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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Jerry Rice and Joe Montana (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

The 2nd greatest quarterback-wide receiver duo in NFL history: Joe Montana & Jerry Rice

Joe Montana is widely considered as a top-five quarterback of all time. Jerry Rice, on the other hand, is recognized as the greatest wide receiver ever.

In the eyes of many, the pair have done more than enough to be considered the best quarterback/wide receiver duo in league history. While they aren’t ranked number one on our list, that shouldn’t be viewed as a slight. Rather, a testament to the duo we have ranked before them.

But before we touch upon the next pairing on this list, let’s zero in on Rice and Montana.

From 1985-1992, Montana had the luxury of receiving the ball from under center, dropping back, and throwing the ball to an unguardable Jerry Rice.

The accolades and numbers they racked up during their time together seem almost cartoonish at this point. As a pair, Rice and Montana grabbed two Super Bowl rings, five NFC titles, and won double-digit games in the regular season six out of their seven years together.

Although Rice would’ve been great no matter who was his quarterback, he really shined with Montana. Rice aggregated over 6,700 and 67 touchdowns with the Hall of Famer. In short, it didn’t matter what defense was out on the field, in all likelihood, they were simply going to get carved up.

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