7 best trash talkers in the NFL

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith remains one of the NFL's best trash talkers 16 years into his NFL career.

Smith said that he's still a dirtbag on Wednesday, and that his approach to the game hasn't changed. In honor of the combustible wide receiver, it's time to examine the best trash talkers in the game.

Steve Smith, Ravens

Smith is the godfather of modern trash talk in the NFL, delivering crushing verbal blows to his opponents that fans have savored over his illustrious career. Standing at 5-foot-9, opponents learned long ago not to take his diminutive stature as a sign of weakness, and there are countless anecdotes that have caused younger players to back off.

After the Panthers released Smith in March 2014, the wide receiver promised that there would be "blood and guts everywhere," and delivered on his boast when meeting them for the first time as a Raven, catching seven passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-10 rout.

Aqib Talib, Broncos

Talib is arguably the most physical cornerback in the league and he embodies aggressiveness in everything he does. The three-time Pro Bowler berated numerous opponents en route to Super Bowl glory last year, and he's always held his own against opponents who dared to challenge him, Smith included.

The 30-year-old crushed Cam Newton's spirits after winning Super Bowl 50, telling the reigning MVP, "There ain’t no Easter Bunny, there ain’t no Santa Claus, there ain’t no Superman." It's probably wise to never, ever, engage Talib.

Richard Sherman, Seahawks

Richard Sherman proved to be one of the NFL's most elegant, insightful speakers on numerous occasions, imploring the league to amend a number of unjust policies and delivering precise sermons on various social issues. Yet once the game begins, Sherman can be as cold as it gets.

Sherman may be most famous for his postgame comments following the 2013 NFC Championship Game, where he chided Colin Kaepernick for trying at him and declared himself as the best cornerback in the league. With an ensuing Super Bowl victory and three Pro Bowl selections, Sherman can back up all of his superfluous promises.

Josh Norman, Redskins

Norman emerged on the national scene last season with an All-Pro campaign and a bevy of insults directed at some of the NFL's best wide receivers. The 28-year-old compared himself to Batman after completely neutralizing T.Y. Hilton on Monday Night Football, told Dez Bryant that he should return his $70-million contract after clamping him down, and infuriated Odell Beckham Jr., to the point that the Giants star was ejected.

The lockdown cornerback is never shy to back away from his opponents and after rendering a number of elite players ineffective, Norman's verbal jabs appear to be working to great effect.

Dez Bryant, Cowboys

Dez Bryant is indiscriminate in who he targets when seeking to destroy someone's psyche, even going at teammates during training camp. At the height of Calvin Johnson's powers, Bryant fearlessly declared he was better than the now-retired Lions star, picked on numerous Raiders defensive backs during a joint practice, and destroyed Malcolm Jenkins when the Eagles safety had the temerity to challenge him.

Bryant's nearly impossible to contain in single coverage, and it's never a good idea to engage him in a war of words.

Martellus Bennett, Patriots

This spot could've easily belonged to Bennett's older brother, Michael, who stars for the Seahawks at defensive end. The duo provided reporters with riveting quips on a routine basis, but the Patriots tight end wins narrowly. Bennett usually saves his ire for quarterbacks, blasting Tony Romo over his perceived inaccuracy, and ripped Jay Cutler for throwing into double coverage, agreeing with his brother's assertion that the Bears veteran is the worst player at his position in the NFL.

No target is too imperious for Bennett to take on, and it'll be compelling to see if he keeps it up while playing under Bill Belichick's notoriously authoritarian system.

Philip Rivers, Chargers

Rivers isn't the first player that comes to mind for this list, but the five-time Pro Bowler cultivated a reputation for humiliating his opponents in numerous ways. Brandon Flowers endorsed Rivers as the best trash talker in the NFL, while Tamba Hali acknowledged that the quarterback feeds off his opponent's response. Numerous Broncos have grown sick of Rivers' on-field chirps, and the 34-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down.