There no longer are any great professional football teams. The NFL’s salary cap prevents it.

Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers have a talented QB. But Justin Herbert’s $50 million salary will make it hard to surround him with supreme talent.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

Sez Me …

“Great teams aren’t always great … just when they have to be.” — John Facenda

We can’t know if Facenda, with the voice of the Bible’s Burning Bush, was ad-libbing for NFL Films, or reading from the great Steve Sabol’s script. But it was correct back when he said it. Not anymore.

Because there no longer are any great professional football teams. There can’t be.

The salary cap prevents it. Teams no longer can gather enough great players to be great. They grow them while they’re young and come cheap, and then those with a top quarterback no longer can afford them when they grow up.

QBs must be paid, and some are making several tens of millions per year. You only can have so many highly paid players before the $225 million cap figure comes into view. They want money. They go to another team that can afford them.

There is no word in any of the world’s 7,117 known languages more overused and misused than “great.”

The 49ers and Chiefs, participants in next Sunday’s Vegas Super Bowl, are not great teams by any standard. They’re good. Better than the others. For now.

With the exception of the Patriots — who had special mojo and good luck — the dynasty teams of the past have had several Hall of Fame players for years. That can’t happen today. Or perhaps you’re too busy gambling and keeping The League beyond flush to notice all the bad football being played every week.

I see many former “fans” of The NFL Team That Used To Be Here have regained at least some allegiance to the Judases since the franchise’s expensive hiring of Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Indeed it was a highly promising and unprecedented step for them.

Under Harbaugh, I fully expect them to eventually improve into a contender. He rightly admires quarterback Justin Herbert, and Jim is one of the all-time quarterback whisperers.

But Herbert — who is supremely talented but not yet “great” — makes $50 million a year, and his team is far over the cap. They have good players, but not enough, and need more good players. And they don’t come free.

The way out of this isn’t going to happen. But if they were to dump a quarterback’s salary out of the cap, into a separate category, there would be more room to create “greatness.”

Still, the inability to practice fundamental skills — such as blocking and tackling — likely will prevent it. But the gamblers don’t mind mediocrity, nor does the NFL, which doesn’t entertain greatness, only bankers.

Isn’t that great? …

The day in 1999 when the Judases introduced Harbaugh as QB, they hung a huge “Welcome Jim Harbaugh” banner in front of their facility. Owner Alex Spanos, father of Fredo: “I just want to make the playoffs.” Didn’t. …

Harbaugh’s first major play call for the Judases — hiring Ravens director of pro personnel Joe Hortiz as GM — is a TD. If Baltimore isn’t the best organization, it’s leaning at the tape. …

Maybe because, unlike Jim, I’d wager Hortiz doesn’t think J.J. McCarthy will be the first QB taken in the draft. …

Harbaugh signed a reported five-year, $80 million deal. Question: Does this mean Fredo finally has to spend the first dollar he ever made? …

You get undisciplined and stupid against Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid, and you’re getting operated on a filthy surface. I can’t recall a playoff game in which a team played a dumber game, one so poorly planned and thought out, than Baltimore did vs. K.C. …

And I kept hearing the Ravens were “great.” …

Dan Campbell played for an onside kick (5.6 percent recovery rate). Timeouts, man. Some coaches never will understand the importance of the clock and timeouts. Gold. …

Analytics don’t play or coach. Analytics don’t stand before the media and explain stupid decisions they create. …

An NFL quarterback never — that’s never — should have to avoid a receiver in fear he may not catch the ball. Stop drafting rock stars with hands like Venus de Milo. …

Jerry Jones says the Cowboys will be “going all in” this year to win a Super Bowl. So he’s finally selling the team? Re-hiring Jimmy Johnson? Trading Herschel Walker? …

Jones comes back with the “we’ll go as far as Dak takes us … the playoffs … and that’s how far we went.” Don’t tell me he likes his QB. …

Why are so many people upset with Taylor Swift getting air time during games? The New York Times says that, when she’s at Chiefs games, Swift’s on the tube a whopping average of 25 seconds per game. …

I’m not a fan, and I’d rather not see her at all (because it means I’m looking at the Chiefs), but what do you expect? The NFL and its networks are making many, many millions off Swift’s free appearances. Besides, I’d much rather see her than Jerry, who never has been much to look at, and yet gets his well-positioned mug on the screen more than Ryan Seacrest. …

Caleb Williams does not want to play for the Bears? A shame. Should have stayed at USC. What now, Canada? …

After Roger Goodell fumbled/mumbled away Jim Trotter’s question during last year’s Super Bowl press conference, Roger’s song and dance will be invitation only (or, for those who can’t say no). Now the relieved media really doesn’t have to attend. …

The Pro Bowl of course is an incredible waste, but why, now, with no game, does it need replacements? Seat fillers. …

The Seahawks have hired Mike Macdonald, knowing he will be hard-pressed to improve on “What a Fool Believes.” …

There never has been an NFL season without Curly Lambeau, Tom Landry or Bill Belichick being part of a team. …

An Italian named Sinner wins the Australian Open on a Sunday and is praised by the pope. What kind of world is this? …

My bad. It was UCLA’s Lucius Allen whom Tom Nettles played against, not Tommy Curtis. …

Theo Epstein should be commissioner of baseball. Somebody should be. …

Cary Grant’s answer to an interviewer who told him everyone would like to be Cary Grant: “I’d like to be Cary Grant.” …

RIP, Chita Rivera. Magnificent. …

RIP, Carl Weathers. Creed. Second of my SDSU football-playing classmates (Nettles) to pass in a week. …

Without LeBron and AD, the Lakers beat the Celtics. NBA. NoShow Basketball Association. Bad league, man. …

The Kings have fired a head coach I’ve never heard of and hired a head coach I’ve never heard of. …

Study shows that crows have the intelligence of an 8-year-old human. Hey, kids, unlike fish, crows don’t go to school. There is time to improve. …

The Ham & Eggers are looking for more money to fix our sewer system. That $450 million for bike lanes is being put to better use. …

The Feds are looking into changing the name of The Great North India Street Pothole to a simpler Lake Inferior. …

It’s a felony to lie to the Feds, but not for the Feds to lie to us. …

I’ve always thought it’s not a good thing when a quarterback’s best receiver is himself.