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Published on 10/21/2010 at Thu Oct 21 23:22.
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NFL’s Top 100 ranks John Elway 22 spots too low

Posted Thu Oct 21st by

John Elway is nothing short of the Greatest of all Time

NFL Network’s Top 100 NFL Players of all Time list unveiled numbers 21-30 tonight, and who did they have the misfortune of placing 23rd?

That would be John Elway. 23rd. Utterly ridiculous. This list just lost all credibility.

John Elway is the greatest athlete to ever grace the football field. Period.

Not according to this list, which was determined by the NFLN’s “blue ribbon” panel of “experts.” No, on this list, Elway is slotted one spot above Patriots G John Hannah. A guard.

John Hannah is arguably the greatest offensive lineman of all time, but that doesn’t imply he made one-tenth the impact Elway did. Not in a single game, not over their respective careers, and not on the game of football as a whole.

Elway was timeless — a complete player. He carried an abyss of talent to three Super Bowls in the 1980’s then helicopter’d a mass of young potential to two championships.

If a 27-year old John Elway were to line up behind center in 2010, he’d instantly propel any team to the cusp of the playoffs. Or beyond.

You can’t say the same thing for John Hannah. Not even close.

John Elway was the best ever. Believe it.

John Elway was the best ever. Believe it.

Columnist Jason Whitlock, who was not part of the “blue ribbon” panel, would agree (about Elway). His fantastic piece following Peyton Manning‘s struggles in the last Super Bowl say it better than we ever could:

The greatest quarterback of all time is the one who could excel in all five eras. The criterion is: Which quarterback would you prefer to start a franchise with in any decade? …

1. John Elway: Tremendous athleticism. He was Vince Young, except he could throw it accurately to any place on the field. Defensive coordinators and safeties feared his long arm so much that running backs Gaston Green, Bobby Humphrey and Sammy Winder all earned Pro Bowl berths taking handoffs from Elway. But the myth is Elway benefitted from Terrell Davis and Davis didn’t benefit from Elway. Elway made the Broncos relevant and dangerous for 16 straight years.

And in case you needed any more convincing this list is trash, consider that Elway is the first and last Bronco to be named on the list. No Terrell Davis. No Shannon Sharpe. No Gary Zimmerman.

No Champ Bailey.

We’re not saying every one of those players belongs in the Top 100, but at least one certainly does. The bias or ignorance or plain lack of education across NFL’s panel of “experts” toward everything Denver Broncos is sadly reflected every year before each Super Bowl, when they announce Sharpe or Randy Gradishar will be denied entrance into the Hall again.

It’s a shame we had to be reminded of it four months early.

John Elway defines greatness in football. Anything less than #1 is just wrong.

  • herc_rock

    I was hoping for top 15.

  • Brentc

    If Elway had the advanced offense (for its time) that Joe Montana had, not to mention the talent around him on offense, or the pass happy offense that Marino enjoyed his whole career – he would own every significant record. As it is, he only took his team to the Super Bowl every 3rd year. 23 – PLLLEEEAASSEE

  • http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2582236 Elway4Life

    Wow! John Elway, who took his team to 5 Superbowls, while winning 2, retiring while being at the top of his game, should of been in the Top 10 no doubt! Elway is definitely ranked 1-3 for QBs all time if not #1! Also, we all know Shannon Sharpe is obviously the best TE in NFL history, obviously. So, I guess the Top 100 players have no TE's in it? Lastly, how is a guard considered the Top 25th player of all time? That's crazy! I actually haven't watched this show or know any rankings, and after hearing this, I'm glad I haven't been watching it!

  • 5280rich

    John Elway wasn't only the top QB of the NFL, he was the best qb coming out of colleg going 1st overall in the draft, and he owned every high school record in his state and was the top player coming out of high school! John Elway was the best qb in every stage of the game for as long as he was a football player. no other qb was the best in every league at every age through their whole life. sure other qb's were great in the nfl, but none of them were great from the second they put on pads for the first time. N E THING LESS THEN #1 IS BLASFAMY!!! This is proof that the whole nfl looks down on denver and always has. they deny 3 or 4 other hall of fame caliber bronco players altogether in this list and on top of that they rank the best player ever to play the game at any postion low just because he was wearing a bronco jersey. All the nfl will ever see denver as is a cow town full of no bodies. One day denver will get its due dilegence. BRONCO FAN FOR LIFE!!!

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    I'm trying not to homer out with this and stay objective. John Elway really is #1. I could have lived with Top 3, maybe Top 5.

    Top 25? Top 15? Selling him way, way short.

