Best Player to Never Win a Title: NFL

[Little Jerry Lawler]

There have been many great players in every position to play in the NFL. Some experienced the thrill of success but some experienced the agony of defeat. There have been many great players who never won a Super Bowl or got to one. It was tough for me to decide who is the best player to never get a title so I came up with a tie between two players.

Deacon Jones
He is considered one of the best defensive ends to ever play the game. He was 1/4 of the Fearsome Foursome, selected to 8 Pro Bowls, and two time Defensive Player of the Year. Sacks were unofficial during his time so it is speculated that he ranks third on the all-time sack last. He was ahead of his time and was feared by offensive linemen everywhere with his dreaded "head slap."

Anthony Munoz
Selected with the third pick in the 1980 Draft, he went to 11 Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls but lost both times to the San Francisco 49ers. He became the first Cincinnati Bengal to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame and in my opinion is the greatest offensive lineman to ever play.

So who is the best player to never win a NFL title and why? This can also pertain to the pre-Super Bowl era players as well.

 

[Big Sexy]

Way to hijack my thread series. Ah well shit happens.

For me there are a few players that immediately come to mind: Dan Marino, Dick Butkus, Warren Moon, but I'd say the best to never win a title is Barry Sanders.

Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all time. In just 10 seasons he rushed for 15,269 yards, 99 touchdowns, and had an amazing 5.0 ypc average for his career. In 1997 he became the third running back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards when he surpassed the milestone in week 17 against the Jets (a game I attended).

The one thing that plagued him throughout his career was a lack of a supporting class. The quarterbacks he had as teammates were the epitome of average. He had solid offensive lines, but nothing special, and the defenses the Lions had during this time weren't anything to write home about. Even with the team around him, he still helped lead the Lions to 5 playoff appearances and in 1991 he helped them get their only playoff victory since 1957.

The closest he ever came to a Super Bowl was that 1991 season, but the Lions would fall to the eventual Super Bowl winning Redskins in the NFC Championship game. If Barry played on a team that actually had some talent then he would almost certainly have a Super Bowl ring. Instead he was stuck with the Detorit Lions.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Dan Marino is definitely my primary choice. Over the years, Peyton Manning and Brett Facre have been breaking a lot of his records, but he was still one of the greats. Marino did make it to a Super Bowl, but the Dolphins were destroyed by the 49ers. Marino had an amazing career. It's too bad his team had to be slaughtered by the Jacksonville Jaguars in his last game.

Other Honorable mentions are Cris Carter and Jim Kelly. Carter was a great wide receiver, and he was apart of one the most explosive offense in NFL history. Randall Cunningham, Randy Moss, and Robert Smith.....it's a shame that team was never able to win a Super Bowl. Carter finished his career with over a thousand receptions, and he had 130 touchdowns.

Jim Kelly is an all time great NFL QB, but he was also never able to win the big one. Kelly made it to the big game four times, but he was never able to win a Super Bowl. Being able to make four Super Bowl appearances is very impressive, and the Bills were the top dog in the AFC back then.

 

[gd]

Dan Marino, I'd say. Although it's likley mostly his fault, given QB matters about 10000x more than any postion in any other sport, he still was great. Numbers wise, you could call him the best ever.

It's not like he had a ton of talent on those teams either. Difficult to recall who his primary weapons were. Larry Csonka? Who knows? Danny was a hell of a player though. Too bad he never got to the top

 

[jmt225]

With all due respect to Dan Marino and Barry Sanders (both excellent, well-deserved choices), my answer would definitely have to be "Dandy" Don Meredith.

Now, when Super Bowl 1 went down, Meredith would only play 3 more seasons in the NFL past that, before (like Sanders) having an early retirement. However, even with that being the case, this man, along with Tom Landry, was the reason the Dallas Cowgirls became the organization they would eventually become. He was the first GREAT Cowgirls quarterback, yet he's the only one people consider to be truly "great" throughout the organization's history to not win a Super Bowl. Dandy Don got them close, but 2 years in a row he and the 'Girls would fall to eventual Super Bowl winners, Vince Lambordi's Green Bay Packers, including the famous "Ice Bowl" game, in the NFC Championship.

 

[Platypus Palsy]

My main guy is Barry Sanders. He is probably the most talented Running Back of all time, and his numbers would reflect it had he kept playing for as long as his body held up. He would run circles around the defense (sometimes literally) and just make them just look stupid in general. He did have some runs that would lose him about 5 yards, but the next play he could come out with a 90 yard run. If he had an actual offensive line, there's no telling the type of numbers he could've put up.

The best player not able to capitalize on all the chances given, is of course Jim Kelly. He's one of the best QBs ever, and even got to the Super Bowl FOUR TIMES, but every time he came out the loser in the game. He really should have at least one ring, if it wasn't for the whole Wide Right thing.

 

[Davi323]

Dan Marino or Barry Sanders. No offense to Don Meredith, but when discussions come up about who the greatest QB of all time is, is he ever mentioned? Dan Marino is. Usually right there at the top, with Montana and Elway. Dan Marino's stats are still freakishly good. The man threw for over 61,000 yards. Had 6 seasons where he threw at least 4,000. The fact that he hasn't won a Super Bowl is a fluke. Dan Marino is positively the greatest QB ever to have never won it. The stats prove it convincingly.

When the discussion turns to greatest RB of all time, the names you hear the most often are Brown, Payton, and Sanders, with an occassional Emmitt Smith. 3 of those guys have either won the Super Bowl, or an NFL championship. That leaves Barry. How great was Barry though? Barry Sanders is easily the greatest RB to have never won the Super Bowl (I include NFL championships the same as a Super Bowl, since the Super Bowl didn't always exist). I will be interested to read any arguments that suggest otherwise.

So, we have Don Meredith, a guy most people wouldn't mention as being the greatest QB of all time, trumping two guys who are automatically in the discussion for greatest of all time? Laughable.

 

[Megatron]

I have to agree with the majority and go with Barry. Some of the stuff that he did while running was just amazing. He was easily gonna take Paytons record and simply destroy it if he would've continued to play in his prime, but the lack of winning from the Lions made him decide to retire. He was within 1000 yards of breaking Paytons record when he retired, and he had only played 10-11 seasons. Only once did he make the NFC Championship game, in 1991, and they got smoked. It's tough for me to nominate a guy that plays on my favorite team, but since we haven't won anything since 1957, it's clear that Barry is the right choice here.

 

[ThePeoplesChampion]

Easy one tie Barry Sanders and Dan Marino..i mean Marino had every record a QB could think of...and Barry Sanders would of been the top rusher over my idol (Walter Payton) way before Emmitt....like someone else has said Barry had to play for the Lions which killed his hopes from day one...Marino i just don't know why he never did which is sad.