The NFL is full of legends whose names live on forever, but some game-changers have slipped through the cracks of football history. These players made their mark on the field, carried their teams, and set the standard for greatness, only to fade from the spotlight over time.
Whether flashier teammates overshadowed them, stuck on struggling franchises, or simply victims of bad timing, these 13 forgotten NFL greats deserve to be celebrated. It’s time to give them their flowers and remind everyone just how good they really were.
13. Ken Anderson
Anderson was slinging the ball with surgical precision long before today’s pass-happy offenses took over. The guy led the league in passer rating four times and still gets barely a whisper of Hall of Fame talk.
12. Fred Taylor
Taylor was a nightmare for defenders but somehow never got the national attention he deserved. He ran for over 11,000 yards with the kind of smooth power that should’ve made him a household name.
11. L.C. Greenwood
Part of the legendary Steel Curtain, Greenwood was a quarterback’s worst nightmare in big moments. Yet somehow, he got lost in the shuffle of Pittsburgh’s many defensive stars.
10. Sterling Sharpe
Sharpe was dominating secondaries before injuries abruptly ended his career. If he had stayed healthy, we’d probably be putting him in the same breath as Jerry Rice.
9. Ken Riley
Riley spent 15 years picking off passes and still ended up one of the all-time leaders in interceptions. The man played cornerback like a psychic and barely got any attention during his career.
8. Roger Craig
Craig did the whole dual-threat running back thing before it was trendy, becoming the first player with 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in the same season. Somehow, that innovation didn’t translate to long-term recognition.
7. Drew Bledsoe
Bledsoe had a cannon for an arm and helped resurrect the Patriots long before Tom Brady showed up. He gets remembered more for who replaced him than what he actually accomplished.
6. Chuck Foreman
Foreman was a touchdown machine and a key piece of the Vikings’ ’70s offense. He made it look easy, but you rarely hear his name in discussions of all-time greats.
5. Pat Swilling
Swilling was one of the most feared linebackers of his time and a central figure in the Saints’ once-underrated Dome Patrol defense. His explosive pass-rushing and relentless motor should get way more credit.
4. Harold Jackson
Jackson quietly put up five 1,000-yard seasons in an era when that actually meant something. He led the league in receiving yards twice and still gets barely a mention in highlight reels.
3. Otis Taylor
Taylor was a big-play threat before big-play threats were cool. He had size, speed, and swagger—but his legacy has unfairly been buried beneath the AFL-NFL merger fog.
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2. Joe Delamielleure
Offensive linemen rarely get love, but Joe D anchored one of the most dominant running attacks in league history. He paved the way for greatness and barely gets remembered outside of Buffalo and Cleveland.
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1. Cliff Branch
Branch had Olympic speed and made defenses look silly week after week. He was Al Davis’ dream receiver and a deep-ball legend who deserved more spotlight while he was still here.
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