  • http://broncoszone.blogspot.com/ Jon

    Top Five, not 25

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    Thanks for the spoilers Kyle! I kid, I kid. I was cautiously wondering where they were going to rank our beloved greatest Bronco. 23rd is freaking laughable. Only two players in the history of the NFL have more super bowl appearances than Elway. Former Bronco Mike Lodish (Den, Buf) and Don Beebe (Buf, GB). Notice that neither of those two were the QB that got their team to the big dance? Above all else what puts Elway to the top of this list is that he is the greatest “football player” of the all time elite QBs. Favre hangs in there right behind him for that title.

    Lawrence Taylor is quoted as saying during Elway's rookie season the beast of a linebacker hit Elway as hard as he can remember ever hitting a QB. After which Elway pops up, walk over smacks Taylor on the helmet and says “Are you gonna be ok after that hit?” “That's when I knew he was going to be a great QB in this league.”

    I could deal with Top 5, ranking him behind someone like Rice who was clearly the greatest receiver of all time, but 23? FOR SHAME NFL NETWORK!

  • http://twitter.com/ds Dave Simon

    If Elway had played for a major-market team, been in a bunch of TV ads nationally, and not rubbed “experts” the wrong way by demanding a trade from the Colts, he'd be #1 without a doubt.

    Who's better? Montana? Please. What did he do with the Chiefs when he didn't have Rice, Taylor, Craig, etc? Nothing. Hell, Steve Young made the 49ers just as fearsome.

    Put Elway on those 49er teams and they win year after year.

    Hardly anyone considers how conservative Dan Reeves was in his play calls. He never let Elway loose. He often ran first and second, only to leave a long third. Elway would scramble around, point, find an open guy, pick up the first, then hand off to Sammy Winder for 1 yard and a cloud of dust on first down.

    It was only when he was older and on his last legs that he got a coach and a supporting staff around him in order to win two Super Bowls. He carried his team to three other Super Bowls. Those teams, without Elway are barely playoff teams at all, most likely 7-9 or worse.

    Of course, leave it to the media to say that it was Terrell Davis who won Super Bowls for Elway… and then shortchange TD when it comes to consideration for making a list like this or the Hall of Fame.

    LT (the running back who can't play in big games) will likely make the Hall of Fame. MVP awards? One. Touchdown records? Sure. Two-thousand yard seasons? None. AFC Championships? None. AFC Championships he sat on the bench and watched his team lose when he was supposed to be the best player in football? One. Rings? None.

    TD: MVP awards? One. Touchdown records? Who cares. Two-thousand yard seasons? One. AFC Championships? Two. Being a factor even when he couldn't see because of a migraine? Yep. Sitting on the bench being a whiner? None. Rings? Two. Dismissed as being part of a “system”? Of course.

    TD is criticized for a short career. How did TD hurt himself, shortening his career? Sacrificing for the team, making a tackle after an interception. I'm willing to bet that LT wouldn't stick his head in there for his team like TD.

    So the same hypocrites who say TD isn't good enough for the Hall are the ones who say he's the reason Elway “finally” won.

    Elway went to Super Bowls in 86, 87, 89, 97, 98. Eight years is his longest stretch without going to the big game. Favre has been 13 seasons since Elway beat him in the Super Bowl. Why isn't he criticized for not being able to do it without Reggie White? Hell, right now he's got Adrian Peterson, a stout D and he still didn't get there.

    I could go on for way too long. And these lists are stupid anyway. It all boils down to this: If you were going to take one guy, in his prime, and build a franchise around him, who would you take? I'd take John Albert Elway, Jr. And then I'd win championships.

  • http://twitter.com/amcfarla Aaron McFarland

    All you have to do is look at the Hall of Fame…The NFL doesn't give the Broncos any respect.

  • http://twitter.com/amcfarla Aaron McFarland

    not sure I would put him at number 1, being that Dan Marino and Joe Montana were in the league at the same time and put up comparable numbers. Jim Brown was in a league of his own when he was at the top of his game(which was pretty much his entire short career), but 23rd…yeah I admit that is way too low considering he made an average team a super bowl contender year in and year out.

  • herc_rock

    Believe me, nobody loves John more than I do, but #1 all time is stretching it. Putting Tom Brady two spots ahead of him is horseshit though. Complete and utter horseshit.

  • dogheadbrew

    As a life long Denverite, here comes my fly-over-state complex:

    The NFL Networks top 100 players ever*
    *as denoted by people who think the Mississippi river's western bank is California.

    Is Elway the best ever? I have no idea, but if he had played in New York, Mike would have wanted to be like John.

    Random other note, I know I pay closer attention to this than nearly anyone else, but it seems that a very high percentage of Bronco players keep homes in Colorado. Even after retiring, leaving or even in some cases being unceremoniously run out of town. Hell Brian Grese lives her and does radio broadcasts.

    Random final note. So Mr. Schlereth (the hardest working guy in sports punditry) is part of a daily sports talk show in Denver, even if he has to call in from ESPN studios. What if we could convince Adam Schefter to do the same and the two of them would have an hour a day, during NFL season on local radio? I wouldn't have to get any other NFL news ever! No other place or medium for NFL or Bronco news or opinions in any way shape or form!

