The Top 50 NFL Players Not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

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For a NFL player, being inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is the greatest honor. Once inducted, you're enshrined with the best of the best and no one can take that away from you.

However, there are some players that simply don't have what it takes to be inducted—despite having one remarkable career.

With that being said, we're going to take a look at the top 50 NFL players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Keep in mind, some of these players will be inducted one day and some will never—and remember that the players listed are retired, they're no longer active. 

50. Joe Theismann

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Joe Theismann won one Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins during his 12-year career in the NFL.

Theismann was named All-Pro twice while posting an impressive 77-47 record as a starter. 

Theismann retired in 1985 after throwing for 25,206 yards while compiling 160 touchdowns and recording a 77.4 quarterback rating. 

49. Vinny Testaverde

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Vinny Testaverde played an incredible 21 seasons in the NFL and spent time with the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots.

The No. 1 overall pick from the 1987 NFL draft won 90 games throughout his career while throwing 275 touchdowns and accumulating 46,233 passing yards. 

48. Darren Sharper

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Darren Sharper won one Super Bowl and was named to five Pro Bowls while being named All-Pro six times.

Sharper is one of the greatest playmaking defensive backs of our generation as he recorded 63 interceptions while scoring 13 defensive touchdowns. 

47. Irving Fryar

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Irving Fryar played 17 seasons in the NFL while spending most of his time with the New England Patriots.

Fryar is one of the better wide receivers in NFL history as he caught a career 851 passes for 12,785 yards and scored a total of 84 touchdowns. 

46. Fred Taylor

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Fred Taylor is one of the most underrated running backs in NFL history. 

Taylor was named to just one Pro Bowl and name All-Pro once despite running for 1,000-plus yards in seven out of his 13 seasons.

Taylor is a member of the 10,000-rushing yards club as he retired in 2010 with 11,695 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns. 

45. Ron Jaworski

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Ron Jaworski may not be a Hall of Famer but he still had a pretty impressive career as a quarterback in the NFL. 

Jaws played from 1974 until 1989 while posting a 73-69-1 record as a starter as he threw for 28,190 passing yards and scoring 179 passing touchdowns and 16 rushing touchdowns. 

44. Mark Clayton

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Mark Clayton is best known for being Dan Marino's go-to man.

Clayton played for the Miami Dolphins for 10 seasons and then retired as a Green Bay Packer after one season.

Clayton caught 582 career passes while compiling 8,974 yards and scoring an impressive 84 touchdowns. 

43. Mike Alstott

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Mike Alstott is arguably one of the greatest fullbacks to ever play the game and is probably one of the best fullbacks of our recent generation.

Alstott ran for 5,088 career yards while scoring an impressive 71 career touchdowns during his 11-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

42. Keyshawn Johnson

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Keyshawn Johnson was the first overall pick in the 1996 draft by the New York Jets and had quite the remarkable career in the NFL.

Johnson played for the Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers. He retired in 2006 with 814 career receptions for a whopping 10,571 receiving yards and 64 receiving touchdowns. 

41. Clinton Portis

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Clinton Portis was an elite running back for a few seasons during his impressive nine-year career with the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins.

Portis retired in 2010 with 9,923 rushing yards with 75 touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. 

40. Steve Grogan

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Steve Grogan was one of the toughest quarterbacks to ever play the game as he spent 16-year career with the New England Patriots.

Grogan retired with a 75-60 record as a starter while accumulating 26,886 passing yards and tossing 182 touchdowns. 

39. Trent Green

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Trent Green had many seasons when he was considered an elite quarterback.

Green played from 1997 until 2008 while posting an 86.0 quarterback rating and tossing 162 touchdowns and compiling 28,475 passing yards. 

38. Dave Krieg

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Dave Krieg spent 19 years in the NFL while spending time with the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. 

Krieg finished with a solid 81.5 quarterback rating while completing 58.5 percent of his passes for 38,147 yards and 261 touchdowns. 

37. Steve McNair

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The late Steve McNair had one of the most remarkable and impressive careers as he was such a dynamic passer that was so powerful but extremely athletic. 

McNair retired with a 82.8 quarterback rating with a whopping 31,304 passing yards to go along with 3,590 rushing yards for 211 total touchdowns. 

36. Hines Ward

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With Hines Ward's future up in the air right now, I'm going to go with my hunch and say that he'll likely retire.

Ward has an incredible career with the Pittsburgh Steelers as he recorded 1,000 receptions for 12,083 receiving yards and 85 touchdowns while playing from 1998 until now. 

