With another decade of NFL football wrapped up and the NFL’s All Decade-Team released, it is an opportune time for any National Football League fan to speculate over the players and events they witnessed throughout the past decade. The 2010s have provided the league with a plethora of new storylines; the reimplementation of the Patriots’ dynasty, the Saints, Seahawks, and Eagles earning their first Super Bowls in franchise history, and the newest great nickname for a great position group (the Legion of Boom) headline the 2010s. While collective team success matters more at the moment to both NFL teams and fans, the perennial chase for the Lombardi Trophy has left some extraordinary on-field contributors out of the limelight.

The National Football League and the media following it both use some time towards the end of the decade in order to direct some attention towards individual performers in the form of NFL All-Decade Teams. These lists are officially posted by the NFL shortly after the final regular-season of the decade ends while unofficial lists are distributed by many sportswriters. Due to the many sources looking to contribute their view on the players that have contributed the most, the All-Decade Team has become a hotly contested collection of individual greatness. Because sports don’t have a clear-cut rubric to grade players for their combined individual performance and team success, every spectator that cares enough to compile their own version of the roster contrasts the NFL’s official release in one way or another.

My version of the All-Decade Team will feature an 11 set on offense, which features one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers. Defensively, the team will feature a 3-4 defense (three defensive linemen, four linebackers) to mirror the majority of conventional NFL offenses and defenses. Hybrid positions, such as tackles, guards, and safeties, will be classified in a group, eliminating the need to differentiate between left and right or free and strong. Special Teams will also be included.

NOTE: The last three games of the 2019 regular season and the entirety of the postseason will not be included in the statistics below. The writing is adjusted to cover retirements, but the statistics were completed on December 10, 2019.

First Team All-Decade

Quarterback – Tom Brady, New England Patriots (2010-2019)

Tom Brady cemented his status as the most successful player of all time, using the latter 2010’s to move past Peyton Manning in longevity and Joe Montana in Super Bowl wins. With 120 regular-season wins, a 16-6 playoff record, and three Super Bowl rings in the past decade, Brady doesn’t need statistics to prove that he has the formula for success. The stats don’t hurt, however. Over these past 10 seasons, Brady has over 40,000 passing yards and a 311:79 interception ratio to his name. Brady is regularly regarded as the greatest of all time by fans due to his combination of individual and team success.

Running Back – Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (2010-2016), New Orleans Saints (2017), Arizona Cardinals (2017), Washington Theismanns (2018-2019)

Adrian Peterson was close to giving up his spot on the All-Decade team to the likes of Marshawn Lynch or Le’Veon Bell when his career hit a snag in 2017. After dominating the early 2010’s with a hard-nosed running style that led Peterson to the seventh 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history, Peterson suffered a knee meniscus tear in the 2016 season that limited the Oklahoma product to three games in his last year with Minnesota. After spending the 2017 season between the Saints and Cardinals, Peterson was quickly written off by the league as a broken-down, downhill back that was no longer a fit in the modern-day NFL, which requires more receiving presence from the backfield than Peterson had shown during his stint with the Vikings. However, Peterson quickly found his steam again in 2018 with Washington. With his fourth team, Peterson has logged 1760 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns between 2018 and 2019, pairing with Chris Thompson and Derrius Guice for a potent backfield committee despite Washington’s struggles as an overall unit.

Wide Receiver – Calvin Johnson Jr., Detroit Lions (2010-2015)

Calvin Johnson is the only receiver to have made NFL experts question whether or not Jerry Rice is responsible for the best peak production of any receiver in NFL history. While Johnson cannot compare with Rice’s longevity, as Rice’s career lasted twice as long as Johnson’s, the Lions’ receiver displayed dominance ranging on borderline unstoppable until injuries began to slow him down in 2014. Even with his nagging injuries, Johnson didn’t fail to post 1,000 receiving yards in a season. His three-year prime, however, is the biggest reason for his appearance on the All-Decade Team despite not playing at all for half of the decade. The man referred to as “Megatron,” caught 302 passes for 5,137 yards and 33 touchdowns between 2011 and 2013, which earned him an appearance on the NFL First-Team All-Pro every year. In 2012, Johnson broke the all-time record for receiving yards in a season with 1,964 yards, surpassing Rice’s mark of 1,848.

Wide Receiver – Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (2010-2018), New England Patriots (2019)

The only receiver with over 10,000 yards in this decade and Antonio Brown has 11,263 yards. Even with only a single appearance to show for in 2019, Brown put together one of the longest stretches of top-notch receiving play the NFL has seen. Between 2013 and 2018, Brown set an NFL record for catching 100 or more passes in consecutive seasons and took the receiving throne from Megatron quickly after Johnson’s retirement. While off-field issues interfered with Brown’s chance of extending his streak to seven, the four-time First-Team All-Pro could likely have more numbers to post in the upcoming decade.

Wide Receiver – Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (2011-2019)

Injuries to the lower half of Julio Jones’ body almost prevented the world from seeing the former Alabama receiver’s athletic ability. Luckily, after missing 14 of his first career 42 games, Jones’ foot that plagued him throughout 2013 healed up properly and allowed Jones to explode onto the scene in 2014. In Jones’ last five years (excluding the currently ongoing 2019 season), he has reached 1,400 every single season. While some struggles with play-calling have plagued Atlanta over the past couple of years, Jones has continued to impose his will on opposing cornerbacks. Leading the league twice despite spending half of his career competing with Calvin Johnson in Detroit is no easy task, and Jones has been rewarded for his stellar play with six Pro Bowl appearances and four listings on the NFL’s All-Pro Team. Jones, like Johnson, surpassed Rice’s previously unreachable record of 1,848 receiving yards in a season. Jones was not able to reach 1,900 like the former Lion, but his 1,871 yards in the 2015 season is good enough for second all-time.

Tight End – Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (2010-2018)

Hearing the nickname, “Gronk,” instills fear in NFL fans even a year after the stud tight end’s retirement. Viewers of NFL throughout the 2010s were subject to the tight end’s combination of an unreal ability to get open and make any catch whenever he’s running a route while also providing blocking to the level of an offensive tackle. While injuries took a toll on the 30-year old and forced him to miss various games in his career before his early retirement, the former Arizona Wildcat served as Tom Brady’s security blanket from 2010 to 2018. Gronkowski picked up 521 catches, 7,861 receiving yards, and 79 touchdowns throughout only 115 career regular-season games. Despite the injuries, Gronkowski remained consistent and available for the playoffs, adding another 1,163 passing yards and 12 touchdowns to his total. Even while his 2018 campaign was a far cry from the tight end’s athletic prime, Gronkowski provided the Patriots with the play of the game in Super Bowl LIII on a fourth-quarter catch that put New England in position to score the only touchdown of the game. Gronkowski walks away from the game as arguably the best tight end of all time, with all of his production coming within this decade.

Tackle – Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns (2010-2017)

The Browns have devolved into a perennial punchline throughout the last 10 years, but Joe Thomas was a legend of sorts in Cleveland, especially during LeBron James’ absence from the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Thomas was on the field for 10,363 snaps for the Browns, which is not only an NFL record but ended up being the entire duration of his career before Thomas retired in 2018 after his streak-ending triceps tear. Before that, Thomas was not only the most consistent performer in NFL history but was consistently tremendous as a bookend for a Browns team that did nothing with his prime. Still, his individual performance was never overlooked by the league. Thomas was voted to six First-Team All-Pros and seven Pro Bowls in his eight seasons this decade.

Guard – Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens (2010-2019)

Yanda struggled to stay on the field in recent seasons before retiring after the 2019 season, but the Ravens guard nearly duplicated what Joe Thomas was doing for the Browns on the outside. Yanda developed into a road-grader throughout his first few years in the NFL. To show for it, Yanda has been to seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro Teams in the 2010s. Yanda also has a ring to show for his stellar effort on the Ravens’ offensive front, keeping Joe Flacco and Ray Rice upright in the backfield and allowed for Flacco to play some of the best quarterbacking in Ravens history.

Center – Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers (2010-2019)

There have been a handful of centers that have provided their teams with stellar play from the center position this decade. Names like Nick Mangold, Travis Frederick, and Alex Mack come to mind, but Pouncey has provided the Steelers with a consistent decade of solid play. As a rookie in 2010, Pouncey received two votes for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his success at opening space former Steeler Rashard Mendenhall and keeping his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, upright for the duration of a run to the Super Bowl. Despite the competition at this position leaguewide, Pouncey has continuously been noticed for his accomplishments on the field. The former Florida Gator has made seven Pro Bowls in the decade and five All-Pro teams, including two First Teams.

Guard – Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys (2014-2019)

One of the biggest foot-in-mouth moments in NFL media history over the past decade was the confusion over the Cowboys selecting Zack Martin, a guard, over Johnny Manziel, a superstar quarterback in college. Since then, Martin has developed into arguably the league’s best offensive guard and has helped transform a formerly shaky Dallas offensive line into the envy of the league throughout the mid-to-late 2010s while Manziel flamed out of the NFL and Canadian Football League. The Notre Dame product continues to go strong since being selected in the 2014 draft. With five Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections in his first five seasons, Martin has had a perfect start to his career in terms of becoming a superstar interior offensive lineman.

Tackle – Jason Peters, Philadelphia Eagles (2010-2019)

Eagles fans with recency bias might have something to say about giving an accolade like All-Decade Team due to his struggles in 2019, but Peters has prefaced this down year with nine solid campaigns. Peters has anchored Philadelphia’s offensive line for the past decade, paving way for the likes of Donavan McNabb, Mike Vick, Carson Wentz, and Nick Foles. Despite Wentz’s injury in 2017, the offensive line paved the way for Nick Foles’ picture-perfect run-pass options throughout the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in the offseason. With six Pro Bowl appearances and four All-Pro appearances throughout the 2010s, Peters earned himself a mulligan for his most recent season, especially factoring in the team’s other struggles with the secondary and injuries.

Defensive Lineman – J.J. Watt, Houston Texans (2011-2019)

Another player who was destined for something great before injuries took a toll on his career, J.J. Watt was the closest thing to Lawrence Taylor in the NFL throughout the early-to-mid 2010s. His 96 sacks over 112 games look impressive on its own. However, taking out Watt’s three injury-plagued seasons in 2016, 2017, and 2019, the former Wisconsin lineman has racked up 90.5 sacks, 22 forced fumbles, and 12 fumble recoveries in his 96 games over 6 healthy seasons. Even with the five-time First-Team All-Pro taking a backseat to Aaron Donald during the latter 2010s, Donald might be unable to ever match the production from a consistently healthy Watt, who won defensive player of the year in three of his six healthy seasons.

Defensive Tackle – Aaron Donald, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams (2014-2019)

Despite Donald’s peak not quite reaching that of Watt, the Rams’ defensive tackle has taken the reigns from the former top-defensive lineman and run with it. Despite constantly facing double and triple teams from opposing offensive lines, the interior rusher has been able to compile 70.5 sacks and 15 forced fumbles over six seasons of NFL play. Donald is also much more available than Watt. In his first six years, Donald has only missed two games while Watt has missed 29 contests over that time. While the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year has seen his sacks dip back under 20, the former Pittsburgh Panther has continued to demand the same attention from opposing offensive fronts.

Defensive Lineman – Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions (2010-2014), Miami Dolphins (2015-2017), Los Angeles Rams (2018), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019)

Playing for a middling Miami Dolphins team for three years and then lining up next to Donald for another year, Ndamukong Suh has been hidden from the spotlight after emerging as the NFL’s premier young defender for the Lions. The former second overall pick was on a tear for Detroit throughout his first five years, compiling 36 sacks from the defensive tackle position. While his stints in Miami and Los Angeles avoided the headlines that Suh drew with his first team, the occasionally violent defensive tackle has avoided on-field trouble recently and has accepted a smaller role on his teams in newer stints. The five-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro Team member continued to dominate in his role despite not receiving the same attention from outside onlookers. In his most recent stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Suh has accepted a run-stuffing role for Todd Bowles’ defense and has allowed teammate Shaq Barrett to collect the sacks and the early-season headlines.

Outside Linebacker – Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders (2014-2017), Chicago Bears (2018-2019)

Khalil Mack carried the Raiders’ struggling defense through the first four seasons of his career, compiling 40.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles for a defense that was void of any other notable names. While the Raiders’ offense was able to carry what Mack couldn’t through the beginning of the pass rusher’s career, the former Buffalo Bull was quickly stripped of that help through the quick devolution of Oakland’s offense after a playoff appearance in 2016. After finding his way to Chicago via trade, the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year has provided Chicago with a top-notch front seven and an added skill of being able to consistently get the ball out of ball-carriers’ hands. The former Raider has 20 sacks and 11 forced fumbles through 27 games with his current team.

