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The NFL is all about star power. Superstars are what make the league, as they are not only the most talked about players by fans and the media, but they are also the ones that have the biggest impact on the field of play. This is especially true for the quarterback position, which is the most important position in football. Quarterbacks are so in the public eye, that their skill sets can often be either too heavily scrutinized or overrated by football observers.
It isn't just signal-callers that get overrated by the public, though. A number of players throughout NFL history have had a reputation that outshines their actual production. We asked ChatGPT who the most overrated players in NFL history are, so check out the gallery to see who artificial intelligence thinks is overrated and to see if we agree.
1. Joe Namath, Quarterback
ChatGPT summary: Namath is celebrated for his Super Bowl III guarantee and victory, but his career statistics (more interceptions than touchdowns) and inconsistent performance have led some to view his overall career as overrated.
Analysis: Joe Namath was the first star of the Super Bowl era, and fans loved him for it. His New York Jets, who played in the AFL, were massive underdogs heading into Super Bowl III – the final Super Bowl before the NFL-AFL Merger. Namath, who was nicknamed Broadway Joe, famously guaranteed a win, and he became a legend when he delivered on that promise.
Additionally, Namath was all of the rage because of the flamboyant way in which he dressed and talked. While he certainly talked the talk, he actually didn't walk the walk as much as you might have thought. Namath only threw 173 touchdowns in comparison to 220 interceptions over his 13 year career. He led the league in interceptions on four different occasions, and he had five or fewer touchdown passes in an entire season five different times.
While Namath played in a different era that didn't prioritize l0fty statistics in the passing game, and he certainly had a huge impact on the sport, it is clear that he is one of the most overrated players in NFL history because he simply put up pretty average numbers on the football field.
2. Tony Romo, Quarterback
ChatGPT summary: Romo had impressive regular season stats but struggled in the playoffs, leading to questions about his ability to perform in clutch situations.
Analysis: The Dallas Cowboys are known as “America's Team,” and they are always in the public eye because of that. The team found tons of success in the '90s, winning three Super Bowls with Troy Aikman leading the way during that time. They had a quarterback carousel for the years to follow until Tony Romo brought stability back to the position.
While Romo and his Cowboys were solid and received a ton of attention, they were stuck in the shadow of their predecessors, and Romo simply wasn't as good as Aikman was. While Romo was good, he wasn't a top-five quarterback in the NFL during his playing days.
The quarterback put up good numbers in almost every season, but he always seemed to regress come playoff time. His lack of a clutch gene makes him one of the most overrated NFL players ever.
3. Terry Bradshaw, Quarterback
ChatGPT summary: Despite winning four Super Bowls, Bradshaw's career completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio have led some to argue that he was more a product of a great team than a great quarterback himself.
Analysis: Terry Bradshaw is widely regarded as one of the best NFL players ever because he quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowls. Football is a team game, though, and he had a lot of help on the way to those championships. Most notably, the Steel Curtain defense is one of the best defensive units in league history.
Legendary players such as Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Andy Russell, Mel Blount, and L.C. Greenwood were on those defensive units. Bradshaw also had star players to get the ball to. Franco Harris (running back) and Lynn Swann (receiver) are among the best players ever at their respective positions.
Bradshaw did what he had to do to win, but he was more of a game-manager than anything else. He only surpassed 3,000 passing yards twice, and he actually only made the Pro Bowl game three times.
4. Michael Vick, Quarterback
ChatGPT summary: Vick revolutionized the quarterback position with his running ability, but his inconsistency as a passer and off-field issues have led some to question the extent of his impact.
Analysis: During his days with the Atlanta Falcons, Michael Vick became one of the faces of the league. He, of course, was one of the best rushing quarterbacks ever, but some fans will forget that he also had a cannon of an arm. It all ended too quickly, though, as Vick missed two seasons while sitting in prison because of his involvement in dog fighting. That happened after only Vick's age 26 season, when he should have been entering his prime.
Instead, Vick came back to the game a shell of his former self. While he had some good games on the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, he wasn't the same athlete that he was before, so he lost some of the pizzazz that made him so special. Additionally, Vick would go on to struggle with injury issues over the back half of his career, only starting more than 10 games twice in seven years after making his return.
Vick spent a lot of that time as a backup, which means the Virginia Tech product had a super short prime for a quarterback. Elite quarterbacks need to be great for more than a decade, and Vick was great for a far shorter time than that.
