Las Vegas Raiders feature heavily in NFL All-Decade Teams

2000s All Decade Team

• Shane Lechler – Punter, 2000-12 Oakland Raiders

If the 1990s were forgettable then 2000s and 2010s have been downright painful for the Raiders. The new millennium started off well as the Raiders made the playoffs in three straight seasons culminating with a trip to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.

Unfortunately for Raider Nation, the Super Bowl loser hangover that most teams experience lasted 13 years as the organization did not have a winning season or playoff appearance from 2002 to 2016. After three straight AFC West division titles, the Raiders have not won the division in nearly 20 years and went a horrendous 125-195 from 2000-19.

It has been a historically bad stretch for the team and it seems fitting that one of the few bright spots of the period is former punter Shane Lechler. The former Texas A&M Aggie spent 13 seasons in Oakland and was by far the best punter in the league during that span. Lechler racked up seven Pro-Bowl selections, six First-team All-Pro and three Second-Team All-Pro selections, and lead the league in punting yards four times.

Ray Guy is the only pure punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and if there was ever another one enshrined it will have to be none other than Shane Lechler. He retired after the 2017 season so he is not eligible just yet but it’s safe to say he can start getting fitted for that gold jacket.