Debating a GOAT in football doesn’t make sense. But let me explain why, if the concept is indeed valid, Walter Payton is my choice.

A thread. https://twitter.com/WCGridiron/status/1276953010741149696

Like I said: Football should not have a GOAT. The differences in positions are too great, both within a certain time (2019 WRs vs 2019 edge rushers, for instance) and within positions but across time (2019 WRs vs 1979 flankers vs 1939 ends).

But any way that we can think about a football GOAT, Walter Payton qualifies.

Let’s start here: physicality.

Football is defined by its physicality. Blocking and tackling. Hitting people. To me, if football GOAT is possible, it’s got to be someone for whom hitting is part of the game. I’m prone to running backs, linemen, linebackers, safeties. No QBs for me.

Football is also an intellectual game. That’s it’s beauty: the strategy mixed with the muscle. In that respect, quarterbacks for sure qualify, but so do many others, especially middle linebackers and centers.

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1168319136247754752

I think the essence of a football player also requires speed, power and versatility. If GOAT is possible in football, the football GOAT must check those boxes. That gives us five categories so far:

Physical
Smart
Fast
Powerful
Versatile

I think the GOAT football player must be a great leader, respected by teammates, opponents and coaches.

I think the GOAT football player (if that’s even possible) also has the basics of GOATness:

Greatness across multiple seasons
A sustained run as clear-cut best in the game at his position
A legendary peak

Walter’s 1977 MVP season was that peak.

Now here is where this gets really interesting.

Again, I don’t think GOAT is possible in football. But if it is possible, shouldn’t it be someone with the greatest breadth of skills as possible?

This is where I think we cut all quarterbacks out of the GOAT debate, plus even Jerry Rice:

Versatility.

A team of 11 Walter Paytons on either side of the ball beats a team of 11 of any other player ever.

And let’s add in Walter at kicker and punter.

Could 11 Jerry Rices beat 11 Walter Paytons? Could 11 Tom Bradys beat 11 Walter Paytons? Could 11 Lawrence Taylors or 11 Jim Browns or 11 Bronko Nagurskis or 11 JJ Watts beat 11 Walter Paytons?

Let’s say we had a game of all Walter Paytons vs all Jerry Rices.

Jerry is lined up at center and Walter is at nose tackle — who wins?

Jerry is at DE and Walter is at QB — who wins?

Walter is at WR and Jerry is at CB — who wins?

Walter can kick and punt. Can Jerry?

Now let’s account for time travel, since the AT in GOAT is pretty damn important.

Walter Payton could dominate in all 10 decades of the NFL.

Put Walter Payton into the 1920s and he’s the best back in the game. Single-wing tailback (Pollard, J. Sternaman) or either left or right half, plus defense, plus kicking, plus returning. Better than Grange.

(And I want @gridironborn to weigh in on these...)

Who are you taking?

Put Walter Payton in the 30s and he can still play any position in the backfield. He can be your half back or your full back or play QB. DB skills still dominant.

@gridironborn @SamHouseholder

Who are you taking?

Put Walter Payton into the 1940s, and again, he’s killing you as a RB/DB. Not necessarily the ideal QB anymore (not in the Baugh/Luckman days) but I’ll take him over Steve Van Buren, for example.

Put Walter Payton into the 1950s and he’s definitely the best RB early. Who are you taking?

This is a great quote supplied by @gridironborn, and it raised an important nuance. Could 11 Nagurskis beat 11 Paytons in the 1930s? Maybe. But could 11 Nagurskis beat 11 Paytons in the 2010s? Or the 1970s? Or the 1920s? I would bet on Payton.

https://twitter.com/gridironborn/status/1277075321771130885?s=21 https://twitter.com/gridironborn/status/1277075321771130885

Put Walter Payton into the 1960s and he’s a force just like Jim Brown — another guy who I think has a GOAT claim (were such a thing possible in football, which it’s not).

We’ll skip the 70s and 80s, when Walter player, and the 90s, which was close to the 80s in style.

I think Walter would still dominate in the 2000s as a RB who could also be a receiving threat, a la Marshall Faulk or LaDainian Tomlinson.

How about the current game? How would Walter Payton look in a dual-threat role like Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey? I’m going to say he’d still be great.

Again, I don’t think we should talk football GOAT. But I do think Walter Payton was a perfect football player.

Physical player
Power and speed
Runner and receiver
Blocker
Pass, kick, punt, returner
Smart and fearless
Leader

Sweetness