The NFL’s silver anniversary season is rapidly approaching, with the reigning champions under immense criticism for their tactics, new faces in new places, and quarterback drama on and off the field. Who are the best offensive players who earned a spot in the prestigious All-Quarter Century first team offense? Are any positions up for debate, and which positions are locked in with legends?
NFL All-Quarter Century Team: Trench Kings Carry First Team Offense
Note: All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference
Quarterback
Tom Brady / New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Let’s keep it succinct and move on to other debates. Brady is the gold standard by which EVERY quarterback is measured. The list of awards and accomplishments that the 15-time Pro Bowler and seven-time Super Bowl champion hasn’t won is shorter than the one he has won. The GOAT retired in 2022, and if ballot reveals were a thing in football, he’d be voted in unanimously the very second that he’s eligible in 2027.
Career Statistics: 7,753/12,050 (64%) for 89,214 yards, 649 touchdowns, and 212 interceptions
Running Back
LaDainian Tomlinson / San Diego Chargers and New York Jets
Tomlinson played for 11 seasons and ended his sensational career with over 13,000 yards, which places him seventh all-time in rushing yards. He is the second-highest-ranked running back with 162 rushing/receiving touchdowns, which is crazy, given that only Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith surpass him. The five-time Pro Bowl rusher was part of six All-Pro teams and won the MVP award in 2006. His versatility and impact on the landscape of dual-threat running backs won him RB1 honors over a host of talented backs. Statistically, LT is one of the rare running backs who defied the curse of 370 and produced at a similar rate the following season. He retired after the 2011 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Career Statistics: 3,174 attempts for 13,684 yards and 145 touchdowns; 624 receptions for 4,772 yards and 17 touchdowns
Wide Receivers
Randy Moss / Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers
Moss is one of the best receivers in league history and was one of many who attempted to fill the gigantic shoes of Jerry Rice. He turned out to be a transformational cultural icon to the masses, being the namesake of receivers torturing defensive backs. The Hall of Fame receiver enjoyed one of the finest rookie seasons in the league’s annals, being named OROY, First Team All-Pro, and receiving MVP votes. He played his first seven seasons for Minnesota before leaving for the dumpster fire called the mid-2000s Raiders. After leaving the Raiders for the Patriots, he set numerous records for the 2007 18-1 team. He then returned home, only to leave memorably for Tennessee before retiring as a 49er in 2012. The Pro Football Hall of Fame voters elected him in 2018.
Career Statistics: 982 receptions for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns
Marvin Harrison / Indianapolis Colts
Harrison played the role of WR1A perfectly alongside Reggie Wayne (who should soon be in the Hall of Fame). The Colts legend ranks in the top five in receptions and receiving touchdowns, and is also in the top ten for yards. In 13 seasons, he achieved a remarkable eight consecutive Pro Bowl and All-Pro campaigns. Harrison belongs to a select group in the top five receptions list, having played for only one team. The former first-round selection saw his career end in the Hall of Fame in 2016.
Career Statistics: 1,102 receptions for 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns
Calvin Johnson / Detroit Lions
Calvin Johnson
Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) holds the ball during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field. Lions win 32-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Megatron is arguably the most physically gifted receiver that the league has ever seen. His size and speed were unparalleled even for a league full of athletic behemoths. The Detroit Lions were objectively abysmal during his tenure in the Motor City, and he forewent adding to his gaudy statistics by retiring early. Johnson was an absolute nightmare to cover for any defensive back during his time. The Peach State native answered the call to the gold jacket in 2021. His inclusion in the first-team offense took less than half a second to decide over more accomplished receivers. Megatron was that good.
