Every NFL Team's Mt. Rushmore Since 2000
The NFL offseason is in its quiet period, and many American fans are gathering to partake in summer festivities. Now feels like the perfect time to spark a few friendly debates with the ol' Mt. Rushmore argument.
The Fourth of July is a time for celebrating America's history. Football fans love to celebrate their teams' histories, too. We've set out to do exactly that by identifying each team's Mt. Rushmore of stars over the past 25 years.
Players who entered the NFL before the year 2000 will be eligible, but only their accomplishments since the 2000 season were considered. Active players weren't judged based on future potential, and players who suited up for multiple teams had their production with each franchise considered separately. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs aren't claiming Darrelle Revis for a six-game stint in 2017.
There were some difficult decisions here, and some fans will inevitably take umbrage with the final selections. Feel free to keep the debates going with friends and family. Just remember to keep the conversations civil—after all, it's what the country's forefathers would have wanted.
For this exercise, overall production, postseason success, contributions to team success, individual accolades, memorable moments and any other relevant team- or player-specific factors were all considered.
Check out our other installments here:
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 32
DE Darnell Dockett
WR Larry Fitzgerald
CB Patrick Peterson
QB Kurt Warner
Aside from a stunning run to Super Bowl XLIII in 2008, the Arizona Cardinals haven't experienced much postseason success this century. That's why Kurt Warner narrowly edged out five-time Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson and ageless NFL star Calais Campbell, who re-joined the Cardinals this offseason.
On an individual level, Warner wasn't as impressive with the Cardinals as Wilson or as prolific as he was with the then-St. Louis Rams in the late '90s and early 2000s. However, he did engineer the only Super Bowl trip in franchise history.
It's also worth noting that Warner, who joined the Hall of Fame in 2017, actually started more games for the Cardinals (57) than he did for the Rams (50). Only one of his four Pro Bowls came in Arizona, but the Cardinals' history cannot be written without mentioning Warner. He also wouldn't be a Hall of Famer without his remarkable second act with Arizona.
Our other three selections were fairly straightforward. Darnell Dockett played his entire career with the Cardinals, started 162 games (including playoffs) and was a three-time Pro Bowler. Patrick Peterson was an eight-time Pro Bowler and a three-time first-team All-Pro during his 10 seasons in Arizona.
Larry Fitzgerald, who holds the NFL record for the most receptions with a single franchise (1,432), is widely considered one of the greatest receivers of all time. The 11-time Pro Bowler played his entire career with the Cardinals and could be considered the face of Arizona's last quarter-century.
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 32
WR Julio Jones
C Todd McClure
QB Matt Ryan
WR Roddy White
The first three members of our Atlanta Falcons' Mt. Rushmore were easy inclusions. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones formed one of the best QB-WR duos the NFL has seen this century.
Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer, was one of the most gifted pass-catchers of his generation. He played his final three seasons away from Atlanta and last played in 2023, but he remains a franchise icon.
Ryan isn't a Hall of Fame lock, but with four Pro Bowls, one MVP award and 59,735 passing yards across 14 seasons with the Falcons, he has a legitimate case. He and Jones also helped lead Atlanta to its only Super Bowl appearance of the century.
While wideout Roddy White ended his Falcons tenure the year before Atlanta's last Super Bowl run, he earned a place in franchise history. The four-time Pro Bowler was a legitimate star before Jones arrived in 2011. He then spent a half-decade paired with Jones to form one of the league's most thrilling receiver tandems.
Center Todd McClure edged out players like Grady Jarrett and Jake Matthews for the final spot thanks to his longevity and determination. The seventh-round pick in the 1999 draft missed his rookie season with a torn ACL before returning to start 195 games over 13 seasons.
"Smart, tough, and a true professional," former Falcons guard Justin Blalock said of McClure before his 2022 induction into the Falcons Ring of Honor, per Ashton Edmunds of the team's official website.
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 32
QB Lamar Jackson
LB Ray Lewis
OT Jonathan Ogden
S Ed Reed
It was extremely difficult to leave off Baltimore Ravens greats like Marshal Yanda and Terrelle Suggs. However, quarterback Lamar Jackson has risen to a level that justifies a spot on Baltimore's Mt. Rushmore.
The two-time league MVP has blossomed into a consistent top-10 quarterback and one of the most unique playmakers in the history of the game. He already holds the NFL record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback, and he has racked up 20,59 passing yards and 166 touchdowns in only seven seasons.
While Jackson has yet to appear in a Super Bowl, he may already be the greatest dual-threat quarterback of all time.
Offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed were all part of Baltimore's first Super Bowl win as a franchise during the 2000 season—Lewis later won a second ring in the 2013 season—and are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The tunnel dance of Lewis, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, is still an enduring image closely associated with the franchise. Reed might be the best safety ever to don an NFL uniform. While Ogden made three of his 11 Pro Bowls before the turn of the century, he earned four first-team All-Pro nods after the year 2000 and became the first Hall of Famer to spend his entire career with the Ravens when he was inducted in 2013.
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Buffalo Bills
4 of 32
QB Josh Allen
OT Dion Dawkins
LB Matt Milano
DT Kyle Williams
Like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen is a relatively fresh face for a Mt. Rushmore of the last 25 years. However, his selection is warranted because of his accomplishments and what he has meant to the Buffalo Bills franchise.
