5 NFL rivals who hated each other’s guts
Throughout the history of the NFL, some of the most captivating storylines emerge when two players who absolutely despise each other meet on the gridiron. They may hate each other for reasons on and off the field, but when the matchup arrives, fans across the NFL cannot wait to see the next chapter of the beef being written.
Here are five of the best NFL rivals who hated each other’s guts.
NFL rivals who hated each other
#5 Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree
Cornerback Aqib Talib and wide receiver Michael Crabtree had beef for years in the NFL. Often lining up against each other on opposite sides of the ball, the feud began when they were teenagers as they went to rival high schools in Dallas.
"Crabtree apparently said to Talib: ‘Bruh! You from my motherf–king city! I better not see you in the city!'"
By 2015, the rivals were both playing in the AFC West -- Talib with the Denver Broncos and Crabtree with the Oakland Raiders. On New Year’s Day in 2017, Talib ripped a chain off Crabtree’s neck in a Broncos win, which led to a scuffle and both players being ejected.
“I just wanted to embarrass him,” Talib said of the incident.
Despite the feud, the pair seem to have quashed their beef now, as shown in the clip below.
.@AqibTalib21 tells @MasterTes he and @KingCrab15 finally squashed their beef after the infamous 2017 chain-snatching brawl 🤝
Watch a new Untold Stories youtu.be/cSJlrzd8W0k https://t.co/9HodCm6hu6
#4 - Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman
As the beef between Talib and Crabtree was flaring up, another wide receiver and cornerback feud began, between Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants and Josh Norman of the Carolina Panthers.
Norman had developed into one of the best cornerbacks in football after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He got into a scuffle with Beckham during a 2015 clash between the two teams, with five personal foul penalties called on the players during the game.
After the game Norman said Beckham has “the maturity of a little kid.”
In the following offseason, Norman also claimed Beckham Jr. was overrated due to his outstanding rookie year (1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns), and he was overhyped after his amazing one-handed touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys in 2015.
Norman is now 34 years old, and he last played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021, while OBJ is a free agent, coming off a Super Bowl win for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.