Yeah, I Said It: 10 Most Overrated Athletes Playing Right Now
"Overrated" may be the most misunderstood word in the sports world.
Perhaps it has something to do with fans chanting "overrated" when a top college program loses a game. Maybe the true meaning of the word has been lost because of television highlight shows that toss certain terms around without much thought or care. Whatever the reason, a player being deemed to be "overrated" has become almost a personal shot at an individual instead of a legitimate assessment.
Houston Texans star J.J. Watt is a tremendous presence on the field. Watt may also be the most overrated National Football League player of his generation unless he improves. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has yet to reach the expectations so many had for him when he entered the NFL. Yasiel Puig hasn't evolved into a great all-around Major League Baseball player following a strong rookie year.
What should be remembered is that an overrated player can eventually become underrated and underappreciated. That is exactly what happened with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Manning was booed off of his home field following a disastrous performance in the fall of 2007 (h/t ESPN). He went on to win the Super Bowl three months after that day.
We, in society, sometimes seemingly look for reasons to be offended. No athlete said to be overrated by anybody should take offense to such a rating. He or she should instead see that as a challenge to get better and to prove every critic and doubter wrong.
Joe Haden
1 of 10
Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden is a favorite among local fans for his work in the community. Haden has been a loyal soldier for a team that has been terrible for the majority of his NFL career. Unfortunately for the Browns, Haden has also not been a true shutdown corner since the 2013 season and before he was burned for a game-winning touchdown by Cecil Shorts.
That loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars famously brought Haden to tears after the game (h/t Newsnet5.com).
Those who would be quick to defend Haden may point out that he was banged up throughout the 2015 campaign. That's fair, but it doesn't explain why Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall repeatedly picked on Haden when the New York Jets beat the Browns in the 2015 regular season opener.
In November of last year, Pro Football Focus named Haden one of the worst cornerbacks in the NFL:
"Haden hasn’t played in many games this year, but when he has, the Browns would have been better off with him not suiting up. Haden is averaging just 6.2 cover snaps per reception, which is the fourth-lowest in the NFL. What’s more, his 2.60 yards per cover snaps allowed is the most in the NFL. Quarterbacks targeting Haden are 24-for-31 for 387 yards and four touchdowns. That’s a QB rating of 158.2. Quarterbacks in the NFL this season have been 0.1 point off of being absolutely perfect throwing at Joe Haden.
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Daniel Murphy
2 of 10
Daniel Murphy went from being just a guy on the roster of the New York Mets to the most-feared hitter in the National League last October. Murphy, from out of nowhere, set a Major League record when he hit home runs in six straight postseason contests, and he topped that by taking home NL Championship Series Most Valuable Player honors. Then came free agency, when Murphy failed to receive a serious offer from the Mets.
Murphy eventually signed with the Mets' NL East rivals the Washington Nationals. Jim Bowden of ESPN reported Murphy had signed a three-year deal worth $37.5 million.
Why would the Mets let such a talent sign with a division foe? It probably had something to do with the fact that Murphy has never before enjoyed anything like the power surge that made him beloved among New York fans last fall. He has only reached double-digit homers in three of his seven regular seasons (h/t Baseball-Reference). Murphy will be just 31 years old this coming spring, so he will have time to earn his pay on the field.
History suggests the Nationals overpaid for his services.
Holly Holm
3 of 10
In a fair world, Holly Holm's destruction of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 would have cemented Holm as the new "baddest woman on the planet" let alone the new UFC Bantamweight Champion. It would be Holm and not Rousey hosting editions of Saturday Night Live and earning roles in Hollywood blockbusters. If life were fair, Holm would be the new superstar of mixed martial arts and a recognized household name.
Neither life nor sports is fair, and thus Holm is going to be overrated until she again defeats Rousey.
That's the lay of the land.
Upsets happen in the fight game. We now know, long after the fact, that Mike Tyson was preoccupied with matters outside of the ring when he was knocked out by Buster Douglas. The same can be said of Rousey throughout 2015. Rousey made an appearance at WrestleMania, she booked movie gigs, she was a SportsCenter guest host and she was featured in multiple commercial campaigns.
