With an aim to highlight the players who went through a major change upon switching teams, as opposed to limiting choices to greats staying great in different cities, here are the league s best second acts.
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Joe Montana s QB GOAT case starts here. At the peak of his powers at age 33, the 49ers icon was on his own tier in 1989. His completion percentage (70.2), yards per attempt (9.1) and passer rating (112.4) look confusing when compared to his peers. Apex Jerry Rice (17 TDs), Roger Craig and John Taylor made 1989 the West Coast Offense s masterwork, despite Bill Walsh having retired after the 88 season. The defense ranked third, too. The 49ers went 14-2, losing by five total points, and obliterated the Vikings, Rams and Broncos by a 126-26 margin in the playoffs. George Seifert s debut team may be the NFL s best ever.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports Fired by the Browns (er, the Ravens) in 1996, Belichick has created a vast gulf between he and his peers 20 years into his second-chance gig. Spurning the Jets as Bill Parcells would-be successor, Belichick maneuvered his way to New England in 2000. He is the only head coach with more than four Super Bowl wins. While Tom Brady receives deserved credit for the six Lombardis, Belichick outfitted the historic QB find with reliable defensive backing nearly every year. The Pats 16 (!) top-10 defenses from 2001-19 allowed Brady s ring count to climb while his rivals tallies stagnated. The third-winningest coach ever, Belichick provides an unrivaled advantage.