Winning a Super Bowl ring is the pinnacle of an NFL career. Players cherish them. General managers entice free agents with promises of winning them. Fans reference them in debates about the greatest players of all time.
Most of the best players are remembered as part of the teams they won championships with, but there are exceptions. Player movement, especially since the advent of free agency, means a number of players won rings you might not even remember because they weren't with the franchises they are historically identified with. Sometimes, a longtime veteran plays a major role in his new team's championship. Sometimes he's just dragged along as a backup. And some players who would eventually become stars elsewhere won rings early in their careers that few fans remember.
I've compiled an all-star roster of players who won these "hidden rings," and it starts with the player who actually launched my personal fascination.
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Bernie Kosar, 1993 Dallas Cowboys
So few backup quarterbacks are remembered by history. A number of well-known NFL starting quarterbacks eventually earned a ring as a backup late in their careers, but my favorite of these is Bernie Kosar.
The Cleveland hometown legend famously battled with Bill Belichick after Belichick came to the Browns in 1992, and Belichick finally cut bait on Kosar halfway through the 1993 season. Meanwhile, in Dallas, Troy Aikman had strained his hamstring in a 31-9 victory over the Giants, so the Cowboys needed quarterback depth. Kosar was cut on a Monday, signed with the Cowboys on Tuesday and was playing in the very next game, replacing backup Jason Garrett in the second quarter after Garrett started 2-of-6. The Cowboys beat the Cardinals, then lost to the Falcons with Kosar as the starter before Aikman returned to the lineup. Kosar remained on the roster and eventually saw time in four more games. In the NFC Championship Game, Kosar came in to finish the game when Aikman was injured on a third-quarter sack, and even threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper. The next year, he was off to Miami as Dan Marino's backup.
The quarterback position has more "hidden rings" than any other, many of whom also earned a ring as a backup later in their careers. That includes not just Kosar, but also David Carr (2011 Giants), Mark Brunell (2009 Saints), Jim Miller (2004 Patriots), Rob Johnson (2002 Buccaneers), Wade Wilson (1995 Cowboys), Tom Flores (1969 Chiefs) and Babe Parilli (1968 Jets). Jim McMahon won a ring with the 1985 Bears, but he also won one as Brett Favre's backup with the 1996 Packers.
Trent Green and Drew Bledsoe each won rings despite being Wally Pipped for the 1999 Rams and 2001 Patriots, respectively. We don't yet know if Tyrod Taylor still has a job in Buffalo, but we know he has a ring from the 2012 Ravens. And new Washington offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh has two rings as a backup quarterback, from the 1984 49ers and the 1990 Giants.
Running back: Priest Holmes, 2000 Baltimore Ravens
Priest Holmes got his "hidden ring" before eventually becoming an NFL star. He'll always be remembered for his record-setting dual-threat seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs between 2001 and 2003. But before that, he spent four years with the Baltimore Ravens, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 1997. Holmes was the starting back for most of 1998 and had a 1,000-yard rushing season but was the backup to rookie Jamal Lewis when Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV.
Also, while many fans are familiar with the roster of the 1991 Washington Redskins, their three-man backfield committee featured two players who are better known for their time with other franchises: Gerald Riggs (1982-1988 Falcons) and Earnest Byner (1984-1988 and 1994-1997 Browns/Ravens).
Fullback: Larry Centers, 2003 New England Patriots
Centers is the greatest player to ever fill a role that essentially no longer exists: the pass-catching fullback. He played nine years for the Cardinals, catching 50 passes or more every year from 1992 to 1998 with a high of 101 catches and 962 yards in 1995. He then spent two years in Washington and two in Buffalo, where he caught at least 60 passes in three of those four seasons as well. At age 35, he signed a one-year contract with the Patriots. They cut him early on due to a knee injury, but he re-signed in December and caught two passes in the postseason before retiring.
