The latest edition of theScore's Eras project, which celebrates greatness in every major sport, ranks and discusses the best 25 NFL players of the past 25 seasons.
Stats and achievements compiled before the 25-year period - 1999-2023 - don't count for this exercise. For example, Ray Lewis was evaluated as an eight-time (not a 10-time) All-Pro.
Monday: Introductory essay and players 21-25
Tuesday: Players 16-20
Wednesday: Players 11-15
Era teams: San Diego Chargers 2001-09, New York Jets 2010-11
Signature performance: In 2006, Tomlinson set NFL records for rushing touchdowns (28) and scrimmage TDs (31) while tallying the most approximate value (26) by any player in a season. Those ridiculous numbers spurred the Chargers to 14 wins, an enduring franchise high, and made him the runaway MVP winner.
Tomlinson scored more touchdowns in a 10-game span - 28 from Weeks 6 through 15 - than four teams did in all of 2006. He finished with 1,815 rushing yards, added 508 receiving yards, and even completed two passes for touchdowns that erased fourth-quarter deficits.
Why he's here: Tomlinson was a scoring machine, an incomparable fantasy weapon, a Chargers legend, and his era's most accomplished running back.
Only Emmitt Smith rushed for more career touchdowns than Tomlinson's 145. Tomlinson's record 18-game scoring streak from 2004-05 proved before his MVP year that he was utterly uncontainable. Elite at anticipating and accelerating, he sidestepped tacklers on a dime to shake loose for huge gains or finish drives in the red zone.
Tomlinson was a workhorse who shone in all offensive phases. He had a 100-catch year and ranks in the top five at his position in career receptions (624) and scrimmage yards (18,456). The orchestrator of a great trick play, he passed for seven TDs on 12 career attempts by taking a handoff or pitch, magnetizing the attention of the secondary and squaring up to throw to an open man.
Drafted by the Chargers alongside Drew Brees, Tomlinson supercharged the offense after Brees left in free agency. He helped Philip Rivers lead the march to four straight division titles. Fans of all stripes recall Tomlinson's MVP campaign because it produced the most fantasy points (425.1) in an NFL season.
According to Stathead, Tomlinson accounts for three of the league's 100 best fantasy years. That's a non-quarterback record. - Nick Faris
Era teams: Minnesota Vikings 1999-2004, 2010; Oakland Raiders 2005-06; New England Patriots 2007-10; Tennessee Titans 2010; San Francisco 49ers 2012
Signature performance: Unstoppable in his prime, Moss' skill set was on full display in Week 11 of 2007 when he caught four touchdowns in the first half against the Bills. He hauled in 10 passes for 128 yards to help the Patriots add yet another win to what became a 16-0 regular season.
Moss' outburst against Buffalo put him on track to break the single-season record with 23 touchdown receptions. He scored multiple TDs in eight contests in 2007 and authored nine 100-yard games.
Why he's here: Many consider Moss to be the greatest receiver not named Jerry Rice, and for good reason. Over the last 25 years, no pass-catcher impacted the game like Moss, the frequent NFL leader in receiving TDs. He could have been ranked higher here if his record-breaking rookie season didn’t happen just before 1999.
The Marshall product's prime was unmatched. With a 4.25 40-yard dash, he was usually the fastest player on the field, and his 43-inch vertical made the 6-foot-4 wideout an instant mismatch for opponents. Moss established himself as an elite receiver in tight coverage early in his career, and he retired as perhaps the best deep-ball target in history. The term "You got Mossed!” referred to his ability to overpower defenders and make contested grabs look easy.
Moss is the only receiver with a 1,600-yard, 17-TD year, having accomplished that feat with the 2003 Vikings. During New England’s perfect regular season in 2007, he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards to earn his final All-Pro berth. The best wide receiver Tom Brady ever had, Moss left the Patriots in 2010 with 50 TD receptions in 52 games with the franchise.
Moss retired without a ring, as the 2007 Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII to the Giants. He was 35 years old when the Ravens beat his 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, his final NFL game.
Despite never lifting the Lombardi Trophy, Moss was a defining player of his generation. From 1999 onward, no player piled up more receiving TDs (139) or led the NFL in TD catches in more seasons (four). - Caio Miari
Era teams: Baltimore Ravens 2002-12; Houston Texans, New York Jets 2013
Signature performance: Breaking a record he already held, Reed returned the longest pick-6 in NFL history when Baltimore trounced Philadelphia in Week 12 of 2008. He baited Kevin Kolb into throwing to the back of the end zone, jumped the route, and juked or outran five Eagles to achieve the 107-yard score.
An earlier interception, run back by Reed for 43 yards, got Donovan McNabb benched at halftime with a ghastly 13.2 QB rating. A strong Eagles team that wound up reaching the NFC Championship Game was made to look amateurish on the Ravens' turf.
Why he's here: Rivals like Bill Belichick admired Reed, a first-ballot Hall of Fame safety, because he was a football brainiac with the athletic gifts to make any play he wanted.
