Brady kicked off the decade by winning his second MVP award after leading the NFL with 36 touchdown passes while posting a minuscule 0.8% interception rate. He grabbed another MVP at 40 years old in 2017 and finished in the top five in MVP voting four other times during the 2010s. Of course, winning games wasn't an issue for Brady, either. His 122 victories during the decade were 26 more than the next-best quarterback. Brady also brought home three more Super Bowls for the New England Patriots, bringing his total to six by the end of the 2010s.
Rodgers started the decade by winning his first and only Super Bowl in the 2020 season. He won two MVPs during the decade and led all quarterbacks in passer rating (103.6) and adjusted yards per attempt (8.41) during the 2010s. You won't find a top 10 all time QBs list without Rodgers.
Things may have gone off the rails at the end of his career, but at his peak, Brown was the best WR in the NFL. AB broke out in 2013 and was the class of the NFL for six consecutive years. From 2013-2018, Brown caught 100+ passes every year. He led the NFL in receiving yards twice, receptions twice, and touchdowns once.
Julio's time as an elite WR spanned exclusively the 2010s. From 2014-2019, Jones was a consensus top-three WR. His 1,871 receiving yards in 2015 are the third-most all time in a single season.
Considered by many to be the greatest tight end of all time, Rob Gronkowski burst onto the scene in his sophomore season, leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2011 with 17. While never atop the league in counting stats due to injuries, Gronk dominated the position for a decade, hauling in 79 touchdowns in 115 games played in the 2010s. He will be in the Hall of Fame.
The Browns didn't have much to get excited about during the 2010s. But they did have the best LT in the game for half of the decade. From 2010-2015, Thomas was first team all pro every year, except one, when he was second team all pro. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2023.
Considered by many to be the greatest defensive player of all time, Aaron Donald is one of just three players --along with Lawrence Taylor and the final player on our Mount Rushmore -- to win three Defensive Player of the Year awards. He posted four other top-five DPOY finishes, won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, earned a Pro Bowl berth in all 11 seasons of his career, and received eight first-team All-Pro berths. One of five defensive tackles with at least 100 sacks, Donald set the single-season DT sack record with 20.5 quarterback takedowns in 2018.
In terms of peak, few defensive linemen can compete with J.J. Watt's run with the Houston Texans from 2012-15. Watt's 69 sacks over those four years were 18.5 more than any other player. His 190 QB hits nearly doubled that of the second-place defender. Watt had 119 tackles for loss during this period; LB Lavonte David was second with 68. Unsurprisingly, Watt racked up awards in this stretch, winning three Defensive Player of the Year trophies in four years. While injuries hindered much of the rest of his career, he made another All-Pro team for the Texans in 2018.
The prime of Miller's career spanned the entirety of the 2010s. His peak came in 2015 when he finished first-team all pro and won Super Bowl MVP. Miller is still playing right now for the Bills, but is a surefire future Hall of Famer.
Having retired after just eight seasons, Kuechly's entire career took place in the 2010s. He won defensive rookie of the year in 2012 and was first team all pro in five of his eight seasons. Kuechly led the NFL in tackles in 2012 and 2014. He retired rather abruptly in 2019 due to concern over his health and the number of concussions he sustained. He is first eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2025. Even if he doesn't get in first ballot, he is almost certain to get in at some point.
