50 greatest NFL players of all-time
player. 35. . Guard. 1983-2001. Bruce Matthews. 45
When I think about versatility and durability, no other offensive lineman comes to mind besides Bruce Matthews. One of the best blockers in recent memory, the Tennessee Titans’ interior mauler embodied those two previously mentioned words to a T.
Throughout his 19-year NFL career, Matthews never missed a start. For a few years, he held the record for the most consecutive starts by any player with 292 before eventually being eclipsed by Brett Favre. For a position that takes such a pounding, it was quite the feat.
On top of that, Matthews’ versatility was nearly unparalleled when it came to offensive linemen. He was like the queen chess piece, capable of going anywhere and doing just about anything. Having started numerous games at every position along the front-five, Matthews seemed incapable of failing at whatever the Titans asked of him.
Overall, Matthews was just an extraordinary talent. You could probably gather that from his 14 Pro Bowls, nine All-Pro selections and placement on the NFL 1990s All-Decade team though. The model of consistency, Matthews would go on to see his bust land in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.