5 NFL players who cement their Hall of Fame legacy in 2020
By John Buhler
56. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. DT. 2. player. Cincinnati Bengals. Geno Atkins
When you look at who made the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, you’re bound to find a name or two that’ll leave you scratching your head. Not in a bad way by any means, but in a manner that leaves you wondering how you and seemingly everyone overlooked a superstar player so badly. No player jumps off the page quite like that than Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins.
To date, the Bengals have one Pro Football Hall of Famer, and that would be a top-five offensive tackle all time in Anthony Muñoz. Other players have been close, such as quarterback Ken Anderson and the late defensive back Ken Riley. But of all the Bengals from the 2010s, Atkins has by far and away the best chance, and this era of Bengals football also featured A.J. Green.
Pro Football Reference has Atkins with a Hall of Fame Monitor score of 75.60. While that’s well below the next guy on the list in Green Bay Packers legend Henry Jordan at 100.33, Atkins’ decade of dominance in the AFC cannot be overlooked. He is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro who is starring for the Bengals of all teams! Atkins has been sensational.
The NFL 2010s All-Decade player may have a bigger spotlight on him and his team this fall because 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow now plays in Cincinnati. As we all tune in to watch one Bengals game after another, we’ll catch ourselves thinking how dominant of a defensive lineman Atkins is and has been for a very long time. He has a gold jacket in his future.