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Who are the top NFL players of the 2010s? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Luke Kuechly: a 7x Pro Bowler and 5x All-Pro before retiring after the 2019 season, Kuechly racked up over 1,000 career tackles from his middle linebacker position with double-digit sacks and interceptions, earning both Defensive Rookie of the Year and later, Defensive Player of the Year honors.
9. Adrian Peterson: a unanimous selection to the 2010s All-Decade Team, Peterson earned four Pro Bowl and two All-Pro nods while rushing for nearly 10,000 yards during the decade, including 2,097 yards in his 2012 MVP season.
8. Julio Jones: a 7x Pro Bowl and 2x All-Pro selection at wide receiver, Jones paced the position by amassing nearly 800 receptions for 12,000+ receiving yards during the decade, including five consecutive seasons of over 1,400 yards.
7. Von Miller: with 106.0 sacks during the 2010s, Miller was not only Defensive Rookie of the Year, but also earned eight Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections for the decade while winning MVP honors for the Denver Broncos’ victory in Super Bowl 50.
6. Rob Gronkowski: the premier tight end of his era, Gronkowski was a 5x Pro Bowler and 4x All-Pro who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots; moreover, he scored 79 career touchdowns, including five seasons with double-digit scores and a single-season tight end record of 17 touchdowns in 2011.
5. Drew Brees: the most prolific passer in NFL history, Brees earned nine Pro Bowl selections during the decade and passed for 4,000+ yards 8x (and 5,000+ yards 4x) while leading the league in passing yards 5x; additionally, he also set and broke the single-season completion percentage record in consecutive years.
4. Aaron Rodgers: with the highest career passer rating and best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history, Rodgers was a 7x Pro Bowler, 2x All-Pro, and 2x MVP with six 4,000+ yard seasons during the 2010s while leading the Green Bay Packers to Super Bowl XLV and earning Super Bowl MVP.
3. J.J. Watt: a 3x Defensive Player of the Year during the decade, Watt was also a 5x Pro Bowler and 5x All-Pro who twice led the NFL in sacks and was a unanimous 2010s All-Decade Team selection despite battling injuries in recent years.
2. Aaron Donald: though he only entered the NFL in 2014, Donald has been a dominant player at the defensive tackle position: the 6x Pro Bowler and 5x All-Pro was not only Defensive Rookie of the Year, but also won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards and was a unanimous selection to the 2010s All-Decade Team.
1. Tom Brady: the only quarterback ever to make two different All-Decade Teams (unanimous selection for the 2010s), Brady cemented his status as the greatest quarterback ever with nine Pro Bowls, two All-Pro selections, two MVP awards, and three Super Bowl titles (including two Super Bowl MVPs) with the Patriots during the 2010s.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 46: Top 10 NHL Players of the 2010s