NFL History: 50 greatest quarterback-wide receiver tandems in NFL history

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 27: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions celebrates with teammate Calvin Johnson #81 after a first quarter touchdown the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field on October 27, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

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Steve Young and Jerry Rice (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

The 5th greatest quarterback-wide receiver duo in NFL history: Steve Young & Jerry Rice

Technically, Steve Young and Jerry Rice were teammates longer than any other duo on this list. However, with Young stuck on the bench from 1987-91 as the primary backup behind Joe Montana, it took some time before the pair got their own relationship going.

Once Young was officially handed the reins, Rice and his new signal-caller, immediately clicked.

There wasn’t a single season that went by where the San Francisco 49ers didn’t win at least 10 games. Young was quickly named to the Pro Bowl from 1992-98, and like always, Rice was consistently right by his side at the end of the year classic. We don’t want to completely place the success of the 49ers on the shoulders of Rice but it was clear that he made a huge impact on Young from the get-go.

Young essentially morphed into the league’s best quarterback during their time together. He led the NFL in quarterback rating six times and completion percentage five times. In the end, while the accolades were nice, the most important thing was winning. From 1992-98, with Rice and Young on the field, they only lost once in the first round of the playoffs and they ultimately won a Super Bowl, dismantling the Los Angeles Chargers 49-26.

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