League: NFL Sport: Football Country: United States Category: Scores & Results

Tom Brady ranks first in list of 140 greatest NFL players

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 1, 2026, 3:20 PM

Last updated Sep 1, 2026

Tom Brady ranks first in list of 140 greatest NFL players

Summary

The Sporting News named Tom Brady the greatest player in NFL history in its ranking of the league's 140 top athletes. The seven-time Super Bowl champion topped a list that included Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor, and Joe Montana in the top five. The publication cited Brady’s durability and consistent production throughout his career as factors for the selection. Several players with ties to the New England Patriots also appeared on the list, including John Hannah, Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss, Junior Seau, Mike Haynes, and Adam Vinatieri. The ranking encompassed players across all positions from the league's 106-year history.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Tom Brady secured the top spot in The Sporting News ranking of 140 NFL players.
•The top five players included Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor, and Joe Montana.
•Adam Vinatieri was ranked 140th on the list.
•Other notable Patriots included John Hannah, Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss, Junior Seau, and Mike Haynes.

Latest Updates

3:20 PMYahoo Sports — Tom Brady Claims No. 1 Spot In Ranking Of NFL’s 140 Greatest Players
3:02 PMYahoo Sports — Sporting News 140: Ranking NFL's 140 greatest players of all time

What they're saying

"
Tom Brady beat out Jim Brown, Jerry Rice and every other NFL legend for the top spot, but he was far from the only Patriots great to make the historic ranking.
— Yahoo Sports