About This Quiz
The roster turnover in the NFL is extremely high, and most players don't make it in the league for more than a few seasons, let alone do they stay with a single team for that amount of time. So, when a player goes from a team staple to a franchise legend, it says a lot about his skill and drive.
What exactly makes a player a franchise legend, though? Is it their longevity with a team? Some players spent years with teams without being recognized as a top-tier player. Maybe, it's their community involvement and how much the city loves them. After all, the game is really about the fans, right? If that's true, why do teams trade fan-favorite players away?
Perhaps there are a lot of factors that go into becoming a franchise player, but every legendary player definitely shares one quality, which is their skill. Franchise players are the best at what they do, and they leave it all on the field.
How well do you know the legends who played for each franchise? If we give you three players, can you match them to the team they played for? Take this quiz and find out!
When you're ready, get started and see if you're a legend when it comes to this quiz!
The Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" dominated the NFL throughout the early and mid-2010s. They went to the playoffs five straight years, posting at least 10 wins each of those seasons.
John Elway played in three Super Bowls in the late '80s, but he failed to win a championship during that era. However, near the end of his career a decade later, he was joined by Terrell Davis, who helped Elway win two consecutive rings.
Peyton Manning had several record-breaking seasons playing alongside Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. The two receivers helped him win four NFL MVP awards with the Colts.
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Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson all joined the Chargers in the early 2000s. Tomlinson is the only one of the three to have already retired from the league when he left in 2011.
Ray Lewis was the original member of a Ravens' defense that dominated the 2000s. Lewis was named the MVP of the team's first Super Bowl in 2001.
Aaron Rodgers replaced Brett Favre as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in 2008. Favre went on to play for the divisional rival, Vikings, though his legacy will always be with the Packers.
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The Eagles won the first Super Bowl in franchise history in 2017 behind the arm of backup quarterback Nick Foles, who won the Super Bowl MVP award. Foles was hailed as a legend in Philadelphia, but he was moved back to second-string when Carson Wentz came back the next season, until Wentz got hurt again.
Bobby Layne placed a curse on the Lions after they traded him in 1958, saying the team wouldn't win for 50 years. The curse proved true as the Lions only won a single playoff game during that span and never made it to a Super Bowl.
Chris Johnson is one of only seven players to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. He accomplished the feat in 2009 when he rushed for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns.
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Tom Brady has outlasted every player on the Patriots' roster since he was drafted in 2000. The five-time Super Bowl champion claims he wants to play until the age of 45, which doesn't seem unreasonable considering he won the NFL MVP at the age of 40.
The Washington Redskins have been criticized in recent years because of the team name, which some Native Americans deem offensive. However, Redskins' owner Daniel Snyder has stated he will not change the name.
The Steelers' dominant defensive line in the 1970s was known as the "Steel Curtain." These monsters guided the team to four Super Bowl victories in only six years.
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After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the city looked to the Saints for an escape from the devastation as it tried rebuild. Joining the team in 2006, Drew Brees delivered the city some hope, guiding the Saints to the first Super Bowl in franchise history in 2008.
Behind the mind of defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, the 1985 Bears' defense led the team to a 15-1 record in the regular season. The Bears were first in every major defensive category that year including points allowed, yards, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young are all Hall of Fame players, despite two of them being quarterbacks. Montana and Young competed directly against one another for years until Montana finally requested a trade.
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Retiring in 2004, Emmitt Smith finished his career as the all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He still holds both records with 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns.
The Giants faced the Patriots, who went into the game with an undefeated record, in Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots were heavily favored, but the Giants walked away with a 17-14 victory.
Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger are the only quarterbacks to win Super Bowls with the Steelers, who have the most titles of any NFL franchise. Currently, the Steelers have six NFL championships.
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The closest the Bills came to winning a Super Bowl during their four appearances was following the 1990 season. They faced the Giants in a game that ended on a missed field goal that would have won the game for the Bills.
The Cardinals' franchise has yet to win a Super Bowl despite joining the league when it was founded. The team's only Super Bowl appearance was in 2008.
The Dolphins went 14-0 throughout the 1972 regular season and playoffs, defeating the Redskins to win Super Bowl VII. The team was coached by Don Shula, who holds the record for the most regular season wins by a head coach.
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The Eagles were one of the original franchises in the NFL when it merged with the AFL in 1970. The team currently has 11 players in the Hall of Fame listed as Eagles.
The Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII after acquiring head coach Jon Gruden in the offseason. Gruden came over from the Raiders, who the Buccaneers ended up playing in the Super Bowl.
Few NFL players, and certainly few Giants, have had the same impact on a game as Lawrence Taylor. With the ability to blitz from anywhere, Taylor revolutionized the linebacker position, racking up 132.5 sacks over the course of his career.
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Deion Sanders is regarded as one of the greatest athletes in Atlanta sports' history. Nicknamed "Prime Time," he was not only a star on the gridiron but played for the Atlanta Braves as well.
After an outstanding career, Anthony Munoz made the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. He was the first player from the Bengals to be awarded the honor.
A dominant defensive end, J.J. Watt is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. A back injury appeared to be slowing him down starting in 2016, but he seems to be back to form as of 2018 when he recorded 16 sacks and forced 7 fumbles.
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With over 15,000 receiving yards, Randy Moss had the most accomplished career of any receiver to wear the "Purple and Gold." However, he spent the second half of his career as a journeyman for other teams.
The Raiders played the Vikings in Super Bowl XI, walking away with a 32-14 victory. Fred Biletnikoff was named the MVP of the game after catching four passes for 79 yards.
The Chiefs played in the first Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. The game was played in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in front of a crowd of over 60,000.
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Randy Moss holds the record for receiving touchdowns in a season at 23. He set the record while playing alongside Tom Brady on the New England Patriots in 2007.
Eric Dickerson holds the NFL record for the most rushing yards in a season, which he set with the Rams in 1984 when he rushed for 2,105 yards. He also holds the record for rushing yards as a rookie with 1,808 yards.
Led by "The Greatest Show on Turf," the Rams' offense dominated the NFL, leading the league in offensive yards from 1999 through 2001. During that span, Kurt Warner won two NFL MVP awards, and Marshall Faulk won the other.
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Unlike Joe Namath, Darrelle Revis and Curtis Martin never won a Super Bowl with the New York Jets. However, Darrelle Revis did win a championship with the Jets' divisional rival, the New England Patriots.
Vince Lombardi served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers when they won Super Bowl I and II. The legendary coach posted a 105-35-6 overall record and a 9-1 record in the playoffs.
The Jaguars were not added to the NFL as an expansion franchise until the early '90s and did not play their first season until 1995. Tom Coughlin was hired as the team's first head coach, and though he helped establish the new franchise, he was fired in 2002 after a losing season.
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The Vikings' defensive line in the late '60s and '70s was known as the "Purple People Eaters." They led the Viking to three Super Bowls in four years, though they lost all three.
Kevin Greene and Julius Peppers both sit in the top five on the list of the most sacks in a career. Peppers retired in 2019, half a sack away from tying Greene on the list.
With a national brand, the Cowboys are often referred to as "America's Team." The name is fitting, considering the Cowboys market themselves to fans all across the country.
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