With the 2022 season wrapped up, here's a look at ten of the best rivalries between wide receivers and defensive backs in NFL history.
As iron sharpens iron, so wide receivers and defensive backs sharpen one another.
The original Proverbs verse isn't specific to football, but the notion is the same. In mirroring each other, NFL wide receivers and defensive backs will always push their opponents to the limit. Through that, some of the NFL's fiercest rivalries are born.
Sometimes players push against their physical limitations, such as a 5-foot-9 Pat Fischer when he lined up against a 6-foot-8 Harold Carmichael. Others approach the game with grace, considering it an honor to battle against a Hall of Fame talent. That was the sentiment in Peanut Tillman's heartfelt retirement address given to Calvin Johnson, to which Johnson responded positively.
Other rivalries are rooted in revenge, with players retaliating against perceived dirty hits with clotheslines and snatched chains. Rivalrous tensions can fade with time, as with Ed Reed and Hines Ward, while others remain bitter to the end.
Choosing the 10 best rivalries between receivers and defensive backs is a subjective exercise for each fan of the game, but the following list was centered around certain criteria. There was an effort to include rivalries across decades, although there's a recency bias that favors the 2010s. There was also an effort to include a diversity of rivalries, from respectful divisional opponents to trash-talking players with clear disdain for one another.
There were many worthwhile entries left off of this list, but in an effort to include a spectrum of football feuds, here are 10 of the best rivalries between NFL wide receivers and defensive backs.
The10 best receiver-defensive back rivalries in NFL history:
Honorable Mention: Ed Reed vs. Hines Ward
In the 2000s, the Pittsburgh Steelers were known for keeping football traditions alive, namely by continuing to play a hard-nosed style that had been phased out by recent NFL rules. Defenders like Troy Polamalu embodied the Steelers' historic force, but so did wide receiver Hines Ward.
Ward is still regarded as one of the game's greatest blockers at his position, but players on the other end of those blocks don't remember his skills as fondly. Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed remembers Ward as a "dirty player" who negatively influenced league rules with his style of play.
"I don't have to tell you Hines Ward was a dirty player," Reed told The Dan Patrick Show via Steelers Depot. "There was a rule named after him. I'm not harping on it, I'm not bitter about it, it is what it is. Even though he was dirty towards me, I never went back at him. As much as I could have, I never did."
Reed and Ward went back and forth at a time when the Steelers and Ravens led the AFC with their brutality, their individual battles representing a brutal intradivisional one. Bart Scott quipped back at Ward after the receiver targeted Scott and Reed in 2007, promising that when the two teams met again, he would "find him [Ward] and make sure I take the most violent shot I can take." While Reed vs. Ward deserves mentioning, it was still relatively quiet — as Reed said, he never went back at him.
If he had, then another entry would have been bumped off this list, because there's always room for the greatest free safety of all time taking on a Steelers legend.
10. Pat Fischer vs. Harold Carmichael
Even though it took place in the early 1970s, Fischer vs. Carmichael stands out among WR-DB rivalries namely because Carmichael towered over Fischer.
Safety Pat Fischer was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1961, later signing with Washington in 1968. In Washington, Fischer teamed up alongside Hall of Fame free safety Larry Wilson, who often tore off to tackle the quarterback. Fischer leaned into what he did best, being credited for perfecting the "bump and run" technique. Fischer was focused on diving forth and tackling a receiver's leg, known as his "one leg up" technique. Fischer was uniquely suited to throw off the balance of the game's tallest receivers, including Philadelphia Eagles star Harold Carmichael.
In 1973, Carmichael's first season regularly starting for the Eagles, he became a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler who led the NFL in receiving yards and receptions. Even though he accomplished all this, he still had to face Fischer twice that year as a divisional rival.
Fischer was able to hold his own against Carmichael, and the two continued to face each other until Fischer's retirement in 1977.
Considering the fact that Carmichael is still the tallest wide receiver to ever play in the NFL, it's unlikely fans will ever see a rivalry with the same size discrepancy and technique that Fischer utilized when lining up against Carmichael.
