From 99-0, TeamFB7 is looking back on the greatest players in NFL history to don each jersey number. No ties allowed, tough decisions will be made — today we move on to No. 98 and Robert Mathis.
After kicking off this series by choosing between four Hall-of-Famers and NFL legends to find the greatest player ever to don No. 99, the next choice was rather clear.
Only one player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ever wore No. 98 — Mike Ditka. But the pioneering tight end and future head coach only wore that number for one season in the middle of his career, after being traded from the Bears to the Eagles. The next year he switched back to his familiar 89, which he wore for 11 of his 12 NFL seasons from 1961-72.
So he can’t be the answer here.
Ultimately, the greatest No. 98 in NFL history is pretty clearly former Colts edge rusher Robert Mathis, who wore that number for 13 seasons in Indianapolis.
Mathis made five Pro Bowls, earned one first-team All-Pro honor and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2013 — a season in which he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks and 8 forced fumbles.
Overall, Mathis finished with 123 sacks, doing the bulk of that in a 10-year window in which he averaged 10-plus sacks a season.
Unfortunately, his prime was abruptly cut short.
Coming off that 19.5-sack season, Mathis was suspended four games to start the 2014 season for a violation of performance-enhancing substances. He said in a statement the violation stemmed from medication prescribed to help overcome “fertility challenges” as he and his wife tried to have a child.
Unfortunately, an even bigger setback followed when Mathis tore his Achilles tendon just before the start of the season while training on his own.
After missing that season in full, Mathis returned to the Colts at age 34 and was never the same. He tallied 7 sacks in 2015 and then 5 in 2016 — his lowest total since his rookie year. He retired after that season.
Robert Mathis Is The Best NFL Player To Wear No. 98
There is certainly a major “what if?” attached to Mathis’ career totals had he not suffered such a severe injury coming off his best season. He nonetheless ranks 30th all-time with those 123 career sacks, but he was just 18.5 away from the top 10 and had he stayed healthy …
But that’s just the reality of playing in the NFL. Almost every player has some sort of “what if?”
Regardless, Mathis’ legacy is impressive.
He notched that 123rd sack in his final game, surpassing former teammate Dwight Freeney (122.5) as the Colts’ all-time sacks leader. Mathis is also the NFL’s all-time leader in strip sacks (47) and forced fumbles (52). And he was a key contributor to the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI championship team (2006 season).
Not bad for a fifth-round draft pick out of Alabama A&M.
While his former teammate Freeney is in the Hall of Fame, Mathis has been a HOF semifinalist each year since he became eligible in 2022 but has not yet made it to the finalist stage.
Other great No. 98s include Giants linebacker Jessie Armstead and Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton.
In the future, there could be a fresh debate about the greatest player to wear the number as current Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons both wear 98.