Inside Linebacker – Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers (2012-2019)

Luke Kuechly has kept the Panthers’ defense in the top half of the league since being drafted by Carolina in 2012. Five First-Team All-Pro appearances and six Pro Bowl appearances later, the recent retiree firmly established himself as one of the league’s best enforcers since entering the league. Kuechly was able to lead this defensive unit to a 15-1 season with the help of Cam Newton’s MVP season and was the better performer of the two in Super Bowl 50. While this unit has seen some talent leave its team in recent years, Kuechly overcame numerous concussions in order to continue bringing up this Panthers team while another offensive player (Christian McCaffery) takes the headlines.

Inside Linebacker – Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks (2012-2019)

The Legion of Boom took most of the headlines that Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch didn’t take up during Seattle’s forming of a potential dynasty. However, Bobby Wagner has outlived every member of the highly regarded Seahawks secondary and has continued to perform in top form. With 1,110 tackles, four First-Team All-Pros, and five Pro Bowl appearances through his eight seasons in the NFL, Wagner’s absence from this defense would have left a lot of tackles on the field.

Outside Linebacker – Von Miller, Denver Broncos (2011-2019)

Von Miller won Super Bowl 50 for the Broncos. That alone makes him a worthy candidate for the All-Decade Team. However, the Super Bowl MVP can also add 104 regular-season sacks and 26 forced fumbles to his resume since being drafted second overall by Denver in 2011. The ninth-year edge rusher has made a Pro Bowl in every year of his except for 2013, which he was limited in due to injury. With another three First-Team All-Pro appearances to his name, the only thing missing from Miller’s Hall of Fame candidacy is a Defensive Player of the Year induction.

Cornerback – Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks (2011-2017), San Francisco 49ers (2018-2019)

The vocal leader of the Legion of Boom was Richard Sherman. It seems so unfair that the best secondary in the NFL for the majority of the 2010s was led by arguably the cornerback-to-scheme fit in the league. Sherman was a ballhawk who could pick off the ball or make the necessary tackle in space. With 32 interceptions over seven years, Sherman instilled fear in every quarterback that looked his way. Unfortunately, disagreements with Seattle’s front office led to an end to his tenure with the team he led to two Super Bowls (one victory) and numerous defensive team records. Sherman looked to be descending during his first season in San Francisco in 2018, but the acquisitions of Dee Ford and Nick Bosa along the line has rounded out the defense and allowed Sherman to re-establish himself as a top-10 cornerback, even at the age of 31.

Cornerback – Darrelle Revis, New York Jets (2010-2012, 2015-2016), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), New England Patriots (2014), Kansas City Chiefs (2017)

Even with Darrelle Revis’ historic 2009 season not counting towards the results of this list, the future Hall of Fame cornerback proved a lot throughout the early-to-mid 2010s. Revis continued his vaunted Revis Island in New York for the Jets. Revis Island was a name given to the half of the field in which opposing teams’ number one receivers usually found themselves. Before his 2012 campaign in which he missed all but two games, the former Pittsburgh Panther cornerback had accumulated two more First-Team All-Pro Teams and two more Pro Bowl appearances, as well as a building case against Deion Sanders for the title of best cornerback in NFL history. While contract negotiations stalled with the team that drafted him, Revis was moved to Tampa Bay for a year in a scheme or roster that did not particularly fit his shadow-the-number-one type of play before ending up a Super Bowl champion with the Patriots. While his play was never as dominant as it was during his time with the Jets, Revis made Pro Bowls in both years and a First-Team All-Pro with the Patriots in 2014. Revis returned to New York in free agency during 2015 and provided the team that drafted him with one last year of stellar play before handing the torch to Richard Sherman and quietly retiring as a Chief in 2017.

Safety – Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks (2010-2018), Baltimore Ravens (2019)

Another member of the Seahawk’s Legion of Boom, Earl Thomas has been the epitome of a ballhawk for Seattle, and now Baltimore, for the entirety of the last decade. Over nine years in Seattle, Thomas picked off 28 passes. While his fellow safety Kam Chancellor played an enforcing role towards the box, Thomas was capable of dropping deep and covering the entire deep defensive backfield. The combination of Thomas and Sherman brought the Seahawks 60 picks during their times with their first team, and despite the slow dismemberment of the Legion of Boom over the mid-to-late 2010s, Thomas has found himself in a very similar role for a Ravens’ team with three talented cornerbacks on the roster. The six-time Pro Bowler recovered quickly from a torn ACL suffered in 2018 and has helped convert Baltimore’s secondary into a legitimate threat.

