NFL's 5 best rivalries of 2016

Professional football is inherently combative, giving rise to many contentious relationships both on and off the field.

Players often channel their inner rage into confrontations, so without further ado, we present the NFL's five best rivalries of 2016:

Josh Norman vs. Dez Bryant

Norman's and Bryant's white-hot feud started off innocuously enough, with the duo expressing mutual respect for each other's skill sets in September. However, all hell broke loose during Week 12's Redskins-Cowboys game, when the two delivered on-field punches, then blasted each other with incendiary postgame remarks.

Bryant said the Redskins need to get their money back after signing Norman to a five-year, $75-million contract in the summer. The star wide receiver also called Norman "extremely soft" and alleged that the cornerback was too scared to play man-to-man. Norman fired back, calling Bryant "trashy" and downplaying his accomplishments in their one-on-one matchups. The Redskins and Cowboys play twice a year, so don't expect this feud to cool down anytime soon.

Vontaze Burfict vs. Antonio Brown

Burfict's reputation as the NFL's dirtiest player was cemented during last year's playoffs, when he delivered an illegal hit that rendered Brown concussed. Burfict was suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season, but it did little to cool tensions between him and the Steelers.

Brown called Burfict an idiot for his actions, and stated in February that the Bengals were trying to kill him. Although Brown would eventually get over Burfict's hit, there's still plenty of animosity between the teams, and the Steelers took great pleasure in beating the Bengals twice in 2016.

Steve Smith vs. Jalen Ramsey

Smith has no patience for anyone who dares to challenge him, especially if it's a rookie. Jaguars cornerback Ramsey learned this lesson the hard way after blasting Smith following a 19-17 loss to the Ravens in Week 3.

Ramsey claimed he beat Smith "physically and psychologically" even though the Jaguars lost, and the veteran wide receiver didn't take too kindly to the remarks. Smith eviscerated Ramsey during a segment on ESPN, saying he challenged him to speak up after the game and the rookie retreated instead.

Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning

The most illustrious individual rivalry in NFL history came to an end this season, after Manning retired March 7. Nonetheless, the final chapter of this epic saga was glorious in its own right, as Manning's Broncos escaped with a 20-18 victory over Brady's Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

Brady and Manning were cordial to each other in the press prior to the game, masking years of unspoken tension between the duo. The history of the NFL would be incomplete without mentioning this rivalry, and its final chapter provided fans with the sendoff they deserved.

Roger Goodell vs. Everybody

Goodell's public relations nightmare continued well into 2016, with the commissioner continuing to cast himself as a brooding, myopic villain. After the Second Circuit court reinstated Tom Brady's four-game suspension, Goodell looked aloof, or worse, unable to control the league's affairs despite that being his lone mandate since taking office.

Goodell's horror show didn't stop there, as NFL television ratings began to decline and the league scrambled to come up with a plausible excuse (Blame it on the presidential election? Sure!). Fans were savvy to point out that the NFL would routinely penalize players for touchdown celebrations, but allow lengthy domestic violence investigations that amount to nothing. Numerous penalties - many of which were unclear in their designation - were called, ruining the viewing experience for many as Goodell sat idly by.

It was one of the worst years in human record, 2016 was a divisive time by any measure. Yet, it's nearly universally agreed that Goodell's cartoonish reign as commissioner ought to end soon, even if the owners have no interest in booting him.