They’re untouchable for a reason!
Look at any championship winner or contender in the NFL, and you’ll notice one thing: They all have several bonafide game-changers and superstars who can will the team to victory at any given moment.
One thing all 32 teams DO have in common? There’s at least that one big-game superstar that their GM would refuse to listen to trade calls on. Inquire about this player if you’re a rival GM all you want, you’ll just hear the phone hanging up on the other end of the line.
With that, let’s dive into every NFL team’s most untouchable player right now.
Arizona Cardinals: Trey McBride
The Cardinals have arguably the worst roster in football, so it was hard choosing an untouchable here. Quarterback Kyler Murray certainly is expendable now, and DeAndre Hopkins is long gone.
So let’s go with tight end Trey McBride, who came into his own on a lowly Cardinals team in 2023. By the end of next year, he could be a top-five tight end in football.
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Atlanta Falcons: Drake London
Kyle Pitts still hasn’t come around as advertised, allowing 2022 first-round pick Drake London to step up as the Falcons’ lead pass-catcher. London surpassed 800 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons with Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke as his QBs.
Clearly, London is one above-average QB away from becoming an all-pro-level pass-catcher.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson
Is there any doubt on this one? We saw how vulnerable the Ravens were in 2021 and 2022 when Jackson missed 10 games. But when he’s under center, Baltimore is a different kind of beast.
As a starter, Jackson has finished no worse than 7-5 in a season. The 2019 league MVP doesn’t put up the Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen-like passing numbers, but it’s mostly because he’s too busy putting up video-game-like rushing numbers.
Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen
Allen’s MVP-like play in the final stretch of 2023 is just another reminder that few players can single-handedly move the needle as much as he does.
Even when the injuries around him pile up, Allen just keeps putting on the Superman cape and finds a way to save the day. Allen has built a compelling case for the “best QB in football” crown, and the Bills are in good hands with him steering the ship.
Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young
Young had an awfully disappointing rookie year, but the Panthers don’t really have any other “untouchable” players to qualify for this list.
The first overall pick of 2023 still has high upside and will break out if the Panthers get it right with their next coaching hire. Young is undoubtedly Carolina’s lone untouchable for now, considering how much they surrendered to the Bears so they could take Young first overall in 2023…
Chicago Bears: D.J. Moore
You saw just how much the Bears’ offense improved — Justin Fields especially — following Moore’s arrival.
Chicago hasn’t had an explosive pass-catcher like Moore since in-his-prime Brandon Marshall, and that was almost a decade ago. The Bears have some promising pieces on both sides of the ball, but none of them are as proven nor valuable yet as Moore.
Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow
You saw how much the Bengals cratered in Burrow’s 2020 rookie year after he suffered a season-ending injury. Then you saw him take the Bengals to Super Bowl 56 and to another AFC Championship Game appearance in 2022.
Then you saw the Bengals return to mediocrity when Burrow suffered another season injury in 2023. Cincy, unfortunately, has had to learn twice now that you don’t replace a player of his caliber.
Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett
It’s no coincidence that the Browns went from longtime losers to annual playoff contenders since Garrett’s arrival in 2017. He helped the franchise end an 18-year playoff drought in 2020 then got them back to the postseason in 2023 despite a rash of injuries to key players on offense.
If not Aaron Donald, Garrett might be the best defensive player in football right now. Incredibly, Garrett will likely hit 100 career sacks before his 29th birthday next year.
Dallas Cowboys: Micah Parsons
Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Zack Martin all got consideration here…but we ultimately had to go with the one-man-wrecking-machine that is Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys defense went from mediocre to a top-10 unit three years in a row since his arrival in 2021.Parsons has recorded at least 13 sacks in each of his first three seasons, turning Dallas’ defense into one of the NFL’s most fierce units.
Denver Broncos: Patrick Surtain II
Amid the Broncos’ run of never-ending mediocrity, their 2021 first-round pick has emerged as a bonafide franchise cornerstone in Mile High City.
It’s easy to overlook the talents of Surtain II, considering how irrelevant his Broncos are. But the second-generation NFLer has quickly developed into one of the game’s top-five cover corners, and few can match his all-world ball-hawking skills as well.
At least Denver has one superstar they can try to build around…
Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson
The No. 2 overall pick of 2022 has been everything the Lions could have asked for. The Michigan kid led the Lions to a surprise nine-win season in 2022 after recording 9.5 sacks.
