Twenty-Five Greatest Players in Cardinals History

Simeon Rice was virtually unstoppable as a pass rusher.

Rice is easily the best pure pass rusher on this list, and would be higher had he spent more than just five seasons in Arizona. He was the third overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, but contract issues would mar his tenure with the Cardinals, and he left once he was able to do so, unfortunately for the team that drafted him.

Though a contract dispute held him out of training camp as a rookie, it had little effect on his play. He had 12 ½ sacks in his first year, earning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and would total 51 ½ in just five seasons for the Cardinals. His 1999 season was his best, as he recorded 16 ½ sacks and forced five fumbles en route to his first Pro Bowl trip. He’s tied for second in team history in sacks, despite the fact that he spent such a short time with the franchise.

Rice will be remembered best for the years he spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he would win a Super Bowl, but he was a devastating pass rusher in Arizona as well. Fans will have to wonder what could have been, had he stayed with the team.