CBS Sports Names Top 5 Players In NFL History

It's that dreaded quiet period in the NFL where there are no training camps, scarcely any free agency moves and no major events of any kind. So CBS Sports decided to stir the pot a little bit by releasing their ranking of the greatest players in NFL history.

In a recent ranking, CBS Sports writer Bryan DeArdo created a ranking based on six criteria:

• Individual success/accolades won
• Dominance during his era
• Longevity and career milestones achieved
• Enduring impact/legacy
• Team success/championships won
• Ranking relative to his position 

Among active players, only Patrick Mahomes made the cut, coming in at No. 11. Aaron Rodgers, despite his accomplishments, did not make the top 25 at all.

It was also a very offense-heavy list, with Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Dick Butkus, Ray Lewis, Aaron Donald, Joe Greene, Alan Page and Rod Woodson accounting for the eight top-25 players in NFL history in DeArdo's eyes. 

Quarterbacks were the most represented position on the list with seven.

With all of that out of the way, here are the top five players in NFL history as approved by CBS Sports:

1. Tom Brady, Quarterback
2. Jerry Rice, Wide Receiver
3. Jim Brown, Running Back
4. Walter Payton, Running Back
5. Joe Montana, Quarterback

It's a pretty fair list from our point of view. Brady and Rice are the consensus top QB and wideout in NFL history so there's not much debate to be had there. 

Brown may come from a very different era of NFL history, but he is still widely respected as one of the all-time great players for his achievements on and off the field. 

Payton and Montana were the dominant forces of the 1980s, with Payton retiring as the NFL's all-time leading rusher and Montana becoming the first player in NFL history to become a three-time Super Bowl MVP.