Before the Bills drafted Allen in 2018, they had made only one playoff appearance this century. They haven't missed the postseason since his sophomore campaign, and they've won five straight AFC East titles.
With 26,434 passing yards 4,142 rushing yards, 260 combined rushing and passing touchdowns, three Pro Bowl nods and one league MVP already on his resume, Allen is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
While success was fleeting for the Bills before Allen's arrival, he isn't the only legend from the last quarter-century who is still playing. Left tackle Dion Dawkins has made 122 career starts and earned four straight Pro Bowl nods. Linebacker Matt Milano has made only one Pro Bowl—he was also a first-team All-Pro in 2022—but he remains one of the NFL's best all-around defenders when healthy.
Milano has tallied 504 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 59 tackles for loss and 39 pass breakups in 94 career games. His versatility and role in Buffalo's recent success earn him the nod over notable names like Aaron Schobel, Jerry Hughes and Stefon Diggs.
Defensive tackle Kyle Williams represents the "old guard," as his last season coincided with Allen's rookie campaign. In his 13 seasons in Buffalo, Williams started 178 games, recorded 609 tackles and 48.5 sacks and made six Pro Bowls.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 32
LB Luke Kuechly
QB Cam Newton
Edge Julius Peppers
WR Steve Smith Sr.
The Carolina Panthers haven't had much recent success, but they had some incredibly fruitful runs over the last 25 years. Interestingly, picking four players to represent the franchise for that span was relatively easy.
That isn't to say Thomas Davis, Jake Delhomme and DeAngelo Williams don't deserve their places in Panthers history. However, Luke Kuechly, Cam Newton, Julius Peppers and Steve Smith Sr. all had stretches where they could be considered the best players at their respective positions.
Newton helped redefine what a modern NFL quarterback could be while compiling three Pro Bowl nods, one Rookie of the Year award, one league MVP and one Super Bowl appearance. Meanwhile, Smith spent 13 years as the heart of Carolina's offense, tallying five Pro Bowls and one league receiving-yards title in the process.
Kuechly's eight-year career included seven Pro Bowls, one Defensive Rookie of the Year award, five first-team All-Pro nods and 1,092 tackles. He was a Hall of Fame finalist this year. Peppers joined the Hall of Fame in 2024 after a career that included 133 starts, 97 sacks and five Pro Bowls across 10 seasons with the Panthers.
Chicago Bears
6 of 32
LB Lance Briggs
KR Devin Hester
CB Charles Tillman
LB Brian Urlacher
The Chicago Bears are hoping that 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams can solve their longstanding quarterback problem. Their lack of a franchise quarterback has largely defined their past 25 years.
Despite that, the Bears did experience success during that span, including a 2006 run to the Super Bowl. Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester all played significant roles during that fateful season, which is a big reason why those four earned the spots over other notable Bears like quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte.
Five-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz, who was also part of that 2006 squad, garnered significant consideration. However, we settled on four Hall of Fame-caliber players instead.
Urlacher began his career in 2000, spent 13 seasons in Chicago, was widely considered one of the best linebackers of his generation and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. Hester might be the greatest return specialist in league history and entered the Hall of Fame in 2024.
Briggs and Tillman aren't in the Hall of Fame yet, but each have strong arguments for getting in. Briggs made seven Pro Bowls in his 12 seasons with the Bears and amassed 1,181 tackles. Tillman made only two Pro Bowls but started 152 games for the Bears and immortalized his technique for dislodging the football—the Peanut Punch.
Tillman's 44 career forced fumbles are the tied for the sixth-most in league history. The 42 he recorded in Chicago would place him ninth on the all-time list.
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 32
OT Willie Anderson
QB Joe Burrow
WR A.J. Green
WR Chad Johnson
Quarterback Joe Burrow has only led the Cincinnati Bengals since 2020, and he's finished two of his five seasons on injured reserve. Despite that small sample size, he has been great enough to push past former Bengals signal-callers Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton.
Palmer and Dalton both experienced levels of success in Cincinnati, but Burrow is an All-Pro when healthy. In 2021, he carried Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl appearance since the 1988 season.
Because of the results Burrow has helped deliver in recent years, it was hard to keep his top receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, off the list. However, the post-2000 Bengals have featured a slew of talented pass-catchers. Chase has earned four Pro Bowls in four seasons, but Chad Johnson and A.J. Green established legacies in Cincinnati.
Johnson, or Chad Ochocinco, was a six-time Pro Bowler and one of the biggest personalities in the sport during the early 2000s. He's still one of the biggest stars in franchise history.
Green was a far more businesslike receiver, but his business was usually booming. He made seven Pro Bowls in his first seven seasons, played nine total campaigns with the Bengals and hauled in 649 catches for 9,430 yards and 65 touchdowns in 125 starts.
Rounding out our list is offensive tackle Willie Anderson, who began his career in 1996 but played some of his best ball in the 2000s. Between 2000 and 2006, he started all 16 games in every season, made four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro three times. He was inducted into Cincinnati's Ring of Honor in 2022.
Cleveland Browns
8 of 32
G Joel Bitonio
KR Josh Cribbs
Edge Myles Garrett
OT Joe Thomas
Times have been tough for the Cleveland Browns since they returned to the NFL in 1999. However, they have boasted a few standout players.
