The Best NFL Players Of The 2010s

Aaron Hager
Updated March 2, 2024
Ranked By
17.5K votes
1.3K voters
3 reranks
Voting Rules
Vote based only on players' success from 2010-2019.

The best NFL players of the 2010s all dominated the sport in different ways. Offensive talents like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, and Julio Jones led their teams with incredible stats and awards. Defensive standouts like J.J. Watt, Von Miller, and Aaron Donald proved that defense could impact the game with positive results and hard work. 

All the best NFL players of the decade will be featured here along with a hit list of their biggest accomplishments in the decade. Teams like the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Green Bay Packers had the biggest impact by going to the Super Bowl multiple times, and all featured superstars who would be major factors on any list like this. Given how hard it is to have a long career in the NFL, these talents all deserve to be appreciated for their success. 

Vote up for the best overall players to shine in the decade and help decide which top NFL players of the decade deserve to be ranked the highest on the list.

Most divisive: Jordy Nelson
Over 1.3K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Greatest NFL Players of the 2010s, Ranked
  • Tom Brady
    1
    Age: 46
    835 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 3× Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII)
    • 2× Super Bowl MVP (XLIX, LI)
    • 2× NFL Most Valuable Player (2010, 2017)
    • 9× Pro Bowl (2010–2018)
    • 2× First-team All-Pro (2010, 2017)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2016)
    • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2010)
    • NFL passing yards leader (2017)
    • 2× NFL passing touchdowns leader (2010, 2015)
  • Peyton Manning
    2
    669 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (50)
    • 4× Pro Bowl (2010, 2012–2014)
    • 2× First-team All-Pro (2012, 2013)
    • NFL MVP (2013)
    • Bert Bell Award (2013)
    • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2013)
    • Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2013)
    • NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2012)
    • NFL passing yards leader (2013)
    • NFL passing touchdowns leader (2013)
  • J. J. Watt
    3
    Age: 35
    543 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 5× Pro Bowl (2012–2015, 2018)
    • 5× First-team All-Pro (2012–2015, 2018)
    • Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2017)
    • Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2017)
    • 3× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2012, 2014, 2015)
    • Pro Bowl Defensive MVP (2014)
    • Bert Bell Award (2014)
    • 2× NFL sacks leader (2012, 2015)
  • Rob Gronkowski
    4
    494 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 3× Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII)
    • 4× First-team All-Pro (2011, 2014, 2015, 2017)
    • 5× Pro Bowl (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017)
    • NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2014)
    • NFL receiving touchdowns leader (2011)
  • Aaron Donald
    5
    500 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 5× Pro Bowl (2014–2018)
    • 4× First-team All-Pro (2015–2018)
    • 2× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2018)
    • NFL sacks leader (2018)
    • NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2014)
  • Aaron Rodgers
    6
    618 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    Super Bowl champion (XLV)
    Super Bowl MVP (XLV)
    2× NFL Most Valuable Player (2011, 2014)
    6× Pro Bowl (2011, 2012, 2014–2016, 2018)
    2× First-team All-Pro (2011, 2014)
    Second-team All-Pro (2012)
    Associated Press Athlete of the Year (2011)
    Bert Bell Award (2011)
    NFL passer rating leader (2011, 2012)
    NFL passing touchdowns leader (2016)

