The 15 Most Overrated Athletes of All Time

Reputation on one side, record on the other. Nobody here was bad at their sport, which is exactly what makes the argument worth having.

1

Tom Brady

Seven rings, but the argument never dies that a historic coach, defense and system did much of the work.

2

Tim Tebow

A Heisman winner whose college fame far outran a short professional career at quarterback.

3

David Beckham

A global brand and a superb crosser, though rarely the best player in his own midfield.

4

Neymar

Prodigious talent whose trophy haul away from Barcelona never matched the transfer fees.

5

Carmelo Anthony

A prolific scorer for two decades who won one playoff series as a first option.

6

Russell Westbrook

Triple-double seasons and an MVP, paired with shooting numbers that shrank in the playoffs.

7

Ben Simmons

A number-one pick and All-Star whose refusal to shoot capped what the role could ever be.

8

Dwight Howard

Three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards, then a decade of diminishing returns.

9

Tony Romo

Excellent regular-season numbers in Dallas and a 2-4 record in the playoffs.

10

Mark Sanchez

Two AFC Championship runs early on, followed by years as a punchline for turnovers.

11

Paul Pogba

A World Cup winner whose record fee and reputation outpaced his output at Manchester United.

12

Jack Grealish

Britain's most expensive signing at the time, used mostly as a rotation winger afterwards.

13

Kyrie Irving

A gifted scorer and Finals shot-maker whose teams rarely held together around him.

14

Alex Rodriguez

One of the great statistical careers, forever weighed against the postseason expectations in New York.

15

Johnny Manziel

A Heisman-winning college phenomenon whose professional career lasted two seasons.