No NFL team has a perfect roster. The 2024 Eagles may like to say otherwise, but there’s always some flaw. At least one area in which the team could improve. With the NFL season around the corner, the rosters are mostly set. Barring some unexpected trade (or one for Terry McLaurin or Micah Parsons), the teams know what they have for 2025. But what if we had a time machine? Bring out a team legend in their prime right before the season. That’s what we will do here.
To prevent this from getting boring, I won’t have any quarterbacks here. We all know that if a team had an elite QB at some point in their history, they could surely use him now. So, while having back Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, or any other elite QB from the past is the obvious answer, this would just be a list with a lot of QBs.
The player must also be retired (otherwise, it wouldn’t make much sense). Many players have played in different teams near the end of their career (i.e., Julio Jones) without making much of an impact. In these cases, I’ll count only teams in which the player made a significant impact. So, while Jones won’t be on the Titans, Randy Moss can be on either the Vikings or the Patriots.
Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald, WR
Not many, if any, players were more reliable than Larry Fitzgerald. I mean, he finished his career with more tackles than drops. The Cardinals have a promising receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr., but pairing him with a prime Fitzgerald would take this passing offense to another level.
Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones, WR
Going into his first season as a starter, Michael Penix Jr. will need all the help he can get. While TE Tony Gonzalez was a serious candidate, few players in history had a run like JJ in 2014-2019. He is a prototype wide receiver, being big and strong to fight against press, fast to take the top off defenses, a great route runner, and amazing at the catch point.
Baltimore Ravens: Jonathan Ogden, OT
I may get some backlash for not picking Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, or any of the other great defenders in Ravens history. But when you have a QB like Lamar Jackson, it’s important to make sure he’s upright. The first player ever to be drafted by the Ravens, Ogden would make sure no one gets close to #8.
Buffalo Bills: Bruce Smith, EDGE
If you can bring back the player with the most sacks in NFL history, you do it. From 1986 to 1998, Smith wouldn’t get double-digit sacks just once, when he dealt with a knee injury in 1991. Bruce Smith was a key player during the Bills’ run in the 1990s, and maybe with Josh Allen, they can break the curse.
Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, LB
There haven’t been many linebackers better than Luke Kuechly throughout history. The 2025 Panthers have a few good, young players on defense, but they lack an imposer. During his 8 years in the NFL, Kuechly never had fewer than 100 tackles, had 150+ in each of his first three seasons, and was one of the smartest players on the field all the time. He’d be the key to bringing the Panthers back to their competitive days.
Chicago Bears: Dick Butkus, LB
Walter Payton was seriously considered here, but I think the defense needs Butkus more than the offense needs Payton. With one of the best nicknames ever (The Robof of Destruction), Butkus was what a modern linebacker is, but in a way more physical era. He could cover, blitz, and would destroy anyone with a football near him.
Cincinnati Bengals: Anthony Muñoz, OT
Unlike the Bengals front office, I don’t want Joe Burrow to die on the field. So instead of bringing back a defender (which they desperately need), why not use our time machine on one of the best offensive tackles in NFL history? In 13 seasons, Muñoz wasn’t at least a Pro Bowler/2nd-Team All-Pro just twice. More importantly, he’d help give time to Joe Burrow, so he can get the ball to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Cleveland Browns: Jim Brown, RB
For a long time, I thought the Browns were named after Jim, but it turns out to just be a fun coincidence. What wasn’t fun, though, was playing against Jim Brown. In nine years in the NFL, he led the NFL in rushing yards eight times, won three MVP awards, and still holds the record for most yards per game with 104.3.
Dallas Cowboys: Emmitt Smith, RB
Very few teams had so many great players to choose like the Cowboys. While they could upgrade other positions and had great options like Deion Sanders and DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys had one of the worst teams running the ball last year. Luckily for them, Emmitt Smith can come back and show why no other running back has had more yards or touchdowns than he.
Denver Broncos: Champ Bailey, CB
I dare any quarterback to throw against a secondary with Patrick Surtain II and Champ Bailey. One is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, while the other had 52 interceptions during his career and had more passes defended than any other cornerback in history. If the 2015 defense was the “No Fly Zone”, this would be the “Don’t Even Dare To Fly”.
Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson, WR
Could the Lions use this help on defense? Sure. In fact, Megatron wasn’t my first choice; it was Richard “The Night Train” Lane. But after some thinking, who’d be able to stop Megatron and Amon-Ra St. Brown? Johnson is the ultimate “built in a lab” receiver, being one of the freakiest athletes ever and an excellent receiver as well.
Green Bay Packers: Reggie White, EDGE
No team lost more with my “no QBs” rule than the Packers. Not because Jordan Love is terrible, but because they’d want Bart Starr or Brett Favre back. Still, White is the best consolation prize ever (can we even call him that?). Arriving in Green Bay at 32 years old, White would spend six seasons with the Packers. In these six seasons, he won the DPOY award in 1998 (at 37 years old), had 68.5 sacks, and was a key member of the team that won Super Bowl XXXI.
Houston Texans: J.J. Watt, EDGE
As the youngest team in the league, it’d be harder to pick someone for the Texans. Luckily, they had one of the best defenders ever, who recently retired. Watt was a phenomenal player, winning the DPOY three times and hanging his cleats with 114.5 sacks, with 101.0 coming from his time in Houston. No one will take his throne as the best player in Texans’ history anytime soon.
Indianapolis Colts: Marvin Harrison, WR
The Colts could desperately have Peyton Manning back. Since quarterbacks are off-limits, why not bring back one of Manning’s best receivers? Marvin Harrison was great, but he was on another level from 1999 to 2002, finishing each year with 100+ catches, 1400+ yards, and 10+ TDs. I don’t know if Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones will be the starter, but having Harrison back would sure help.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Tony Boselli, OT
Boselli played in just six full seasons. His seventh was cut short by an injury so bad that he retired. And yet, he’s in the Hall of Fame. You have to be crazy dominant to earn a spot in the Hall with a career that short. But Boselli was crazy dominant, with 3 All-Pros in six healthy seasons. The Jaguars have a very intriguing wide receiver duo, and Boselli would make sure Trevor Lawrence has enough time in the pocket to throw to Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter.
Kansas City Chiefs: Tony Gonzalez, TE
Before Patrick Mahomes, Tony Gonzalez was arguably the best player in the Chiefs’ history. With Travis Kelce getting older, bringing back Gonzalez would ensure that Mahomes had a super reliable pass-catcher. He is not only one of the best tight ends in NFL history but also one of the best players overall.
Las Vegas Raiders: Gene Upshaw, iOL
Upshaw is arguably one of the best guards in NFL history. He played for the Raiders for all 15 years of his career, being selected to 7 Pro Bowls and 5 All-Pros. The Raiders had multiple offensive linemen who would end up in the Hall of Fame, and Upshaw may have been the best of them. For a team that wants to maximize Ashton Jeanty’s potential running the ball, having Gene Upshaw back at guard would surely help.
Los Angeles Chargers: LaDainian Tomlinson, RB
LT had an almost unnatural ability to score touchdowns. He’s second all-time with 145, behind only Emmitt Smith. But Smith played four more years than Tomlinson and scored just 24 more touchdowns. In his 9 seasons with the Chargers, LT never had fewer than 10 touchdowns in a season, led the league in rushing TDs 3 times, and still holds the record with 28 TDs in a season. Pair him with Jim Harbaugh, a coach who loves a good rushing offense, and just wait for the celebrations.
Los Angeles Rams: Aaron Donald, DT
The Rams have a young defensive line with the potential to be great, so it’s not like they need a defensive tackle. But I don’t care, it’s Aaron Donald. He was getting triple-teamed and still was unstoppable. We learned from the Eagles last year that you can never have too many defensive linemen. Donald has a good case for being the best defensive tackle in history, so bringing him back is a no-brainer. And who knows, it may actually happen.
Miami Dolphins: Larry Little, iOL
The Dolphins really need offensive line help. Like, seriously. Little, one of the best players in the XX century, is arguably the best offensive lineman in Dolphins’ history. He was a key member of the team that won two Super Bowls in the 1970s and was an All-Pro 5 times. Little was so good that he finished 8th in MVP voting in 1972. A guard received a vote for MVP.
Minnesota Vikings: Alan Page, DT
The Vikings were another team with a lot of players to choose from. Randy Moss, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison would be a nasty WR group, but I went with the trenches. Alan Page was the best player in one of the most fearsome teams in history, the Purple People Eaters. He played in a time when sacks weren’t an official stat, but Pro Football Reference credits him with 148.5 career sacks. Page is also one of two defenders to ever win MVP.
