Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill among six Chiefs to make NFL’s All-Decade team
By Matt Conner
Tyrann Mathieu, Travis Kelce were just two of the five members of the Kansas City Chiefs, past and present, to make the NFL’s All-Decade Team.
The members of the panel have spoken. The votes have been cast. The players have been named. The NFL’s official All-Decade Team is in and five members of the Kansas City Chiefs, past and present, are accounted for on the roster.
As NFL reporter James Palmer explains, only players who “received at least one selection to a Pro Bowl, Associated Press All-Pro team or Pro Football Writers Association all-conference team during the 2010-19 seasons were eligible.”
The Chiefs who made the team include:
- Travis Kelce, tight end – For several years, he played in Rob Gronkowski‘s shadow and took advantage of moments when the great Gronk was injured (which happened often). Now with Gronk retired (and wrestling?!), Kelce is the man on top trying his best to stave off fellow Pro Bowlers like George Kittle. Last season, Kelce set the record for most consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards with four.
- Tyreek Hill, returner – There’s little doubt that Hill will make this team as a receiver in the next decade, but for now, he’s stuck at returner which is how the NFL’s fastest player turned heads upon entering the league. Hill has been a Pro Bowler in each of his four NFL seasons—even this year when he missed the first five games—and these days he’s earning respect as an elite wideout for a Super Bowl team.
- Tyrann Mathieu, safety – The first of two Chiefs safeties became a fan favorite in his first full season in K.C. The complete defensive reinvention took only one year under Steve Spagnuolo and that was helped along by the acquisitions of general manager Brett Veach, who made sure to bring on strong leaders like Mathieu for the turnaround.
- Eric Berry, safety – When healthy, there’s no one like him. Even other safeties on this list would agree that there’s another level entirely between Berry and the rest of the league when it comes to being a complete player. Unfortunately, the gods didn’t smile on him when it came to health and Berry was forced to battle several injuries that would have derailed lesser players. He’s a living legend hoping to once again make his way back in 2020. We wish him all the best.
- LeSean McCoy, running back – McCoy only played a single season for the Chiefs, but this list would be inaccurate if we didn’t list him. He played an important role in the first half of the Chiefs Super Bowl season by providing the biggest spark of anyone out of the offensive backfield. Unfortunately, untimely turnovers put him in the doghouse, often under the guise of “saving him for the stretch run,” and he ended his season as a healthy scratch in the playoffs.
- Darrelle Revis, cornerback – Revis is another anomaly on this list who had to be included because he did technically spend time in a Chiefs uniform. The buzz was much greater than the production on the field after Revis signed as a veteran corner addition in 2017—a last minute veteran gasp at improving the roster.