Calling him the Scottie Pippen to linebacker Ray Lewis' Michael Jordan - they formed a fearsome duo in Baltimore for more than a decade - might understate Reed's impact. In some seasons, he was the shining star of one of the NFL's stingiest and most intimidating defenses. Reed was a three-time NFL interception leader, snatched the most picks (64 for 1,590 return yards) in the era, and is tied for first in playoff history with nine INTs in 15 games.
Reed was instinctive, deceptive, and elusive. He thought two steps ahead of quarterbacks, then ran two steps ahead of them when he took the ball away. Unlike a cornerback who sees nothing ahead but open field, Reed weaved through entire offenses on some of his seven interception return touchdowns.
Reed scored in many ways - he was the first player with interception, fumble, and punt return TDs, plus a safety to his name - and authored unique highlights. His 106-yard pick-6 against the 2004 Browns preceded the 107-yarder against Philly. His clever lateral set up teammate Dawan Landry's diving score in 2010. Reed's pick of Colin Kaepernick in the Super Bowl XLVII triumph punctuated his Baltimore tenure. - Faris
Era teams: Houston Texans 2011-20, Arizona Cardinals 2021-22
Signature performance: After flashing his potential as a rookie, Watt burst onto the scene in his postseason debut. He scored a 29-yard pick-6 against the Bengals in the 2011 wild-card round to help the Texans earn their first-ever playoff victory. His divisional-round performance versus the Ravens - Watt amassed 12 tackles (three for loss), three QB hits, and 2.5 sacks - was also monumental.
Houston fell short in that game, but it kickstarted one of the most dominant runs for a defender in NFL history.
Why he's here: In his prime, Watt was on track to post the league’s most decorated defensive career. From 2012-15, Watt led the NFL in sacks twice, earned a record three Defensive Player of the Year awards, finished second in an MVP race, and claimed four straight All-Pro nods. He also became the only player with multiple official 20-sack seasons.
One of the most athletic linemen in league history, Watt got closer than any defender to being named MVP since Lawrence Taylor’s 1986 triumph.
He finished second to Aaron Rodgers in 2014 by recording 29 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 10 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, an 80-yard pick-6, and a fumble-return touchdown - plus three TD catches when he lined up on offense in goal-line situations. Not bad for a converted tight end who only managed 11.5 career sacks at Wisconsin.
The 2011 first-round draft pick helped take the Texans to another level, as the team had never been to the playoffs before his arrival. With Watt in town, Houston reached the postseason in six of the next nine years. The 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year had six sacks in eight playoff appearances with the club.
Watt stayed healthy for his first five NFL seasons, but several injuries prevented him from making more history and ranking higher on this list. In his final go-around with the Cardinals, he recorded 12.5 sacks at age 33 before calling it quits. - Miari
Era teams: Green Bay Packers 2005-22, New York Jets 2023-present
Signature performance: The Packers lit a fire under Rodgers with their decision to use a first-round pick on Jordan Love in 2020. The move instantly raised questions about his future in Green Bay, but the veteran quarterback made sure the team couldn't afford to ditch him.
In 2020 and 2021, Rodgers became the NFL's first back-to-back MVP in more than a decade (Peyton Manning, 2008-09). The Packers QB threw 85 touchdowns to just nine interceptions over that two-year span.
It was a testament to Rodgers' pure passing ability that he was able to produce the best years of his career at ages 37 and 38. He led the league and set personal bests in completion rate (70.7%) and touchdown passes (48) in 2020. He owned the highest passer rating in both of those seasons and won a combined 26 games. Rodgers reminded the Packers and NFL that he had a lot left in the tank.
Why he's here: Rodgers' career arc was unusual. How often does a quarterback replace an NFL icon like Brett Favre and outperform expectations? How often does that same QB delay his apparent successor's journey by playing better than ever during his twilight years?
From being the Cal kid with the weird throwing mechanics to the pro who shone bright enough to eclipse Favre's shadow, Rodgers entered the discussion of most talented signal-callers after three years of sitting behind Favre. It took him only two seasons to lead the Packers to the playoffs and only three to win a Super Bowl.
Over his first five playoff games, Rodgers threw for 13 touchdowns to three interceptions. Green Bay's championship run as a No. 6 seed cemented that he was the right guy to follow Favre. In 2010, Rodgers had three postseason games with three TDs and no picks, including the Super Bowl victory over the Steelers, the league's top defense.
Rodgers captivated the masses with his unique passing style, which meshed gunslinging with accuracy. He could spin away from pressure to deliver a bomb downfield or thread the needle between defenders. He collected awards - only Manning bested Rodgers' four MVP trophies - and provided thrills. No one forgets where they were when Rodgers' Hail Mary passes in the 2015 season walked off the Lions and tied a playoff game against the Cardinals.
Whenever Rodgers stepped onto the field, it felt like magic could happen. - Daniel Valente
The series wraps up Friday with the top five.
Nick Faris, Caio Miari, and Daniel Valente cover the NFL at theScore.
