Green Bay Packers: Ranking the top 30 players in franchise history

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers have had many legendary players take the field over the years. We’ve ranked the 30 greatest players of them all.

There is perhaps no NFL franchise more difficult to narrow down to a ‘top 30 players of all-time list’ than the Green Bay Packers. This is because the Packers have seen greatness, incredibly, in five separate eras. Skilled players from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1960s, 1990s, and 2010s have experienced championship seasons despite the fact that Green Bay is the smallest market in the league.

The Packers were established in 1919 and joined the NFL in 1921. Since, they have won a record 13 World Championships; now that’s a lot of success to select great players from. The team is owned by the fans and community and every game has been sold out since 1960; before head coach Vince Lombardi even led the Packers to a championship. The season ticket waiting list stretches further than imaginable into the future.

In an all-time list for any professional sports team, all great players and eras must be accounted for. Because of the success that this franchise has experienced many talented players have been left off of this top-30 list. Some names that Packers fans absolutely adore will not be found on this all-time list simply because the amount of individual, and team, success that the Packers have experienced over its 96-year history.

The names left off of this list demonstrate the real greatness of the Packers’ history.

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The Packers are one of maybe two or three franchises in the NFL that could possibly have Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees not make their top 30 players of all-time ranking. My guess would be that only Chicago and possibly Pittsburgh could face this same conundrum. Which, unfortunately, is the case here; four Packers players that are in the Hall of Fame didn’t crack this top 30 players list.

It should be noted that being an ‘all-time great player’ in a franchise’s history is contingent on the depth of that franchise’s overall history. Meaning, a great player or Hall of Fame player that is left off of the Packers’ all-time list would be one of the best players in a less historic franchise’s history (think Denver, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and so on). That is why some truly dominant players weren’t able to make it onto this distinguished list.

Packers Nation, Cheeseheads, Packer Backers, residents of “Titletown USA” or whatever you want to call them, Packers fans are a knowledgeable, and massive, fan base. Thus, there are ample opinions out there regarding the ranking of the Packers’ all-time players. There will be some disagreements, I’m sure of it.

Controversy is bound to appear as a result of this list because it includes legendary players known throughout the nation as NFL greats that weren’t even able to crack this ranking’s top-10. How many organizations can make that claim? Not many, trust me.

Note: For this list I made it a rule to include at least one player at each position on the football field. For this 30-player list I also limited the number of players that would be included per position. I put a three-player cap per position for all positions, except for the skill positions (QB, RB, WR) which were awarded four players per position at maximum. I did this because I wanted the top 30 list to be diverse and represent all positions on the field, as well as every era of Packers football.

For your viewing pleasure there are 16 videos included in this countdown, too. Where did your favorite all-time Green Bay Packers players land in the top 30?

Next: 30 Greatest Players in Green Bay Packers History: Honorable Mentions