Ten greatest Chargers players of the past decade: 2010-present

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SAN DIEGO, CA – NOVEMBER 13: Corey Liuget #94 of the San Diego Chargers on the bench during the first half of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Qualcomm Stadium on November 13, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images) /

Chargers: Honorable mentions

Corey Liuget

2011-2018: 274 tackles, 24 sacks, 20 passes defended.

Liuget is one of the longest-tenured Chargers players on this list, having missed only 2010 and 2019 with the team. Though not as productive as the team hoped, few represented the organization with as much class as Liuget.

Ryan Mathews

2010-2014: 4,061 rushing yards, 23 rushing touchdowns, 1,110 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown.

What could have been: In one fewer game (with the Chargers) and 60 fewer attempts than Gordon, Mathews has more rushing yards than the first-round draft selection who replaced him. Mathews’ best season was in 2013, where he ran for 1,255 yards. For his entire career, he averaged less than 4.3 yards per carry in a season just once. Unfortunately, in his 112 possible games over a seven-year career, Mathews only appeared in 86.

Melvin Gordon

2010-present: 3,928 rushing yards, 32 rushing touchdowns, 1,668 receiving yards, 11 receiving touchdowns.

Gordon nearly made the list, but a down rookie season and a rocky start to the 2019 season has him narrowly missing the cut. He checks the boxes for “longevity” at five years, and has the number totals to make a strong case to crack the top ten. Unfortunately, the guy who will be mentioned later on has been more consistent and playing at a higher level than most at his position.