Joe Thomas is a lock for the expansion-era Browns. Despite never starting a playoff game, the 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time first-team All-Pro managed to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He was arguably the league's best left tackle from his rookie season in 2017 until a triceps injury snapped his streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps in 2017.
Pass-rusher Myles Garrett is likely to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he's eligible. The first overall pick in the 2017 draft has played up to his predraft billing, recording 102.5 sacks, six Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro nods and one Defensive Player of the Year award before turning 30.
Guard Joel Bitonio might not carry Garrett's high profile, but he'll also have a Hall of Fame case in the future. In 11 seasons with Cleveland, Bitonio has made 161 starts, been named to seven Pro Bowls and had two first-team All-Pro campaigns.
To round out Cleveland's Mt. Rushmore, we'll go with legendary return specialist Josh Cribbs. While players like four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward and four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb may have earned more national recognition, Cribbs is a Browns legend.
Like kicker Phil Dawson, Cribbs was one of the only bright spots fans could enjoy during Cleveland's leaner years. He was also a receiver, runner and gadget quarterback, but he was best known for electric kick returns that earned him a spot in NFL history. His eight kickoff returns for touchdowns are tied with Leon Washington for the second-most in NFL history.
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 32
G Zack Martin
OT Tyron Smith
TE Jason Witten
DE DeMarcus Ware
The Dallas Cowboys haven't had a lot of playoff success this century, but they have possessed plenty of star power. That's why notable quarterbacks Tony Romo and Dak Prescott failed to make the Cowboys' Mt. Rushmore.
While Romo and Prescott have seven Pro Bowls and 249 starts between them, neither has ever been considered the best quarterback in the NFL. On the other hand, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten all had stretches where they could be considered the NFL's best at their respective positions.
Ware is a Hall of Famer who accumulated 117 sacks over nine seasons with the Cowboys. Witten will join Ware in the Hall of Fame one day. He spent 16 of his 17 seasons in Dallas, made 11 Pro Bowls and finished his Cowboys career with 12,977 receiving yards and 72 touchdowns.
Smith and Martin are likely future Hall of Famers as well. Smith was an eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro with the Cowboys, while Martin was a nine-time Pro Bowler and seven-time first-team All-Pro.
Offensive linemen don't always find time in the spotlight. However, we're picking two of them over notable Cowboys like Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Dez Bryant and Ezekiel Elliott to round out our Mt. Rushmore.
Denver Broncos
10 of 32
CB Champ Bailey
QB Peyton Manning
Edge Von Miller
WR Rod Smith
Some fans may balk at the notion of including Peyton Manning over notable Denver Broncos stars like Tom Nalen, Ryan Clady, Demaryius Thomas and Chris Harris Jr. After all, Manning is better known for his time with the Indianapolis Colts and spent only four seasons in Denver.
However, Manning also guided the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory since the 1998 season. He was a three-time Pro Bowler as a Bronco and set NFL records for the most passing yards (5,477) and touchdowns (55) in a season while wearing a Denver uniform. He earned the final of his five career MVPs that year.
Cornerback Champ Bailey, pass-rusher Von Miller and wideout Rod Smith are iconic Broncos who would look good flanking Manning on Denver's Mt. Rushmore.
Smith entered the NFL in 1995 but played seven seasons and made three Pro Bowls after the year 2000. Bailey joined the Broncos in 2004 after five seasons with the Washington Commanders and earned eight Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro nods in his 10 seasons in Denver. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2019.
Miller may have won his second Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, but he won his first in Denver and was named the MVP of Super Bowl 50. The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro racked up 110.5 sacks and 142 tackles for loss during his 10 seasons in Denver.
Detroit Lions
11 of 32
WR Calvin Johnson
C Dominic Raiola
QB Matthew Stafford
DT Ndamukong Suh
With all due respect to current Detroit Lions stars like Jared Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown, we're not ready to include them on a Mt. Rushmore just yet.
While the Lions didn't experience much postseason success between 2000 and their current window, they did have some franchise-caliber stars.
Calvin Johnson was one of the best receivers in league history. He spent only nine years in the NFL but did enough during that stretch to earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He finished his career with 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford will eventually be in the Hall of Fame, too. While he didn't find postseason success until after leaving Detroit in a 2021 trade, he was the face of the Lions franchise for 12 years and racked up more than 45,000 passing yards in Detroit.
Ndamukong Suh played just five of his 13 seasons in Detroit, but he was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro during that stretch. Center Dominic Raiola had a much lengthier career, starting 203 games across 14 seasons with the Lions.
Green Bay Packers
12 of 32
OT Chad Clifton
WR Donald Driver
QB Brett Favre
QB Aaron Rodgers
Brett Favre played only eight seasons for the Green Bay Packers after the turn of the century. However, their QB succession plan landed both Favre and Aaron Rodgers on the Packers' Mt. Rushmore.
Favre made four Pro Bowls and brought the Packers to the playoffs five times in the 2000s. Rodgers then delivered 11 playoff appearances and one Lombardi Trophy while earning four MVP awards. Favre is already a Hall of Famer, while Rodgers will assuredly join him five years after his retirement.
Picking non-quarterbacks for this list wasn't an easy task, as the Packers have had some longtime standouts over the last quarter-century. Players like David Bakhtiari, Clay Matthews, Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams earned consideration, but Chad Clifton and Donald Driver ultimately got the nod.
