The Evolution of the NFL Cornerback: From Deion Sanders to Sauce Gardner
The NFL’s last true lockdown cornerback was Deion Sanders. That’s not an indictment on the great corners who followed him. Charles Woodson, Champ Bailey, and Darrelle Revis are deserving Hall of Famers. Richard Sherman will likely follow them into Canton. But as offenses have changed over the last few decades, it’s become harder for individual corners to lock down a side of the field like Sanders would do in the 1990s. There are more dime and nickel formations, a lot of zone coverage, and constant pre-snap motion — making it harder for an elite cornerback to have the outsized impact he once did.
The legendary Deion Sanders
Let’s use pay as an example. In 1995, Sanders signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Cowboys that made him the highest-paid defensive player in football. That same year, Dallas re-signed Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin to a five-year deal worth $12.3 million.
In 2023, the highest-paid cornerback is Jaire Alexander, with an average annual value of $21.3 million. Tyreek Hill makes $30 million per year, and Justin Jefferson will very likely beat that number when he signs an extension in the next year.
That should not, however, take away from the accomplishments and capabilities of this era of corners. The top two corners on our list, particularly, are young players off to sensational starts, with a real chance to get their own busts someday.
Our writers listed their best 10 cornerbacks based on their confidence in each player were he healthy and set to take the field for a game next week. A first-place vote merited 10 points in our methodology and descended from there, down to a single point for 10th place. We then combined the scores to determine our rankings.
Sauce Gardner, the top-ranked cornerback
2023 Top NFL Cornerbacks
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Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, New York Jets Henry McKenna: He looked like prime Richard Sherman in the 2022 season, his rookie year. Gardner needed no time to acclimate to the NFL. He perched himself on the left side of Jets coach Robert Saleh’s defense and rarely lets anything come that way. Last year, he deserved contention for Defensive Player of the Year Award, not just Defensive Rookie of the Year. And teams can’t hide from Gardner by going to the other side, because D.J. Reed is one of the best CB2s in the NFL. Gardner has the right coaching and support system to stay atop this list in 2023.
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Patrick Surtain Jr., Denver Broncos Ben Arthur: The Broncos defense has gotten off to a disastrous start to the season, and Surtain is by no means blameless (He’s allowed a 152.2 passer rating when targeted through three weeks, second-worst in the league among all cornerbacks who’ve played at least 30 coverage snaps, according to Next Gen Stats). But it’s too small of a sample size to be concerned. Surtain has been fantastic since he entered the NFL in 2021, elevating his play to a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro level last season. He’s a big, long cornerback who is arguably the best technician at the position in football.
Patrick Surtain Jr., the second-ranked cornerback
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Thanksgiving Games: A Tradition Continues
Thanksgiving games are an annual tradition — and NFL fans will be treated to a juicy triple-header in 2024.
2024 NFL Thanksgiving Day Game Schedule
- Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions — 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS
- New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys — 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX
- Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers — 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Thanksgiving weekend will also feature a Black Friday game this year.
- Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs — 3 p.m. ET on Prime
How to Watch 2024 NFL Thanksgiving Games
Where can I watch the NFL Thanksgiving games? What channel will they be on?
As always, the Thanksgiving Day games will be spread across different networks — FOX, CBS, and NBC.
How can I stream the NFL Thanksgiving Day games or watch them without cable?
Streaming services that carry FOX, NBC, and CBS like YouTube TV or Fubo can be used to stream the games. You can also stream FOX games on FoxSports.com or the FOX Sports app. NBC games can be streamed on Peacock, and CBS games can be streamed on Paramount+.
How can I watch the NFL Thanksgiving games for free?
If you have an over-the-air antenna that picks up your local channels, you can watch games on FOX, NBC, or CBS for free.