  • Drew Brees
    7
    Age: 45
    626 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 8× Pro Bowl (2010–2014, 2016–2018)
    • 2× Second-team All-Pro (2011, 2018)
    • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2011)
    • Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2010)
    • Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (2010)
    • Art Rooney Award (2018)
    • 5× NFL passing yards leader (2011, 2012, 2014–2016)
    • 2× NFL passing touchdowns leader (2011, 2012)
  • Adrian Peterson
    8
    510 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 4× Pro Bowl (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2012, 2015)
    • 3× Second-team All-Pro (2010, 2013)
    • NFL Most Valuable Player (2012)
    • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2012)
    • Bert Bell Award (2012)
    • 2× NFL rushing yards leader (2012, 2015)
    • NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2015)
  • Calvin Johnson
    9
    527 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 6× Pro Bowl (2010–2015)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2011–2013)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2010)
    • 2× NFL receiving yards leader (2011, 2012)
  • Larry Fitzgerald
    10
    476 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 7× Pro Bowl (2010–2013, 2015–2017)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2011)
    • Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2016)
  • Julio Jones
    11
    459 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 6× Pro Bowl (2012, 2014–2018)
    • 2× First-team All-Pro (2015, 2016)
    • 2× Second-team All-Pro (2017, 2018)
    • 2× NFL receiving yards leader (2015, 2018)
    • NFL receptions co-leader (2015)
  • Von Miller
    12
    Age: 35
    393 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (50)
    • Super Bowl MVP (50)
    • 7× Pro Bowl (2011, 2012, 2014–2018)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2012, 2015, 2016)
    • 4× Second-team All-Pro (2011, 2014, 2017, 2018)
    • NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2011)
  • Luke Kuechly
    13
    371 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 6× Pro Bowl (2013–2018)
    • 5× First-team All-Pro (2013–2015, 2017, 2018)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2016)
    • Art Rooney Award (2017)
    • 3× Butkus Award (pro) (2014, 2015, 2017)
    • NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2013)
    • NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2012)
  • Troy Polamalu
    14
    320 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 3× Pro Bowl (2010, 2011, 2013)
    • 2× First-team All-Pro (2010, 2011)
    • NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2010)
  • Marshawn Lynch
    15
    375 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
    • 5× Pro Bowl (2008, 2011–2014)
    • First-team All-Pro (2012)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2014)
    • 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2013, 2014)
  • Richard Sherman
    16
    375 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
    • 4× Pro Bowl (2013–2016)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2012–2014)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2015)
    • NFL interceptions leader (2013)
  • Russell Wilson
    17
    492 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
    • 6× Pro Bowl (2012–2015, 2017, 2018)
    • Pro Bowl Offensive MVP (2015)
    • NFL passer rating leader (2015)
    • NFL passing touchdowns leader (2017)
    • NFL Rookie of the Year (2012)
  • Bobby Wagner
    18
    293 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
    • 5× Pro Bowl (2014–2018)
    • 4× First-team All-Pro (2014, 2016–2018)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2015)
  • Darrelle Revis
    19
    229 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (XLIX)
    • 5× Pro Bowl (2010, 2011, 2013–2015)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2010, 2011, 2014)
  • Khalil Mack
    20

    Khalil Mack

    Age: 33
    294 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 4× Pro Bowl (2015–2018)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2015, 2016, 2018)
    • NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2016)
    • Butkus Award (Pro) (2016, 2018)
  • Ben Roethlisberger
    21
    256 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 5× Pro Bowl (2011, 2014–2017)
    • 2× NFL passing yards leader (2014, 2018)
  • Patrick Peterson
    22
    270 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 8× Pro Bowl (2011–2018)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2011, 2013, 2015)
  • Antonio Gates
    23
    217 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 2× Pro Bowl (2010, 2011)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2010)
  • Antonio Brown
    24
    321 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 7× Pro Bowl (2011, 2013–2018)
    • 4× First-team All-Pro (2014–2017)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2013)
    • 2× NFL receiving yards leader (2014, 2017)
    • 2× NFL receptions leader (2014, 2015)
    • NFL receiving touchdowns leader (2018)
  • Frank Gore
    25
    Age: 40
    252 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • NFC Champion (2012)
    • 5× Pro Bowl (2006, 2009, 2011–2013)
    • Second-team All-Pro (2006)
    • Art Rooney Award (2016)
  • Patrick Mahomes II
    26

    Patrick Mahomes II

    358 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Pro Bowl (2018)
    • First-team All-Pro (2018)
    • NFL Most Valuable Player (2018)
    • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2018)
    • NFL passing touchdowns leader (2018)
    • Bert Bell Award (2018)
  • Earl Thomas
    27
    248 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
    • 6× Pro Bowl (2011–2015, 2017)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2012–2014)
    • 2× Second-team All-Pro (2011, 2017)
  • Patrick Willis
    28
    187 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 4× Pro Bowl (2010–2013)
    • 3× First-team All-Pro (2010–2012)
  • Eli Manning
    29
    201 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • Super Bowl champion (XLVI)
    • Super Bowl MVP (XLVI)
    • 3× Pro Bowl (2011, 2012, 2015)
    • Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2016)
  • Philip Rivers
    30
    183 votes

    Accomplishments in the decade:

    • 6× Pro Bowl (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016–2018)
    • NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2013)
    • NFL passing yards leader (2010)