Category profile
- Dominance
- 84
- Peak
- 92
- Longevity
- 88
- Honours
- 86
- Statistics
- 90
Career timeline · Form index per season
Editorial season form index (0–100), not raw goals or points. Raw season-by-season statistics are shown only where fully verified.
| Season | Form index per season | Share of career |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 60 | |
| 1963 | 67 | |
| 1964 | 74 | |
| 1965 | 82 | |
| 1966 | 89 | |
| 1967 | 96 | |
| 1968 | 90 | |
| 1969 | 84 | |
| 1970 | 77 | |
| 1971 | 71 | |
| 1972 | 65 | |
| 1973 | 59 | |
| 1974 | 52 | |
| 1975 | 46 | |
| 1976 | 40 |
Data sources
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- NFL official records
- Pro-Football-Reference
Last verified: 2026-09-14
Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method
Why Merlin Olsen ranks #105 in American Football
Merlin Olsen ranks #105 in American Football and #2000 of 5087 across all sports. The verified GOAT Score is 87.7/100.
The verified career covers 1962–1976 and 15 documented seasons. Peak is 92/100, with Peak the strongest category at 92/100 (20% weight). Key metrics: Pro Bowl selections 14, First-team All-Pro selections 5, Defensive Player of the Year awards 1, Career games 208.
Nearest context: ahead O.J. Simpson (87.7); behind Walter Payton (87.6). Rankings update whenever verified records change.
Merlin Olsen GOAT Score explained
- Dominance84/100 · weight 25%
- Dominance: 84/100, based on the verified career record.
- Peak92/100 · weight 20%
- Peak: 92/100, based on the verified career record.
- Longevity88/100 · weight 20%
- Longevity: 88/100, based on the verified career record.
- Honours86/100 · weight 20%
- Honours: 86/100, based on the verified career record.
- Statistics90/100 · weight 15%
- Statistics: 90/100, based on the verified career record.
Top Olsen comparisons
Merlin Olsen — frequently asked
- Is Merlin Olsen the GOAT?
- According to GOAT Rank's current data model, Merlin Olsen ranks #105 in American Football with a GOAT Score of 87.7/100, behind Tom Brady (97.2).
- What is Merlin Olsen's GOAT Score?
- 87.7/100, calculated from the verified career record: Dominance 84 (25%), Peak 92 (20%), Longevity 88 (20%), Honours 86 (20%), Statistics 90 (15%).
- Where does Merlin Olsen rank all time?
- #2000 of 5087 eligible athletes across all sports and #105 in American Football.
- Merlin Olsen vs O.J. Simpson: who ranks higher?
- Merlin Olsen ranks higher at 87.7 versus O.J. Simpson at 87.7, a margin of 0.0 points.