OT: Agree or disagree: Jerry Rice is the best player to ever play the game

[Saul Goodman]

• 3× Super Bowl champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
• Super Bowl MVP (XXIII)
• 13× Pro Bowl (1986–1996, 1998, 2002)
• 10× First-team All-Pro (1986–1990, 1992–1996)
• 2× Second-team All-Pro (1991, 2002)
• Bert Bell Award (1987)
• 2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993)
• 6× NFL receiving yards leader (1986, 1989, 1990, 1993–1995)
• 2× NFL receptions leader (1990, 1996)
• 6× NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1986, 1987, 1989–1991, 1993)
• NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
• NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
• San Francisco 49ers No. 80 retired
• 2× First-team I-AA All-American (1983, 1984)

NFL records

• 1,549 career receptions
• 22,895 career receiving yards
• 197 career receiving touchdowns
• 23,546 career all-purpose yards

If not Rice, who is/was better?

[Larz]

I try not to cross eras in these comparisons so for his era I think you can make the argument that Montana and Young are in the hall of fame because of Rice. 

My favorite Jerry story is that he grew up on or near a horse farm and got his speed from chasing the horses. 

[HessStation]

Agree

[jetfan39]

You can't make a blanket statement like that. How do you compare different positions to each other. Where does J. Brown compare, where does Sam Huff fit in. As the greatest WR I would agree, but not across all positions 

[rangerous]

18 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

• 3× Super Bowl champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
• Super Bowl MVP (XXIII)
• 13× Pro Bowl (1986–1996, 1998, 2002)
• 10× First-team All-Pro (1986–1990, 1992–1996)
• 2× Second-team All-Pro (1991, 2002)
• Bert Bell Award (1987)
• 2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993)
• 6× NFL receiving yards leader (1986, 1989, 1990, 1993–1995)
• 2× NFL receptions leader (1990, 1996)
• 6× NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1986, 1987, 1989–1991, 1993)
• NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
• NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
• San Francisco 49ers No. 80 retired
• 2× First-team I-AA All-American (1983, 1984)

NFL records

• 1,549 career receptions
• 22,895 career receiving yards
• 197 career receiving touchdowns
• 23,546 career all-purpose yards

If not Rice, who is/was better?

no doubt about rice being the best or at least top 5 receiver ever, but best player?  there are 10 other guys out there helping him to make those plays and most of the teams he played on had exceptional supporting casts. consider what would have happened had al toon been drafted instead of rice?  imo toon was every bit as good of a receiver but he was also on a worse team and didn't have an injury free career.  sometimes it's just bad luck.

[chirorob]

Most dominant?  Jim brown

[RedBeardedSavage]

Meh, the best player I've ever seen was this guy:

Don't care about stats.  Don't care about longevity.  I still watch this youtube on the reg every couple of months:

And that was just his rookie year... 

[Thai Jet]

I don't think so IMHO. Was he perhaps top 10? Yes possibly. There's just so many factors to consider.... era, position etc.

[King P]

Most accomplished =/= Best

[usapaw]

I disagree. Next. 

[shuler82]

The jets pick Rice at #14 and the 49ers pick Toon at #16 and is Rice still the best player ever? Or would that be Toon?

[SnackExchange]

Lawrence Taylor, was the best football player I've ever seen. It all comes down to situation, circumstance, and personal taste.

[Larz]

197 touchdowns in 300 games over 19 years 

That's got to be the best career 

If I had to pick 1 guy to have in his absolute prime for a superbowl it has to be Laurence Taylor 

 

[Cyberjet]

disagree. Have to go with Jim Brown Lawrence Taylor . Have to throw in Joe Montana or Tom Brady.

[Saul Goodman]

15 minutes ago, SnackExchange said:

Lawrence Taylor, was the best football player I've ever seen. It all comes down to situation, circumstance, and personal taste.

He’d be a close second for me. Changed the game, so much better than any opponent he played against. Think he didn’t quite reach his potential though, with the off field partying. 

[SnackExchange]

7 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

He’d be a close second for me. Changed the game, so much better than any opponent he played against. Think he didn’t quite reach his potential though, with the off field partying. 

It's always a fun topic for debate, but it really is all about personal preference and bias. I get why anyone would think it's Rice, or Brown, or Graham, or Brady, or quite a few others. 

[New York Mick]

1 hour ago, chirorob said:

Most dominant?  Jim brown

Decon Jones

[Larz]

37 minutes ago, SnackExchange said:

It's always a fun topic for debate, but it really is all about personal preference and bias. I get why anyone would think it's Rice, or Brown, or Graham, or Brady, or quite a few others. 