Driver played 13 of his 14 seasons in the 2000s, had seven 1,000-yard campaigns and helped bride the Favre and Rodgers eras as a No. 1 target. Clifton did the same at left tackle, starting for 12 seasons beginning in 2000. Clifton and Driver were both part of Green Bay's 2010 championship run.
Houston Texans
13 of 32
OT Duane Brown
WR DeAndre Hopkins
WR Andre Johnson
Edge J.J. Watt
The Houston Texans didn't begin play as an expansion team in 2002, but they've already had some legitimate legends in their 20-plus years of existence.
Pass-rusher J.J. Watt is probably the first one who comes to mind. Though he spent his final two seasons with the Cardinals, he was a Texans mainstay and one of the league's most dominant defenders for a decade. He finished his Houston tenure with five first-team All-Pro selections, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, 101 sacks and bona fide fan-favorite status.
Wide receivers Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins may spring to mind as well. Both had stints as the league's most undefendable pass-catchers.
Johnson made seven Pro Bowls and earned two first-team All-Pro nods during his 12 years in Houston. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2024. Hopkins only spent seven years with the Texans, but he was a three-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler during that span.
Offensive tackle Duane Brown ended up getting the last nod over players like Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Brian Cushing because of his longevity and high level of play. Brown was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Texans and started 133 games across 10 seasons before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2017.
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 32
Edge Dwight Freeney
WR Marvin Harrison
QB Peyton Manning
WR Reggie Wayne
The hardest part about identifying the Colts' Mt. Rushmore was picking between Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis and Jeff Saturday for the final spot.
Peyton Manning, who is unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks in league history, was an easy choice. So was his top target, Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who had seven of his eight Pro Bowl campaigns after the year 2000.
Like Manning and Wayne, pass-rusher Dwight Freeney is also in the Hall of Fame. The seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro recorded 107.5 sacks in 11 seasons with the Colts while terrorizing offensive linemen with his signature spin move.
Freeney was another near-lock for the Colts' Mt. Rushmore, though there wasn't much of a gap between him and the aforementioned trio of Wayne, Mathis and Saturday.
Saturday was Indy's longtime starting center. He played 12 seasons and earned five Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-NFL selections with the Colts in the 2000s. Meanwhile, Mathis recorded 123 sacks and made five Pro Bowls in 13 seasons with the Colts. He also recorded the most forced fumbles in NFL history.
The last spot ultimately went to Wayne, who finished with 14,345 receiving yards, 82 receiving touchdowns and six Pro Bowls in 14 seasons with the Colts.
All of the players mentioned here were great, but there was something special about the offensive trio of Manning, Harrison and Wayne that may continue resonating for another quarter-century to come.
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 32
DT John Henderson
RB Maurice Jones-Drew
C Brad Meester
RB Fred Taylor
Though they did make a surprising run to the AFC title game in 2017—thanks to the equally surprising good play of Blake Bortles—the Jacksonville Jaguars haven't experienced much success or produced many stars over the past 25 years.
With all due respect to quarterbacks Bortles, Byron Leftwich, David Garrard and Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville hasn't had many true franchise cornerstones since Mark Brunell led the team on multiple playoff runs in the late '90s.
Running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor might represent the closest thing the Jags have had to recognizable stars. Both were long-term contributors.
Taylor spent 11 years with the franchise and amassed 11,271 rushing yards in total, with nine years and 9,316 yards coming after the year 2000. Jones-Drew rushed for 8,071 yards in eight seasons with the Jags, made three Pro Bowls and led the league in rushing in 2011.
Center Brad Meester was drafted in 2000, played all 14 of his seasons in Jacksonville and started 209 games. Defensive tackle John Henderson spent eight years with the Jaguars, made 120 starts and earned two Pro Bowl nods.
Offensive tackle Tony Boselli remains the only Jaguar in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and would have been a lock for their Mt. Rushmore had a series of shoulder issues not cut his career short. Alas, the five-time Pro Bowler played only 19 games in the 2000s.
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 32
TE Tony Gonzalez
DL Chris Jones
TE Travis Kelce
QB Patrick Mahomes
We'll keep this one brief. Players like Jamaal Charles, Tyreek Hill, Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali did make their mark for the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the franchise has had four true headliners over the last 25 years.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has six Pro Bowls, two MVPs and three Super Bowl rings in seven seasons as a starter, is an obvious choice. So are Chris Jones and Travis Kelce, who have also played huge roles in Kansas City's recent run of success.
Jones is a versatile defensive lineman who has earned six Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro nods over the last six seasons. Kelce, who has 12,151 receiving yards, 10 Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro selections, might go down as the greatest tight end in NFL history.
Before Kelce arrived in Kansas City, the Chiefs had Tony Gonzalez. While Gonzelez began his career in 1997 and ended it with the Falcons, he was arguably the face of the Chiefs franchise during the early 2000s.
Gonzalez made nine Pro Bowls and received first-team All-Pro nods in Kansas City after the turn of the century. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
Las Vegas Raiders
17 of 32
Edge Maxx Crosby
QB Rich Gannon
K Sebastian Janikowski
DB Charles Woodson
The Las Vegas Raiders have experienced quite a few lean years since they lost Super Bowl XXXVII following the 2002 season. However, they've found a few verifiable stars along the way.
Pass-rusher Maxx Crosby is the most recent, and his Hall of Fame trajectory should earn him a place in Raiders lore. With 59.5 sacks and four Pro Bowls in six seasons, Crosby is the current face of the Raiders franchise.