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NFL MVPs: A Complete List of Award Winners by Year
While the NFL dates its history back to 1920, the NFL MVP has only been awarded since 1938. In 2011, the NFL began to hold its annual NFL Honors ceremony recognizing the winner of the Associated Press MVP award. The AP started giving out this award in 1957. Check out the complete list of NFL MVP winners:
- 2023: Lamar Jackson (Quarterback - Baltimore Ravens)
- 2022: Patrick Mahomes (Quarterback - Kansas City Chiefs)
- 2021: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 2020: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 2019: Lamar Jackson (Quarterback - Baltimore Ravens)
- 2018: Patrick Mahomes (Quarterback - Kansas City Chiefs)
- 2017: Tom Brady (Quarterback - New England Patriots)
- 2016: Matt Ryan (Quarterback - Atlanta Falcons)
- 2015: Cam Newton (Quarterback - Carolina Panthers)
- 2014: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 2013: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Denver Broncos)
- 2012: Adrian Peterson (Running Back - Minnesota Vikings)
- 2011: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 2010: Tom Brady (Quarterback - New England Patriots)
- 2009: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts)
- 2008: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts)
- 2007: Tom Brady (Quarterback - New England Patriots)
- 2006: LaDainian Tomlinson (Running Back - San Diego Chargers)
- 2005: Shaun Alexander (Running Back - Seattle Seahawks)
- 2004: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts)
- 2003: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts)
- 2003: Steve McNair (Quarterback - Tennessee Titans)
- 2002: Rich Gannon (Quarterback - Oakland Raiders)
- 2001: Kurt Warner (Quarterback - St. Louis Rams)
- 2000: Marshall Faulk (Running Back - St. Louis Rams)
- 1999: Kurt Warner (Quarterback - St. Louis Rams)
- 1998: Terrell Davis (Running Back - Denver Broncos)
- 1997: Barry Sanders (Running Back - Detroit Lions)
- 1997: Brett Favre (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1996: Brett Favre (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1995: Brett Favre (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1994: Steve Young (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1993: Emmitt Smith (Running Back - Dallas Cowboys)
- 1992: Steve Young (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1991: Thurman Thomas (Running Back - Buffalo Bills)
- 1990: Joe Montana (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1989: Joe Montana (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1988: Boomer Esiason (Quarterback - Cincinnati Bengals)
- 1987: John Elway (Quarterback - Denver Broncos)
- 1986: Lawrence Taylor (Linebacker - New York Giants)
- 1985: Marcus Allen (Running Back - Los Angeles Raiders)
- 1984: Dan Marino (Quarterback - Miami Dolphins)
- 1983: Joe Theismann (Quarterback - Washington Redskins)
- 1982: Mark Moseley (Placekicker - Washington Redskins)
- 1981: Ken Anderson (Quarterback - Cincinnati Bengals)
- 1980: Brian Sipe (Quarterback - Cleveland Browns)
- 1979: Earl Campbell (Running Back - Houston Oilers)
- 1978: Terry Bradshaw (Quarterback - Pittsburgh Steelers)
- 1977: Walter Payton (Running Back - Chicago Bears)
- 1976: Bert Jones (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1975: Fran Tarkenton (Quarterback - Minnesota Vikings)
- 1974: Ken Stabler (Quarterback - Oakland Raiders)
- 1973: O.J. Simpson (Running Back - Buffalo Bills)
- 1972: Larry Brown (Running Back - Washington Redskins)
- 1971: Alan Page (Defensive Tackle - Minnesota Vikings)
- 1970: John Brodie (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1969: Roman Gabriel (Quarterback - Los Angeles Rams)
- 1968: Earl Morrall (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1967: Johnny Unitas (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1966: Bart Starr (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1965: Jim Brown (Running Back - Cleveland Browns)
- 1964: Johnny Unitas (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1963: Y.A. Tittle (Quarterback - New York Giants)
- 1962: Jim Taylor (Fullback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1961: Paul Hornung (Halfback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1960: Norm Van Brocklin (Quarterback - Philadelphia Eagles)
- 1959: Johnny Unitas (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1958: Jim Brown (Running Back - Cleveland Browns)
- 1957: Jim Brown (Running Back - Cleveland Browns)
- 1956: Frank Gifford (Halfback - New York Giants)
- 1955: Otto Graham (Quarterback - Cleveland Browns)
- 1954: Joe Perry (Fullback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1953: Otto Graham (Quarterback - Cleveland Browns)
- 1952: Joe Perry (Fullback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1951: Norm Van Brocklin (Quarterback - Los Angeles Rams)
- 1950: Otto Graham (Quarterback - Cleveland Browns)
- 1949: Charley Conerly (Quarterback - New York Giants)
- 1948: Pat Harder (Fullback - Chicago Cardinals)
- 1947: Sammy Baugh (Quarterback - Washington Redskins)
- 1946: Bill Dudley (Halfback - Pittsburgh Steelers)
- 1945: Charley Trippi (Halfback - Chicago Cardinals)
- 1944: Frank Sinkwich (Halfback - Detroit Lions)
- 1943: Sid Luckman (Quarterback - Chicago Bears)
- 1942: Don Hutson (End - Green Bay Packers)
- 1941: Joe Foss (Defensive Back - New York Giants)
- 1940: Ace Parker (Quarterback - Brooklyn Dodgers)
- 1939: Parker Hall (Quarterback - Cleveland Rams)
- 1938: Bob Monnett (Halfback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1937: Ed Danowski (Quarterback - New York Giants)
- 1936: Joe F. Carter (Fullback - Detroit Lions)
Who has the most NFL MVPs?
Peyton Manning has won the most NFL MVP awards with five. Aaron Rodgers is just behind him with four wins. Below is a list of all the players with multiple MVP awards:
- Peyton Manning - 5 MVPs
- Aaron Rodgers - 4
- Tom Brady - 3
- Jim Brown - 3
- Brett Favre - 3
- Johnny Unitas - 3
- Lamar Jackson - 2
- Patrick Mahomes - 2
- Joe Montana - 2
- Kurt Warner - 2
- Steve Young - 2
