Yahoo Sports Randy Moss calls himself the best receiver ever, says Jerry Rice is 'third or fourth'
There’s no doubt Randy Moss is one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the NFL. He led receivers in touchdowns five times, made four All-Pro teams and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His impact on the game is undeniable even after he retired. Defensive backs constantly live in fear of being Moss’d.
While no one denies Moss’ greatness, there’s at least one other receiver people consider the GOAT. That would be Jerry Rice, who set multiple records — some of which remain unbroken — over his 20-year career. When asked to name the greatest receiver of all time, most NFL fans would say Rice.
Moss doesn’t agree with that assessment. In Moss’ eyes, he’s the best receiver to ever play the game. Rice is either “third of fourth,” according to Moss.
OK, so if Moss is the best receiver ever and Rice is “third or fourth,” who does Moss believe is the second best receiver ever? That would be Terrell Owens, who is responsible for the above clip. Moss made those comments while appearing on Owens’ podcast Wednesday.
Moss explained his reasoning by saying a player’s impact on the game matters more than stats or championships.
“I’m talking about dominating the game and changing the game of football,” Moss said. “I don’t live on statistics, because if you live on statistics and you live on championships, that’s all political. You’ve seen guys released or cut from a team just by a couple words in the media. You’ve seen guys given contracts, or not given contracts, just by the color of their skin. So, I think that you gotta throw politics out of the game of football, and look at the impact of what each individual was able to make in the game of football.”
Moss also added that he’s not trying to discredit what Marvin Harrison, Owens and Rice accomplished in the NFL.
Was Randy Moss better than Jerry Rice?
There’s a reason Moss was willing to throw stats and championships out of his evaluation. Rice bests Moss in multiple significant stats, including receiving yardage, touchdowns, yards per game and Super Bowl rings. It’s tough to try and downplay Rice’s impact. During his peak, Rice put up 11 straight seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving. Over that period, Rice led the NFL in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns six times. He didn’t have an equal.
Moss was a dominant player, there’s no doubt about that. By most measures, he’s one of the five best receivers to ever play in the NFL. But when you try to compare Moss’ numbers to what Rice accomplished, it’s not really a contest. Rice was just that good.
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