A year later, Hutch led the Lions to their first division title in 30 years. The stat totals aren’t Myles Garrett or TJ Watt-like — YET — but Hutchinson has been a top-tier pass-rusher and run-stopper since joining the Lions — and it’s not a fluke that they turned into a winner once he arrived.
Green Bay Packers: Rashan Gary
If there’s one guy the Pack should never consider trading, it’s star linebacker Rashan Gary.
He’s the straw that stirs the drink that is the Packer defense. The run D and secondary have their issues, but Gary is a menace in the trenches who gets better and better every year. He’s a key reason why this defense hasn’t completely evaporated into a bottom-five group.
Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud
The No. 2 pick of 2023 immediately performed like a superstar after arriving in Houston, and Stroud was even in the MVP race before suffering a concussion in Week 14.
After three straight seasons of four wins or less, the Texans enjoyed a resurgence under the rookie phenom and former Ohio State star. Stroud has single-handedly made the Texans contenders again. They owe Carolina a giant thank you for taking Bryce Young first overall.
Indianapolis Colts: Quenton Nelson
Offensive linemen in general don’t get enough love, but Nelson has been an absolute rock for the Colts since he turned pro in 2018.
The Notre Dame product is on a Hall of Fame trajectory with three first-team all-pro nods already on his resume. A fun fact: Nelson allowed only three total sacks over the 2019 to 2021 seasons.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence
T-Law guided the Jags to the AFC South division title in his sophomore year and was playing like an MVP in the first half of 2023 before injuries began to pile up. Nonetheless, he has mostly lived up to the billing as a can’t-miss prospect as the first overall pick back in 2021.
Hopefully 2024 is the year where he truly-fully-100-percent-puts it all together.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes
The best player in the world. Two Super Bowl championships, two Super Bowl MVP awards and two league MVPs over his first five years. The most untouchable player in the game — pure and simple.
NEXT.
Las Vegas Raiders: Maxx Crosby
The Raiders’ D is devoid of big-time playmakers…except for Maxx Crosby. The team has been mired in mediocrity for a while now, but it doesn’t give us reason to overlook Crosby’s talents.
Crosby has been one of football’s elite defensive players since his 2019 rookie year. Without him, this not-so-talented unit wouldn’t have been a borderline top 10 unit in 2023. Crosby basically is the entire Raiders defense.
Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert
Statistically speaking, a healthy Justin Herbert is basically a top-five QB every year. Even with awful coaching, a mediocre offensive line and a bottom-10 defense at his disposal every year, Herbert just slings it with surgical precision and accuracy.
Averaging nearly 280 passing yards per game through your first four seasons? The kid’s alright — and the Chargers would easily be a bottom-five team without him.
Los Angeles Rams: Aaron Donald
This was an easy one for us, because Donald is the best defensive player of his generation.
There’s already a case to be made that he’s the best defensive player ever, no disrespect to Lawrence Taylor. Even in his 30s, Donald remains the golden standard of interior defensive linemen. He’s still taking over games on his own like few defensive players ever have.
Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill
Tua Tagovailoa had two solid-but-not-great years as Miami’s starter in 2020 and 2021. But he started to play like a true MVP candidate once Tyreek Hill arrived via trade with Kansas City in 2002.
Hill has asserted himself as the best receiver in the game not named Justin Jefferson since arriving in South Beach. Mike McDaniel has crafted an explosive offensive juggernaut filled with speedsters, and it all starts with the big-play abilities and Hall of Fame-level play of Hill.
Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson
As we just touched base on, Jefferson’s the best wide receiver in the game. Three straight seasons of 88-plus receptions and 1,400-plus yards to begin your career? Sign us up.
JJ isn’t only Minnesota’s most untouchable player. He’s probably the most untouchable non-QB player in the game right now.
New England Patriots: Christian Gonzalez
Some might be confused by our decision to include Gonzalez on this list, considering he only played four games in his rookie year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. But there are a couple of factors here.
1. The Patriots have a lousy roster with no true superstars
2. Gonzalez was playing like an All-Pro corner before his season-ending injury. We still have full confidence that he’ll bounce back and emerge as a top-five corner in the game next year.
Absolutely no way the Patriots could consider trading him here.
New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave
Most of the Saints core players carry hefty contracts and plenty of mileage, so you could argue that the Saints should trade them all and begin a rebuild.
