Willis vs Tarkenton
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Willis wins: Dominance, Peak, Honours
Tarkenton wins: Longevity, Statistics
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Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Willis leads in 3 of 5 weighted categories. Seven-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Fame linebacker at the heart of San Francisco's defence.
Category breakdown
Season form · Touchdowns per season
Career timeline · Touchdowns per season
Cumulative output season by season — the shape of each career against the other.
GOAT pace tracker
Career stage · GOAT pace
Through season 5 · Touchdowns per season| Ghost race · career day | 30 | 100 | 365 | 1000 | 1825 | 3650 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Willis | 0 | 0 | 174 | 315 | 692 | 911 |
| 🇺🇸 Tarkenton | 0 | 0 | 1,997 | 4,592 | 12,018 | 23,140 |
Careers are aligned at debut, so a rookie's first 5 seasons are measured against the same window in a legend's career — Yamal against Messi at the same age-stage, a tour rookie against Tiger Woods in 1996.
| Metric | WillisRetired | TarkentonRetired |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Bowl selections | 7 | — |
| First-team All-Pro selections | 5 | — |
| Career tackles | 950 | — |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year awards | 1 | — |
| Super Bowl appearances | 1 | 3 |
| Passing yards | — | 47,003 |
| Passing touchdowns | — | 342 |
| League MVP awards | — | 1 |
| Pro Bowls | — | 9 |
| Dominance w25% | 82 | 78 |
| Peak w20% | 92 | 84 |
| Longevity w20% | 68 | 88 |
| Honours w20% | 84 | 74 |
| Statistics w15% | 86 | 88 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
What do you think?
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