The NFL has always been full of swagger, and some guys just couldn’t help themselves when it came to running their mouths. Whether they were trying to get into an opponent’s head or simply performing for the cameras, these players turned trash talk into an art form—and sometimes took it a little too far.
If social media had been around for their full careers, let’s just say a few of these guys would’ve trended for all the wrong reasons. Here are 20 NFL trash talkers who probably wouldn’t survive a hot mic in today’s ultra-online world.
20. Steve Smith Sr.
Steve Smith Sr. never met a cornerback he didn’t want to verbally dismantle. He talked as fast as he ran routes and didn’t care if the cameras were rolling.
19. Terrell Owens
T.O. was built for showtime, and that included the verbal jabs. Whether it was on the sideline or in a postgame interview, he always had something to say—and someone to say it about.
18. Warren Sapp
Sapp loved to chirp from the trenches and never held back his opinions, even if it meant stirring controversy. He was a walking quote machine with no off switch.
17. Richard Sherman
Sherman’s mouth was just as elite as his coverage skills. That infamous postgame rant about Michael Crabtree lives in NFL trash-talk infamy.
16. Phillip Rivers
Rivers didn’t curse, but he still managed to talk nonstop during games. His clean-cut version of smack talk would’ve been clipped and memed to oblivion.
15. Rodney Harrison
He played angrily and talked angrily, especially when he thought someone wasn’t giving him proper respect. Trash talk was just part of the job description for him.
14. Antonio Brown
Even before things went sideways, AB had a lot to say on and off the field. If he were mic’d up in today’s climate, every network would need a 10-second delay.
13. Bill Romanowski
“Subtle” was never in Romanowski’s vocabulary, and his trash talk often crossed lines. He brought a level of chaos that just wouldn’t fly in today’s mic’d-up world.
12. Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn talked like he was the only player on the field—and sometimes acted like it too. His mouth was as much a weapon as his hands.
11. Brian Bosworth
The Boz had more quotes than tackles and loved to stir the pot. His legendary confidence would’ve been both viral and very cancelable today.
10. Chad Johnson
Ocho Cinco was born to be mic’d up, but he definitely would’ve gotten bleeped out half the time. His playful trash talk sometimes went a little too far for today’s standards.
9. DeAngelo Hall
Hall made a career out of jawing at top-tier receivers—and getting in their heads. But his ego and running commentary would’ve been a hot topic on social media every Sunday.
8. Michael Irvin
The Playmaker talked with purpose, passion, and volume. He brought the same intensity to his words as he did to his routes—and not everyone appreciated it.
7. Cortland Finnegan
He pushed buttons, poked bears, and ended up in more than a few scraps. Finnegan lived for the chaos, and his mic’d-up reels would’ve been absolute fire—or PR nightmares.
6. Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey is a walking headline and has never been afraid to say exactly what he thinks. Whether it’s calling out opponents or firing back at critics, his mouth rarely takes a break.
5. James Harrison
He didn’t talk a lot, but when he did, it was ice cold. And his body language alone would’ve spoken volumes with a hot mic and a Twitter audience.
4. Joey Porter
Porter’s brand of trash talk was loud, personal, and sometimes borderline reckless. He had no problem jawing before, during, and after games—and sometimes with entire teams.
3. Deion Sanders
Prime Time was built for the spotlight and made sure everyone knew it. His trash talk was flashy, calculated, and impossible to ignore.
Read more: The 25 Most Infuriating NFL Trash Talkers of All Time
2. Baker Mayfield
From planting flags to calling out opponents in press conferences, Baker was always looking for a headline. A mic’d-up Baker in the NFL’s social era? Pure content gold—or chaos.
Read more: Ranking the 10 Best Trash Talkers in the WNBA
1. Tom Brady
Yep, the GOAT talked more trash than people realize—just ask his former defenders. If every mic’d-up Brady moment had been made public, the internet would’ve imploded weekly.