  • areferee

    Come on Herc! Stop holding back! Say what you mean, man! :-)

    John Elway is in anyone's top 5 except the NFL that is always on its knees polishing the knob of the East Coast Media.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    You just hurt our Broncotalk ego with that last statement. :(

  • herc_rock

    The following QB's are going to be ranked ahead of Elway

    Tom Brady

    Britt Favruh

    Peyton Manning

    Johnny Unitas

    Joe Montana

    You can make an argument for Montana and Johnny U, but the rest of those are garbage selections…

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    As well as Sammy Baugh and Otto Graham.

  • herc_rock

    Sheesh. I forgot about the really, really old guys. So according to this list, John is the eighth best QB of all time. Wow.

  • john616

    Because the 'Duke' isn't in the top 3-5 of this list destroys the credibility of those making the selections. Show me a QB that did more with some of the most mediocre talent around him than John did. You can't. And when it came down to 'crunch time' in the 4th quarter, you just KNEW John was going to complete the comeback. John Elway could take this present Bronco team to the SB. End of story.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    Seriously, this is making me nauseous the more I read.

  • Jordan

    Hoooooooomer. I'm sorry, but if you believe that “anything less than #1 is just wrong” you have no perspective whatsoever. He choked for the most part in Super Bowls. His stats, in terms of efficiency, were consistently average even in his era, and only rose to “very good” at the very end of his career. While those things don't tell the entire story, the single greatest player in NFL history does not have those kinds of flaws. If you want stats, I can name a boatload of better players. If you want winning, give me Montana or Starr. if you want the best possible comination of both, give me Unitas or Montana. If you want dominance without a great supporting cast, give me Tom Brady. Elway's great, don't get me wrong, but there is a very legitimate case against him.

  • http://twitter.com/dxmanning Joshua Manning

    Dear Bronocos fans, don't let fan bias get in the way. I know that John Elway is a top 5 QB of ALL TIME but NOT a top 20 player. If it was the NFL's Top 25 QB of All-Time then Elway will be #4 or #3. Elway is not #1 because Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas are the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!! Not Elway, sorry Broncos fans but Elway not the #1 QB of all time.

  • http://twitter.com/dxmanning Joshua Manning

    Co-sign here.

  • anthony33

    Agree with Brady, Manning, Unitas and Montanta, but not Favre… no way, no how.

    Elway should be no lower that 15 at the very worst.

    They should just call it the NFL bullshit network. My gues is that jackass Jamie Dukes did this.

  • Ipsedixitjs

    At the end of the day we all know that the NFL 100 list is subjective and all non-Bronco fans are entitled to their opinions. All the residents of Bronco Country knows that Elway is the best their was and the #1 quarterback of all time.

  • Jordan

    Right, because Bronco fans are the most objective people around in terms of judging Elway. Just ask around. Very few people consider him to be the best quarterback of all time. No one really knows the answer for sure, but I'd definitely trust the neutral people over anyone else (I'm a Ravens fan, by the way).

  • iskabibble

    Gradishar the top NFL tackler of all time w/ 2049 doesn't make the list?

    NFL NETWORK YOU SUCK!

  • John

    Wow, here in Pittsburgh where we are used to being great, we realize that there's a bigger world out there than simply the Steelers. I found this article after being upset that 28 was Emmitt Smith, the best running back of the last 20 seasons and 29 was Jack Lambert, a MLB that changed the way an entire generation plays the game.

    Elway get's far and away MORE praise than he deserves. I will agree with you that he “should” be top 12 for sure. But not number one. Emmitt, Jim Brown, or Jerry Rice. These three guys are the best football players.

  • Lance

    There is no way Elway is number 1 on any list of the NFL'S greatest players.He played on some very weak teams coming out of the AFC at that time. The NFC was far superior. Did Montana ever loose three Super Bowl's, one by over 40 points to the greatest to ever play quarterback in the NFL. Elway number one, lets get serious.

  • Mrcaddylac

    Considering that Johnny Unitas only has one superbowl victory I wouldn't put him above John Elway!! Also Elway played a more complete game then Unitas did!! I can understand the Joe Montana He has 4 superbowl victories!!

  • Ozzybob

    Most of Unitas's career was before there were superbowls, however he is a three-time champion. His performance in the1958 championship brought such increased popularity to pro football, that Lamar Hunt was inspired to start the AFL which led to the existence of the “superbowl”.

  • Ozzybob

    Most of Unitas's career was before there were superbowls, however he is a three-time champion. His performance in the1958 championship brought such increased popularity to pro football, that Lamar Hunt was inspired to start the AFL which led to the existence of the “superbowl”.