Remarkably, Centers wasn't the only longtime NFL fullback to win a ring with the 2003 Patriots. Four-year San Diego starter Fred McCrary also signed with the Patriots and played in six games. It was his only New England season in a career that featured stints with six teams between 1995 and 2007.
Wide receivers: Jimmy Smith, 1992-1993 Dallas Cowboys; Keenan McCardell, 1991 Washington Redskins & 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Though the Jaguars never made the Super Bowl during their late '90s peak, their two star wide receivers from that era each have two championship rings. Dallas selected Smith in the second round of the 1992 draft, and while a broken leg during training camp limited his development as a receiver, he did play in seven games on special teams for the first of two back-to-back Super Bowl squads. He had an emergency appendectomy during the 1993 preseason, and a surgical infection forced him to miss the entire season, including Super Bowl XXVIII. The Cowboys cut eight in the summer of 1994, and he eventually signed with the Jaguars in 1995 and was a starter by 1996.
McCardell was Washington's 12th-round pick in the 1991 draft, back in the crazy days when the NFL had that many rounds. Most 12th-round picks didn't make their teams, but McCardell got a reprieve and a place on injured reserve all year due to a knee injury. That spot on the roster earned him his first Super Bowl ring, even though the Redskins cut him after the season and he didn't play for them until 2007. Meanwhile, McCardell's second ring came the year after he left Jacksonville. That one is better known, as McCardell started across from Keyshawn Johnson for the 2002 Buccaneers.
There's also Lance Alworth, who followed up his Hall of Fame career for San Diego with two years in Dallas. He scored the first touchdown of the Cowboys' victory in Super Bowl VI. Another famous hidden ring belongs to Don Beebe, who played for the Buffalo Bills in their four Super Bowl losses before winning with the 1996 Packers.
Tight end: Ben Coates, 2000 Baltimore Ravens
Before there was Rob Gronkowski, Coates was the one synonymous with the tight end position in New England, making five straight Pro Bowls and two All-Pro First Teams in 1994 and 1995. He signed with the Ravens for one season in 2000, backing Shannon Sharpe and even catching three passes in Super Bowl XXXV.
Also: Mike Ditka won a title with the 1971 Dallas Cowboys after his heyday in Chicago and a couple years in Philadelphia; Wesley Walls, who later became a Pro Bowl tight end in Carolina, won a ring as a rookie for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers.
Tackles: Forrest Gregg, 1971 Dallas Cowboys; Lomas Brown, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Backup linemen are usually younger developmental players, not older veterans. But that wasn't the case with these two stars.
Lomas Brown played 18 years in the NFL, mostly for the Detroit Lions, but he didn't win a title or even make it to the Super Bowl until his final season with the 2002 Buccaneers. He played in 11 games but never started, the only year of his career he failed to start at least 10 games. Brown's final season was mirrored 31 years earlier by Hall of Famer Forrest Gregg, who played 14 seasons for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1970 and was named to the AP's All-Pro First Team six times. Gregg only played one season outside Green Bay before retiring, appearing in six games (with no starts) as a backup lineman on the Cowboys team that won Super Bowl VI in 1971.
Also: Harry Swayne played most of his career for Tampa Bay and San Diego, but won three championships late in his career with the 1997 and 1998 Denver Broncos and 2000 Baltimore Ravens.
Guards: Bob Talamini, 1968 New York Jets; Irv Goode, 1973 Miami Dolphins
We're going way back for our two picks at guard, starting with six-time AFL all-star Bob Talamini. He played for the Houston Oilers for the first eight years of the AFL and was chosen for the AP's All-AFL team three times. The Oilers cut him in 1968, and he signed with the New York Jets. Though it was his last season, it gave him a Super Bowl ring to go with his two AFL championships from 1960 and 1961.
Irv Goode was also a stalwart lineman during the 1960s, a 10-year starter for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals cut him after the 1971 season, and he signed a one-year deal with Buffalo, but he missed that year with an injury. Miami signed him in 1973, and while he didn't start Super Bowl VIII, he did spend some time on the field during the game.
Also: Evan Mathis played for six different teams in his career, finally winning a Super Bowl with the 2015 Broncos in his 11th NFL season.
Center: Bart Oates, 1994 San Francisco 49ers
Those who remember the USFL (or at least watched the excellent 30 for 30 documentary) know Oates actually won five championships with three different teams. He's mostly known for his nine years with the New York Giants, including both Bill Parcells title years. He then signed a free-agent contract with San Francisco in 1994, winning a third Super Bowl in the first of his two seasons there. And before going to the Giants, Oates was a three-year starter for Jim Mora's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars, who won the USFL Championship in 1984 and 1985.
Also: Matt Birk played 11 seasons with Minnesota, then four with Baltimore, retiring after the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII.
DEFENSE
Defensive ends: Neil Smith, 1997-1998 Denver Broncos; Rickey Jackson, 1994 San Francisco 49ers
On the defensive side of the ball, we start with another veteran who went to San Francisco to win a title in the early days of NFL free agency. Jackson was in New Orleans from 1981 to 1993, but offensive issues meant the Saints never got anywhere in the postseason. So Jackson left in 1994 and played his final two seasons with San Francisco. He played in four postseason games for the 49ers in 1994 and 1995, the same number he played in during his 13 years with New Orleans.
Neil Smith was another pass-rusher whose original team could never get over the postseason hump. So after nine years and five Pro Bowls in Kansas City, Smith signed a big free-agent contract with their rival in Denver. He had three sacks in the postseason as a starter for the 1997 Broncos and started most of the 1998 season, but he came off the bench in the postseason with Harald Hasselbach starting in his place.
Also: Anthony Pleasant played 14 years in the NFL and followed Bill Belichick from town to town. He spent six years with the Browns, eventually finding his way to the Jets in 1998 and 1999, then won rings with the Patriots in 2001 and 2003.
Defensive tackles: Ted Washington, 2003 New England Patriots; Keith Traylor, 2004 New England Patriots
In the early 2000s, Foxborough was the place to be for veteran nose tackles who wanted to win a ring. Ted Washington began his career with San Francisco but was traded to Denver before the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX. He became best-known during his six years in Buffalo and was first-team All-Pro with Chicago in 2001. But his only championship came in his one season with New England, after the Bears traded him to the Patriots in August 2003.
Washington was a free agent after Super Bowl XXXVI and signed in Oakland. So the Patriots replaced him with Chicago's other tackle from 2001 and 2002, Keith Traylor. Like Washington, Traylor had been in the league since 1991. He had fewer personal accolades, but unlike Washington, he'd won championships as a starter for the Denver championship teams of 1997 and 1988. He won a third title with the Patriots, then followed in Washington's footsteps by moving on to another team the next season, finishing up his career with three years in Miami.
Linebackers: Matt Millen, 1989 San Francisco 49ers & 1991 Washington Redskins; Jack Reynolds, 1981 and 1984 San Francisco 49ers; Bryan Cox, 2001 New England Patriots
Matt Millen played for three NFL teams and won a Super Bowl title in his first season with each one. He's best remembered for his nine-year tenure with the Raiders. He started nearly every game after the Raiders selected him 43rd overall in the 1980 draft; Oakland won a title his rookie year, then again in 1983. The Raiders cut Millen right before the 1989 season, but the 49ers picked him up and plugged him into the lineup. That San Francisco team won Super Bowl XXIV. After two years, the 49ers left Millen unprotected in "Plan B" free agency -- yes, that was a thing in the NFL before real free agency came along -- and he eventually negotiated a contract with Washington. He only played one year for the Redskins but started and won Super Bowl XXVI in the middle of their defense.
The Rams took Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds with their first-round pick in the 1970 draft, but he took a while to develop. Reynolds spent three years primarily on special teams, then moved into the starting lineup as the starting middle linebacker from 1973 to 1980. Reynolds wanted more money after a Pro Bowl season in 1980, so the Rams decided to make him an example to other veterans and cut him. He just so happened to go to the 49ers the year they took control of the longtime Rams-49ers rivalry, and he won two Super Bowls in his final four years in the league.
