Every NFL team's most overrated player of all time

Every NFL team’s most overrated player of all time

22 Oct 2000: Quarterback Steve Beuerlein #7 of the Carolina Panthers scrambles with the ball during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers defeated the 49ers 34-16.Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones /Allsport /

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 4: Quarterback Joe Montana #16 of the San Francisco 49ers passes during a 1986 season playoff game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium on January 4, 1987 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the 49ers 49-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana

This will be the most unpopular of opinions, but just breathe for a second and have an open mind. Montana was great. There is no taking that away from him- he was clutch, he was a field general, he was great. That said, there were other quarterbacks who were better than Montana who could have accomplished just as much as he did, if not more, if they had the help he did.

One of those quarterbacks was Dan Marino. The 49ers beat Marino and the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX 38-16. If the roles were reversed, we would be talking about Marino as the second greatest quarterback of all time.

Even in the history of the 49ers, you can make the argument Steve Young was better. He was certainly more athletic, and his best seasons were better than any of Montana’s best seasons. Montana was amazing in all four Super Bowls in which he appeared, and came up big in multiple playoff games. That said, he also played really bad in several playoff games. The worst of which was when he went 12-of-26 for 109 yards in the 1987 Divisional Round against the Vikings in a game where the 49ers were heavy favorites.

Montana was great, but he is not the perfect quarterback that everyone makes him out to be. He was above average in the regular season and he had some playoff blunders. He is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, but his lure is much larger than it should be.

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