Back in the early 2000s, Rich Gannon was the face of the Raiders. While he only played three full seasons after the turn of the century, all three were Pro Bowl campaigns. Gannon was also a two-time first-team All-Pro during that stretch, took Las Vegas to a Super Bowl and was the NFL MVP in 2002.
With all due respect to Derek Carr, Gannon is probably still the most prolific quarterback of Las Vegas' last quarter-century.
While players like Carr, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack and Nnamdi Asomugha have made their mark on Raiders history, our last two spots go to defensive back Charles Woodson and kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
Woodson spent a seven-year stretch with the Packers, but he was a Raider from 1998 to 2005 and returned in 2013 to play his last three seasons with the franchise. His post-2000 Raiders career included 21 interceptions, three Pro Bowls and a Hall of Fame induction in 2021.
Janikowski may have only been a kicker, but the 2000 first-round pick held it down for the Raiders for 17 seasons. Affectionately nicknamed "Seabass," Janikowski was the rare special teams star, as he remains the franchise leader in both games played (268) and points scored (1,799).
Los Angeles Chargers
18 of 32
TE Antonio Gates
QB Philip Rivers
RB LaDainian Tomlinson
S Eric Weddle
Beginning to forge the Los Angeles Chargers' Mt. Rushmore was a simple process. Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates were all locks.
Tomlinson was one of the most electrifying offensive playmakers for nine seasons in L.A. He racked up five Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pro nods and one MVP during his time with the franchise.
Meanwhile, Gates had eight Pro Bowl campaigns and recorded 11,841 receiving yards during his 16 years with the organization. He was one of the best tight ends of his generation.
Gates and Tomlinson are both in the Hall of Fame. Rivers may not get there because of his lack of postseason success—he only reached the AFC title game once—but his numbers are Hall of Fame-worthy. In 16 seasons with the Chargers, Rivers amassed 59,271 passing yards, 397 touchdowns, eight Pro Bowls and 123 wins.
Filling the last spot here wasn't as easy, as players like Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa, Nick Hardwick and Kris Dielman had strong cases. We settled on Eric Weddle, who was one of the league's most prolific safeties during his nine-year Chargers career. He had three Pro Bowl seasons and earned two first-team All-Pro nods before leaving the Chargers and making another three Pro Bowls with the Ravens.
Los Angeles Rams
19 of 32
DT Aaron Donald
WR Torry Holt
RB Steven Jackson
OT Orlando Pace
Aaron Donald was an easy pick for the Los Angeles Rams' Mt. Rushmore. He played his entire career in L.A. this century and was widely considered the best defender in the league for the bulk of it.
Donald made the Pro Bowl in all 10 of his seasons, was an eight-time first-team All-Pro and won Defensive Player of the Year three times.
Coming up with the rest of the list was a little trickier, primarily because Kurt Warner was a Ram for only four seasons after the turn of the century, while Matthew Stafford is entering his fifth year with the franchise. Both are Hall of Fame quarterbacks, but they have relatively small resumes for this exercise.
Stars like Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk had some of their best seasons before the year 2000. Meanwhile, Orlando Pace, Torry Holt and Steven Jackson had strong resumes over the last 25 years.
Pace began his career in 1997 but made six Pro Bowls and received two first-team All-Pro nods for the Rams after 2000. Holt played nine of his 10 Rams seasons after 2000 and earned seven Pro Bowl nods during that span. Jackson spent nine seasons with the franchise, made three Pro Bowls and had eight seasons with 1,000-plus rushing yards.
Miami Dolphins
20 of 32
CB Xavien Howard
DE Jason Taylor
LB Zach Thomas
DE Cameron Wake
The Miami Dolphins have won only one playoff game this century, and that happened in the year 2000. Although team success has been fleeting, Miami has had some great individual stars over the past 25 years.
Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas were both easy inclusions for the Dolphins' Mt. Rushmore. Both are in the Hall of Fame and are among the most prolific defenders of the modern era.
Thomas began his career in 1996 but made six Pro Bowls and was a three-time first-team All-Pro after the year 2000. Taylor, who joined the Dolphins a year after Thomas, also made six Pro Bowls and received three first-team All-Pro nods this century. Taylor was also the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.
Cameron Wake and Xavien Howard don't hold places in league history the way Taylor and Thomas do, but both were incredibly productive defenders for the Dolphins. Wake had five Pro Bowl campaigns and 98 sacks over 10 seasons with the Dolphins. Howard was a four-time Pro Bowler who recorded 29 interceptions and 95 pass breakups across eight seasons.
Miami had some offensive standouts over the last 25 years as well, including Ricky Williams, Ryan Tannehill and Tyreek Hill. An all-defender list paints the brightest picture of what the Dolphins have had to offer, though.
Minnesota Vikings
21 of 32
Edge Jared Allen
RB Adrian Peterson
S Harrison Smith
DT Kevin Williams
Had Brett Favre played more than two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and/or had Daunte Culpepper not suffered a significant knee injury in 2005, we'd probably have a quarterback on their Mt. Rushmore. However, Minnesota's last 25 years have largely been defined by the search for a legitimate franchise signal-caller.
During his prime, Adrian Peterson was the face of the Vikings offense. Minnesota didn't have a reliable quarterback for much of Peterson's career, but it did have a legitimate centerpiece in the star running back.
