The 25 greatest NFL players who only played for one team

Kelce is one of only five centers in league history who were named a First-Team All-Pro six times, with the others all being Hall of Famers. For 13 years, the Ohio native anchored many of the Eagles’ NFL-best offensive lines, including during their first Super Bowl run in 2018. One of his greatest achievements with the organization was setting their Iron Man streak after playing 156 consecutive games.

Before Bradshaw, there was never a quarterback who gave more to one city than him. He was the first to win three Super Bowls, and then the first to win four championships. The two-time Super Bowl MVP and one-time regular-season MVP always found a way to step up when the lights were the brightest, often having his best single-game efforts in do-or-die situations. 

His 16 seasons with the Chargers were marked by dominance. When he hung up his cleats, he left the game with the most touchdowns all-time by a tight end with 116. His excellence was unmatched between 2004 and 2011, spanning eight straight Pro Bowl seasons and three All-Pro selections. His relationship with Philip Rivers was unquestioned as the two connected for 89 scores, the most for any QB-TE duo. 

It was befitting that Strahan’s final NFL game saw him anchor a defense that was responsible for one of the greatest Super Bowl upsets when New York derailed New England’s bid at a perfect season. He set the record for most sacks in a season (22.5) in 2001, earning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. His 141.5 career sacks are the tops for any Giants player. 

Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and his zone blitz scheme were a perfect pairing with Polamalu’s unique freelancing ability. Together, the two were behind some of the most dominant defenses in the mid-2000s, which helped lead to two Super Bowl seasons. The safety was a Pro Bowl selection in eight of his 12 seasons, and he was recognized with the NFL Defensive Player of the Year hardware in 2010 after his seven-interception, 63-tackle campaign. 

Largent was in rare air when he retired after 14 seasons in Seattle. He stood atop the charts in all three of the major receiving categories: yards (13,089), receptions (819), and touchdowns (100). He has since passed, but his Triple Crown claim shows how dominant he was between 1976 and 1989. The seven-time Pro Bowler also held the record at the time for most consecutive games with a catch (177). 

The “Ageless Wonder” is the poster boy for longevity. His career spanned 20 seasons in the nation’s capital, where two of those seasons saw him play a pivotal role on Super Bowl-winning teams. The seven-time Pro Bowler holds the record for most consecutive seasons with an interception (19), a testament to his durability and talent. 

The Buccaneers’ first Super Bowl win was highlighted by Brooks’ 44-yard interception return, a fitting personification of his impact on the organization. The 2002 Defensive Player of the Year was a nine-time All-Pro across his 14 seasons. Perhaps his greatest achievement, though, was his Iron Man streak, which saw him suit up for every single game in his career. His combination of speed and intellect proved crucial for the success of the iconic Tampa 2 defense. 

Cleveland didn’t have much to celebrate between 2007 and 2017, but the one thing the franchise could hang its hat on was its Hall of Fame-bound offensive lineman. Thomas was the de facto face of the franchise for 11 seasons, during which 10 of those saw him earn Pro Bowl honors and eight All-Pro teams. His career ended in 2017 after a triceps tear that required surgery. Before that, he had played an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps. 

You don’t earn the “Megatron” moniker without being a freak athlete. That’s exactly what Johnson was over his nine-year NFL career. In 2012, he set the NFL single-season record with 1,964 receiving yards. His dominance saw him finish his dynamic career as Detroit’s leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. The three-time First-Team All-Pro retired at the top of his game, doing so at the age of 30. 

Starr’s track record is the gold standard by which all quarterbacks are judged. He led Green Bay to five NFL championships in his tenure, including three straight between 1965 and 1967. The league introduced the Super Bowl the following season, which Starr led his team to win in back-to-back years. His postseason record stands at 9-1, including an iconic win in the 1967 “Ice Bowl.” 

For nearly two decades, Fitzgerald served as the heartbeat of Arizona. One of his defining moments came in the 2008 playoffs, when he went on a historic four-game stretch with 30 catches, 546 yards, and seven touchdowns before falling in the Super Bowl. When his career came to an end in 2020, he sat behind only Jerry Rice in all-time receiving yards (17,492) and receptions (1,432). 