New England Patriots: Randy Moss, WR
The NFL is made of super athletes, so making them look like kids is no easy task. But, somehow, that’s what Moss did. Watching him play was like watching a father playing with his kids: effortless. Although he spent just four seasons with the Patriots (only three full seasons), he’s tied for 3rd in most touchdowns as a Patriot. He also had the best season of his career in New England, with 23 TD receptions (still the record) in 2007. With Drake Maye going into Year 2, let’s give him a touchdown machine.
New Orleans Saints: Jahri Evans, iOL
A member of the Hall of Fame All-2010s team, Evans had an incredible run in the early years of the 2010s. He earned four straight All-Pros and a 2nd-Team selection after that, being widely considered one of the best guards in the league. Building in the trenches is always smart, and Evans would set the tone for the Saints’ rebuild.
New York Giants: Lawrence Taylor, EDGE
The only other defender to win MVP, Taylor was a menace. He was elected the Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie. No one has done this in the history of the NFL. Taylor started his career with six straight All-Pro nods, retired with eight, and was the Defensive Player of the Year three times. He’s arguably the best pass-rusher in history, and, almost by himself, changed the way teams build their offensive line.
New York Jets: Darrelle Revis, CB
Remember what I said about the Broncos with Champ Bailey and Pat Surtain II? Copy, paste, and change the names. The famous 2009 graphic really shows what Prime Revis Island was all about. He faced some of the best receivers in the league, and none had more than 4 catches and 37 yards against him. Would any QB dare to throw the ball against Revis and Sauce Gardner?
Philadelphia Eagles: Reggie White, EDGE
White is so good that he’s here twice. His “”worst”” statistical season with the Eagles was 1989. He finished that season with 11.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, an All-Pro selection, and was fourth in DPOY voting. White averaged 15.5 sacks per year as an Eagle. The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but they lack that elite pass rusher. Not anymore, as the rich get richer.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Joe Greene, DT
It’s never a good sign when your name becomes “Mean” Joe Greene. For the Steelers, it was great, but for the other teams, it was terrible. Greene was arguably the best player in the Steel Curtain, one of the best defenses in NFL history, and led the Steelers to four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Do the Steelers have a good defensive line and could use the help elsewhere? Yes. But can you ever have too many defensive linemen? No.
San Francisco 49ers: Jerry Rice, WR
I don’t think I have to explain this. Jerry Rice is, in my opinion, the best player to ever step foot on a football field. The 49ers could have Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, A.J. Brown, and CeeDee Lamb on their roster, and Rice would still be the pick. And the WR1.
Seattle Seahawks: Earl Thomas III, DB
Earl Thomas III may be one of the most controversial players on this list. The way his Seahawks’ career ended was sour, with contract disputes and an injury. But he is one of the best safeties of the century, and arguably one of the best deep safeties of all time. Although he wasn’t as versatile as others, his presence in the secondary would allow Mike McDonald to design all sorts of crazy plays, knowing it’d be tough to get by Thomas.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derrick Brooks, LB
Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks were almost a coin flip. But, in the end, the Bucs need a linebacker more than they need a defensive tackle. One of the three players with their numbers retired, Brooks is one of the best players in franchise history and one of the best linebackers the league has seen. He could do it all, finishing his career with 25 INTs, 1713 tackles (7th all-time), 13.5 sacks, and 24 forced fumbles. The 2002 DPOY had 5 All-Pros and was in the Hall of Fame All-2000s Team.
Tennessee Titans: Bruce Matthews, iOL
Matthews has a very good case to be the best offensive lineman ever. He is for sure the most versatile, playing at least a full season at every OL position. But he was better inside, earning all seven of his All-Pros as a guard (both sides) or center. He was also reliable, missing just eight games in 19 years in the NFL. He’s also tied for 2nd all-time with 14 Pro Bowl selections. Just see who your best four linemen are, and Matthews will take the available spot.
Washington Commanders: Darrell Green, CB
Speed is a very important trait in a cornerback. Few have been faster than Darrell Green. He’s also one of the cornerbacks with the most interceptions, retiring with 54 over his 19 years in the NFL. Green was one of the best players on the Washington teams that won two Super Bowls in the late 80s/early 90s. Dan Quinn earned the reputation of being a defensive genius. Imagine what he could do with a Darrell Green on his defense.
