Pittsburgh Steelers: Ranking the 10 best players of the past decade

2. Antonio Brown, WR

If you block out the past year to year and a half of Brown’s antics, he’s a Steelers legend and a future Hall of Famer. Unfortunately, the superstar receiving took a dive off the deep end in 2019. He forced his way out of Pittsburgh and Oakland before finding himself at the center of numerous scandals and legal cases.

This ranking does not condone anything Brown did during the past year and a half, nor does it try to reward him for his illegal and immoral actions. However, the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2010s cannot be written without Brown. He played an enormous role in the team’s success and is arguably the most talented receiver in franchise history.

The Steelers drafted Brown in the sixth round back in 2010. After limited appearances as a rookie, Brown made the Pro Bowl in 2011. Following a mediocre 2012 campaign, Brown emerged as one of the NFL’s top receivers. From 2013 through 2018, he amassed 686 receptions, 9,145 receiving yards, and 67 receiving touchdowns to go along with six Pro Bowls and four First-Team All-Pro selections.

To put Brown’s prime stretch in perspective, Calvin Johnson made six Pro Bowls and three First All-Pro Teams during his entire career. Even Julio Jones, Brown’s closest competition for years, only received two First-Team All-Pro selections during his first nine seasons.

Brown stood out as the best receiver of the late 2010s. As a key member of the Killer Bs offense, he deserves a high rank on this list.