via Seatacular – seatacular.com
The NFL has recently undergone a period of transition. The legends of yesteryear have recently retired, giving way to a new batch of stars. Before looking forward to what is to come in this new-look league, I find it important to reflect on the players that have defined professional football in recent years. Since 2014, the NFL has largely been defined by two AFC dynasties. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots dominated the first half of the decade in question. In their wake, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have established a new dynasty. As these teams have controlled the narrative of much of the last decade, their most influential players have found prominent spots on my list. Of course, plenty of other stars have graced NFL fields during this time period, too. There have been far too many recent legends for me to include every player that deserves mention in this ranking. This list could reach the hundreds, but I’ve put together a ranking of the top 15 NFL Players of the last decade.
15. Khalil Mack
Khalil Mack is one of the most well-rounded edge rushers in NFL history. With over 100 career sacks, Mack has been terrorizing quarterbacks since he entered the league out of Buffalo back in 2014. However, rushing the passer has never been his calling card. Mack has been arguably the best run-stopper off the edge in the league over the last ten years. He’s totaled 137 tackles for loss and 30 forced fumbles during this stretch. Though he’s never played for an elite team, Khalil Mack certainly deserves to be recognized on this list.
14. Jason Kelce
No, center is not one of the premium positions in the NFL, but it has been for the Philadelphia Eagles in the last 10 years. Jason Kelce has directed protections up front for six different starting quarterbacks, and he’s consistently done so at an elite level. During his career, the Eagles appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one. As a seven-time Pro Bowler and six-time first-team All-Pro selection, Kelce is likely to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
13. Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry has been one of the most dominant running backs the NFL has ever seen. Henry is a physical nightmare for opposing defenses, standing at 6’3” and weighing 247 pounds. Despite his large frame, Henry has consistently been able to break off long runs during his career. Henry has averaged over four yards per attempt in every season of his eight-year career, and he’s set to eclipse 10,000 career rushing yards in his first season as a Baltimore Raven.
12. J.J. Watt
While some of J.J. Watt’s most impressive years came before the period in question, his production since 2014 is still enough to earn him a spot on this list. Watt totaled 114.5 sacks in his career along with an insane 70 pass deflections. Like Khalil Mack, Watt’s teams were never nearly as dominant as he was individually. However, he is surely a first-ballot Hall of Famer and deserves recognition.
11. Julio Jones
If you were to build the ideal NFL wide receiver in a lab, you’d end up with something a lot like Julio Jones. At 6’3” and 220 pounds with breakaway speed, Jones was able to dominate opposing secondaries throughout his career. From 2014 to 2019, Julio Jones posted six consecutive seasons with at least 1,300 yards. Jones and Matt Ryan will go down as one of the most effective quarterback-receiver duos in NFL history.
10. Travis Kelce
In many ways, the quarterback-tight end combination has been the hallmark of recent NFL football. The deep understanding shared between Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes has been a key factor in the Chiefs’ run of six consecutive conference championship appearances and three Super Bowl victories. Throughout his career, Kelce has always managed to find open space due to his knowledge of defensive coverages.
9. Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown’s end-of-career headlines may have tainted the public perception of the wideout, but it’s important to remember just how effective the receiver was for the majority of his time in the NFL. With over 12,000 yards and 83 touchdowns in his 12 seasons, Brown’s combination of speed and route-running ability consistently left defenders without answers. If this list was restricted to the 2010s, Brown would likely rank higher.
8. Drew Brees
Another player whose best years fell just before this time period, Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the league. Brees enjoyed a 20-year career in which he passed for over 80,000 yards, winning one Super Bowl with the Saints. Brees made 13 Pro Bowl appearances and won Offensive Player of the Year twice. Much of his career was overshadowed by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but the stats don’t lie for Brees.
7. Lamar Jackson
Do you remember when Lamar Jackson was dubbed a running back by many scouts coming out of Louisville? Jackson has responded by winning two MVPs and becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the modern NFL. Each season, Jackson has improved as a pocket passer while retaining his dynamic running ability. He has truly changed the way that NFL football is played in the modern era.
6. Von Miller
Von Miller may be the most dangerous pass rusher of the last ten years. From 2015 to 2019, he produced at least ten sacks in every season. Miller was perhaps the most important player in the Broncos’ 2015 Super Bowl run, dominating opposing offensive linemen all the way through. Though he hasn’t been the same player in recent years due to injuries, he remains a key defensive piece for the Bills.
5. Aaron Rodgers
I truly believe that if Aaron Rodgers didn’t play at the same time as Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, he would be talked about as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Rodgers has thrown for almost 60,000 yards and nearly 500 touchdowns in his 20-year career despite battling injuries along the way. He’s won four MVPs and has been selected for ten Pro Bowls during that time.
4. Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is likely the greatest tight end of all time. Pair that kind of player with the greatest quarterback of all time, and you’ve got a dangerous duo. In just a nine-year NFL career, Gronk totaled 9,286 receiving yards and 92 touchdowns. Gronkowski won four Super Bowls and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro selection. In his short career, he was absolutely dominant.
3. Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald was the best defensive player in the NFL for almost the entirety of his career. Coming into the league in 2014 and retiring in 2023, Donald defined the decade in question in this ranking. His ability to dictate the scheme of opposing offenses with his dominant strength and finesse was a major factor in the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl run. Donald posted 111 sacks and 176 tackles for loss during his NFL career.
2. Patrick Mahomes
In six seasons as a starter, Patrick Mahomes has taken the Chiefs to six AFC Championship games, won three Super Bowls, earned two MVP awards, and been selected to six Pro Bowls. That is without a doubt the best six-year stretch that any player has had in the history of the NFL. Mahomes has used creativity, arm talent, and elite preparation to change the way that the quarterback position is played. If I make this list again in a couple of years, I have no doubt he will land at the top of it. For now, the greatest player in NFL history takes the cake.
1. Tom Brady
Tom Brady’s is the ultimate NFL story. After being selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, Brady went on to become the greatest football player to ever play. Brady was selected to 15 Pro Bowls, won five MVP awards, and won seven Super Bowls. Four of those Super Bowl victories came in the last decade. Brady never had the best arm in the NFL, and he certainly was never the best athlete. He made his career by being elite in preparation, complete in his knowledge of the game, and consistent in leadership.
