Commemorating the upcoming 2025 season, NFL Journalist Gregg Rosenthal named his top 25 players of the last 25 years. A pair of Green Bay Packers slid in among them. Fans can probably guess one – often appears on The Pat McAfee Show, enjoys ayahuasca retreats and constant drama. Add “surefire Hall of Famer.” A former Packer already enshrined in Canton also popped up a bit further down the list.
Green Bay Packers Great Among Best in Recent History
Edge rusher Julius Peppers signed a three-year deal with Green Bay in March 2014 after several seasons with the rival Bears. The 2002 no. 2 pick racked up 25 sacks during his Packers tenure. In year one, he forced four fumbles, recovered three, made two interceptions, and reached the end zone twice on defensive scores. He also notched a career-best 11 passes defensed.
True to his iron man reputation, Peppers didn’t miss a game in Green Bay – he sat out only six in his 17-year career. He sits fourth among all-time sacks leaders, half a sack out of third.
Behind 6th-ranked Aaron Rodgers on Rosenthal’s list, Peppers comes in at 18. Not bad going up against an era of competitors featuring J.J. Watt, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Aaron Donald on defense alone.
Especially in their first two seasons together, the Packers had a ferocious duo off either edge in Peppers and Clay Matthews. Had the latter played a slightly longer career, or extended his prime a few more seasons, he might be in the top 25 himself.
In the playoffs following the 2014 season, Peppers was a beast for the Packers. In Green Bay’s two games, the second a heartbreaker in which Peppers and the defense could not hold off a Seahawks touchdown drive in overtime, he put up 2.5 sacks to go with a pair of forced fumbles and 11 total tackles.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024.
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