Don't get me started on Jim Thorpe ??

[Thai Jet]

1 hour ago, Cyberjet said:

disagree. Have to go with Jim Brown Lawrence Taylor . Have to throw in Joe Montana or Tom Brady.

Yeah without Montana throwing him the ball what is Rice? Or is there even a Rice?

[Thai Jet]

11 minutes ago, Larz said:

Don't get me started on Jim Thorpe ??

Excellent choice.

[HawkeyeJet]

It's impossible to do this.  Supporting cast and different eras and positions make apples to apples comparisons impossible.  The 2 guys that stick out to me as being absolutely incredible despite an average/below average supporting cast are Walter Payton and Barry Sanders.

[jetstream23]

1 hour ago, SnackExchange said:

Lawrence Taylor, was the best football player I've ever seen. It all comes down to situation, circumstance, and personal taste.

Hate to say it but I agree. LT was the best. 

[TuscanyTile2]

2 hours ago, Saul Goodman said:

• 3× Super Bowl champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
• Super Bowl MVP (XXIII)
• 13× Pro Bowl (1986–1996, 1998, 2002)
• 10× First-team All-Pro (1986–1990, 1992–1996)
• 2× Second-team All-Pro (1991, 2002)
• Bert Bell Award (1987)
• 2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993)
• 6× NFL receiving yards leader (1986, 1989, 1990, 1993–1995)
• 2× NFL receptions leader (1990, 1996)
• 6× NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1986, 1987, 1989–1991, 1993)
• NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
• NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
• San Francisco 49ers No. 80 retired
• 2× First-team I-AA All-American (1983, 1984)

NFL records

• 1,549 career receptions
• 22,895 career receiving yards
• 197 career receiving touchdowns
• 23,546 career all-purpose yards

If not Rice, who is/was better?

Very interesting question.  He was the greatest WR I've ever seen.  Is he the greatest player though?  I don't know.  I can see an argument for Rice but I can also see one for Montana, Brady, and Lawrence Taylor.  There might be an argument for players of other eras (e.g. Jim Brown but probably others as well).  I think Jerry Rice is certainly up there and an argument can be made in his favor.  Right now though I feel like Tom Brady might be the guy due to longevity, accomplishments and difficulty of position.  5 SB titles.  8 appearances (in like 17 years and 1 year he was out for most of the year).  This is at the most critical position on the field and he's still dominating the league.  It's other-worldly what he's done.  LT was insane and probably hit higher heights but Brady's longevity (at that level of play) is unmatched (afaik).

[Titan24]

Best players I’ve seen as far as physical talent 

b Sanders, r white, a Rodgers 

[T0mShane]

I’ve seen LT get bottled up, but I never saw anyone outright stop Rice. Those are the only two players in my lifetime you could ever really argue were the GOAT.

[RutgersJetFan]

Eh, Rice isn't even the best WR IMO. Don Hutson's achievements and stats adjusted for today's game are kind of preposterous. And if I had to pick one guy for one season, one game, or even one play, prime Moss is the answer to that one and it's not even close for me.

[Warfish]

Disagree.  Put Rice on the Jets, he's Al Toon.  Put Toon on those 49'ers, he's Rice.

[Charlie Brown]

Ummmmmm no; but no doubt Rice was an extraordinary player, GOAT at his position and game changer   

But IMO putting the QB position aside; I don’t think anyone I saw play was more impactful than Lawrence Taylor....

 

[Obrien2Toon]

3 hours ago, Larz said:

I try not to cross eras in these comparisons so for his era I think you can make the argument that Montana and Young are in the hall of fame because of Rice. 

My favorite Jerry story is that he grew up on or near a horse farm and got his speed from chasing the horses. 

Wasn’t his story also his father was a brick layer and used to toss him bricks to help, and that’s how he got such soft hands

[Cyberjet]

1 hour ago, Larz said:

Don't get me started on Jim Thorpe ??

I thought of Jim Thorpe but just didn't play enough football. Best athlete of his time: Thorpe is there

[Joe W. Namath]

Jerry rice's stats are flat out ridiculous.  He is by far the best wr to ever play.  

You could make the case he is the best football player ever.

[Cyberjet]

I think that is what Saul Goodman is doing

[Beerfish]

Tom Bra...

Rice is certainly top few that is for sure.

[Jet9]

Outside of golf and tennis I'm not sure how anyone makes these arguments. Maybe Babe Ruth because of the 100 wins as a pitcher? 

[Fantasy Island]

Jim Brown 1A

Barry Sanders 1B