Peterson, who should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in 2027, racked up 11,747 rushing yards in 10 seasons with the Vikings, made seven Pro Bowls with the franchise and was the last non-quarterback to be named NFL MVP in 2012.
Hall of Fame pass-rusher Jared Allen and standout defensive tackle Kevin Williams were largely to Minnesota's defense what Peterson was to the offense. Allen recorded 85.5 sacks in six seasons with the Vikings and was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro with the franchise. Williams was a six-time Pro Bowler, a five-time first-team All-Pro and one of the most dominant interior defenders of his era.
Leaving wideout Randy Moss off this list was incredibly difficult. However, the Hall of Famer spent more seasons outside of Minnesota than he did with the Vikings after the year 2000, and he cemented his spot in Canton as a New England Patriot. Our last spot instead goes to safety Harrison Smith, a six-time Pro Bowler who is about to play his 14th season for the Vikings.
New England Patriots
22 of 32
QB Tom Brady
TE Rob Gronkowski
G Logan Mankins
DT Vince Wilfork
The New England Patriots were the NFL's greatest dynasty of the last 25 years, though the Chiefs have been giving them a run recently. While New England has featured a slew of stars this century—including the likes of Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Stephon Gilmore, Matt Light and special teams superstar Matthew Slater—four truly special players comprise their Mt. Rushmore.
Tom Brady is obvious. The most successful quarterback in NFL history brought a level of excellence to New England for nearly two decades and helped deliver six championships before winning his seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rob Gronkowski is another fairly clear choice. Perhaps the most unstoppable tight end in league history, Gronk established himself as an entertaining personality, a fan favorite and an offensive superstar en route to three championships with the franchise. Like Brady, Gronkowski won another ring in Tampa and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Defensively, Vince Wilfork is probably the most notable Patriot of the last 25 years. The five-time Pro Bowler was the anchor of New England's defensive front for a decade. He won two championships with the Patriots.
Guard Logan Mankins somehow managed to miss both of New England's championship windows—he was drafted months after Super Bowl XXXIX and left the offseason before Super Bowl XLIX. However, he was arguably the Patriots' most dominant interior lineman during his tenure. With six Pro Bowls on his Patriots resume, Mankins was a star in his own right.
New Orleans Saints
23 of 32
QB Drew Brees
WR Marques Colston
G Jahri Evans
Edge Cameron Jordan
Beginning to build the New Orleans Saints' Mt. Rushmore was a quick process. New Orleans won its first and only Super Bowl after the 2009 season, and a few players stood out during that memorable run.
Drew Brees was the obvious pick for the Saints. The future Hall of Famer helped turn around the franchise, along with head coach Sean Payton, and had an incredibly productive career to go with that Super Bowl win. Brees spent 15 years in New Orleans and made the Pro Bowl 12 times.
Guard Jahri Evans was a Saints mainstay for 11 years and was part of that 2009 Super Bowl squad. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and a four-time first-team All-Pro during his Saints career.
Marques Colston was both a tremendous receiver and the sort of underdog that Saints fans could embrace. The seventh-round pick out of Hofstra in 2006 went on to record six 1,000-yard seasons, 9,759 career receiving yards and one championship ring. Colston's importance to New Orleans' 2000s resurgence earned him the nod over notable players like Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara.
Pass-rusher Cameron Jordan wasn't part of that 2009 team, but he's established himself as a Saints great since joining the franchise in 2011. Jordan is set to enter his 15th season with New Orleans and has already tallied 121.5 career sacks, eight Pro Bowls and 225 starts.
New York Giants
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RB Tiki Barber
QB Eli Manning
G Chris Snee
Edge Michael Strahan
The New York Giants didn't have a 2000s dynasty like the Patriots, but they won two Super Bowls over New England and had one of the easier Mt. Rushmores to construct. Players like David Diehl, Justin Tuck, Amani Toomer and Victor Cruz were notable, but New York had four legitimate headliners.
The most obvious is Michael Strahan, a four-time first-team All-Pro who amassed 141.5 sacks and played his entire career with the Giants. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014 and has remained in the spotlight as an NFL analyst and media personality.
Eli Manning wasn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer like his brother, Peyton, but his two rings should eventually get him into Canton. The remarkably durable quarterback was the face of the franchise for 16 years and a four-time Pro Bowler.
Manning had an incredible starting streak of 210 consecutive games that was only snapped when then-head coach Ben McAdoo made the baffling decision to start Geno Smith for one game in 2017.
Tiki Barber walked away the year before New York's 2007 Super Bowl win and probably missed out on the Hall of Fame because of it. However, he was arguably the league's best dual-threat back during his heyday in the early 2000s. He played seven seasons in that decade, topped 2,000 scrimmage yards twice during that span and made three Pro Bowls with one first-team All-Pro nod.
While guard Chris Snee might not have had the national profile of Strahan, Manning or Barber, he was undoubtedly a Giants icon. The four-time Pro Bowler started 141 games across 10 seasons for New York and played a role in both Super Bowl victories.
New York Jets
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LB David Harris
C Nick Mangold
RB Curtis Martin
CB Darrelle Revis
Like a handful of other teams, the New York Jets have struggled to find a face-of-the-franchise quarterback over the last 25 years. However, they've had some players worthy of a Mt. Rushmore, including cornerback Darrelle Revis.
