Every NFL franchise's greatest wide receiver ever

Pittsburgh Steelers
Lynn Swann

There were some great receivers in Pittsburgh Steelers history. Antonio Brown, for all his faults (and we don’t have time to go over them all), had one of the best statistical careers of this era. Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes, and Mike Wallace recently had these great moments or spurts that sometimes led to Super Bowls. However, we came down to two names: Lynn Swann and Hines Ward. While Ward spent his entire career with the Steelers, he is the best blocking receiver we may have ever seen. He helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls, so how can you argue with a Hall of Famer with four Super Bowls?

Swann is an NFL legend for his play. He was incredibly clutch, playing with a stone-cold stare in the biggest moments. Even as a rookie, Swann, who was mostly a kick returner that season, caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the AFC Championship Game against the Raiders. Swann was a complete player, doing everything great.

Swann’s speed helped him make huge plays. He never had a 1,000-yard season, but he didn’t need one. It seemed like the Steelers were always saving him for the playoffs. They didn’t need him to dominate the regular season. Once the playoffs started, he was unstoppable. 

His best performance came in Super Bowl X. He only had four catches that game, but he became the first wide receiver to ever win Super Bowl MVP. That’s because those four receptions went for 161 yards, including another game-winning touchdown. He raced for a 64-yard touchdown catch with just three minutes left to give the Steelers a 21-10 lead. That was an important catch, as the Cowboys scored just a few minutes later, but Swann’s score held up. This is why he won MVP, and it’s why a receiver with zero 1,000 yard receiving seasons is not only in the Hall of Fame, but at the top of an iconic franchise at his position.