35. Keenan McCardell

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Wide receiver Keenan McCardell played an impressive 16 years in the NFL as he spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Redskins.

McCardell retired in 2007 with 883 total receptions for 11,373 yards and 63 touchdowns. 

34. Andre Reed

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Andre Reed was the go-to man for Jim Kelly during his incredible 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. 

Reed spent one last season with the Washington Redskins in 2000 as he retired with 951 receptions for 13,198 yards while scoring 87 touchdowns.

33. Larry Centers

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Larry Centers is by far the greatest offensive fullback to ever play the game and needs to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as he has the second-most receptions in NFL history by a non-receiver. 

Centers spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins and the New England Patriots as he retired in 2003. 

Centers caught 827 passes for a whopping 6,797 yards and 28 touchdowns while accumulating 2,188 yards on the ground for 14 touchdowns. 

32. Edgerrin James

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Edgerrin James is one of the best running backs of the last generation as he ran for 12,246 yards while scoring 80 career touchdowns as he spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks.

James was also a pretty productive receiver as he snagged 433 passes for 3,364 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

31. Torry Holt

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Torry Holt was apart of the "greatest show on turf" with Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. 

Holt caught 920 passes for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns during his 11-year career. 

30. Warrick Dunn

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Warrick Dunn is one of the most underrated running backs of the 2000s as he had five 1,000-plus rushing yards during his 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons.

Dunn retired in 2008 with 10,967 total rushing yards for 49 touchdowns while recording 510 receptions for 4,339 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

29. Tiki Barber

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Tiki Barber didn't have the longest career as he played just 10 seasons with the New York Giants but he was pretty effective and productive. 

Barber scored 55 rushing yards while accumulating 10,449 rushing yards and averaging 4.7 yards per carry. 

28. Jamal Lewis

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Jamal Lewis is well-known for his incredible 2,066 rushing yards in 2003 with the Baltimore Ravens as he averaged 5.3 yards per carry that season.

Lewis retired in 2009 with 10,607 rushing yards while scoring 58 rushing touchdowns as he spent time with the Ravens and the Cleveland Browns. 

27. Jimmy Smith

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Not too many people give Jimmy Smith all the credit that he deserves as he was one of the most productive wide receivers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

Smith caught 862 passes during his 12-year career for a whopping 12,287 rushing yards and 67 receiving touchdowns. 

26. Ken Anderson

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Ken Anderson was named to four Pro Bowls while being named All-Pro once throughout his stellar career with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Anderson played from 1971 until 1986 as he retired with 197 touchdowns with a 91-81 record as a starter with the Bengals. 

25. Corey Dillon

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Corey Dillon may have played just 10 seasons in the NFL but he was one of the most productive running backs in NFL history.

Dillon ran for 11,241 total rushing yards while scoring 82 touchdowns as well as winning Super Bowl XXXIX with the New England Patriots. 

24. Eddie George

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There was a stretch in Eddie George's career that was he considered an elite running back.

George retired in 2004 after spending one season with the Dallas Cowboys as well as eight seasons with the Houston Oilers and the Tennessee Titans. 

George compiled 10,441 total rushing yards while scoring 68 rushing touchdowns. 

23. Herschel Walker

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Herschel Walker was named to two Pro Bowls during his impressive career that he spent with the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. 

Walker retired in 1997 with 8,225 rushing yards for 61 touchdowns. 

22. Rod Smith

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Wide receiver Rod Smith won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos as well as being named All-Pro twice.

Smith retired in 2006 after accumulating 11,389 receiving yards off of 849 receptions as well as scoring 68 touchdowns. 

21. Shaun Alexander

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Shaun Alexander was one of the elite running backs during his time period as he was named MVP in 2005. 

Alexander played from 2000 until 2008 as he ran for a stellar 9,453 yards while scoring a total of 112 touchdowns. 

20. Randall Cunningham

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Randall Cunningham is one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history as he spent his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens.

Cunningham threw for 29,979 yards while rushing for 4,928 yards as well as scoring a total of 242 touchdowns. 

19. Boomer Esiason

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Boomer Esiason was named NFL MVP in 1988 as he threw for 28 touchdowns and 3,572 yards.

Esiason retired in 1997 after recording an 81.1 quarterback rating as well as tossing 247 touchdowns and accumulating 37,920 passing yards. 

18. Rich Gannon

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Rich Gannon may have never won a Super Bowl but he was named NFL MVP in 2002.

Gannon played for the Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Redskins as he recorded an 84.7 quarterback rating while accumulating 28,743 passing yards and throwing 180 touchdowns. 

