As the 2010s decade comes to a close, examining the players who stood out for each of the 32 NFL teams. It could be something they did over time or did in a short burst that contributed to great success.
Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald is one of the classiest and top receivers of his generation. A leader, the Cardinals’ wide receiver had five 1,000-yard seasons in the decade.
Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones
Julio Jones is one of the great draft trades any team has made. The Falcons moved up to get the wideout from Alabama and scored big time. Three 100-plus catch seasons and 7 1,000-yard seasons.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson
The best is yet to come and it is hard to imagine how much better Lamar Jackson will get with more seasoning and game experience. So much fun to watch and a show-stealer every week.
Buffalo Bills: LeSean McCoy
LeSean McCoy has had 6 1,000-yard seasons, 4 for Philly and a pair in Buffalo. Quietly has had a superb career and doesn’t grab all the spotlight he deserves.
Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton
The Panthers got a unique QB in Cam Newton. Exciting and athletic, the former Heisman winner from Auburn has thrown for 29,000 yards and rushed for another 4,800.
Chicago Bears: Matt Forte
One of the most versatile RBs of this decade is Matt Forte. He had 4 1,000-yard seasons rushing and missed a fifth by 3 yards. Forte also caught a bunch of passes, including 102 in 2014 when he rushed for 1,038 yards.
Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green
A great receiver who has starred despite being with the Bengals. A.J. Green has been sidelined this season and still has 602 catches for 8,907 yards in his career.
Cleveland Browns: Joe Thomas
As durable as any player, let alone a lineman, in the game, Joe Thomas embraced being a Cleveland Brown and never complained despite playing on a team that lost, lost, lost.
Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott was taken with the intention of Dallas getting a generation RB and he has delivered. While one also could give the nod to Tyron Smith, who leads the way for the former Buckeye, Elliott is one of, if not the, best RB in the game.
Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning
He spent 4 seasons in Denver but threw for thousands of yards, 17,112 to be precise and 140 TDs. Peyton Manning is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and was one of the faces of the league in this decade.
Detroit: Calvin Johnson
Megatron was one of the players who defined the wide receiver position in the decade.
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is a Green Bay legend. The quarterback leads the Packers and has had an incredible run on the frozen tundra. So much more than the stats he produces.
Houston Texans: DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins is one of the best receivers in the NFL. He’s a great target for Deshaun Watson and can and does catch everything thrown his way.
Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck completed exactly 2,000 passes for 23,671 yards and 171 TDs in a career that was far too short. Smart dude!
Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew
Former UCLA star Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for nearly 3,000 combined yards in 2010 and ’11. That was plenty good to be a Jaguar star.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes
An absolute steal in the NFL Draft is Patrick Mahomes. The leader of the late decade QB class. When the former Texas Tech star is done who knows how many records he will rewrite.
Los Angeles Rams: Todd Gurley
Todd Gurley had 1,000-plus yard rushing seasons in 3 of his first 4 years as a Ram. He led the league in rushing TDs twice. Good to see him being fed the ball more lately.
Los Angeles Chargers: Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is the face of the Chargers. While he has not gotten the team to the Super Bowl, he has put up incredible stats and always been a fiery leader on the field … and the sidelines.
Miami Dolphins: Jarvis Landry
Jarvis Landry caught 400 passes for 4,038 yards in 4 seasons in Miami. Another receiver who catches everything thrown his way. He also had 22 TD grabs as a Dolphin.
Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson had the rare 2,000-yard season for Minnesota in 2012. He led the league in rushing in 2015. An elite player and one of the best RBs the game has seen.
New England Patriots: Tom Brady
The G.O.A.T.
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees
Drew Brees is the New Orleans Saints. The QB from Purdue is as accurate as any QB in NFL history and he puts the ball up early and often. A surefire Hall of Famer.
New York Giants: Eli Manning
Complain all they want, Big Blue fans need to understand how fortunate they were to have Eli Manning. All he did was keep the Giants competitive and throw for thousands of yards and hundreds of TDs. Give the guy a break. He has two rings.
New York Jets: Nick Mangold
Nick Mangold was a solid, star lineman for a team that didn’t live up to the center’s greatness. One of the frustrations about being a part of Gang Green. You don’t get much glory.
Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr
Derek Carr is the winner almost by default in a decade that saw Silver and Black Nation suffer through losing season after losing season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Nick Foles
When you win a Super Bowl for a city starved for championships, you are an all-time legend. Philly still reveres its Broad Street Bullies and will forever be grateful to Nick Foles.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Antonio Brown
As controversial and difficult as Antonio Brown is, he also is great. He caught pass after pass from Ben Roethlisberger and proved to be one of the great steals of the decade in the draft.
San Francisco 49ers: Frank Gore
Frank Gore continues to roll. He did much of his rushing for the Niners, rushing for 1,100 yards or more in 4 consecutive seasons in the decade.
Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is a winner and does things to make Seattle successful that few quarterbacks are capable of doing. One of the greats of his time and eventually of all-time.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans
Mike Evans is an elite receiver who is caught in the terrible Tampa Bay franchise. The former Texas A&M star has 6 straight 1,000-yard seasons since coming to the league.
Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson started the decade with 4 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. And that doesn’t include the pair he had before the last decade concluded!
Washington Redskins: Trent Williams
Trent Williams is a fantastic left tackle and was a 7-time Pro Bowler for Washington in the decade.
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