Cris Carter and Terrell Owens were certainly not mediocre wide receivers during their time in the NFL. However, following the San Francisco 49ers‘ win over the Minnesota Vikings in a Divisional Round matchup of the 1997 season, where Owens recorded his first postseason touchdown, Carter reportedly said that their “DBs made a mediocre receiver look like a Pro Bowler.”
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While recalling the incident, Owens recently revealed that he doesn’t hate Carter. In fact, he “just can’t stand him.” And when asked whether it was as a person or as a receiver, Owens said “both.” Carter has since acknowledged that he indeed said their DBs made mediocre wide receivers look like Pro Bowlers, but he didn’t name Owens. In fact, at that time, Carter had no idea that Owens would become one of the best receivers in the league.
“I didn’t know TO was gonna end up being TO. He didn’t know that…I haven’t missed out on anything. If I’ve missed out on 40 years of talking to him, I haven’t missed out on one thing.”
As that happened, Terrell Owens responded to Carter’s comments, as the 49ers’ legend refused to let their past feud remain buried.
“I haven’t missed out on anything not talking to you either. But neither myself nor my teammate JJ was mediocre,” wrote Owens on X. “Can’t be mediocre and starting in a playoff game. Miss me with that BS! 😂 Oh! I knew I was TO; you and the Vikings just didn’t know. And for clarification…I’m Top 2. ROLL THE TAPE.”
Terrell Owens has always been vocal about his ranking among the top two wide receivers, as he keeps Jerry Rice at the No. 1 spot and himself at No. 2. Certainly, Carter doesn’t seem to be on his list, considering his beef with the Vikings legend. However, their latest back-and-forth prompted Deion Sanders to chime in, as the Hall of Famer urged both NFL legends to end their feud.
“Fellows we’re to seasoned to be going back and forth. Both of y’all were absolute Dogs out there on the field, and I know that to be a fact. Can we replace the hate with Love & Respect from a real 1 to real 1z. 🙏🏾,” Coach Prime wrote on X.
Interestingly, the playoff game at the center of their feud came at a time when Owens was nowhere close to becoming the receiver NFL fans eventually came to know. He was only in his second NFL season and had finished the 1997 regular season with 60 receptions for 936 yards and eight touchdowns.
With Jerry Rice sidelined by a knee injury, Owens and J.J. Stokes were tasked with carrying a bigger load against Minnesota. And they delivered.
Stokes led San Francisco with nine receptions for 101 yards, while Owens caught all four of his targets for 49 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown from Steve Young that extended the 49ers’ lead to 31-14 in the third quarter. San Francisco eventually won 38-22 to advance to the NFC Championship Game. Carter, meanwhile, caught six passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
However, the alleged “mediocre” remark wasn’t the last time the two receivers publicly clashed. Their feud resurfaced nearly two decades later when Owens failed to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2016.
“[Cris Carter] is a guy that’s criticized me plenty of times, for anything,” said Owens back then. “For me, that was something that motivated me….For somebody like that, for Cris Carter to come out and say something like that, I just felt like it was disrespectful. And so now, when you look at where I am statistically, I’ve surpassed him. And from what I’ve heard, from a lot of guys, he begged his way into the Hall of Fame.”
Owens again targeted Carter after missing out on Canton for a second consecutive year in 2017, questioning Carter’s criticism of him as a Hall of Fame candidate. Owens ultimately had to wait until his third year of eligibility before being selected to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018.
Their career numbers have also provided fuel for Owens’ confidence in comparing himself with Carter. Owens finished his 15-year career with 1,078 receptions, 15,934 receiving yards, and 153 receiving touchdowns. Carter recorded more receptions, finishing with 1,101, but had 13,899 receiving yards and 130 touchdowns.
But with decades having passed since their rivalry began, Deion Sanders has urged both Hall of Famers to put their differences aside and move on from their long-running public feud.