2025 Chargers Official News | Acquisitions | Transactions | Injuries

[Lefty2SLO]

Yep...when Bo injured that hip in a game, he popped it back into place so he could keep playing, (5:28) but it caused more damage, further shortening his career:

Such a shame Bo didn't play longer . . . . . . . . . . the 'rub some dirt on it and get back out there' mentality has some downsides

[electricgold]

My top ten would be

Barry Sanders

Marshal Faulk

Ladanian Tomlinson

Hershel Walker

Eric Dickerson

Earl Cambell

OJ Simpson

Jim Brown

Walter Payton

Bo Jackson

A RB's job is to run the ball and score TD's. Of all those RB's on your list which one gained more career rushing yards and more career TD's than Emmitt Smith?. Yeah I know people like to talk up Dallas' oline but Larry Allen I believe is the only hall of famer from Smith's era. Also Smith won 3 bowls. He was also the superbowl MVP with 132 yards and 2 TD's against the bills. while that same season winning the regular season MVP. I believe every back on your list didn't win a bowl other than Faulk, Payton, and Brown who all three I believe had 1 superbowl win.

[Fouts2herbert]

A RB's job is to run the ball and score TD's. Of all those RB's on your list which one gained more career rushing yards and more career TD's than Emmitt Smith?. Yeah I know people like to talk up Dallas' oline but Larry Allen I believe is the only hall of famer from Smith's era. Also Smith won 3 bowls. He was also the superbowl MVP with 132 yards and 2 TD's against the bills. while that same season winning the regular season MVP. I believe every back on your list didn't win a bowl other than Faulk, Payton, and Brown who all three I believe had 1 superbowl win.

can you seriously tell me that Emmitt gets the same results he got in Dallas if had been drafted by the Charger team that drafted Ladanian or the Detroit team that drafted Barry? no fucking way, Emmitt is a solid top 20 back in NFL history but he landed in a perfect situation AND of all those numbers he put up would be DRASTICALLY different if he had played on the teams that Ladanian and Barry played on, no doubt in my mind...It doesn't take much imagination to visualize what Barry, Ladanian, and Marshal would've done on those Dallas teams.

Another example of this is saying that Bruce Smith is the greatest DE in NFL history because he got the most sacks, EVERBODY knows that the greatest defensive player in NFL history was Reggie White...

[Boltinloudguy]

A RB's job is to run the ball and score TD's. Of all those RB's on your list which one gained more career rushing yards and more career TD's than Emmitt Smith?. Yeah I know people like to talk up Dallas' oline but Larry Allen I believe is the only hall of famer from Smith's era. Also Smith won 3 bowls. He was also the superbowl MVP with 132 yards and 2 TD's against the bills. while that same season winning the regular season MVP. I believe every back on your list didn't win a bowl other than Faulk, Payton, and Brown who all three I believe had 1 superbowl win.

All I have to say is, imagine if Barry Sanders had the same Oline Emmitt did. He would have run away with the all time yards by his 8th season. Now I’m not saying he shouldn’t be on that list, but I am saying Emmitt Smith can’t even sniff Barry Sanders shoes. As pure runners, I think Sanders, LT and Faulk are better than Smith.

Not to mention the supporting cast of Aikman, Irving, Harper, Novacek and the entire OLine. Compared to Scott Mitchell, Herman Moore(baller), Johnny Morton

I might even have LT and Faulk ahead of Smith as well as all time best RBs.

[DerwinBosa]

Fuck that, Jim Brown played in an era with way inferior talent than other backs that came after him, Black players hadn't proliferated the NFL yet...I respect what Brown went through with all the racism and all that type of shit but to say that he's the greatest of all time is just the same old cut and past nonsense. Barry Sanders would've averaged 200 yards in the NFL that Jim played in...

Jim Brown was a monstrous 6-2, 232 pounds in the 1950s and 1960s. His size, strength, and speed created a package that professional football (AAFC and NFL) players weren't ready for in those days, but just imagine what he would have been like if he had the same nutritional and training advancements that LaDainian Tomlinson used. You see what Derrick Henry (6-3, 247 pounds) and Saquon Barkley (6-0, 233 pounds) are now? I don't think it's unreasonable to state that today's players would have more fear of Jim Brown coming at them.

Sorry...Jim Brown is certainly worthy of being in the conversation of who was the best running back of all time.

[DerwinBosa]

can you seriously tell me that Emmitt gets the same results he got in Dallas if had been drafted by the Charger team that drafted Ladanian or the Detroit team that drafted Barry? no fucking way, Emmitt is a solid top 20 back in NFL history but he landed in a perfect situation AND of all those numbers he put up would be DRASTICALLY different if he had played on the teams that Ladanian and Barry played on, no doubt in my mind...It doesn't take much imagination to visualize what Barry, Ladanian, and Marshal would've done on those Dallas teams.

