Drew Brees retired from pro football as the leader in passing yards. At one point, Brees had more 5000-yard passing seasons than everyone else in NFL history put together. He won 13 Pro Bowl nominations, five All-Pro nods, a Super Bowl MVP and led the NFL in passing 7 times - the most in history. Brees will forever be remembered in Louisiana as the greatest athlete to represent the state.
Reggie White was a defensive lineman who set the standard for excellence during his extended run of dominance on NFL trenches. Through 15 NFL seasons, White won two Defensive Player of the Year titles, 13 All-Pro selections and 13 Pro Bowl nods and earned one of the coolest nicknames in sports history - "The Minister of Defense". White was posthumously honored with a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction after his tragic death in late 2004.
Jerry Rice has a case for the most impressive pro football career of all time, regardless of position. "World" entered the NFL as a generational prospect and proceeded for 20 seasons to show exactly why. He earned 10 First Team All-Pro nods, 13 Pro Bowl nominations, led the league in receptions twice, receiving yards and touchdowns six times and was one of the few wide receivers to win a Super Bowl MVP.
The most versatile offensive lineman in NFL history, Bruce Matthews played 19 amazing seasons of football for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. Matthews started at various positions across the line, earning Pro Bowl nominations at each of those. Matthews retired with a whopping 14 Pro Bowl nominations to his name, and became a first ballot inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
No NFL player has more MVP trophies than Peyton Manning with 5. Manning was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts as the no. 1 overall pick after being heralded as a generational prospect. It is safe to say that this was the correct projection. Manning played 19 NFL seasons and made a Pro Bowl team in 14 of those, including a streak of 9 straight seasons from 2002-2010.
Merlin Olsen is perhaps the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history. Olsen played 15 NFL seasons and won a Pro Bowl nomination in each of those, except his final season. Olsen added eight All-Pro selections, including five First Team nods. Olsen followed up his pro football career with a career as an actor!
It is hard to look past Tony Gonzalez when arguing the names of the GOAT tight end. Tony G spent 17 seasons in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in 14 of those. Gonzalez is the NFL career leader among tight ends in receptions and receiving yards.
The GOAT played 23 seasons in the NFL, starting for 21 of those. He secured Pro Bowl nominations in 15 of those seasons, including a streak of 10 straight years from 2009 to 2018. Brady will remain the greatest quarterback in NFL history unless someone wins 8 rings (and that might not even be enough to surpass his legacy).