Safety – Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs (2010-2018)

While there could be an argument for another safety in this spot due to the heavy competition that Eric Weddle, Harrison Smith, and Kam Chancellor have applied against Eric Berry over the past decade, but Berry definitively has the best story of any player this decade. Berry was well on his way to becoming the league’s premier safety in 2014, showing an ability to run with every receiver like a corner and still tackle like a linebacker. However, the former Tennessee Volunteer was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014 during an injury-plagued season and had to leave the team for treatment. One season later, Berry was back on the field for this Chiefs’ defense and playing at the same level. Despite dealing with various injuries before and after his fight with lymphoma, Berry always returned at the same level of play. He played five seasons in which he participated in at least 15 games and went to the Pro Bowl in all five years. In three of those years, Berry won First-Team All-Pro. After his standout 2015 season, Berry was also awarded the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award for his ability to come back from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and perform at a stellar level.

Kicker – Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens (2012-2019)

Justin Tucker has been putting a case together for the best kicker of all time. While he would likely need to play well into his forties, the eighth-year kicker has been off to an amazing start, his career average of 90.592% field goal attempts currently ranks as the best percentage of all-time, according to Pro Football Reference. Even with the struggles that many kickers have experienced since the league moved extra-point attempts back thirteen yards, Tucker has remained steady with his point-after tries. In his career, Tucker has missed two extra-point attempts. The three-time First-Team All-Pro has taken the reigns from the injured Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski as the next clutch kicker.

Punter – Johnny Hekker, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams (2012-2019)

Johnny Hekker has been redefining the term “special teams athlete.” The Rams’ punter is constantly used creatively for trick plays that have helped the Rams advance the ball on fourth down fakes numerous times throughout the decade. Most punters won’t average a pass per season. Hekker, meanwhile, has thrown 21 passes in his eight-year career, completing 12 of them and scoring a passing touchdown in his rookie season. All 12 completions went for first downs. While Hekker’s ability to move the chains himself allows his team an unusual advantage, it works out so well due to Hekker’s ability to do the job he’s assigned to do: punting. Hekker has a career average of 47 yards per punt and has shown a tendency to get away the occasional 70-yard punt, forcing opposing offenses into worse field position than they usually bargain for. The four-time Pro Bowler with four First-Team All-Pros to his name has earned each accomplishment on an average of once for every two years he has been in this league.

Kick Returner – Cordarelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings (2013-2016), Oakland Raiders (2017), New England Patriots (2018), Chicago Bears (2019)

While Patterson failed to meet expectations as a first-round receiver for the Vikings in 2013, he has shown a lot of promise on special teams since being drafted out of Tennessee. The former Volunteer has seven kick return touchdowns throughout his career and has led the league in return yardage in three of his first four seasons (all with the Vikings). While Patterson has struggled to stick with a team in recent years, he continues to provide his employer with a solid career average of 30.0 yards per kick return.

Punt Returner – Devin Hester, Chicago Bears (2010-2013), Atlanta Falcons (2014-2015), Baltimore Ravens (2016), Seattle Seahawks (2016)

It would just feel wrong to not include the greatest kick and punt returner of NFL history on the list. While Devin Hester’s productive peak occurred in his first two years of NFL football before this decade started, Hester’s numbers in the 2010s remain comparative with the likes of Patterson and DeSean Jackson, who won a game for the Eagles off of a last-second punt return touchdown. However, Hester’s seven punt return touchdowns between 2010 and 2014 rank as the best over a five-season stretch this decade and averaged over 13 yards per return four times over that span, including two instances when he led the league in average yards per return.

Second Team All-Decade

Quarterback – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (2010-2019)

Running Back – Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills (2010), Seattle Seahawks (2010-2015, 2019), Oakland Raiders (2017-2018)

Wide Receiver – Deandre Hopkins, Houston Texans (2013-2019)

Wide Receiver – A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals (2011-2019)

Wide Receiver – Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (2010-2019)

Tight End – Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (2013-2019)

Tackle – Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys (2011-2019)

Guard – Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints (2010-2016), Green Bay Packers (2017)

Center – Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns (2010-2015), Atlanta Falcons (2016-2019)

Guard – David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers (2012-2019)

Tackle – Joe Staley, San Fransisco 49ers (2010-2019)

Defensive Lineman – Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals (2010-2016), Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-2019)

Defensive Tackle – Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2010-2018), Carolina Panthers (2019)

Defensive Lineman – Michael Bennett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2010-2012), Seattle Seahawks (2013-2017), Philadelphia Eagles (2018), New England Patriots (2019), Dallas Cowboys (2019)