10 best receiver-defensive back rivalries in NFL history

IRVING, TX - NOVEMBER 12: Wide receiver Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers runs a pass pattern against cornerback Deion Sanders #21 of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas on November 12, 1995. The 49ers defeated the Cowboys 38-20. (Photo by Joseph Patronite/Getty Images)
IRVING, TX - NOVEMBER 12: Wide receiver Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers runs a pass pattern against cornerback Deion Sanders #21 of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas on November 12, 1995. The 49ers defeated the Cowboys 38-20. (Photo by Joseph Patronite/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 30: Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans unwraps his wrists at NRG Stadium on November 30, 2014 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 30: Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans unwraps his wrists at NRG Stadium on November 30, 2014 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

6. Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan

Although Ed Reed endured years of hits from Hines Ward, Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson wasn’t keen on letting his opponent get a pass. In 2010, the Texans and Tennessee Titans were rivals in the relatively new  AFC South, meaning that Johnson had to face Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan twice a year. By this point, Finnegan seemed to enjoy his reputation as a dirty player, taking unnecessary shots against opponents that resulted in league fines. Before Johnson and Finnegan faced off against one another, Finnegan had already been fined for slamming a player to the ground by dragging his helmet and hitting another player in the head after his helmet had come off.

Johnson was one of the NFL’s best receivers, and Finnegan was one of the league’s top cornerbacks in spite of his methods. In that particular game, Finnegan had spent the game prodding Johnson with grabby play, and Johnson eventually had enough. Even within that game, Johnson and Finnegan had been shoving each other on several plays until Johnson ripped off Finnegan’s helmet and landed a few punches before referees intervened. Ever the antagonist, Finnegan was laughing and clapping as Johnson was pulled away.

The two were ejected from the game, and Johnson apologized for his actions, to which Finnegan said nothing at all. Considered “maybe the most memorable fight in NFL history” by Secret Base, the reason that this deserves a space on the rivalry list is that it was a feud that had been brewing for a long time.

In 2022, Johnson spoke with former NFL star Bryant McFadden on McFadden’s “All Things Covered” podcast and explained his side of the story.

“That was something that had built up over years,” Johnson said. “We used to play each other twice a year. It was just something that had built up over years, a lot of words had been exchanged throughout those games and different things. He used to do some things that weren’t… I used to tell people, ‘If you knock me out while we’re playing, that’s part of the game, that’s what it is.’ He used to have little things he did after plays and I would tell him, ‘Yo man, you need to calm down with some of that stuff.’ And it just went left.”

“I never thought it would get to that point,” Johnson continued. “It was just a build-up of things that had happened over time and I just lost my cool for a second.”

Johnson also noted that there were many things that Finnegan did to other players that wasn’t always caught on film, and Johnson reached a point where he no longer wanted to let Finnegan’s behavior slide. McFadden described Johnson as a “cool, quiet dude who keeps to himself,” which is what makes this fight simultaneously shocking yet predictable.