The Most Respected Players in the NFL

Image via Complex Original

Despite his on-again, off-again suspensions for an offense that, even if he did commit, has had no discernible effects on his performance, Tom Brady is one of the most respected figures in all of professional sports. He always takes the highest of high roads, is a member of the mega-star athletes golf foursome, and has even made it into the obituaries of his fans. Of course, much of the respect Brady garners stems from his success on the football field: four Super Bowl victories (including three Super Bowl MVPs), two regular season MVP awards, and 11 Pro Bowls. Not too shabby for a sixth round draft pick, and it’s that rise from overlooked prospect to one of the league’s greatest quarterbacks of all time has served as a model for players across the league. Despite turning 39 in August, there’s no sign Brady is slowing down. It must be the avocado ice cream. 

When President of the United States says he wants to be like you, you’re clearly doing something right. Aaron Rodgers isn’t just a two-time MVP; he has the highest passer rating in NFL history for a quarterback with at least 1,500 regular season pass attempts, which prompted Scott Tolzien (his backup last season) to comment that playing with Rodgers was akin to “watching [Michael] Jordan in his prime.” Rodgers went almost three years without throwing an interception at Lambeau Field. Most players dream of completing one game-winning Hail Mary in a season, but Rodgers threw two last season alone. He even won a game of Celebrity Jeopardy! against an astronaut and a multi-millionaire. And despite having a "down" season (at least by Rodgers' standards) in 2015, he enters 2016 in the prime of his career and is widely considered the best quarterback—and possibly best player, period—in the entire NFL. For that, he’s gained the respect of the fans and his peers.

Although his best days are probably behind him, Drew Brees embodies everything you’d want in a star quarterback. He adopted New Orleans as his hometown after signing with the Saints in 2006, and quickly became the heart and soul of a squad that went from 3-13 to 10-6 during his first season. Perhaps most importantly, Brees became a fixture in the community as he helped rebuild New Orleans and its surrounding communities that were still reeling from the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. For his efforts, he earned the 2010 Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Brees hit his pinnacle on the field in 2009, leading the Saints to their first Super Bowl title in team history, and then eclipsed Dan Marino’s NFL record for passing yards two years later. He even inspired Saints fans to take up a collection for a big money contract extension that summer, which fortunately didn’t end up being necessary.

The face of a new generation of NFL stars, Cam Newton won last season’s MVP award after leading the Panthers to a surprising 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance. Sure, his remarkable play inspired Jeezy’s latest track, but it’s his superhero feats on and off the field that have made him a role model for children everywhere. And of course, there’s the dabbing (always the dabbing). Newton has earned the admiration of fans and the once-skeptical media by drowning out the haters and using doubt as motivation. You know who else has taken notice of Cam’s prowess and progression? His peers. In a recent poll, Newton was voted as the No. 1 player in the league by NFL players. Now that is respect.

When it comes to the tight end record books, you’ll find Jason Witten’s name in pretty much every major category. He currently ranks second all-time in receptions, second in receiving yards, and sixth in touchdowns among tight ends, and has established himself as Tony Romo’s go-to receiving option (sorry Dez). The Cowboys TE is also known for his charity work. Most recently, he auctioned off a night on the town with him and Romo to benefit the victims of this summer’s tragic shooting in Dallas. In 2012, he became the first player in NFL history to win the league’s two most prestigious humanitarian awards—the Bart Starr Award and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award—in the same year. Couple his off-field efforts with the work he does between the sidelines, and it’s no wonder that Witten has been the gold standard of NFL tight ends for the last decade.

You know how to earn the respect of your fellow NFLers? Beat cancer and return to the field a better player than when you left it. That’s exactly what Chiefs safety Eric Berry did this past season, making it all the way back to the Pro Bowl in 2016 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in December 2014. Fans and peers were thrilled to see Berry playing again, but he soon reminded everyone why he could be your worst nightmare on the field. His dominance earned him the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Perhaps Berry’s most inspiring moment came on the ESPY stage in July when he delivered an emotional speech about tackling his grueling cancer treatments and drawing strength from those fighting his same fight. Berry’s fall and subsequent rise has turned him into one of the most respected NFL stars. 

Few receivers have been as great for as long as Larry Fitzgerald. Coming off arguably his best season (in which he tallied the most receptions of his career), the Cardinals wideout is regarded as one of the NFL’s most upstanding character guys. His work off the field has ranged from trips abroad delivering hearing aids to disadvantaged children, to a recent initiative aimed at making helmets safer. He’s also embarked on numerous USO trips to meet and hang out with troops stationed overseas. The youngest receiver in NFL history to reach 11,000 career receiving yards, Fitzgerald has spent his 13 years in the league as a force for good. That, along with his nine Pro Bowls and setting franchise records in every major receiving category, make Fitzgerald one of the most respected dudes in football.

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who isn’t astonished at the incredible things J.J. Watt can do on the Gridiron. He jumps higher than most receivers, throws farther than many quarterbacks, and hits harder than pretty much anybody. His tremendous work ethic combined with his jaw-dropping abilities (and numbers) on the field make Watt a hero to fans young and old. Not to mention, he was unanimously voted the top-ranked defensive player in the league as voted on by his peers. No defensive end can alter games quite like Watt, whether he’s swatting down passes (41 passes defensed since 2012, more than any non-defensive back) or sacking the quarterback (his 69.0 sacks over the last four seasons are 18.5 more than the next-closest player). Watt is the ultimate game-changer and has earned the respect of players, fans, and coaches alike.

The world was introduced to Thomas Davis immediately after the Panthers’ NFC Championship game victory, when Davis posted an IG photo of his surgically-repaired broken arm that was fixed so he could play in the Super Bowl two weeks later. Davis made an impact in the game, recording seven tackles in Carolina’s loss to Denver. But Davis isn’t just some ordinary tough guy. This machine of a man suffered through (and recovered from) three torn ACLs in as many years, robbing him of all but two games in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Despite his litany of injuries, Davis returned to record 100-plus tackles every year since 2012. In 2015 alone, he was selected to his first Pro Bowl, was named First Team All-Pro, and was deemed “Good Guy of the Year” by the Pro Football Writers’ Association.

A player whose productivity has spanned well over a decade, Anquan Boldin is a consummate professional. His incredible work ethic has allowed him to continue to play at a high level despite no longer possessing the raw athleticism he once did. Quite simply, most receivers are retired by the time they reach their early-to-mid thirties, but Boldin (36) led the 49ers in receptions, yards, and touchdowns last season. Off the field, he’s one of the most charitable players in the NFL, donating his time and resources to the communities he's played in through his Q81 Foundation. For his humanitarian efforts, Boldin was honored as the NFL’s 2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year.