8 unanimous picks for All-decade Team include Brady, Watt
♦ Von Miller and Adrian Peterson are also among the eight.
Von Miller had to catch his breath after finding out he got every vote for the 2010s All-decade Team.
Miller, Tom Brady, J.J. Watt and Adrian Peterson are among eight unanimous selections to the 2010s NFL All-decade Team announced Monday by the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I never dreamed about making the All-decade Team,” Miller said. “You think about Super Bowls ... but this is such an honor that’s so hard to get that you don’t really even think about it. It’s incredible to be here. It’s incredible to achieve this honor.”
Aaron Donald, Joe Thomas, Marshal Yanda and Justin Tucker also are on every ballot of the 48-member Hall of Fame selection committee. All but tackle Thomas and guard Yanda are active.
The 55-member team is comprised only of players who made an AP All-pro team, a Pro Bowl or a Pro Football Writers of America all-conference squad from 2010-19. Four of the unanimous players — Brady, Miller, Yanda and Tucker — won Super Bowls during the decade.
“Being elected unanimously is really, really cool,” said Tucker, who has worked with the same long snapper and holder since breaking into the NFL in 2012. “There’s kind of a lot going on in the world right now, so it’s hard to be super excited about stuff that happens in the football world, but it is still an incredible honor.
“It’s something that I wouldn’t have had a chance at if it wasn’t for all the great people around me. It starts with (long snapper) Morgan Cox and (holder) Sam Koch on the field and includes (kicking consultant) Randy Brown, (former special teams coach) Jerry Rosburg, (current special teams coach) Chris Horton, coach (John) Harbaugh. They provide an environment for us as a special teams unit to thrive.”
Seattle has the most honorees with five: linebacker Bobby Wagner, safety Earl Thomas, cornerback Richard Sherman, running back Marshawn Lynch and coach Pete Carroll.
Brady is joined at quarterback by another NFL champion, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. Brady, of course, took three of his six Super Bowl victories during the decade with New England, going 14142 overall, and recently left the Patriots as a free agent for Tampa Bay. Rodgers went 112-63-2 in the decade.
Peterson, the only non-quarterback to win MVP honors in the 10-season span, is accompanied by Lynch, Frank Gore and Lesean Mccoy in the backfield. Darren Sproles is the flex player — and one of the punt returners.
Calvin Johnson, who becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, is joined by Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Brown at wideout.