In light of the Ichiro Suzuki trade to the Yankees, Jason Lisk wrote about other prominent star baseball players who switched teams late in their career. I’m going to do the same for football.

The table below shows all players who accumulated at least 100 points of career AV with one team and then switched teams. Len Dawson played for the Steelers and Browns before embarking on a Hall of Fame career with the Chiefs, but he won’t make this list since he never switched teams after his tenure in Kansas City. Johnny Unitas does because he finished his career with the Chargers. Brett Favre’s stint with the Falcons doesn’t count, but his time with the Jets and Vikings does. ^[1]Note that pass rushers Chris Doleman, Jason Taylor and Richard Dent all returned to their original teams after a stint with another franchise; for them, I’m only including their AV during their … Continue reading

As you might suspect, the top of the list is dominated by quarterbacks. Peyton Manning will join Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Brett Favre as Hall of Fame quarterbacks that looked a bit out of place donning other colors. But it’s actually quarterback Jim Hart who spent the most seasons with one team, the St. Louis Cardinals, before a one-year stint with the Redskins.

Years	Years	Player	Tm	AV	Other teams
1992--2007	16	Brett Favre	GNB	222	NYJ-MIN
1998--2011	14	Peyton Manning	IND	220	DEN
1985--2000	16	Jerry Rice	SFO	215	OAK-SEA
1956--1972	17	Johnny Unitas	BAL	201	SDG
1985--1999	15	Bruce Smith	BUF	193	WAS
1964--1978	15	Carl Eller	MIN	187	SEA
1967--1978	12	Alan Page	MIN	178	CHI
1952--1965	14	Bill George	CHI	169	RAM
1990--2002	13	Junior Seau	SDG	162	MIA-NWE
1990--2002	13	Emmitt Smith	DAL	162	ARI
1968--1981	14	Ron Yary	MIN	153	RAM
1979--1992	14	Joe Montana	SFO	146	KAN
1988--2003	16	Tim Brown	RAI	143	TAM
2001--2009	9	LaDainian Tomlinson	SDG	142	NYJ
1996--2007	12	Zach Thomas	MIA	141	DAL
1981--1993	13	Rickey Jackson	NOR	141	SFO
1997--2007	11	Jason Taylor	MIA	136	WAS-NYJ
1988--1999	12	Thurman Thomas	BUF	135	MIA
1974--1988	15	Mike Webster	PIT	135	KAN
1956--1970	15	Forrest Gregg	GNB	135	DAL
1955--1966	12	Doug Atkins	CHI	135	NOR
1972--1983	12	Franco Harris	PIT	133	SEA
1966--1983	18	Jim Hart	STL	133	WAS
1985--1992	8	Reggie White	PHI	132	GNB-CAR
1950--1958	9	Emlen Tunnell	NYG	132	GNB
1997--2008	12	Tony Gonzalez	KAN	131	ATL
1985--1999	15	Andre Reed	BUF	131	WAS
1977--1987	11	Tony Dorsett	DAL	131	DEN
1961--1971	11	Deacon Jones	RAM	129	SDG-WAS
1988--1999	12	Randall McDaniel	MIN	129	TAM
1994--2007	14	Isaac Bruce	RAM	128	SFO
1999--2009	11	Donovan McNabb	PHI	127	WAS-MIN
1981--1990	10	Ronnie Lott	SFO	125	RAI-NYJ
1995--2003	9	Warren Sapp	TAM	125	OAK
1978--1993	16	Clay Matthews	CLE	125	ATL
1980--1993	14	Art Monk	WAS	123	NYJ-PHI
1961--1973	13	Jim Tyrer	DTX	123	WAS
1987--1996	10	Rod Woodson	PIT	122	SFO-BAL-OAK
1996--2008	13	Brian Dawkins	PHI	121	DEN
1990--2000	11	Richmond Webb	MIA	121	CIN
1981--1993	13	Steve McMichael	CHI	121	GNB
1984--1993	10	Warren Moon	HOU	120	MIN-SEA-KAN
1990--2001	12	Cris Carter	MIN	120	MIA
1997--2008	12	Orlando Pace	STL	119	CHI
1990--2000	11	John Randle	MIN	119	SEA
1961--1969	9	Herb Adderley	GNB	119	DAL
1999--2008	10	Torry Holt	STL	117	JAX
1999--2011	13	Jeff Saturday	IND	116	GNB
1983--1993	11	Richard Dent	CHI	116	SFO-IND-PHI
1995--2005	11	Steve McNair	HOU	115	BAL
1953--1963	11	Jim Ringo	GNB	115	PHI
1985--1995	11	Ray Childress	HOU	114	DAL
1999--2005	7	Edgerrin James	IND	113	ARI-SEA
1950--1957	8	Len Ford	CLE	111	GNB
1994--2005	12	Larry Allen	DAL	110	SFO
1954--1965	12	Stan Jones	CHI	108	WAS
1996--2007	12	Willie Anderson	CIN	107	BAL
1965--1976	12	Joe Namath	NYJ	107	RAM
1963--1976	14	Winston Hill	NYJ	107	RAM
1985--1993	9	Chris Doleman	MIN	106	ATL-SFO
1998--2008	11	Fred Taylor	JAX	106	NWE
1982--1992	11	Marcus Allen	RAI	106	KAN
1977--1989	13	Stanley Morgan	NWE	106	IND
1980--1991	12	Jacob Green	SEA	105	SFO
1971--1978	8	Isiah Robertson	RAM	105	BUF
1969--1977	9	O.J. Simpson	BUF	105	SFO
1988--1997	10	Greg Lloyd	PIT	104	CAR
1995--2003	9	Mark Brunell	JAX	103	WAS-NOR-NYJ
2001--2010	10	Chad Ochocinco	CIN	102	NWE
1971--1983	13	Harold Carmichael	PHI	102	DAL
1963--1977	15	Jackie Smith	STL	102	DAL
1958--1969	12	Ken Gray	CRD	102	HOU
1985--1995	11	Randall Cunningham	PHI	101	MIN-DAL-BAL
1959--1968	10	Richie Petitbon	CHI	101	RAM-WAS
1985--1995	11	Lomas Brown	DET	100	ARI-CLE-NYG-TAM
1973--1984	12	Joe Ferguson	BUF	100	DET-TAM-IND
1983--1990	8	Roger Craig	SFO	100	RAI-MIN
1979--1989	11	Fred Smerlas	BUF	100	SFO-NWE
1977--1989	13	Raymond Clayborn	NWE	100	CLE
1968--1978	11	Claude Humphrey	ATL	100	PHI

Peyton Manning signing with the Broncos obviously stole headlines this off-season. But he’s not the only prominent Colt who switched teams this off-season, as Jeff Saturday is now in Green Bay. He’s the only other player with 100 points of career AV with one team that will be suiting up for a new one in 2012.

Let’s close out the week with a poll:

[poll id=”4″]