9. Charles Tillman vs. Calvin Johnson
Many of the greatest WR-DB rivalries are the product of a simple progression: divisional rivals face each other twice a season, with the top team winning a guaranteed playoff spot. Divisional opponents are drafted into a rivalry, and for competitive athletes like Calvin "Megatron" Johnson and Charles "Peanut" Tillman who take their roles seriously, team rivalries turn into personal ones.
For seven years, Tillman lined up opposite Johnson and anticipated his every move, looking to use his signature "Peanut Punch" whenever possible against the Hall of Fame wide receiver. With Johnson and Tillman, it was purely about winning each onfield battle, which Tillman eloquently recounted in an open letter to Johnson upon Johnson's retirement in 2016.
"The Peanut Punch never seemed to work on you, and sometimes, I got a little desperate," Tillman humorously recounted. "Sorry. But that was us: two heavyweights trading blows for four quarters. So maybe it's fitting that this past offseason, we both decided to hang it up for good."
Tillman insists that the game wouldn't be the same without Johnson, revealing how every defensive back in the league had to mentally prepare themselves to cover Megatron. Both Tillman and Johnson were first-team All-Pro Pro Bowlers in 2012, while Tillman led the league in forced fumbles and Johnson led the league in receiving yards and receptions. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the greatest professional year for both Tillman and Johnson came in the same year as the two players dueled even harder against one another.
A respectful rivalry to the end, Tillman signed his letter with a message of gratitude. "[Thank you] for making every man who lined up across from you better — especially an old rival."
8. Steve Largent vs. Mike Harden
There are a number of nasty hits that wouldn't make a rivalry list because they're singular events rather than active feuds between players. When Denver Broncos defensive back Mike Harden slammed into Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent, he likely imagined that the hits would be one-sided. Little did Harden know that soon enough, Largent would mete out consequences for enduring a concussion and two missing teeth.
In the 1988 season opener, the Broncos and Seahawks were in the midst of a divisional matchup when Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg led Largent with the ball. A defenseless receiver in the moment, Largent was struck by Harden's elbow as he came charging across the field. Despite differing NFL rules, the hit was still seen as brutal at the time and was widely criticized by Largent's teammates. Harden was even fined $5,000 for the hit, but a fine seemingly wasn't enough punishment for Largent.
Largent waited 14 weeks until the two teams met again, seizing a rare opportunity when Harden intercepted a Seahawks pass in the endzone and barreled down the field. Like Harden did months before, Largent came charging toward Harden and tackled him, forcing a fumble that Largent then recovered. On the game footage, Largent is seen taking a moment to gloat over Harden before rushing to recover the fumble.
"People ask me, did I know who it was when I hit him? I say, 'I knew exactly who it was, and I knew exactly what I was trying to do, and I did it,'" Largent told NBC Sports in 2020. "They say in the NFL that 'payback is hell,' and that's what I was thinking when I got to hit him at that point."
A chance encounter decades later resulted in the two connecting over the phone, where the two spoke for the first time. "We kind of cleared the air and went on our way," Largent recounted. Even though there's no hard feelings, Largent remains proud of his hard-hitting revenge tackle.
"That was my favorite play of my NFL career — a tackle, not a catch," Largent told NFL Films.
7. Fred Biletnikoff vs. Jim Marsalis
By the time Raiders wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff lined up against Chiefs defensive backs Emmitt Thomas and Jim Marsalis, the two teams had been embroiled in a years-long rivalry. When the AFL was created in 1960, it began with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Texans (later Kansas City Chiefs) in the same division. "[The Chiefs and the Raiders] were the Hatfields and the McCoys without the guns," Raiders legend Tom Flores described. Since then, red and black seas of devotees have gathered to watch generations of Chiefs and Raiders players take on one another.
While success has ebbed and flowed for both teams over the eras, the 1960s and 1970s were a time when the talent seemed evenly matched with a bevy of Hall of Famers. Back then, the Chiefs had Willie Lanier and Len Dawson, while the Raiders had Jim Otto and Art Shell. "The 1969 AFL championship game, in which the Chiefs upset the Raiders 17-7, featured 12 future Hall of Famers on the field," Jim Trotter wrote in Sports Illustrated in 2010. A December 1970 excerpt from Sports Illustrated captured the contention between Marsalis and Biletnikoff:
"In another key matchup, Oakland Wide Receiver Fred Biletnikoff had the edge on Jim Marsalis, the Kansas City cornerback. Marsalis has fine speed, water-bug-quick reactions and a nose for the ball, but Biletnikoff caught a 36-yard touchdown pass with Marsalis a half-step behind him. Earlier, Biletnikoff had run the same pattern, but Marsalis went up with him and tipped the ball away."
Although Biletnikoff mentioned facing the Green Bay Packers defense in Super Bowl II, it was the Chiefs' secondary that featured the toughest players he'd ever faced. "My favorite was always playing against Emmitt Thomas and Jimmy Marsalis of the Kansas City Chiefs because they were very, very competitive and real tough guys," Biletnikoff told the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
6. Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan
Although Ed Reed endured years of hits from Hines Ward, Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson wasn't keen on letting his opponent get a pass. In 2010, the Texans and Tennessee Titans were rivals in the relatively new AFC South, meaning that Johnson had to face Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan twice a year. By this point, Finnegan seemed to enjoy his reputation as a dirty player, taking unnecessary shots against opponents that resulted in league fines. Before Johnson and Finnegan faced off against one another, Finnegan had already been fined for slamming a player to the ground by dragging his helmet and hitting another player in the head after his helmet had come off.
Johnson was one of the NFL's best receivers, and Finnegan was one of the league's top cornerbacks in spite of his methods. In that particular game, Finnegan had spent the game prodding Johnson with grabby play, and Johnson eventually had enough. Even within that game, Johnson and Finnegan had been shoving each other on several plays until Johnson ripped off Finnegan's helmet and landed a few punches before referees intervened. Ever the antagonist, Finnegan was laughing and clapping as Johnson was pulled away.
The two were ejected from the game, and Johnson apologized for his actions, to which Finnegan said nothing at all. Considered "maybe the most memorable fight in NFL history" by Secret Base, the reason that this deserves a space on the rivalry list is that it was a feud that had been brewing for a long time.
In 2022, Johnson spoke with former NFL star Bryant McFadden on McFadden's "All Things Covered" podcast and explained his side of the story.
"That was something that had built up over years," Johnson said. "We used to play each other twice a year. It was just something that had built up over years, a lot of words had been exchanged throughout those games and different things. He used to do some things that weren't… I used to tell people, 'If you knock me out while we're playing, that's part of the game, that's what it is.' He used to have little things he did after plays and I would tell him, 'Yo man, you need to calm down with some of that stuff.' And it just went left."
"I never thought it would get to that point," Johnson continued. "It was just a build-up of things that had happened over time and I just lost my cool for a second."
Johnson also noted that there were many things that Finnegan did to other players that wasn't always caught on film, and Johnson reached a point where he no longer wanted to let Finnegan's behavior slide. McFadden described Johnson as a "cool, quiet dude who keeps to himself," which is what makes this fight simultaneously shocking yet predictable.
5. Marshon Lattimore vs. Mike Evans
The rivalry between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers has existed for years, but no one has brought it to life quite like Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore.
When the Saints drafted Lattimore in 2017, Evans had already enjoyed three seasons racking up over 1,000 yards per year as one of the division's top receivers. Standing at 6-foot-5, Evans has been able to sprint for deep balls and win contested catches, evidenced by his seasons with Jameis Winston and Tom Brady.
Lattimore has developed a reputation as a physical cornerback, one who has uplifted the Saints' secondary and contributed to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2018 to 2020. Over the past five years, Lattimore and Evans have gotten into several skirmishes, each seemingly more intense than the last.
In 2017, Evans tackled Lattimore for taunting then-Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston. Lattimore was talking trash, Winston became annoyed and touched Lattimore's helmet, so then Lattimore shoved Winston in the chest. Out of nowhere, Evans tackled Lattimore to the ground.
