NFL History: 25 greatest quarterback-tight end duos of all time

The 14th greatest quarterback-tight end duo in NFL history: Bill Munson / Greg Landry & Charlie Sanders

Ok, that’s not a duo. But like many relationships, sometimes things get complicated. The football field is no different. Things got a bit complicated for the Detroit Lions in the 1970s…and every other decade.

What wasn’t complicated was Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders. He played his entire 10-year career in Detroit from 1968-1977 and was the ace of the trio ranked No. 14 on this list.

The reason this is the lone exception of three players on a list of the greatest duos is because while Sanders was sturdy in his dominance at tight end, things were shaky at the quarterback position as the Lions rotated Bill Munson and Greg Landry.

All three players arrived in Detroit in 1968, Munson by trade, Landry and Sanders by draft. They all remained teammates until 1976, when Munson was traded. In the eight seasons together, Munson saw action in 60 games, starting 48 while Landry played in 72 games but started 56. It was truly a two-headed quarterback system that probably couldn’t be pulled off in today’s age of media.

No matter who was at the quarterback position, they had a reliable target is Sanders.  In his time playing with either Munson or Landry, Sanders recorded 336 catches, 4,817 yards and 31 touchdowns in 128 games. He was selected to a total of seven Pro bowls.

The trios’ best season came in 1970 when they made the playoffs with a 10-4 record. They loss in the divisional round to the Dallas Cowboys.