10 greatest one-team NFL players
NFL history is replete with superstar players who smashed records and won championships. Only a select group of these players, though, played their entire career with only one team.
These one-team warriors showed loyalty to their teams, which is rare in today’s NFL. They also performed so well that their teams never thought of trading them to another franchise.
From legendary quarterbacks and running backs to defensive back destroyers, let's have a look at the top ten NFL players who spent their entire careers with one team.
NOTE: No active NFL player has been included in this list.
So without further ado, let's get started.
#1 Jim Brown - Cleveland Browns
Arguably the greatest NFL player in history, Jim Brown played out his entire professional football career for one team, the Cleveland Browns. The Browns drafted the rookie with the sixth overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft.
The 6' 2", 232-pound full-back played nine seasons in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl every year and made the All-NFL team on eight occasions.
Brown wasn’t just a fearsome runner; he caught passes, returned kickoffs and also threw three touchdown passes in his career. He led Cleveland to the 1964 NFL championship and was the league MVP three times.
The Cleveland Browns icon averaged over 100 yards per game during his short but legendary career. Jim Brown shocked the sporting world when he suddenly retired from the NFL at only 30 years of age. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
Jim Brown's career NFL Stats:
Games - 118
Rushing yards - 12,312
Yards per game - 104
Yards per carry - 5.2
Touchdowns - 126.
#2 John Elway - Denver Broncos
John Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts with the first pick of the 1983 NFL Draft. The Colts immediately traded Elway to the Denver Broncos after he refused to play for them. Thus began his legendary career at Mile High Stadium.
Elway played 16 NFL seasons with the Broncos, winning two Super Bowls after losing the first three he played in.
The Broncos quarterback was renowned for his fourth-quarter comebacks. He engineered 47 game-winning drives during his NFL career. He is the only player in NFL history to pass for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 200 yards in the same season on seven consecutive occasions.
Elway was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times. He was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1987 and the MVP at Super Bowl XXXIII. The quarterback was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
John Elway's Career NFL Stats:
Games - 234
Passing yards - 51,475
Rushing Yards - 3,407
Touchdowns - 300
Interceptions - 226.
#3 Lawrence Taylor - New York Giants
The no. 2 pick by the New York Giants in the 1981 NFL Draft, Lawrence Taylor, was about to become a defensive phenomenon.
The 6' 3", 237-pound linebacker inflicted fear into quarterbacks throughout his 13-season NFL career. LT led the Giants to victory in two Super Bowls and was selected to the Pro Bowl an incredible ten times during his time in the league.
One of Taylor’s greatest accomplishments was winning the 1986 MVP award. During that season, he recorded 20.5 sacks, 105 tackles, five passes defended and two forced fumbles. A defensive player has not won the MVP award in the NFL since Taylor.
The NFL has never seen a dominant defensive force like LT before. Taylor was a proud member of the New York Giants for his entire career. Lawrence Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1991.
Lawrence Taylor's NFL Career Stats:
Games - 184
Sacks - 132.5
Forced fumbles - 11
Interceptions - 9.
#4 Barry Sanders - Detroit Lions
One of the greatest running backs to ever play in the NFL, Barry Sanders was a Detroit Lion throughout his career. The Lions drafted Sanders with the third overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. Sanders would go on to smash every franchise rushing record.
The 1988 Heisman Trophy winner would play ten seasons in the league, and he was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl every year. Sanders was the first running back to record five 1,500-plus-yard rushing seasons.
In 1997, Sanders had an incredible season, rushing for an NFL-best 2,053 yards and gained another 305 yards on 33 catches for an amazing 2,358 combined yards gained. The Lions RB also gained more than 100 yards rushing in an NFL record 14 consecutive regular-season games. Barry was rightfully named the league’s MVP that year.
Like Jim Brown, Barry Sanders stunned the NFL by retiring at just 30 years of age. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Barry Sanders' Career NFL Stats:
Games - 153
Rushing yards - 15,269
Yards per carry - 5
Touchdowns - 99.