Another example of this is saying that Bruce Smith is the greatest DE in NFL history because he got the most sacks, EVERBODY knows that the greatest defensive player in NFL history was Reggie White...

I don't think so. Most, including myself, give the slight edge to Lawrence Taylor. Reggie White is certainly the greatest defensive end in NFL history.

[electricgold]

can you seriously tell me that Emmitt gets the same results he got in Dallas if had been drafted by the Charger team that drafted Ladanian or the Detroit team that drafted Barry? no fucking way, Emmitt is a solid top 20 back in NFL history but he landed in a perfect situation AND of all those numbers he put up would be DRASTICALLY different if he had played on the teams that Ladanian and Barry played on, no doubt in my mind...It doesn't take much imagination to visualize what Barry, Ladanian, and Marshal would've done on those Dallas teams.

Another example of this is saying that Bruce Smith is the greatest DE in NFL history because he got the most sacks, EVERBODY knows that the greatest defensive player in NFL history was Reggie White...

Bad argument comparison! Bruce Smith had 2 more sacks than White. Emmitt's career yds and TD's are head and shoulders above everyone else!

Faulk, Sanders LT and even Bo may have been more talented RB's but without the hypotheticals what Emmitt accomplished on the field makes him the greatest of all time.

[21&500]

If I'm drafting a super team to compete against other super teams in 2025 NFL, LT is my RB1.
best overall running back I've ever seen. Ever ever.
best blend of all necessary RB skills and intangibles.

[DerwinBosa]

Bad argument comparison! Bruce Smith had 2 more sacks than White. Emmitt's career yds and TD's are head and shoulders above everyone else!

Faulk, Sanders LT and even Bo may have been more talented RB's but Emmitt was the greatest of all time.

Thanks to Jim Brown and Barry Sanders retiring early. Smith played in 226 games. Brown played in 118. Sanders played in 153.

Brown's best season was in 1963, when he rushed for 1,863 and a 6.4 average in 14 games. Smith's season-high in rushing yards was 1,713 in 16 games in 1992. His highest yards per carry in a season was 5.3 in 1993. That was the only time in Smith's career he averaged more than five yards a carry. Sanders rushed for 1,883 yards and 5.7 a carry in 1994, and 2,053 yards and 6.1 a carry in 1997. Sanders also averaged more than five yards a carry in 1989, 1990, and 1996. This was behind Detroit's much lesser offensive line. Brown also averaged more than five yards per carry in five of his seasons.

Brown's career rushing yards per carry was 5.2. Sanders' was 5.0. Smith's was 4.2.

[electricgold]

Thanks to Jim Brown and Barry Sanders retiring early. Smith played in 226 games. Brown played in 118. Sanders played in 153.

Brown's best season was in 1963, when he rushed for 1,863 and a 6.4 average in 14 games. Smith's season-high in rushing yards was 1,713 in 16 games in 1992. His highest yards per carry in a season was 5.3 in 1993. That was the only time in Smith's career he averaged more than five yards a carry. Sanders rushed for 1,883 yards and 5.7 a carry in 1994, and 2,053 yards and 6.1 a carry in 1997. Sanders also averaged more than five yards a carry in 1989, 1990, and 1996. This was behind Detroit's much lesser offensive line. Brown also averaged more than five yards per carry in five of his seasons.

Brown's career rushing yards per carry was 5.2. Sanders' was 5.0. Smith's was 4.2.

Average per carry is not the deciding factor! Faulk and LT was 4.3! Jamal Charles averaged more than all of them. It means nothing.
Its all about production & wins & longevity!

[DerwinBosa]

Average per carry is not the deciding factor! Faulk and LT was 4.3!

You say Emmitt is by far the greatest simply because he has the most rushing yards and touchdowns for a running back. You're not taking into account that he played on a much better team than Sanders in the 1990s and played over 70 more games than Sanders and over 100 more than Brown. You honestly think Sanders and Brown wouldn't have out-produced Smith if they had hung on for more years instead of retiring when they were still on top of their games?

Brown and Sanders were both better than Faulk and Tomlinson, so I don't know why you're bothering to bring up their averages in comparison. I will say that Faulk and Tomlinson each added an element that Sanders and Smith didn't have in the receiving game, although Barry and Emmitt were still quite good in that regard. So was Brown, but obviously he didn't have as many opportunities as a receiver, because passing was not nearly as big in the 1950s and 1960s.

[powderblueboy]

I don't think so. Most, including myself, give the slight edge to Lawrence Taylor. Reggie White is certainly the greatest defensive end in NFL history.

I'd take Aaron Donald over Reggie White.