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Preview data: all rankings, scores, votes, refresh labels, methodology, testing and editorial-process statements in Top 49 are illustrative demo content, not live measurements or documented reviews.
Rank 173Down 3
#17 in NFL Players of All Time
of 20 ranked entries
Dick Butkus
Linebacker · Chicago Bears · 1965–1973
A career cut short at 30 by knee injuries, but the ferocity he played with over nine seasons is still the reference point every subsequent “most feared tackler” conversation returns to. Recorded specifics: position Linebacker, primary team Chicago Bears, debut 1965. Panel highlighted widely regarded as the most physically intimidating defender in league history, two-time First-Team All-Pro consensus in an era of thinner recognition and still the namesake of college football’s award for the best linebacker. The reservation on record is chronically bad Bears rosters meant he never played in a single playoff game.
Linebacker
Score breakdown
How Dick Butkus earned 76
Each criterion is scored independently, then combined using the weights published on NFL Players of All Time.
- Peak dominance at positionweight 30%
- 73.7
- Influence on how the position is playedweight 25%
- 75.2
- Championship & individual honoursweight 25%
- 77.3
- Longevity & durabilityweight 20%
- 78.7
On the record
Recorded detail
| Position | Linebacker |
|---|---|
| Primary team | Chicago Bears |
| Debut | 1965 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rating | 8.5 |
Panel verdict
Strengths and reservations
What it gets right
- Widely regarded as the most physically intimidating defender in league history
- Two-time First-Team All-Pro consensus in an era of thinner recognition
- Still the namesake of college football’s award for the best linebacker
Where it gives ground
- Chronically bad Bears rosters meant he never played in a single playoff game
1 appearance
Where this entry ranks
From the same list
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Rank 08Walter Payton
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Top 49 rankings are editorial. Scores are produced from the published criteria on each list and are refreshed on the cadence stated there. Figures shown across this section are curated demonstration data.