NFL Quarter Century All Offensive Team
Edition #260
We’re 25 years into the new century, and if you’ve been watching football even half that time, you already know, it’s been a wild ride. We’ve seen underdogs become legends, late-round picks become the face of dynasties, and records fall like dominoes.
Tom Brady went from 199th overall to the greatest of all time. Patrick Mahomes is out here trying to break that record before he turns 35. And let’s not forget guys like Brock Purdy, who literally picked dead last, now leading the 49ers.
So with all that in mind, I put together my NFL All-Offensive Team of the Quarter Century, the absolute best of the best from 2000 to now. I’m talking Hall of Famers, MVPs, fantasy monsters, and straight-up game-wreckers.
Let’s get into it.
Quarterback:
TOM BRADY (S)
Patrick Mahomes
This is an absolute no-brainer. Tom Brady, the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, went on to win 7 Super Bowls, winning his first one in 2002. Brady is the G.O.A.T., no doubt.
Peyton Manning at #2 is a very good pick as well. He won 2 Super Bowls in his career, and while he is not as successful as Brady, Manning was always considered in the G.O.A.T. conversation with Brady.
Finally, Mahomes. I know you have Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Kurt Warner, but Mahomes is only 29 and already has 3 Super Bowls. He’s definitely on pace to break Brady’s record of 7 Super Bowl wins. Throughout his career, Brady has made it to 10 Super Bowls. Mahomes is already at 5.
Running Back:
Tomlinson is also another pretty easy pick here. This guy was your #1 draft pick all the time when it came to fantasy football. In 2006, Tomlinson averaged 1,815 total yards and 28 touchdowns. That same year, he racked up 3 touchdowns in the air, which basically made it a record.
Adrian Peterson is literally the last running back to win the MVP award, and this was in 2012. He rushed for 2097 yards that season, which is the second highest in a single season in NFL history. Peterson will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2027, and we all know he’s going to get there in his first year of eligibility.
Finally, I’m going to go with Frank Gore here. I know that many picked Derrick Henry, Marshawn Lynch, or LeSean McCoy, but Gore is #3 on the career rushing list, and is just too good to exclude. He also holds the record for the most games played by a running back. This is a guy who went 15 consecutive seasons with 500+ rushing yards and 125+ rushing attempts.
Fullback:
Kyle Juszczyk (S)
No question here, Kyle is literally keeping this position alive single-handedly.
Wide Receivers:
Randy Moss (WR1)
Marvin Harrison (WR2)
Calvin Johnson (WR3)
Look, Moss is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and in my opinion, one of the only guys who could be compared to Jerry Rice when it comes to determining who the best receiver of all time is. No defense liked him, but every quarterback loved him. Of course, if they were playing with him, not against him. He played with Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Daunte Culpepper, Brad Johnson, Todd Bauman, Gus Frerotte, Kerry Collins, Andrew Walter, Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Brett Favre, Alex Smith, and Colin Kaepernick, who were the guys who threw him at least one touchdown.
Marvin Harrison, on the other hand, wasn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he did make it in 2016. He holds the record for most receptions in a single season with 143, set in 2002, and also holds the Colts' franchise records for career receptions (1,102), receiving yards (14,580), and receiving touchdowns (128)
Finally, Calvin Johnson, or Megatron, who broke Rice’s record of single-season receiving yards in 2012 and became the 2nd youngest player in the Hall of Fame. Johnson also holds the Lions' career records for receptions and receiving yards. Deserves his place here.
Tight End:
Tony Gonzalez (S)
Robert Gronkowski
Look, Gonzalez is awesome. He holds the record for most career receptions (1,325), most receiving yards (15,127), and most Pro Bowl selections (14) for a tight end. That’s the only reason he’s first, though. Time to get into something a little more interesting, though.
Gronk vs Kelce. Kelce has better stats for sure, even though he’s played more games than Gronk, but for me, the extra Super Bowl win in Tampa with Brady for Gronk is what’s going to put him over Kelce. If Kelce finds a way to win another Super Bowl, which I feel that he most definitely will, look back at this article to find a change.
Offensive Line
Joe Thomas (LT)
Alan Faneca (LG)
Jason Kelce (C)
Steve Hutchinson (RG)
Lane Johnson (RT)
Joe Thomas, who played a record of 10,363 snaps in a row, is the greatest left tackle in history. You’re not going to be able to argue with me on that. On the other side, you have Lane Johnson, another beast, named to his sixth Pro Bowl last year. He holds the NFL record for most consecutive games without allowing a sack, with a streak of 26 games.
Then you have Alan Faneca, who earned 9 Pro Bowl selections, 6 First-Team All-Pro honors, and was named to the all-decade team. On the other side, you have Hutchinson, who earned seven Pro Bowl selections, six First-Team All-Pro selections, and was also named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team.
Finally, in the middle, you have Jason Kelce, who I believe is the 3rd best center to ever play the game (behind Webster and Otto). Throughout his 13 seasons, Kelce was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and received six first-team All-Pro honors. What’s so interesting about this is that all six of his All-Pro selections were given to him after he turned 30, and he’s the only player to do such a thing. He’s one of only two centers ever to make both the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams in three consecutive seasons. The only other? Hall of Famer Dwight Stephenson.
And there you go, that’s my NFL Quarter Century All-Offensive Team. Hope you enjoyed the read!
Man, I wanted to argue Gronk over Tony Gonzalez, but injuries just keeps him in second place, no doubt. But if I had to pick one for my team, it would be Gronk. A healthy Gronk was a cheat code.