It’s a daunting question when someone asks who the best player in the history of the Las Vegas Raiders is. However, the Rich Eisen Show recently took that challenge head-on as they named the “GOATs” of each AFC West team.
The Raiders are one of the most historically rich teams; their lore is filled with legendary players. They have Pro Football Hall of Famers at nearly every position and continue to have players that were just as good in retrospect but continued to be snubbed. That, however, is another argument for another day. Eisen, who’s consistently held the Raiders in high regard, has been naming one player that he and his crew believe is the best on each NFL team.
“The Raiders? Good luck to you, sir. There are a lot of great players in the history of the Raiders.”
Eisen was referring to the difficulty of narrowing it down to one Raiders player. All the same, Eisen’s co-host mentioned that while that may be true, “only one has the most iconic Super Bowl ever.” They are of course referring to running back Marcus Allen. That’s a great point regarding and why Allen he’s held in such high regard, though Eisen did counter with an interesting tidbit, “Can you choose somebody who hates the franchise?” Everyone knows there wasn’t any love lost between Allen and legendary owner Al Davis. In fact, Allen had previously stated he felt David sabotaged his career. That aside, it doesn’t erase what Allen accomplished on the field.
Is Marcus Allen the greatest Raiders player in history?
“I think it boils down to what you said, that run in the Super Bowl is so iconic. One of the greatest to ever run the ball. In addition to his skill as a pass-catcher. Just super talented.”
Allen’s accolades speak for themselves, and any Raiders fan worth their weight is familiar with them. His final years with the Raiders were spent mostly blocking for Bo Jackson, which no doubt greatly hindered his stats in the long run. To the point of him being a good receiver, Allen caught 446 passes during his run with the Silver and Black, accumulating 4,258 yards through the air. Oh, and you can also tack on 18 touchdowns. Allen was the prototypical dual threat that would’ve flourished in the modern NFL.
It’s nearly impossible to narrow down a list of Raiders to just one. Even Eisen’s co-hosts recognized the “who’s who” of Raiders lore. Gene Upshaw, Tim Brown, Art Shell, Kenny Stabler, Jack Tatum, Jim Plunkett, etc. etc. What do you think of Eisen’s assessment of Raider Nation? Does Marcus Allen get your vote?
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*Top Photo: Sporting News