If there’s one guy to build around, it’s Chris Olave. The 2022 first-round pick has hit the 70-catch and 1,000-yard marks to begin his career, despite having mediocre QBs throwing him the football.
New York Giants: Andrew Thomas
The Giants’ o-line fell apart with Thomas missing about half the 2023 season — a testament to how valuable he is to this otherwise not-so-talented football team.
Thomas emerged as one of the game’s top offensive tackles in 2022, garnering a PFF grade of 89.1 while allowing just three sacks on 1,049 snaps. Thomas is a budding superstar in the Meadowlands, and the Giants’ other lack of big-time players made him an easy choice for this spot.
New York Jets: Sauce Gardner
Apologies to Aaron Rodgers, but “Sauce” is 17 years younger and not in the twilight years of his career. Without question, Gardner is the real untouchable on the Jets’ roster.
Gardner has basically played like Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman and Patrick Peterson all in one since his 2022 rookie year. He’s the league’s top pure shutdown corner and gives the coaching staff something special to build around for years to come.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts
This was a tough one, because the Eagles are loaded with superstars. But let’s also keep in mind how awful the Eagles were in 2020 with Carson Wentz…only to re-emerge as a playoff contender once Hurts became the starter in 2021.
Hurts would have won MVP honors in 2022 if he didn’t miss three games to injury — and likely Super Bowl 57 if the refs didn’t throw a tacky penalty flag on James Bradberry.
When he’s on his game, Hurts is a top-three QB. He’s an elite pocket passer and just as crafty in the ground game. It’s only a matter of time until he leads the Eagles to championship glory after coming oh-so-close last year.
Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt
If not Aaron Donald, Nick Bosa or Myles Garrett, Watt is the best defensive player in the game. Take your pick.
Like Garrett, Watt is taking down opposing QBs at an alarming rate. He’s basically an annual threat for 20-plus sacks, having hit 22.5 in the 2021 season by the way. Watt is easily on the Mt. Rushmore of untouchable NFL defensive players right now.
San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa
This was the toughest. How do you choose between Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk AND Deebo Samuel?
Our thinking was this: The 49ers didn’t begin to turn it around under Kyle Shanahan until Bosa burst onto the scene in 2019. This team cratered in 2020 when he missed all but two games. Also, he’s younger than most of the guys mentioned above.
In Bosa’s first three healthy seasons? Three AFC Championship Games, one Super Bowl appearance and 43 sacks. If there’s one super-duper-absolute-untouchable on the 49ers roster, it’s Bosa.
Seattle Seahawks: D.K. Metcalf
Devon Witherspoon got consideration here, but it’s hard to go against Seattle’s top offensive playmaker here.
This freak of nature has been the model of consistency since his 2019 rookie year. Whether it’s Russell Wilson, Geno Smith or Drew Lock throwing to him, Metcalf just keeps putting up All-Pro-like numbers.
Take him off this team, and the Seattle offense is a bottom 10 unit.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tristan Wirfs
Tom Brady’s retirement and Mike Evans’ age allows us to settle on arguably the game’s best offensive tackle not named Trent Williams.
Wirfs has been an absolute beast on Tampa’s o-line since they traded up to snag him 13th overall in 2020. It’s not a stretch to believe the Bucs wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl without Wirfs’ rock-solid performance as Brady’s blindside protector for three years.
And if not for Wirfs, Baker Mayfield wouldn’t have enjoyed such a career revival in 2023…
Tennessee Titans: Jeffery Simmons
We’d have Derrick Henry on here if he was a few years younger…but the hulking defensive tackle has to be the choice here.
Simmons is making a compelling case as the third-best interior defensive lineman in football, behind only Chris Jones and Aaron Donald. He doesn’t have a whole lot of help on that side of the ball, but Simmons does it all as a pass-rusher and five-star run-stopper.
Washington Commanders: Terry McLaurin
With so many holes and few Pro Bowl-caliber guys on the roster, McLaurin was an easy choice for us. He just keeps putting up steady numbers despite never having an elite QB to throw him the football.
McLaurin is practically a gimme for 70-catches and 1,000-yards each year. How he keeps doing it without a solid QB is beyond us. Now, can Washington please find an above-average signal-caller to help him for once?!
Who do you think is the most untouchable player in football right now?
