Part of what we, as fans, love about the NFL is the clear passion exhibited by players on and off the field.
Yet there can be times when the line is blurred between mere rivalry and deep-seated hatred.
Sometimes, especially with divisional rivals and 1:1 matchups in games, things can get personal — and they do with alarming frequency.
Here are the biggest beefs in the NFL — the 10 pairs of players who love to hate each other:
10. Michael Thomas & Derek Carr
GettyDerek Carr #4 talks with Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints on the sidelines during a game against the Chicago Bears in 2023.
Numerous lower body injuries ended up derailing the once ultra-promising career of Michael Thomas, a former Offensive Player of the Year who started his NFL career with three Pro Bowls, two first-team All Pro nods, twice leading the league in receptions and the aforementioned OPOY. Perhaps this explains some of the bitterness he holds toward his former teammate Derek Carr, who played along side Thomas before the receiver’s release earlier this spring. Thomas has recently ranted about his distaste for the Pro Bowl QB, blaming him for an unfortunate concussion suffered by former New Orleans Saints teammate Chris Olave.
9. Patrick Mahomes & Maxx Crosby
GettyQuarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs is sacked by Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Defensive ends and quarterbacks have always had a slightly tenuous relationship. Now, make them two of the best players at their respective positions over the past decade, add in a fierce AFC West rivalry between the two, and you get Patrick Mahomes and Maxx Crosby’s beef. Rooted in professionalism a little more than some of the others on this list, Crosby and Mahomes have had tensions boil on numerous occasions, even though the two do have some clear respect for each other.
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8. Baker Mayfield & Sam Ehlinger
GettyBaker Mayfield #17 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after throwing the game winning touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders on December 08, 2022.
For those who do not follow college football, this animosity may come as a bit of a surprise — particularly considering the difference in stature behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ $100 million quarterback and the current third-stringer for the Indianapolis Colts. But make no mistake, this feud runs deep, with both quarterbacks expressing strong distaste for one another as the respective starting QBs for Oklahoma and Texas — then Big 12 rivals. Back in 2018, Sam Ehlinger ripped Baker Mayfield‘s college teammate and now Pro Bowler, Orlando Brown Jr., for his poor NFL combine performance, with the Oklahoma quarterback coming to his offensive lineman’s defense. Athough the final denouement of pair’s history comes with the Bucs QB giving Ehlinger his condolences upon the death of his brother, there is still little love lost between the two.
7. Tom Brady & Nick Foles
GettyTom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots talks to Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles after the Patriots defeated the Eagles 37-20 in a preseason game on August 16, 2018.
Tom Brady is generally a very well-liked, popular player among broad, multi-generational NFL player circles. Yet, the ultra-competitor that he is, winning — and indeed losing — can change that for some. Nick Foles is one of only two players to beat Brady in his record-breaking 10 Super Bowl appearances; and while Brady has managed to heal the divide with his other championship foe, Eli Manning, who defeated him in the crescendo to the 2007 and 2011 seasons, this cannot be said for the former Philadelphia Eagle. Brady was accused of forcing the Patriots to edit out just the mention of Foles’ name in the Pats’ docuseries “The Dynasty” and famously did not shake Foles’ hand at the culmination of the 2018 Super Bowl, in which the Eagles beat the New England Patriots, 41-33.
6. Jaire Alexander & Stefon Diggs
GettyStefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills and Jaire Alexander #23 of the Green Bay Packers.
Despite having never even played in the same conference, Jaire Alexander and Stefon Diggs have some clear issues with one another; issues beyond simply being an elite corner guarding a fellow elite receiver. In 2022, during the matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Diggs’ former employers the Buffalo Bills, reports emerged of beef between the two as Diggs yelled at and trash-talked Alexander coming out of the tunnel, leading to a continual back-and-forth throughout the game. Fast-forward to October 2024, and the pair were at it again, with both being involved in some pre-game “pleasantries” before a hotly contested game, in which Alexander limited Diggs to just 5 receptions for 23 yards.
5. Myles Garrett & Mason Rudolph
GettyQuarterback Mason Rudolph #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers fights with defensive end Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns.
One of the most infamous scenes in NFL history came when Myles Garrett smacked Mason Rudolph over the head with his own helmet, responding to Rudolph allegedly calling him a racial slur. The already bitter rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns became even more bitter as both players received backlash, with Garrett facing suspension for the remainder of the 2019 season, halting what was at the time looking like a potential Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season.
4. Jalen Ramsey & Golden Tate
GettyLos Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey (20) tackles New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate (15).
Although only Jalen Ramsey remains in the league, he and Golden Tate were involved in a physical altercation in October 2020 when the Los Angeles Rams played Tate’s New York Giants. However, the groundwork for this happened well before the fisticuffs, with Ramsey having dated and subsequently left Tate’s sister for a dancer for the Raiders while Tate’s sister was pregnant with their child. Suffice to say, not the most pleasant of situations, and one imagines the two are still likely not on speaking terms.
3. Richard Sherman & Russell Wilson
GettyRussell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks and Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers.
A beef that was made public only toward the end of Richard Sherman‘s time at the Seattle Seahawks, at the conclusion of which he joined division arch-rivals the San Francisco 49ers. There were reports of rifts in the locker room between quarterback Russell Wilson and a number of his teammates, the majority of which were swept under the rug as the team managed continued success in the half decade the two played together. Yet, Sherman has repeatedly dragged Russell in their post-Pacific Northwest days, with the All-Pro believing the consistent blame attached to Seattle’s conveyor belt offensive coordinators is unjust, and Wilson not receiving the critique he deserved.
2. Richard Sherman & Michael Crabtree
GettySeattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman (25) leaps to block a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers’ Michael Crabtree (15).
Richard Sherman emitted one of the all time lines in postgame, on-field interviews when asked about his pass deflection, leading to an interception, in the final play of the 2013 season’s NFC Championship game against Michael Crabtree‘s San Francisco 49ers: “Well I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you gonna get. DON’T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT ME!”
The two were huge rivals, both individually and team-wise, particularly given rumors that the then-Niners coach Jim Harbaugh gave both Sherman and teammate Doug Baldwin poor performance reviews during his time as head coach of Stanford. An incident the summer before at Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s charity event, where Crabtree snubbed Sherman’s handshake, set things in motion, leading to this climactic, clip-worthy viral moment.
1. Mike Evans & Marshon Lattimore
GettyMarshon Lattimore #23 of the New Orleans Saints and Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It feels like every time these two teams play, one can count on a scuffle between Marshon Lattimore and Mike Evans. One of the perennially best wideouts in the game matched up against one of the NFL’s premier corners has been somewhat of a theme in this piece. But it comes to a head in this already unfriendly matchup between the NFC South rivals, with the two having beefed on multiple occasions, including numerous ejections faced by both players. Although last month Evans expressed some remorse over the way this rivalry has gone down, it has nonetheless become one of the most bitter, angriest individual feuds of all time in the sport.
Which NFL beefs did we miss? Sound off in the comments.
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NFL’s Biggest Beefs: 20 Players Who Hate Each Other’s Guts