The San Francisco Treat
I may be the only person to say this, but Jerry Rice was not the greatest NFL player ever, nor was he the greatest receiver ever.He was a great player, no doubt. One of the greatest receivers of all time, probably in the top 2-3.
I say he was not the greatest ever because he benefitted greatly from the "system" he was in. A system that revolutionized offensive strategy in the NFL. He was fortunate to be a part of that system for years before anyone else figured out how to beat it.
He also played many years in the era of football where rich owners could create dynasties by hoarding the best players and overpaying for others. Rice played on such a team, and benefitted by not having to compete in an era of parity.
Of course, parity did come and he was still a great receiver on a great team, but he was no longer unstoppable. After that they won the super bowl only in 1994 with Steve Young, losing to Dallas in the years before 1994, and losing to the Packers in the years after.
Who was the greatest of all time? Don Hutson. Hands down.
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