One of the few things in sports that fans can reach a consensus on is that Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver to ever lace up the cleats. And really, why would anyone argue that? He holds nearly every receiving record, and despite how many great WRs are in the league today, most of those records are a long way from being broken.
But, who’s the next best wideout in NFL history? The Patriots face off against their old teammate Randy Moss on Sunday night. The current 49er may not be the player he was in his prime with the Vikings and Patriots, but he still holds a role in San Francisco stretching defenses just as he did in his best years. Moss has 15,184 career yards with 155 touchdowns and a 15.6 average yards per catch.
Moss’ contemporary Marvin Harrison wasn’t too shabby when he was playing with Peyton Manning and the Colts either. Harrison led the league twice during his career in yards and receptions, and he grabbed 128 career touchdowns in his 13-year career — all with the Colts. Harrison wasn’t the flashiest target, but his 143 receptions in 2002 is a single-season record.
Moss’ teammate in Minnesota, Cris Carter, is one of the biggest current hall-of-fame snubs. He led the league in touchdowns three different season in Minnesota and totaled 13,899 yards in his 16-year career. Carter was famously released by the Eagles because of substance-abuse issues right before he burst onto the scene in Minnesota.
Speaking of Hall of Fame snubs, Tim Brown was one of the best during his 17-year career with the Raiders and Buccaneers. Brown had 14,934 yards during his career, and led the league in receptions with 104 in 1997. Brown was voted to eight Pro Bowls during his career.
So, who’s the second-best wide receiver in NFL history? Is it Moss, even though his NFL story hasn’t even finished being written? Or is it Harrison, Carter or Brown? Vote below.
Photo via Facebook/San Francisco 49ers