None of that, of course, is Holm's fault. Neither is the perception she is a one-hit wonder who would be downed in a rematch with Rousey. Beating Rousey a second time is the only way for Holm to shed such negative labels.
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LeBron James
4 of 10
LeBron James making the list is more so based on the reputation James has among casual fans who do not follow the NBA on a daily basis. Diehard NBA fans know James is no longer the best player in the league and also that James does not belong in Most Valuable Player conversations. That award already belongs to Stephen Curry, who is also overly praised by far too many at this point of his career.
More on that later.
Kawhi Leonard could finish behind Curry in MVP voting. Kevin Durant and not James is going to be the next hot NBA free agent. James first entered the NBA before the 2003-04 regular season. It would be astonishing and even a bit curious if he were still the all-time great player of old.
Jonathan Raymond of TheNational.ae described James' fall from the throne back in January:
"And yet, to be clear again, as great as James still is, he is not best-great.
Remember when he signed in Miami, and talked about winning “not six, not seven ...” titles with the Heat?
It did not even feel crazy. He was 25. That was only about five-and-a-half years ago.
Even when he signed back with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2014, he was on the right side of 30 and inarguably a perennial MVP favourite.
Now, more to the rise of his rivals than an especially significant decline on his part, it’s all just a little foggy.
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Jack Wilshere
5 of 10
The sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Death. Taxes. Jack Wilshere being named one of the most overrated players in all of the Premier League. You can set your watch to all of them.
Craig Hope of the Daily Mail wrote that Wilshere made England's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad "on reputation alone." Roy Skillen of the Rush the Kop blog once claimed Wilshere "is overrated and has a bad attitude." Harry Edwards of 90min.com hit out at Wilshere in a piece that was published on January 30 of this year:
"If Jack Wilshere is fit in May, he will almost certainly be in the England squad for the European Championships and that is a disgrace.
Since making his debut in 2008, Wilshere has played just 155 times for Arsenal, as frequent injuries have kept him out of the team.
Yet, despite the lack of playing time he is still tipped as one of England's best midfielders by many fans and journalists. His game is quite limited and poor runs of form are often forgotten by a rare goal, becoming England's darling again.
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Wilshere was the recipient of additional criticism in early February after Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli equaled Wilshere's Premier League scoring feats in 92 fewer matches (h/t Daily Mail). Alli is 19 years old; Wilshere turned 24 years old at the beginning of the year.
Henrik Lundqvist
6 of 10
Henrik Lundqvist, the goaltender beloved by fans of the New York Rangers, has been known as "The King" throughout his career. That nickname does not speak to the cold spells Lundqvist has suffered over the years.
Larry Brooks of the NY Post used the URL of his piece to refer to Lundqvist as "flummoxed" following a pair of lackluster performances from the New York starter last spring. Lundqvist recently had a December to not remember (h/t NY Post).
The most worrisome number hovering over Lundqvist as spring approaches is one he can do nothing about: his age. Lundqvist will turn 34 years old in March, and he is closer to being out of his prime rather than being a Stanley Cup winner. That reality has not been lost on Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post, who pointed out at the end of January that the Rangers could be in danger of missing the playoffs this year.
With Lundqvist at this best, the Rangers may be able make a run that includes winning a postseason series or two. Lundqvist playing as he has at points of the current campaign could be considered to be a liability.
Andrew Luck
7 of 10
Before the Indianapolis Colts selected quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick of the 2012 NFL draft, ESPN analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay compared Luck to "three other can't-miss quarterbacks from the past three decades: John Elway, Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan." In short, neither Kiper nor McShay saw any glaring weakness in Luck's game.
Luck has been in the NFL for four seasons, and he has not yet taken his spot alongside the great QBs in the NFL. Per Pro-Football-Reference, Luck is averaging one interception for every regular season game he has started. Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers is now ahead of Luck. One could say the same about Russell Wilson because Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks played in back-to-back Super Bowl games.
