Former NFL Players That Would Dominate The Modern Game
As the offseason continues to slowly move forward, I thought of an interesting topic to discuss that will appeal to all NFL fans. Everyone has had those conversations with their friends about certain “what ifs”. The “what if” I would like to discuss is about NFL players from the past that I think would dominate in today’s game. Some players were born too early and were not lucky enough to be born later to play in a league that has now greatly changed since past generations.
Dan Marino
Photo by: RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images
I think everyone reading this could have seen this one coming. Marino would be so fun to watch in the modern NFL. The quarterback became the first player ever to pass for 5,000 yards in a single season while also breaking the single-season passing touchdown record. The record was previously 36 touchdowns, Marino passed that by 12 and finished with 48 touchdowns. Overall, Marino was named first-or second-team All-Pro eight times, nine Pro Bowl appearances, one MVP, and one Super Bowl appearance as well. Marino achieved all of this in the 80s and 90s, I can only imagine what he would do in today’s league. The modern quarterback has become a mix of both being mobile and being an elite passer. Though Marino was known for his arm and not his legs, I’d still predict him to put up fantastic passing stats. If put in the right system, I could see Marino having a similar season to Peyton Manning’s 2013 campaign.
Jerry Rice
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
You might be asking yourself, why is Jerry Rice on this list? Rice is known for dominating throughout his entire career and being the undisputed G.O.A.T wide receiver of all time. Yes, this is extremely impressive, but can you imagine his numbers if he played now? The number of rule changes that have aided the offensive side of the game cannot be underestimated. With this context, I don’t see how Rice wouldn’t put up the stats he did in the past or even surpass those and produce even higher numbers. Also, Rice had a very long career, he played for 20 years. Imagine how long he would have played if he had been exposed to modern conditioning and medicine. Rice would be such a threat, I don’t see how defenders today would have been able to stop him. Years back teams had to heavily emphasize their defensive game plan around Rice, imagine how much they would have to do now. Personally, I would like to see Rice in a system similar to Andy Ried or Sean Payton’s offense. Just air the ball out and let him win on the outside, the slot, or even line him up in the backfield as the 49ers do with Deebo Samuel. Overall, Rice holds every significant receiving stat. He has the most career receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895 yards), most 1,000-yard receiving seasons (14), total touchdowns (208), and combined net yards (23,546). Also, he won three Super Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro 11 straight seasons, and was voted to 13 Pro Bowls, no big deal.
Randall Cunningham
Photo by: Andy Hayt/Sports Illustrated
I feel that this player was least expected out of everyone on this list. Personally, I wanted to put Cunningham on this because he paved the way for the modern quarterback. No, he was not the first “mobile” quarterback, but he is the first player the NFL has seen at quarterback that resembles how the position is played now. Cunningham was known for his legs and big arm. In his first couple of years in Philadelphia, Cunningham rarely was even taught how to improve at the position due to his head coach Buddy Ryan. Ryan only focused on the defensive side of the ball so Cunningham didn’t have much support. Still, he made jaw-dropping plays and changed how the position was evaluated. Eventually, Cunningham stopped playing in the NFL and was out of football by 1996. In 1997, the Vikings brought him in to be their starter. What a decision they made. Cunningham transformed his game and vastly improved as a passer. His best overall season was in 1998, he threw for 3,704 yards, 34 touchdowns, and led the Vikings to a 15-1 record. Overall, he did not make the Hall of Fame, but he still was named to four Pro Bowl appearances and had a first-team All-Pro appearance as well. Cunningham let the NFL know that the quarterback position could be played differently while still having team success. He also showed the league that a black quarterback could be successful as well. I personally could see Cunningham thriving in the NFL now, I think he would be used similarly to Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, or Justin Fields.