Revis, a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro with the Jets, was an easy inclusion here. He didn't spend his entire career in New York, but he was a Jet for eight of his 11 seasons and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.
Running back Curtis Martin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012. His inclusion was less of a sure thing since he began his career as a Patriot and joined the Jets two years before the turn of the century. However, he played six seasons in the 2000s and led the league in rushing in 2004.
Martin's status as a Hall of Famer and a prolific Jet earned him a spot over other notable players like Shaun Ellis and Muhammad Wilkerson.
We'll round out our list with center Nick Mangold and linebacker David Harris. Mangold, a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, was one of the best centers of the modern era and spent his entire 11-year career with the Jets.
Harris was never a Pro Bowler, but he spent a memorable 10 years in New York. He tallied 1,088 tackles with the franchise and set an NFL record with 20 solo tackles in a single game in 2007.
Philadelphia Eagles
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DT Fletcher Cox
S Brian Dawkins
OT Lane Johnson
C Jason Kelce
Coming up with a list of just four Philadelphia Eagles to represent the last 25 years was nearly impossible, especially since we ended up leaving quarterbacks off the final list.
Jalen Hurts and Nick Foles both delivered championships to Philadelphia, while Donovan McNabb served as the face of the franchise throughout the 2000s. Iconic players like Jason Peters, Brian Westbrook and Brandon Graham were also tough to leave off. However, center Jason Kelce and offensive tackle Lane Johnson both felt like locks.
Offensive linemen rarely serve as the faces of franchises, but Kelce, a six-time first-team All-Pro, was that in Philly. Meanwhile, Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, is still going strong. Both linemen helped lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl in franchise history in 2017, while Johnson just won a second ring in February.
Defensively, Fletcher Cox and Brian Dawkins both felt like common-sense choices as well. Cox was also part of that 2017 Super Bowl team, made six Pro Bowls, played his entire 12-year career in Philadelphia and was one of the most dominant interior defenders in football for a stretch.
Meanwhile, Dawkins might be the greatest Eagle of the current century. While his career began in 1996 and ended in Denver, he was a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro for the Eagles in the 2000s. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Pittsburgh Steelers
27 of 32
Edge James Harrison
DT Cameron Heyward
S Troy Polamalu
QB Ben Roethlisberger
Filing down the list of Pittsburgh Steelers greats to four was no easy task. With a pair of Lombardi Trophies and 16 playoff appearances this century, Pittsburgh has had no shortage of team success.
Notable players like Hines Ward, James Farrior, Joey Porter, Alan Faneca, Jerome Bettis, Casey Hampton and T.J. Watt all contributed to that success. Leaving off Watt was especially difficult because of his gaudy statistics and Hall of Fame trajectory.
Watt has racked up 108 sacks, seven Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro nods in eight years. However, he hasn't yet achieved the longevity of defensive tackle Cam Heyward or delivered the postseason success of pass-rusher James Harrison, both of whom embodied Steeler Football.
Heyward has spent his entire 14-year career in Pittsburgh, has started 176 games and has earned seven Pro Bowl nods and four first-team All-Pro selections. Harrison had 27.5 fewer sacks than Watt in Pittsburgh, but he won two rings and had one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history with his game-changing pick-six in Super Bowl XLIII.
Watt is one of the most prolific sack artists in league history, but Harrison is a fixture of Super Bowl lore.
Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu were easy inclusions here. Polamalu was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, a wizard at pre-snap recognition and post-snap reaction and one of the most unique defenders of the modern era. Roethlisberger was a true franchise quarterback who played for 18 years and delivered two championships.
San Francisco 49ers
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RB Frank Gore
TE George Kittle
LB Fred Warner
LB Patrick Willis
While quarterback Brock Purdy earned a lucrative five-year, $265 million extension this offseason, he hasn't quite become a franchise icon yet. However, the 49ers have had a few of those over the last quarter-century.
Players like defensive end Justin Smith, who made five Pro Bowls with the 49ers, and longtime left tackle Joe Staley earned heavy consideration here. However, Frank Gore, George Kittle, Fred Warner and Patrick Willis felt like the right combination of faces of the franchise.
Gore played for five teams over his 16-year career, but he was best known as a 49er. He made five Pro Bowls and racked up 11,073 rushing yards in San Francisco. Willis had a shorter eight-year career, but he was a five-time first-team All-Pro and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.
Warner and Kittle are still playing, but they should both be Hall of Famers one day. Warner might be the NFL's best off-ball linebacker today and has been a first-team All-Pro in four of his seven campaigns. Meanwhile, Kittle is one of the biggest personalities in the sport, is arguably one of the top tight ends of all time and is unquestionably a 49ers great.
"George's leadership, enthusiasm for the game, for his teammates, and the Faithful are truly unique and special," general manager John Lynch said in a statement this offseason after signing Kittle to a lucrative extension. "He is an outstanding representation for the 49ers on the field and is an outstanding representative for the organization off the field."
Kittle has made six Pro Bowls in eight seasons, has 7,380 receiving yards and has shown no signs of regression. This past season, Pro Football Focus graded him first overall and first in receiving among 37 qualifying tight ends.
Seattle Seahawks
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RB Marshawn Lynch
CB Richard Sherman
LB Bobby Wagner
QB Russell Wilson
Coming up with the Seattle Seahawks' Mt. Rushmore was a challenge since the last 25 years featured two memorable eras. The Shaun Alexander/Matt Hasselbeck/Walter Jones Seahawks made the Super Bowl in 2005, and the Legion of Boom-era Seahawks won it all in 2013.