Career Statistics: 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns
Tight End
Tony Gonzalez / Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons
Gonzalez set the standard for every tight end after him to follow for generations to come, including one who plays for one of his former teams. Statistically, he’s the most dominant tight end in any era, leading all tight ends in receptions and yards, and ranking second in touchdowns. There was no doubt that the 14-time Pro Bowler and ten-time All-Pro would be TE1 on the All-quarter century first team offense. How legendary was his career? Gonzalez was a near-automatic Pro Bowl invite for 14 of his 15 seasons since the 1999 campaign. The Hall of Fame is stingy allowing tight ends into Canton; Gonzalez (2019) is only one of ten elected since 1988.
Career Statistics: 1,325 receptions for 15,127 yards and 111 touchdowns
Offensive Tackles
Joe Thomas / Cleveland Browns
Cleveland didn’t have to worry about the left tackle position for ten-plus seasons after they selected Thomas with the third overall selection in 2007. He was the iron man of all iron men, not missing a single rep until his final season with well over 10,000 career snaps. His inclusion did not warrant more than one second of conscious thought. The legendary offensive tackle racked up ten consecutive Pro Bowl invitations and was well on his way to an 11th until injury. Thomas retired after the 2017 season, and Canton beckoned with a surefire election in 2023.
Jonathan Ogden / Baltimore Ravens
Ogden began his career as a top-five selection in the 1996 draft, which featured an immense amount of stars, including Simeon Rice, Keyshawn Johnson, Eddie George, and Lawyer Milloy. The Ravens got the most bang for their buck in the first round in that draft class (foreshadowing, perhaps?). Baltimore’s star left tackle began as a guard before transitioning to his future position as a second-year player. Starting in 1997, he embarked on an incredible run of 11 consecutive years as a Pro Bowler, making the All-Pro team nine times during that span. The 1996 draft class featured long-term offensive tackle talents like Ogden, Hall of Fame-adjacent Willie Anderson, and Roman Oben. UCLA’s legendary franchise blocker answered Canton’s knock in 2013 alongside the man beneath him.
Offensive Guards
Larry Allen / Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers
In a league chock-full of freak athletes, Allen is in a class of his own. Yes, he played nearly half of his career in the latter part of the 90s, but he was still dominant in the early part of the 21st century. The 11-time Pro Bowl guard played eight seasons in the 2000s, earning six Pro Bowl selections in that span. Allen was named to seven consecutive All-Pro teams from 1995 to 2001, being selected to six first teams as a result. He finished his career with eternal Dallas rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in 2007. Canton came calling for him in 2013 alongside Quarter Century First Team teammate Ogden. The legendary offensive lineman sadly passed away in 2024 at the age of 52. Frankly, this chase-down play alone is sufficient for his inclusion in the Quarter Century First Team.
Alan Faneca / Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals
The Hall of Fame guard played 13 seasons with nine Pro Bowls and eight consecutive All-Pro nods (six First-Team). From the 2001 season to the 2009 season, Faneca dominated his position in the league, earning a Pro Bowl selection each year. Six of those eight seasons ended with a First-Team All-Pro selection. Pittsburgh enjoyed his presence for ten seasons, and Faneca locked himself in as the starter at left guard. The Steelers made him a second-round selection in a monstrously loaded 1998 draft class. He left for the Jets in 2008 and enjoyed two more Pro Bowl campaigns before retiring as a Cardinal in 2010 at the age of 34. The Louisiana native made 201 of a possible 206 starts, including 11 consecutive seasons of making every start he was eligible for. Hall of Fame voters elected the star lineman in 2022.
Center
Jason Kelce / Philadelphia Eagles
Kelce earned the nod over several much-deserving candidates as the anchor to the All-Quarter Century first team offense. The former Eagles legend recently retired in 2023 after 13 seasons, during which he amassed numerous honors. He was selected for seven Pro Bowls, five of which were consecutive, and six first-team All-Pro awards. Arguably, the best center in the league for a generation, the sixth-round selection made good on a stellar career and should be Canton-bound one day. He started his career during the 2011 season and never looked back, making 193 consecutive starts.
Main Image: George Walker IV – Imagn Images