You might remember Cox best for the "headrest" neck pad he wore in the back of his uniform. He was a bit of an NFL mercenary, moving around the league throughout his career. He's best known for five years with the Dolphins, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 1991 draft, but he also played two years in Chicago and three for the Jets. In 2001, he signed with the Patriots and started seven games. By the time the playoffs came around, Tedy Bruschi had taken his place as a starter, but Cox still played a situational run-stopping role. Cox then finished his career in 2002 with the Saints. His son Bryan Cox Jr. is a defensive end prospect in this year's NFL draft.
Cornerbacks: Deion Sanders, 1994 San Francisco 49ers; Darrelle Revis, 2014 New England Patriots
Where do we even start with cornerbacks? No other position seems to have quite as many players who win mercenary titles late in their careers. Or in Sanders' case, right in the middle of his career. Sanders took advantage of his rookie contract ending after the 1993 season, the first offseason of modern free agency, but he wasn't looking for the most money right away. He was looking to win first. He eventually signed a reasonable one-year contract with San Francisco, and he got the championship he wanted. Then he signed with Dallas for the big money and got another ring the next year.
Things didn't work out quite as well for Darrelle Revis; he got big money when he returned to the Jets in 2015 but he didn't get a second Super Bowl ring the way Sanders did.
There's another pair of cornerbacks we could highlight, if you prefer veterans who spent more than one year with their new team. Everson Walls was one of the Cowboys' best players in the period between America's Team of the '70s and Jerry Jones' dynasty of the '90s. But he had to leave for the rival Giants to finally win a Super Bowl as part of Belichick's defense in Super Bowl XXV. Herb Adderley spent nine years in Green Bay, part of the winning team in the first two Super Bowls. At the end of his career, he moved on to Dallas for three years and was part of the 1971 Super Bowl champion team that included so many veterans who had played their prime years for other franchises.
Free safety: Dave Brown, 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle fans know Dave Brown as a longtime Seahawks cornerback, but he was originally drafted as a safety. Brown was a starter in Seattle for 11 seasons, but his NFL career did not start there. The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers had selected him with the final pick of the first round in 1975. A year later, the Steelers left Brown unprotected in the expansion draft because three of their four starting defensive backs were already Pro Bowlers, but Brown got a Super Bowl X ring before he left
Strong safety: Dave Duerson, 1990 New York Giants
Duerson is best known as the safety who helped power Chicago's 46 defense in the Bears' exceptional 1985 season. However, Duerson was cut after the 1989 season, and he played one year as a backup with the Giants. It was enough to get a second Super Bowl ring before Duerson finished his NFL career with three years in Phoenix.
Kicker: Matt Stover, 1990 New York Giants
Drafting kickers made a lot more sense when the draft was 12 rounds. The Giants took Stover in the final round in the 1990 draft, but he spent the entire season on injured reserve, then was cut. Stover eventually kicked in two more Super Bowls, winning his second ring with the 2000 Ravens before kicking for the 2009 Colts after Adam Vinatieri was hurt.
The 1990 Giants actually had two kickers who perhaps qualify for hidden-rings status. Many fans know that longtime Cleveland Browns kicker Matt Bahr was the kicker for that 1990 Giants championship team. But did you know that Bahr also won a ring as a rookie kicker for the 1979 Steelers?
Punter: Mitch Berger, 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers
Like a lot of punters, Berger bounced around the league a lot in his early years but then had fairly long tenures in Minnesota (1996-2001) and New Orleans (2003-2006). After Steelers punter Daniel Sepulveda was hurt during the 2008 preseason, Pittsburgh went back and forth between the veteran Berger and youngster Paul Ernster, eventually settling on Berger to punt during their march to a Super Bowl XLIII championship.