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15 Most Polarizing Players Of The 2014 NFL Season

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15 Most Polarizing Players Of The 2014 NFL Season

Cleveland Browns v Pittsburgh Steelers
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No sport moves the dial quite like the NFL. Just past the halfway mark in the 2014 season, the NFL has had an incredible number (too many if you ask Roger Goodell) of headline-worthy news stories. In addition to the flurry of breaking news stories throughout the season, the opinions on players waver greatly from week to week and from fan to fan. Some love them, some hate them – here are the 15 most polarizing players of the 2014 NFL Season.

15. Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman Seahawks
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15. Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman Seahawks
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The Seahawks cornerback loves to talk and then talk some more. Rather than let his play do the talking for him, Richard Sherman wants to really make sure you know he thinks he is the best cornerback in football. Loved in Seattle and hated mostly everywhere else, the Super Bowl champ is one of the NFL’s most polarizing player.

14. Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler Bears
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14. Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler Bears
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The Bears quarterback at times looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the world, and other times looks like he has never played the position before. As inconsistent from game to game as they come, Cutler has a love/hate relationship with his fans.

13. Tony Romo

Tony Romo Cowboys
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13. Tony Romo

Tony Romo Cowboys
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Love him one minute, hate him the next -- the only way the Cowboys quarterback is going to shake off the haters is by winning in the playoffs. It doesn’t seem like anyone can get a real hold on how good Tony Romo really is, and now he's dealing with a bad back.

12. Michael Vick

Michael Vick Jets
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12. Michael Vick

Michael Vick Jets
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Even though it has been over five years since the Jets quarterback served 21 months in prison for dogfighting, many have not forgiven him. Vick still has a lot of fans, but at this point, it’s highly unlikely that he will ever be the popular player he once was.

11. Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh Lions
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11. Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh Lions
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The Lions defensive lineman is probably the dirtiest player in the league and is disliked around the NFL by his peers. Suh is a dominant force on the field, and with that comes a lot of fans, but he will have to work hard to change his reputation and remove his label as one of the most hated players in the league.

10. Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger Steelers
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10. Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger Steelers
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The two-time Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Lake Tahoe while there for a Celebrity Golf Tournament in 2008. Just one year later, the Pittsburgh Steelers' two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback was under investigation for sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman inside a Georgia nightclub women’s restroom. It's hard to make fans that way, Ben.

9. Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez Eagles
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9. Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez Eagles
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“The Sanchize” is back folks! With Nick Foles out with a broken collarbone, Sanchez is the Eagles' starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. Sanchez led the New York Jets to the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons in the NFL but has not seen the same type of success since.

8. Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson Vikings
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8. Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson Vikings
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The Vikings running back has had a Hall of Fame-type of career. Peterson holds several NFL records, including the single-game rushing record. Indicted on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child in September, Peterson has certainly lost his fair share of fans for good.

7. Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel Browns
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7. Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel Browns
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“Johnny Football” has yet to complete a pass in the NFL, and there are already debates over how good he really is. The first-round pick out of Texas A&M has not helped himself win fans off the field with his partying habits and over-the-top on field celebrations.

6. Ray Rice

Ray Rice Ravens
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6. Ray Rice

Ray Rice Ravens
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The running back recently had his contract terminated by the Baltimore Ravens and is currently suspended indefinitely by the NFL. He was indicted on third-degree aggravated assault for punching his fiancee. After the outcry that followed Rice being suspended for only two games, the NFL changed their suspension policy in regards to domestic violence.

5. Percy Harvin

Percy Harvin Jets
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5. Percy Harvin

Percy Harvin Jets
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The do-it-all wide receiver is one of the most dynamic and electrifying players in the NFL. The defending champion Seattle Seahawks shockingly traded Harvin to the New York Jets amid reports of Harvin being the cause of locker room strife.

4. Tom Brady

Tom Brady Patriots
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4. Tom Brady

Tom Brady Patriots
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Brady is one of the most disliked players in the NFL mostly just because he is the star quarterback on one of the NFL’s most disliked teams, the New England Patriots. The three-time Super Bowl champ and two-time NFL MVP is scorching hot after getting off to a slow start in the 2014 season.

3. Eli Manning

Eli Manning Giants
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3. Eli Manning

Eli Manning Giants
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How good is Eli Manning? Depends on whom you ask. Peyton’s little brother has been the MVP on two New York Giants Super Bowl championship teams, but also has some truly dreadful seasons on his resume.

2. Cam Newton

Cam Newton Panthers
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2. Cam Newton

Cam Newton Panthers
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The vast array of opinions on Cam Newton started when the exciting quarterback was at Auburn. Newton’s eligibility was under investigation amid reports that his father sought substantial sums of money in return for Cam committing to a university. Cam has since been cleared of any wrongdoing, but the opinions on how successful he will be in the NFL are still out there.

1. Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III Redskins
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1. Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III Redskins
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In the span of just a couple of years, “RG3” went from the leader of the next generation of great quarterbacks to a major question mark as a starter in the NFL. Major knee and now ankle injuries have derailed the promising start to his career, and the rest of the 2014 season should be a good indicator of where the Heisman Trophy winner’s career is headed.

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