Favorite NFL Players Through The Decades

I’m often thinking about the NFL’s past. Recently, I was thinking about my favorite players from each decade. I decided to pick those favorites and list them here. When I got to the 1960s and beyond, I decided to pick my favorite non-Minnesota Vikings players. Otherwise, my favorites would’ve been all Vikings. I’ve discussed enough my favorite Vikings players through the years. In some instances, the greatest difficulty in picking the following players was dealing with those with careers that significantly overlapped two decades. I managed. This was a fun walk through NFL history.

Favorite NFL Players Through The Decades

1920s

Red Grange, RB/DB, Chicago Bears

Duke Slater, T, Milwaukee Badgers, Rock Island Independents, Chicago Cardinals

Ernie Nevers, FB, Duluth Eskimos, Chicago Cardinals

Tony Latone, B, Pottsville Maroons, Boston Bulldogs, Providence Steam Roller

Jimmy Conzelman, B/E, Decatur Staleys, Rock Island Independents, Milwaukee Badgers, Detroit Panthers, Providence Steam Roller

1930s

Dutch Clark, Portsmouth Spartans, Detroit Lions

Bronko Nagurski, FB/LB, Chicago Bears

Johnny “Blood” McNally, B, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Pirates

Danny Fortmann, G/LB, Chicago Bears

Clarke Hinkle, FB/LB, Green Bay Packers

1940s

Sammy Baugh, QB, Washington Redskins

Sid Luckman, QB, Chicago Bears

“Spec” Sanders, TB/DB, New York Yankees

Marion Motley, FB/LB, Cleveland Browns

Bill Willis, G/DG, Cleveland Browns

1950s

Otto Graham, QB, Cleveland Browns

Lenny Moore, RB, Baltimore Colts

Gino Marchetti, DE, Baltimore Colts

Jim Parker, T, Baltimore Colts

Emlen Tunnell, S, New York Giants

1960s

Johnny Unitas, QB, Baltimore Colts

Jim Brown, RB, Cleveland Browns

Lance Alworth, WR, San Diego Chargers

Deacon Jones, DE, Los Angeles Rams

Bobby Bell, LB, Kansas City Chiefs

1970s

Jack Ham, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Willie Lanier, LB, Kansas City Chiefs

Earl Campbell, RB, Houston Oilers

Robert Brazile, LB, Houston Oilers

Ted Hendricks, LB, Oakland Raiders

1980s

Walter Payton, RB, Chicago Bears

Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Lawrence Taylor, LB, New York Giants

Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Dwight Stephenson, C, Miami Dolphins

1990s

Steve Young, QB, San Francisco 49ers 

Barry Sanders, RB, Detroit Lions 

Junior Seau, LB, San Diego Chargers

Rod Woodson, CB/S, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens 

Reggie White, DE, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers 

2000s

Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts 

LaDanian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers 

Tony Gonzalez, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Charles Woodson, CB, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers 

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

2010s

Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams

Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans

Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers

Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers 

2020s (so far)

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers 

Jason Kelce, C, Philadelphia Eagles 

Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers 

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams