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About This Quiz
The NFL has always been more about team success than individual success, which is why NFL players aren't promoted as well as athletes in other leagues. Of course, there are still plenty of stars around the NFL, players who are easily recognizable because of their popularity off the field, but there are a ton of players as well who light it up on the field and keep a low profile when they aren't playing. Are you able to identify them all?
When discussing the NFL, it's often easier to talk about units than individual players, which is why nicknames like the "Legion of Boom," the "Steel Curtain" and the "Purple People Eaters" have become so popular. It's easier to recognize what a group of lineman or skill players are doing instead of what the individuals within those groups have accomplished. After all, it takes more than one player to stop an offense from running the football down their throats.Â
Do you think you can identify the stars who make up these groups, though? It might be easy to name the top quarterbacks around the league, but some of those secondary players can get a little tricky, despite their stellar play on the field.Â
If you think you know the biggest stars around the NFL, jump into this quiz and identify them from a photo of their face.Â
Luke Kuechly
Bobby Wagner
Khalil Mack
Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald won back to back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2017 and 2018. Between the two seasons, he had 31.5 sacks and 40 tackles for a loss while adding 100 combined tackles, proving he can single-handedly change the course of a game.
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Tom Brady
Aaron Rodgers
Drew Brees
A second round draft pick in 2001, Drew Brees started his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers. However, an injury forced the Chargers to part ways with Brees, and he went to New Orleans, where he has been one of the biggest stars in the league.
Philip Rivers
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Khalil Mack
The Oakland Raiders received a ton of criticism for trading Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears prior to the 2018 season. Mack led the Bears to the playoffs that year, while the Raiders ended up as one of the worse teams in the NFL.
J.J. Watt
Fletcher Cox
Chris Jones
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Carson Wentz
Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes exploded onto the scene in 2018 after starting only one game the year before. Though his career has just started, Mahomes has the skills to be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done.
Andrew Luck
Russell Wilson
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Alvin Kamara
Saquon Barkley
Todd Gurley
In his junior year of college at the University of Georgia, Todd Gurley suffered a devastating knee injury. In the end, the injury didn't really affect his draft status, as he was still taken by the St. Louis Rams with the 10th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Ezekiel Elliott
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Philip Rivers
Tom Brady
A six-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady has little to add to his resume before he finally calls it quits. However, the veteran quarterback is still at the top of the football world as of 2019, and he doesn't seem to plan on leaving just yet.
Aaron Rodgers
Ben Roethlisberger
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Julio Jones
DeAndre Hopkins
Tyreek Hill
Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown has recorded over 1,000 yards receiving in every NFL season except two during his career. After the 2018 season, he had 11,207 receiving yards, which puts him up there with the greatest receivers of all time.
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Aaron Rodgers
Despite his clear talent, Aaron Rodgers slipped to the end of the 2005 NFL Draft, where he was selected with the 24th pick by the Green Bay Packers. He sat behind Brett Favre his first three seasons before finally taking over the reins full time in 2008.
Philip Rivers
Carson Wentz
Nick Foles
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Julio Jones
Before joining the NFL, Julio Jones was a star wide receiver at the University of Alabama, playing for head coach Nick Saban. While at Alabama, Jones won the BCS national championship in 2009 when the Crimson Tide defeated the Texas Longhorns.
Michael Thomas
Tyreek Hill
Odell Beckham Jr.
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Darius Leonard
Luke Kuechly
Bobby Wagner
Von Miller
Proving he could show up in big moments, Von Miller had one of the best games of his career in Super Bowl 50. In the game, Miller recorded 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles, earning him the Super Bowl MVP.
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Tyreek Hill
DeAndre Hopkins
Before he entered the NFL, DeAndre Hopkins' final year at Clemson University was one for the ages. He set a school record by recording 18 receiving touchdowns while racking up 1,405 yards, which was the best in the ACC that year.
Adam Thielen
Davante Adams
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Darius Leonard
Chris Jones
J.J. Watt
After becoming one of the most dominant forces in the NFL during the early part of his career, injuries almost derailed J.J. Watt in 2016 and 2017. However, he recovered in 2018 and had a stellar season with 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Cameron Jordan
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Tyreek Hill
Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas led the NFL in receptions in 2018, after recording 125 across 16 games. He was a major reason the New Orleans Saints reached the playoffs, which is why the team rewarded him with a five-year contract prior to the 2019 season.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Adam Thielen
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Alvin Kamara
Even though he only officially started in three games, Alvin Kamara earned the NFL Rookie of the Year award in 2017. That season, he proved he was one of the most balanced running backs in the league, recording 728 yards on the ground and 826 receiving yards.
Ezekiel Elliott
Melvin Gordon
Christian McCaffrey
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Dee Ford
Jaylon Smith
Darius Leonard
Bobby Wagner
Despite his success in the NFL, Bobby Wagner wasn't highly sought after when he was coming out of high school. The only major college to offer him a scholarship was Utah State. He accepted that offer and attended for four years.
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James Conner
Phillip Lindsay
Saquon Barkley
The New York Giants were heavily criticized for using the second pick in the 2018 NFL Draft on Saquon Barkley, especially considering they had a major need at the quarterback position. Barkley lived up to the hype, though, and put up over 1,300 rushing yards in his first season.
Mark Ingram
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Russell Wilson
Jared Goff
Philip Rivers
Entering the NFL in 2004, Philip Rivers has only appeared in the playoffs seven times in his career. His playoff numbers have not matched his regular season numbers, and his ability to play under pressure has been put into question.
Ben Roethlisberger
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Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott has led the NFL in rushing yards twice since he joined the league in 2016, including his rookie season. Had he not missed part of the 2017 season due to a suspension, he might have led the league in rushing yards for three straight seasons.
James Conner
Mark Ingram
Derrick Henry
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Adam Thielen
Davante Adams
Keenan Allen
Tyreek Hill
Though he's not even 6 feet tall, Tyreek Hill has found a place in the NFL due to his incredible speed, which has earned him the nickname "Cheetah." Coming out of college, Hill ran a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day with West Alabama.
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Carson Wentz
Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck was a number one draft pick who had the responsibility of replacing Peyton Manning for the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. Other than his injury-filled seasons, Luck did a fair job, but he didn't have much playoff success. He retired in 2019 due to ongoing injuries.
Jared Goff
Jimmy Garoppolo
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Travis Kelce
It took Travis Kelce a few years to establish himself as a star in the NFL, but once he did, he never looked back. Kelce recorded over 1,000 yards receiving for three straight seasons and averaged at least 12 yards per catch.
Jimmy Graham
Greg Olsen
Zack Ertz
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Richard Sherman
Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Gilmore was part of a dominant defensive performance by the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. His biggest contribution in the game was a fourth-quarter interception that helped end the game.
Aqib Talib
Chris Harris Jr.
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Adam Thielen
Davante Adams
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Odell Beckham Jr.
Due to personality conflicts, Odell Beckham Jr. was traded from the New York Giants to the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2019 season. The trade gave the Browns another receiving option for their young star quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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K.J. Wright
Clay Matthews
Luke Kuechly
Luke Kuechly is a menace on the field, as he's had several seasons with over 150 combined tackles. He had his most combined tackles in his rookie year, with 165 of them, including 103 by himself.
Sean Lee
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Eli Manning
Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is one of the most reliable quarterbacks, with a career passing percentage over 64%. He's also very durable and has yet to miss a game in his seven-year career with the Seattle Seahawks.
Kirk Cousins
Matt Ryan
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Joey Bosa
Xavien Howard
Melvin Ingram
Darius Leonard
Playing college football at a small school, Darius Leonard wasn't well known until the 2018 Senior Bowl. However, he had a breakout performance in the game, leading both teams with 14 tackles.
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Jalen Ramsey
Coming into the 2018 season, Jalen Ramsey talked trash about many of the great quarterbacks across the league. Ramsey had a decent season that year, but his team missed the playoffs, showing that talk is cheap if it doesn't result in wins.
Patrick Peterson
Harrison Smith
Darius Slay
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Chris Jones
Akiem Hicks
Fletcher Cox
Fletcher Cox was the centerpiece of a Philadelphia Eagles defense that won Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots. Even though he won the only Super Bowl of his career, Cox didn't have a great game, as the Patriots game plan included stopping him.
Melvin Ingram
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Antonio Gates
Jason Witten
Jared Cook
George Kittle
2018 was only the second year of George Kittle's professional career, but it was one for the ages. During the regular season, Kittle set an NFL single season record for tight ends by putting up 1,377 receiving yards.
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Eddie Jackson
In 2018, Eddie Jackson ended a record streak of pass attempts without an interception that was being set by Aaron Rodgers in Week 15 of the regular season. However, the play resulted in an injury that forced Jackson to miss the next game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Derwin James
Jamal Adams
Harrison Smith
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Nick Foles
Jared Goff
Although he was picked number one overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jared Goff seemed like a bust following his rookie season, when he completed only 54 percent of his passes. However, after new head coach Sean McVay came in during the 2017 season, Goff's numbers exploded, and he became one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
Carson Wentz
Ben Roethlisberger
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Keenan Allen
Mike Evans
Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen caught a career-high 113 passes for 1,373 yards in 2018 with the Minnesota Vikings. However, the team as a whole took a step back and missed the playoffs after reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2017.
A.J. Green
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Christian McCaffrey
Melvin Gordon
While in college at the University of Wisconsin, Melvin Gordon set the single-game rushing record when he put up 408 yards against Nebraska. In a strange turn of events, the record was broken a week later by Samaje Perine.
James Conner
Phillip Lindsay
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Davante Adams
Davante Adams was a decent receiver during his first four years in the pros, but 2018 was a breakout year for the young star receiver. That season, he recorded career highs in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Keenan Allen
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Mike Evans
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Cameron Jordan
DeMarcus Lawrence
Chris Jones
The Kansas City Chiefs relied more on their offense than their defense in 2018, but Chris Jones was one of the few playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Whenever the Chiefs needed a big play, it was Jones who made it, finishing the season with 15.5 sacks.
Myles Garrett
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Harrison Smith
Devin McCourty
Byron Jones
Jamal Adams
Jamal Adams might have to play for a weak New York Jets team, but that doesn't mean the gifted safety can't shine on his own. In his second season with the team, Adams made the 2018 Pro Bowl and was named the Defensive MVP of the game.
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Akiem Hicks
Playing alongside other talented defenders on the Chicago Bears, Akiem Hicks finally got to shine in 2018, making his first Pro Bowl. He played all 16 games that year and had 7.5 sacks with 55 combined tackles.
DeMarcus Lawrence
Myles Garrett
Joey Bosa
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Kyle Rudolph
Jared Cook
Antonio Gates
Zach Ertz
Zach Ertz was one of the many tight ends to shine in 2018, setting the NFL single season record for receptions by a tight end at 116. He made his second Pro Bowl and helped the Philadelphia Eagles reach the playoffs as well.
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James Conner
Christian McCaffrey
In his rookie season, Christian McCaffrey had more receiving yards than he did rushing yards, despite playing the running back position. He flipped those categories in 2018, although he still had over 800 yards receiving.
Phillip Lindsay
Mark Ingram
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Baker Mayfield
Matt Ryan
Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger is a two-time Super Bowl champion, but he hasn't won a championship since the 2008 season. In recent years, his leadership has come into question, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are standing behind their veteran quarterback.
Kirk Cousins
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