Evans later apologized and complimented Lattimore's level of play, but the two remained chippy in divisional matchups. It didn't help that New Orleans had the edge over Tampa Bay for several years, and Lattimore took his assignment to cover Evans rather seriously.
In 2022, Lattimore and Brady were arguing when running back Leonard Fournette got involved and began shoving the Saints cornerback. Lattimore pushed back, and Evans interjected by tackling Lattimore to the ground. Immediately after, Evans begins grappling with Saints safety Marcus Maye among a symphony of yellow flags.
"This time, I just was trying to have my teammate's back," Evans told reporters following the Sept. 18 game. "All I seen was him punch somebody in the face, like I ain't gonna let that happen."
The Evans/Lattimore feud has erupted more than once, and it seems to be far from over. The acrimonious nature between New Orleans and Tampa Bay is embodied by two franchise greats who have the potential to move farther up in rivalry rankings.
4. Randy Moss vs. Darrelle Revis
For most of his career, Randy Moss was able to outrun, outstretch and outscore virtually every defensive back in the NFL. There's a reason "getting Mossed" became a turn of phrase, as it became the only way to describe what Moss did to his opponents. Somehow, Moss was always available, and it's no coincidence that pairing him with Tom Brady resulted in the most explosive NFL offense of all time.
Even though there seemed to be no match for Moss, eventually, there was. His name was Darrelle Revis, and as fate would have it, he played for the New York Jets. Moss and Revis only faced off as divisional rivals three times between 2008 and 2010, but those three games were historic in terms of two of the greatest players at their positions going head-to-head.
In those three games, Moss only caught nine of 19 targets for 88 yards, which is still averaging 9.7 yards per reception. Moss fared better than contemporaries like Terrell Owens and Calvin Johnson, but it was a stark contrast from his usual appearances. Even Randy Moss got stranded on Revis Island, illustrating how Darrelle Revis was a true shutdown corner.
But the challenges went both ways, as it was the feat of a lifetime trying to cover Randy Moss. Revis admitted that Moss was the "toughest cover" in his storied career. "The size, speed, intelligence, him being a player, is amazing," Revis said.
Perhaps if the two saw more matchups in their prime, their rivalry could rank even higher, but even their limited tape demonstrates how elite players can neutralize each other.
3. Josh Norman vs. Odell Beckham Jr.
On its face, the rivalry between Josh Norman and Odell Beckham Jr. may seem more heated than others, and in some ways, it ways. Their initial meeting on December 20, 2015, escalated from an aggressive back-and-forth press in coverage to facemask pulls and cleat grabs. Both players received personal foul penalties, endured league punishment and went their separate ways — until Norman joined Beckham's division with Washington in 2016.
The two met on several more occasions, the most recent being in November 2021 when Beckham was with the Rams and Norman was with the 49ers. Six years later, the headline remained: Could infamous OBJ-Norman feud flare up in 49ers-Rams?
What was fascinating about this particular feud is that more than the players themselves, it was onlookers who sought to keep these two embroiled in a fight that both seemed to want to leave behind. Over the years, both would publicly declare their intention of leaving their feud in the past while managing to sneak in one last verbal jab.
Will Buikema of SB Nation's Secret Base broke down the history and aftermath of this rivalry in 2018, noting that what was unique about the Beckham/Norman fight is how it was kept intact by media and fans. After their 2015 game, Norman did say he "pulled back the mask on who [Beckham] really is" while Beckham avoided commenting, but once Norman moved into the division, everyone inquired about potential animosity.
Through interviews and over Twitter, Norman and Beckham continued to criticize one another, with Norman painting Beckham as a privileged, overrated first-round pick and Beckham painting Norman as someone looking to leech off of his own success.
Today, Beckham is with the Ravens and Norman's NFL career is open-ended, so this rivalry may have seen its last flare-ups on the football field. But for the rest of their respective careers, it's likely that an interviewer will always bring up their fateful encounter and the rivalry that ensued.
2. Michael Crabtree vs. Aqib Talib
In 2016, fodder for a perfect rivalry finally caught flame. Two Dallas natives who had known each other through high school and college were in the same division, playing opposing positions, and knew how to push one another's buttons. Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib believed Oakland Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree made his trash-talking too personal. So, he snatched his chain — twice.
