antonio Brown, leaving him unconscious and in concussion protocol.
Burfict would also twist the ankles of his opponents, and his football career ended by making a helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle when he was with the Raiders.
Antonio Brown
Brown is arguably considered one of the most talented wide receivers to ever play in the NFL.
He had rubbed fans the wrong way with his on-field tactics and his social media activities, like live-streaming the Steelers’ locker room trash-talking the Patriots before the AFC Championship game.
Brown’s truly most infamous moment came when he had a meltdown on the Buccaneers’ sidelines, took off his helmet and shoulder pads, and ran off the field into the tunnel and never played in the NFL again.
He also faced numerous scandals off the field, like sexual assault allegations, domestic disputes and battery, and second-degree murder charges in 2025.
We could make a list of reasons why Brown is despised despite the talent he showed in his prime.
