Is Jerry Rice the greatest to ever play the wide receiver position? According to Randy Moss, the answer is "no." The longtime Minnesota Viking who bounced around late in his career, including a final season with the San Francisco 49ers, recently raised eyebrows when he
declared himself the greatest receiver of all-time.
Embarrassing himself further in the eyes of fans and many experts, he ranked Terrell Owens at No. 2 and then Rice at "third or fourth."
Yikes.
Moss wasn't basing his claim purely on statistics. He felt he had more of an impact on the game than Rice did.
"I'm talking about dominating the game and changing the game of football," Moss said on Owens' podcast. "I don't live on statistics because if you live on statistics and live on championships, that's all political."
Rice didn't seem too concerned with Moss' ranking. Why should he be when most don't see it that way?
"[Moss] continues to say it's political or whatever, but if Randy wants to be No. 1, that's fine,"
Rice responded. "There are so many G.O.A.T.s. If T.O. wants to be No. 2, that's fine. But my main thing is it was all about the rings, the championships, and that's why we play the game."
While current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill also
feels Moss is the best, another Hall of Fame receiver with plenty of experience watching Rice embarrass opposing defenses, Michael Irvin, states that anyone declaring a player other than Rice as the best ever should have his head examined.
"None of those other guys have three Super Bowls,"
Irvin told Damon Bruce, Ray Ratto, and Matt Kolsky on 95.7 The Game (h/t to
Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports) last week. "... Jerry Rice is the greatest of all-time. If anybody says anything other than that, (he) needs to go see some kind of doctor to examine his cranium. Period."
To take things further, Irvin didn't necessarily limit Rice to being the best wide receiver ever. He couldn't believe that winning championships and playing longer has been devalued by so many in this social-media age. Irvin went as far as to say that he wouldn't trade his own career for those of a Moss, Owens, or any other receiver. The one exception would be Jerry Rice's career.
Irvin does not doubt that Moss feels he's the best and isn't just making a claim to boost his brand. Still, to declare anyone other than Rice as the G.O.A.T. is absurd to Irvin.
"You've gotta pay homage to what this man has done," Irvin said. "That record the Randy Moss broke of Jerry Rice, the touchdown record, does he know how many games Jerry got that in? Those are the things that you have to sit back and say, 'C'mon, man. C'mon, let's be real here now.'
"This shouldn't even be a discussion. I got Jerry Rice up there for the greatest player — period — of all-time. I don't want to hear wide receiver. I'm talking about, period, of all-time. So, this discussion should not be a discussion.
"And those guys (Moss and Owens) were great players, and they had fabulous careers, but they were not Jerry Rice. That's just the reality."
Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh claims to have recently spoken to Brandon Aiyuk, stating that the star player has no desire to leave the San Francisco 49ers.
Aiyuk and the 49ers are currently negotiating a contract extension, aiming to finalize a new deal. Of course, that hasn't prevented significant media speculation surrounding Aiyuk's future, with many wondering if the delay might hint at a potential trade.
Well-informed 49ers fans know that the team typically finalizes its significant contract extensions closer to training camp, as seen with George Kittle in 2020, Fred Warner in 2021, and Deebo Samuel in 2022. Last year, negotiations with Nick Bosa concluded just days before Week
(Episode 331) — Brian Renick is in solo to debunk the rumors surrounding Brandon Aiyuk being sent to Pittsburgh, why staying on the 49ers is in Aiyuk's best interest, what to make of the top 30 visits, which position group has gained the most traction as the most likely to be selected in the first round, why drafting best available isn't a bad choice and more.
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The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