17. Phil Simms

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Phil Simms won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants as he retired in 1993 after posting a 78.5 quarterback rating.

Simms was a winner as he led the Giants to 95 wins from 1979 until 1993. 

16. Drew Bledsoe

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Not too many people realize it but Drew Bledsoe is one of the most productive quarterbacks in NFL history.

Bledsoe played for the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys as he posted a 98-95 record while retiring with a 77.1 quarterback rating.

No. 11 compiled 44,611 passing yards while tossing 251 touchdowns. 

15. Priest Holmes

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Priest Holmes is one of the most productive running backs in NFL history as he retired in 2007 after running for 8,172 yards and finishing with an impressive 4.6 yards per carry average.

Holmes played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens during his 10-year career. 

14. Terrell Davis

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Terrell Davis could have been one of the greatest running backs in NFL history but his career was cut short after suffering several injuries to his knees. 

Davis ran for an incredible 2,008 yards in 1998 as he also scored 21 touchdowns.

Davis retired in 2001 after accumulating 7,607 rushing yards and scoring 60 rushing yards. 

13. Michael Strahan

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Michael Strahan will be in the Hall of Fame one day as he's one of the most productive pass-rushers in NFL history. 

Strahan played from 1993 until 2007 with the New York Giants as he was named to seven Pro Bowls while racking up 141.5 career sacks. 

12. Jerome Bettis

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Jerome Bettis may have been denied the Hall of Fame this year but he'll likely get there one day.

Bettis, or better known as the Bus, scored a remarkable 91 rushing yards while compiling 13,662 rushing yards throughout his 13-year career with the Los Angeles Rams, St. Louis Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

11. Isaac Bruce

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Isaac Bruce is one of the most productive wide receivers in NFL history as he was the most productive player in the St. Louis Rams' "greatest show on turf."

Bruce played from 1994 until 2009 as he caught 1,024 balls for a whopping 15,208 yards as well as scoring 91 receiving touchdowns. 

10. Ken Riley

Not too many of you may know who Ken Riley is but he is one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history but isn't in the Hall of Fame.

Riley played from 1969 until 1983 with the Cincinnati Bengals as he intercepted a whopping 65 passes. 

9. Kevin Greene

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Kevin Greene was an absolute sack machine during his day in the NFL.

Greene played from 1985 until 1999 with the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers.

Greene retired with a remarkable 160 career sacks. 

8. Jason Taylor

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Canton will call Jason Taylor's name one day as he's one of the greatest defenders in NFL history.

Taylor played from 1997 until 2011 as he recorded an impressive 139.5 career sacks as well as 530 tackles as he was named All-Pro three times throughout his career. 

7. Ricky Watters

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Ricky Watters is one of the most dynamic running backs in NFL history as he was not only a threat on the ground but a threat as a receiver.

Watters retired with a whopping 14,891 combined yards as well as 91 touchdowns. 

6. Terrell Owens

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Terrell Owens may be one of the greatest divas in NFL history but he is certainly one of the most productive wide receivers to ever play the game.

T.O. has played in 15 seasons in the NFL as he currently has 1,078 receptions for an astronomical 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns.  

5. Marvin Harrison

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There's no question that Marvin Harrison will be in the Hall of Fame one day.

Harrison is one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game as he retired with 1,102 receptions for a whopping 14,580 receiving yards while scoring 128 touchdowns. 

4. Tim Brown

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Mr. Raider, Tim Brown, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame someday.

Brown played the majority of his career with the Oakland Raiders as he retired in 2004 after one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Brown retired with a total of 1,094 receptions for 14,934 receiving yards and 100 receiving touchdowns. 

3. Cris Carter

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Cris Carter wasn't inducted into the Hall of Fame this year but he will someday. 

Carter played in 16 seasons while spending most of his time with the Minnesota Vikings as he caught 1,101 passes for 13,899 yards and scoring 130 touchdowns. 

2. Kurt Warner

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Kurt Warner is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history as the lead the "greatest show on turf" back in the late 1990s and the early 2000s with the St. Louis Rams.

Warner retired with an incredible 93.7 quarterback rating while throwing 208 touchdowns and accumulating 32,344 passing yards during his 12-year career. 

1. Brett Favre

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Brett Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and is without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Favre played for an incredible 20 seasons while spending most of his time with the Green Bay Packers as well as the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets.

Favre was named NFL MVP three times in his career as well as winning one Super Bowl back in the 1996 NFL season. 

No. 4 retired in 2010 with 71,838 passing yards for an incredible 508 touchdowns as well as posting a solid 86.0 quarterback rating.