On Monday, the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed the 2010-19 All-Decade Team with four players who have previously or currently played for the San Francisco 49ers making the list: Joe Staley, Richard Sherman, Patrick Willis and Frank Gore.
The 55-member team (52 players and two head coaches) is the result of votes cast over the last several weeks by the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 48-member selection committee. Only players who received at least one selection to a Pro Bowl, Associated Press All-Pro team or Pro Football Writers Association all-conference team during the 2010-19 seasons were eligible. It's worth noting that 39 of the 55 players on the All-Decade Team are still active entering the 2020 season.
The NFC West, which has sent a club to five of the last eight Super Bowls, is the most heavily represented division, with 17 players with ties to the division, including Larry Fitzgerald, Chandler Jones, Patrick Peterson, Aaron Donald, Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner among other players.
Joe Staley
Staley was selected in the first round (28th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft by San Francisco. Throughout his 13-year career with the 49ers, he has started 181 regular season games, as well as all 11 postseason contests.
Staley currently ranks fifth in franchise history for the most games played by an offensive lineman, trailing only T Len Rohde (208), T Keith Fahnhorst (193), G/C Randy Cross (185) and C/G Jesse Sapolu (182). Staley earned All-Pro honors in 2011, 2012 and 2013, in addition to being selected to six Pro Bowls (2012-16 and 2018).
Richard Sherman
A five-time Associated Press All-Pro (First Team – 2012-14; Second Team – 2015 and 2019) and five-time Pro Bowl selection (2014-17 and 2019), Sherman spent seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks after being selected in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. With the Seahawks, he appeared in 105 regular season games (99 starts) and registered 364 tackles, 99 passes defended, 32 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one sack.
Sherman signed with San Francisco on March 11, 2018, and appeared in 29 games and registered 15 passes defended, three interceptions (one for a touchdown), a sack and a fumble recovery in two seasons with the 49ers. Sherman is tied for first in the league with Aqib Talib among active players with 35-career interceptions.
Patrick Willis
Originally drafted by San Francisco in the first round (11th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, Willis started all 112 games in which he appeared and registered 1,225 tackles, 20.5 sacks, eight interceptions (two for touchdowns), 16 forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 53 passes defended. Since 2007, he is the only player in the NFL with at least 20.0 sacks (20.5), 15 forced fumbles (16) and eight interceptions (eight).
Willis spent all eight seasons of his NFL career with the 49ers. He became the first player in 49ers history to be selected as an All-Pro in each of his first six seasons (First Team - 2007, 2009-12; Second Team - 2008).
Willis was the first member of the 49ers since safety Ronnie Lott to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. He also became the first player in franchise history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven seasons.
Frank Gore
Drafted by San Francisco in the third round (65th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft, Gore notched eight 1,000-yard seasons in his 10 seasons with the 49ers. Gore appeared in 148 games (134 starts) with the 49ers and registered 13,956 yards from scrimmage (11,073 rushing and 2,883 receiving) to go along with 75 total touchdowns (64 rushing and 11 receiving). He was named to five Pro Bowls with San Francisco and is currently the 49ers all-time leader in rushing yards.
Gore is currently the oldest active running back in the league. In 2019, Gore surpassed Hall of Famer Barry Sanders to become the third-leading rusher in NFL history with 15,347 yards.
For the full list of the NFL's All-Decade Team, visit here.