His career spanned 13 dominant seasons with 10 Pro Bowls and five First-Team All-Pro selections. Above everything else, he was a pillar for Pittsburgh’s dynasty and the feared Steel Curtain defense. He was a key cog on four championship teams in the 1970s, after immediately making an impact by winning the 1969 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The legendary franchise has retired only three numbers, one of which is Greene’s No. 75. 

You don’t have to look too hard to see how dominant and well-respected Olsen was during the 1960s and 1970s. He holds the NFL record for most consecutive Pro Bowls made by a defensive player, with 14 in a row. That stretch began as a rookie and ended in his final season. He also never missed a game over his 15 seasons, remaining a force throughout, paired alongside the “Fearsome Foursome” of Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy. 

His tenure spanned exactly a decade. In all 10 of his seasons in Cleveland, Graham appeared in the championship game. He won seven of those titles. That is a record of excellence that will surely never be broken. Graham was a three-time MVP in the 1950s and was an All-Pro selection seven times. 

After serving the country for four years, Staubach flourished for “America’s Team.” After becoming a starter midway through his third season, he led Dallas to 10 straight victories, including Super Bowl VI. He even won the game’s MVP. The two-time champion led the league in passer rating four times over his career. Known for pulling off some wild comebacks, Staubach also famously coined the term we all know today: “Hail Mary.” 

Before Butkus, linebackers were nothing more than brute tacklers in the middle of the field. The face of Monsters of the Midway changed that perception with his ballhawking ability. At the time of his retirement, he held the position with the most interceptions and fumble recoveries in his career. The 1965 Rookie of the Year was a Pro Bowler in all but one of his nine seasons, including twice being named Defensive Player of the Year. His Chicago career not only defined the organization but also defined an era. 

With Elway at the helm, the game was truly never over. He fittingly earned “The Comeback Kid” nickname as a result of his then-record 47 fourth-quarter game-winning or game-tying drives. None was more famous than “The Drive” in the 1986 AFC Championship, a signature 98-yard scoring drive in the freezing cold in Cleveland. His heroics propelled the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowls.  

Before quarterbacks routinely threw for 4,000 or 5,000 yards, there was Dan Marino. He was the first ever to hit 5,000 during his 1984 MVP season. His 40 touchdowns that season also took the position to new heights. When his 17-year career in Miami wrapped up, he retired atop all of the major passing categories. Individual success was abundant for Marino, but the one thing that eluded him all of those years was the Lombardi Trophy. 

Lewis’ legacy is ingrained in the Ravens organization. He arrived in the city the same season that the franchise moved in. His 17 years were filled with the highest of highs, including a pair of Super Bowls and Defensive Player of the Year trophies. In a storybook ending, Lewis announced he would be retiring midway through the 2012 season, culminating his farewell tour by hoisting the championship. 

There aren’t many players who ran so elusively and so gracefully like Sanders did over his 10 seasons. The 1997 Co-MVP was unbelievably an All-Pro every year and led the league in rushing four times. The former Oklahoma State star was so dominant that he’s the only back to ever reach 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons. Had he not abruptly retired at the top of his game, he more than likely would have left as the all-time leading rusher, as he needed just 1,457 yards to catch the record then held by Walter Payton. 

Donald was a force of nature and someone who seemed to come straight out of a lab. Behind this sheer power and incredibly swift movement, Donald was a Pro Bowler every season and an All-Pro in seven of them. His dominance played an integral role in helping the Rams reach the Super Bowl. He is one of only three players to be named Defensive Player of the Year three times.

If there was a record, Payton was poised to break it. His 16,726 career rushing yards positioned him atop the charts when he retired. His unreal 275-yard game in 1977 also set a single-game record, which was later broken. What made “Sweetness” so remarkable was his ability to stay healthy, only missing one game over his 13-year career. He was the offensive star of the dominant 1985 team that cruised to Super Bowl XX. 

Only two defenders have ever won the league MVP. Lawrence is one of them. His presence alone revitalized the Giants’ organization, which had missed the playoffs for 18 straight seasons before L.T. restored them to relevance. The first-ballot Hall of Famer had his No. 56 retired by New York shortly after retiring. 

They don’t make players like Brown anymore. His accolades are as impressive as they come. He won MVP as a rookie and is the only non-quarterback to win the award three times in a career. He led the league in rushing in all but one of his nine seasons, too. When he hung up the cleats, he did so averaging more than 100 yards per game, a career mark that no other player has yet to match.