NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

The NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team was a commemorative roster compiled in 2019 by the National Football League to honor the league's centennial. Announced during the 2019 Pro Bowl week and promoted across Super Bowl LIII events and NFL media properties, the list gathered franchise legends, Hall of Famers, and iconic contributors from the histories of the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and other franchises. Selection involved input from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, media voters, and fan balloting coordinated with NFL platforms such as NFL Network and NFL.com.

Background and selection process

The centennial project drew on institutional records from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and historical archives of franchises including the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cleveland Browns. A selection committee comprised veterans from Sports Illustrated, ESPN, The Associated Press, and former players from the Player Association of the National Football League evaluated candidates across eras including the 1920 APFA season, the 1958 NFL Championship Game, the 1972 Miami Dolphins season, the 1985 Chicago Bears era, and the 2007 New England Patriots season. Criteria combined individual honors like Pro Bowl selections, All-Pro designations, NFL Most Valuable Player Award wins, Super Bowl championships, and statistical milestones preserved in NFL record books. Fan balloting via the league's digital platforms and promotional events at NFL Experience supplemented media input, while the committee consulted historical works by authors associated with the Pro Football Researchers Association.

Team roster

The roster spanned thirty-six players and ten coaches/executives representing positions across eras: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers, defensive backs, kickers, and punters. Quarterbacks on the roster included legends linked to the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Dallas Cowboys. Running backs represented eras from the Jim Brown years with the Cleveland Browns through the Emmitt Smith tenure with the Dallas Cowboys and the Adrian Peterson years with the Minnesota Vikings. Receivers and tight ends echoed connections to the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, and Denver Broncos. On defense, selections reflected stars from the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Giants. Special teams choices acknowledged contributors associated with the Baltimore Colts and New Orleans Saints. Coaching and executive honorees included figures tied to the Chicago Bears coaching trees, the Green Bay Packers dynasty under Vince Lombardi influence, the Bill Belichick era at New England Patriots, and the organizational histories of the St. Louis Cardinals (football), Washington Redskins, and Los Angeles Raiders.

Notable inclusions and omissions

Selections invited debate; inclusions celebrated careers of inductees from the Pro Football Hall of Fame such as inductees connected to the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty and the San Francisco 49ers dynasty. The list included multiple-generation icons associated with the Green Bay Packers' early championships and modern playoff dynasties like the New England Patriots' run in the 2000s and 2010s. Omitted were controversial snubs from post-merger statistical leaders on teams including the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers who had strong regional followings. Debates referenced comparisons with other honor rolls such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Time Team and the centennial lists produced by outlets like ESPN and Pro Football Focus. Critics pointed to era-bias arguments invoking statistical changes across the 1950s NFL, the 1970s NFL, and the modern NFL era shaped by rule changes after seasons like 2000 and 2010.

Legacy and reception

Reception combined celebration and critique across national outlets including ESPN, Fox Sports, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and regional newspapers covering franchises such as the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. The centennial team was used in NFL anniversaries, museum exhibits at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and educational programming in partnership with the NFL Foundation. Analysts from The Athletic and commentators formerly of CBS Sports and NBC Sports debated placements on radio shows and podcasts hosted by personalities from WFAN and ESPN Radio. Some franchises cited inclusion of team members in marketing materials during 2019 seasons and commemorative patches worn by teams like the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

Impact on NFL history and records

While honorary, the team influenced public memory of milestones such as career rushing totals, passing yardage leaders, sack records, and interception leaders preserved in NFL statistics. It prompted renewed interest in archival footage from the 1958 NFL Championship Game, Super Bowl retrospectives including Super Bowl XXV and Super Bowl XXXVI, and biographical works about figures tied to the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees. The roster also affected historical comparisons used in Hall of Fame voting cycles and media lists, intersecting with statistical databases maintained by organizations like Pro-Football-Reference.com and research by the Pro Football Researchers Association. The centennial commemorations reinforced franchise legacies for the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots while stimulating scholarship into earlier epochs such as the American Professional Football Association origins and the league's expansion eras.

Category:National Football League history