In Luck's defense, he has never played behind an elite NFL offensive line. The Colts must do well to put significant talent around Luck. With that said, elite QBs such as Newton, Tom Brady and even Eli Manning have earned reputations for making those around them better. Luck has not done that on a consistent basis.
He can only be the "next great QB" for so long before we have to start wondering if he wasn't a bit overrated coming out of college.
Yasiel Puig
8 of 10
Patrick Brewer of the Call to the Bullpen blog mentioned Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig when writing about the most overrated and underrated players in baseball this past September:
"What better way to start a discussion on the most overrated player in baseball then with the player who came in second in that preseason vote behind Bryce Harper: Yasiel Puig. Being voted the second most overrated player in baseball by his peers wasn’t new territory for Puig as he was also finished second in the voting in 2014 as well. While stories of the Dodgers desire to trade Puig have seemed to only escalate and multiple as the season has progressed, his performance on the field has taken a substantial dive in 2015.
After a 4.1 WAR season in 2013 and a 5.3 WAR season in 2014, Puig has followed an impressive start to his career with the worst year of his career with a WAR of only 1.5 this season. Clearly at least some of this misfortune can be blamed on Puig’s various injury problems (he has played in just over half of the Dodgers total games up to this point), but even when healthy Puig did not look like the same player this year that he did in years past. Whether it be pitchers finally figuring out his weaknesses or perhaps his attitude problem catching up to him, Puig is quickly becoming more fitting of the “most overrated player” moniker and may soon find himself with a new team.
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Puig's career started out full of promise. He was named to the Baseball America All-Rookie Team for 2013. So what has happened?
For starters, Puig has experienced some personal setbacks. He has, as explained by Mike Axisa of CBS Sports, built a reputation for allegedly being a reckless driver. Puig was, per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, allegedly involved in an altercation at a Miami bar this past November.
New Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts now has the task of deciding if Puig's tenure with the club can be salvaged before the July trade deadline.
Stephen Curry
9 of 10
On February 3, ESPN staff writer Ethan Sherwood Strauss had the following piece published: "How Stephen Curry vaulted into all-time great ranks."
Really? Already?
Curry is on his way to being the greatest shooter the NBA has ever seen. There is probably no better ball-handler in the game today, although Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers may give Curry a run for his money in this department. Curry may be the best overall player in the NBA right now even if he does lack the size had by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and other great talents.
Curry an all-time great as of 2016, though? Absolutely not.
Curry is a one-time Most Valuable Player and a one-time NBA Champion, and he has been named to three All-Star squads. That is a tremendous run, not an all-time great career. What happens if the injury bug infects the Golden State Warriors similar to what happened to the Cavs last spring? What if Curry tears an ACL before the end of the current season?
Instead of trying to locate Curry's spot in history, just enjoy watching him be what he is in his prime. The time will come, down the road, when we can and should compare Curry to players who have earned spots in the Hall of Fame.
J.J. Watt
10 of 10
No knowledgeable football fan can deny that Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is a special player. Still, the praise that is repeatedly given to Watt has gotten ridiculous.
Watt was named the top overall player in the league by his peers for a special that aired on the NFL Network before the 2015 season. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com, compared Watt to all-time great Lawrence Taylor when speaking to reporters last December.
Please.
Is there anybody out there who actually believes an NFL general manager would, if building a team for only the 2016 NFL season, take Watt over Tom Brady? Over Aaron Rodgers? Over Cam Newton or Russell Wilson? Of course none would, because quarterback is the most important position in what has become a pass-first league.
The previously mentioned Taylor is widely regarded in football circles as at least one of the greatest overall players in the history of the NFL. Watt may not even be the best defensive player in the game today considering how one would rate him versus the true shutdown cornerbacks in the league.
Watt will be only 27 years old at the start of the 2016 NFL campaign. He could eventually become L.T. 2.0. Watt isn't there yet, though, and thus he is the most overrated player in the NFL.
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