Of the two eras, the latter is more memorable. It also featured four Hall of Fame-caliber players in running back Marshawn Lynch, cornerback Richard Sherman, linebacker Bobby Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson.
Picking between Sherman and safety Earl Thomas was extremely difficult, as both were three-time first-team All-Pro defenders for the Seahawks. We opted for Sherman because he largely served as the face of the Legion of Boom.
Wilson wasn't quite the face of Seattle's offense, but he made nine Pro Bowls and eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons with the Seahawks. Meanwhile, Marshawn Lynch was the face of Seattle's offense for seven years. He made four Pro Bowls during that stretch and executed one of the most memorable runs in league history—the infamous Beast Quake.
Wagner rounds out the list and was arguably its easiest inclusion. While he's still playing and hasn't spent his entire career in Seattle, he's established himself as an all-time Seahawks great. In 11 seasons with the franchise, he logged 1,566 tackles, nine Pro Bowls and six first-team All-Pro nods.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 of 32
CB Ronde Barber
LB Derrick Brooks
WR Mike Evans
DT Warren Sapp
It was tempting to include Tom Brady here since he played a critical role in delivering the second Lombardi Trophy in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. However, three seasons, 14,643 passing yards and one Pro Bowl made for too small of a resume.
The four players who did make Tampa's Mt. Rushmore are franchise legends and common-sense inclusions.
Cornerback Ronde Barber, linebacker Derrick Brooks and defensive tackle Warren Sapp all had a hand in delivering the Buccaneers' first Super Bowl following the 2002 season. All three began their Buccaneers careers in the '90s but had strong resumes after the turn of the century.
Sapp's post-2000 stint in Tampa was the shortest, but it included four seasons, one Super Bowl, four Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pro nods and a 2013 Hall of Fame induction. Barber made five Pro Bowls and had three first-team All-Pro selections after the turn of the century, while Brooks had eight Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro nods and one Defensive Player of the Year award.
Brooks and Barber are already in the Hall of Fame, and wide receiver Mike Evans figures to join them roughly five years after he retires. The six-time Pro Bowler is still going strong and just tied Jerry Rice with 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards. He's also the franchise's all-time leader in receptions (836), receiving yards (12,684) and receiving touchdowns (105).
Tennessee Titans
31 of 32
DL Jurrell Casey
RB Derrick Henry
RB Chris Johnson
QB Steve McNair
Two selections for the Tennessee Titans were relatively easy. Derrick Henry is one of the most unique running backs in NFL history, while the late, great Steve McNair helped usher Tennessee into the current century.
McNair's career began in 1995, when the franchise was still the Houston Oilers. He also led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999, the season before our cutoff. However, he had six terrific seasons in Tennessee after 2000 that included three Pro Bowls and one league MVP (which he split with Peyton Manning).
Henry, who joined the Ravens in 2024, still possesses the scariest combination of size and breakaway speed we've seen in a modern running back. In eight years with the Titans, he racked up 10,960 yards from scrimmage, 93 total touchdowns, four Pro Bowls and one Offensive Player of the Year award.
Filling out the rest of the foursome was a bit trickier since the post-2000 Titans have had some standouts but few truly great players. Linebacker Keith Bulluck and tackle Michael Roos earned consideration, but we settled on Jurrell Casey and Chris Johnson.
Casey was a star defensive tackle for nine seasons in Tennessee and racked up five consecutive Pro Bowls between 2015 and 2019. Johnson only spent six seasons with the Titans, but he was a 1,000-yard rusher in all six campaigns and earned three Pro Bowl nods. He also earned the nickname CJ2k in 2009, when he rushed for a league-high 2,006 yards, logged 503 receiving yards and was named Offensive Player of the Year.
Washington Commanders
32 of 32
LB London Fletcher
Edge Ryan Kerrigan
OT Chris Samuels
OT Trent Williams
It's too soon to put quarterback Jayden Daniels on the Washington Commanders' Mt. Rushmore, though it feels inevitable that he'll eventually earn a spot based on how his rookie season went.
Narrowing down Washington's list was a trickier task than one might expect given the general lack of success the franchise had during the Dan Snyder era. However, dysfunction didn't prevent players like wideout Santana Moss, receiver Terry McLaurin and running back Clinton Portis from becoming stars.
Ultimately, though, we went with a pair of stellar offensive tackles and two franchise-caliber defenders.
Chris Samuels made 141 starts across 10 seasons for the Commanders. He began anchoring the offensive line in 2000 and went on to make six Pro Bowls. Meanwhile, Trent Williams took over at left tackle in 2010 and made seven Pro Bowls before being traded to San Francisco in 2020.
Defensively, London Fletcher may still be the most recognizable Commander of the last quarter-century. The four-time Pro Bowler began his career in 1998 but didn't come to Washington until 2007. All four of his Pro Bowls came with the Commanders, and he was a Hall of Fame semifinalist in 2024.
Pass-rusher Ryan Kerrigan probably has far longer Hall of Fame odds than Fletcher, but he had a stellar Washington career. The four-time Pro Bowler spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Commanders, recorded 95.5 sacks with the franchise and currently serves as the team's assistant linebackers and pass-rushing coach.
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