5. Eli Manning, Quarterback
ChatGPT summary: Manning has two Super Bowl MVPs, but his overall career has been marked by inconsistency and a sub .500 record as a starter, leading some to consider him overrated.
Analysis: Eli Manning is on the ballot for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, but fans are conflicted on whether he should be inducted or not. Rather than being a consistently elite quarterback, Manning was somewhat average, but he has a bunch of memorable plays and big moments.
Of course, his two Super Bowl wins stand above the rest. Both Super Bowl XLVI and Super Bowl XLII are among the best championship games ever (both victories came over the New England Patriots, which were in the peak of the best dynasty ever). Those two games saw two of the biggest Super Bowl moments ever, too. The David Tyree helmet catch and the Mario Manningham catch will be remembered forever, and both were passes thrown from Manning.
Other than those standout games/moments, Manning was pretty average. He threw a lot of interceptions, and he was never in MVP discussions.
6. Reggie Bush, Running Back
ChatGPT summary: Bush came into the NFL with enormous hype as a Heisman Trophy winner, but he never lived up to expectations as an every-down back, though he did have a solid career as a versatile player.
Analysis: Our first non-quarterback that ChatGPT ranked among the most overrated NFL players ever is Reggie Bush. The USC product was overrated at the professional level, largely because of how special he was at the collegiate level. In fact, he had one of the best Heisman Trophy seasons of the 21st century while playing for one of the most exciting college teams in recent memory.
The highlight plays that occurred so frequently in college happened less often against NFL-level defenders. Bush only ran for more than 1,00 yards twice in the NFL, and he never ran for more than six touchdowns.
7. Jay Cutler, Quarterback
ChatGPT summary: Cutler had all the physical tools but never translated them into consistent on-field success, often criticized for his decision-making and lack of leadership.
Analysis: The Chicago Bears have always struggled with quarterback play. They notoriously have never had a 4,000-yard passer. That has made Bears fans overrate the few okay quarterbacks that they have had because they don't know any better. Jay Cutler is a prime example of this.
The quarterback who played in Chicago from 2009 to 2016 is arguably the best quarterback in franchise history, but that is only because he doesn't have much competition. Cutler was a turnover machine, and he regularly dealt with injuries, too. Cutler never even made a Pro Bowl in Chicago, with his only nod for that award coming during his only 4,000-yard season in 2008 when he played for the Denver Broncos.
8. Devin Hester, Returner/Receiver
ChatGPT summary: While Hester is arguably the greatest return specialist in NFL history, his inability to contribute significantly as a wide receiver has led some to argue that his overall impact was limited.
Analysis: Devin Hester is certainly the best return man in NFL history, and because of that, most fans remember his name. Hester was electric with the ball in his hands on special teams, but unfortunately, special teams are just a small part of the game. Special teams are certainly important, and Hester was a difference-maker who could win games there, but every coach would rather have an elite offensive or defensive player over a great special teamer.
When the Chicago Bears turned him into a receiver, it became clear that Hester's niche was as a return man, as his offensive numbers were uninspiring.
9. Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End
ChatGPT summary: Clowney was a first-overall pick with immense expectations, but his career has been marked by injuries and inconsistency, leading to questions about his impact compared to the hype.
Analysis: Jadeveon Clowney was the first overall pick in 2014. He has been an impact player ever since then, so it is unfair to call him a draft bust, but it is fair to say the Clowney has not lived up to his potential. He has played for six different teams, and he has never been a double-digit sack guy.
Despite that, a lot of fans still remember him for the prestigious prospect he was coming out of college, and they have overrated him because of that. Clowney has flashed greatness at times in his career, but he has never been a star.
10. Brandon Marshall, Receiver
ChatGPT summary: Marshall put up impressive receiving numbers, but his lack of playoff success and issues with consistency and locker-room presence have led some to view his career more critically.
Analysis: Brandon Marshall had all of the talent in the world, but he was a classic example of a primadonna receiver. Marshall was a six-time Pro Bowler, and he ranks inside of the top 25 in receiving yards (12,351), receiving touchdowns (83), and receptions (970). The receiver even surpassed 1,000 yards in seven straight years and in eight out of nine seasons.
Those lofty numbers didn't lead to as much as you'd expect, though. Marshall bounced around from team to team, playing for six different teams in total. He didn't play in the postseason once during his entire 13 times.