Joe Ali of SB Nation's Secret Base does a thorough job of explaining the history of this rivalry, but an amended version would be this: Talib had experienced Crabtree's trash-talking over the years and thought it was excessive, and he was also irritated by the fact that Crabtree seemed to flaunt his ego by wearing a gold chain on the field. When the two faced each other in Week 17 of the 2016 season, Talib tackled Crabtree and ripped off his chain while he was on the ground.
The chain broke, Crabtree fumed and Talib laughed on the sideline as he reenacted the moment for his Broncos teammates. Crabtree later said he didn't react then as a "business decision" for the benefit of his team. But when the next two saw each other, Talib successfully grabbed his chain, Crabtree pummeled him through the sideline, and an all-out brawl between the Broncos and Raiders ensued.
Both players were penalized, a decision which frustrated Crabtree as he did not consider himself the aggressor. Talib and Broncos teammate Chris Harris Jr. insisted that Crabtree "came out wanting to fight", as Harris put it.
Even if Crabtree antagonized Talib on the field, it was Talib who ignited this rivalry with insidious intentions. According to Talib, his plan was to steal "Crab Boy's" chain and drape around his pitbull's neck in an Instagram photo. But Talib never secured the chain, the two players went on to different divisions, and by the time they reunited on the field, the rivalry was no longer relevant.
Ali notes that the closest the two came to a rematch was a chance encounter at a Dallas Go-Kart track where the two reportedly talked and made peace with one another. At its height, this was an NFL rivalry where trash-talking and general dislike went to a whole new level of disrespect.
1. Deion Sanders vs. Jerry Rice
Randy Moss may be the most gifted wide receiver of all time, but the greatest of all time is considered to be Jerry Rice. Rice benefitted from being paired with Joe Montana and Steve Young, but he had to find a way to remain open against defensive backs like Deion Sanders, a contender for the GOAT title at his own position.
The fact that these two played for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, one of the biggest rivalries in the 1980s and 1990s, compounds to make Sanders vs. Rice the biggest rivalry of all time.
"I did not like the Cowboys at all," Rice told NFL Films. "It was a very intense rivalry. It's something you don't get over, because if you care about something, you shouldn't be able to get over it just like that."
When Sanders was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989, the Falcons were included in the NFC West division, which also included the 49ers. That meant that Sanders and Rice battled one another twice a year until 1994, when Sanders and Rice became teammates for a season.
Fellow 49ers teammate Ricky Watters admitted that Sanders and Rice didn't get along "very well" during their year together, primarily because of their differing approaches to the game. Rice was studious and intense, while Sanders was gregarious and laid-back. Of course, both players took their roles seriously and excelled on the field, but Rice wasn't a fan of Sanders' methods.
"I was a little curious if he would be able to come in and do it the 49er way because we worked hard every day," Rice said. Rice described Sanders as having "a lot of baggage" yet wanted him to join the team in hopes a Super Bowl run.
"I think they had the understanding of, 'This is work, this is a job, we've got to come in and do it,'" Sanders said of his time with San Francisco. "Now I came in and said, 'Hey, we're gonna work, but we're gonna play.'"
The teammates clashed before Super Bowl XXIX after Sanders partied out past curfew and Rice told him to take their game preparation more seriously.
"That was the first time that I had seen the two of them really getting upset and really going at each other and really being upset to where they could come to blows," Watters said. That being said, the two came together and won the Lombardi Trophy together, after which Sanders left to join their arch-rival in Dallas.
"I hated that guy, man [Deion Sanders]. Ah, man, we couldn't get along," Rice told Kevin Hart in 2021. "If Deion was on the opposite side, it was going down the next day."
While Rice and Sanders reminisce about their rivalry, Rice made it clear that both have let go over any potential grudges from their playing days.
"You've got to let it go," Rice told Hart concerning NFL grudges. "It's like with Deion and I. We still talk about those old days, but it's over now."
"I think about it. For a split second, I'm like, 'Let's go!'" Rice continued as he laughed.