NFL Top 100

Last updated
NFL Top 100
NFL Top 100 logo.jpg
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons13
No. of episodes130
Production
Running time3–9 minutes (per player)
Original release
Network NFL+, NFL Network
Release2011 (2011)
Related
NFL Top 10

The NFL Top 100 is an annual television series counting down the top one hundred players in the National Football League (NFL), as chosen by fellow NFL players. The rankings are based on an off-season poll organized by the NFL, where players vote on their peers based on their performance for the recent NFL season. Only players that are not retired in the next season are eligible for consideration. [1]

Contents

In 2010, NFL Network aired The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players , an all-time top 100 list, with wide receiver Jerry Rice being voted as the number-one player. The following year, the network debuted their annual NFL Top 100, with quarterback Tom Brady being voted at the top. Brady holds the record for most number-one selections, with four (2011, 2017, 2018, and 2022). Fellow quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the only other player to have been voted number-one multiple times (2021, 2023). Non-quarterbacks to be voted number-one include running back Adrian Peterson (2013), defensive end J. J. Watt (2015), defensive tackle Aaron Donald (2019), and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (2024). Following Brady's retirement and resulting exclusion from the 2023 list, quarterback Aaron Rodgers holds the distinction of being the only player to be an NFL Top 100 selection each year of its existence. [2]

Series overview

SeasonOriginally airedNumber 1
First airedLast airedPlayerTeam
1 April 30, 2011July 3, 2011 Tom Brady New England Patriots
2 April 28, 2012June 27, 2012 Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers
3 April 27, 2013June 27, 2013 Adrian Peterson Minnesota Vikings
4 May 10, 2014July 9, 2014 Peyton Manning Denver Broncos
5 May 6, 2015July 8, 2015 J. J. Watt Houston Texans
6 May 4, 2016July 6, 2016 Cam Newton Carolina Panthers
7 May 1, 2017June 26, 2017 Tom Brady New England Patriots
8 April 30, 2018June 25, 2018
9 July 22, 2019July 31, 2019 Aaron Donald Los Angeles Rams
10 July 26, 2020July 29, 2020 Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens
11 August 15, 2021August 28, 2021 Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs
12 August 14, 2022August 28, 2022 Tom Brady Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13 July 24, 2023August 3, 2023 Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs
14 July 22, 2024August 2, 2024 Tyreek Hill Miami Dolphins

History

Tom Brady has been named the #1 player four times Tom Brady2 (1).jpg
Tom Brady has been named the #1 player four times

Produced by NFL Films, the series' first season was released during the 2011 NFL offseason. [3] The series was aired on NFL Network, which released ten episodes, each revealing ten players. The first episode, revealing the players ranked #100 through #91 was aired on April 30, 2011. The list and series began with the #100 ranked player, Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb, [4] and ended when New England Patriots quarterback and 2010 NFL MVP Tom Brady was selected as the number one ranked player. [5]

The NFL Top 100 list returned following the 2012 NFL season, running during the NFL's offseason. [6] Each episode of the season was followed up by NFL Top 100 Reaction Show, which featured NFL Network analysts reacting and voicing their opinions on the ten most recent players revealed on the list. [7] The series has run every offseason since, following the same countdown format and continuing to feature players and analysts reacting to the rankings. [8] [9] NFL Films have also released annual lists of ten players who just missed the Top 100 listing. [10]

Players with most Top 100 selections

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been selected to the Top 100 list a record 14 times Aaron Rodgers (51630824502).jpg
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been selected to the Top 100 list a record 14 times
Von Miller (left) and Trent Williams (right) have the most selections for a defensive player (10) and a non-quarterback (11), respectively Von Miller, Trent Williams (25405471758).jpg
Von Miller (left) and Trent Williams (right) have the most selections for a defensive player (10) and a non-quarterback (11), respectively
Key
SymbolMeaning
†Denotes Pro Football Hall of Fame member
^Denotes active player
PlayerPosition#Sel.Years selectedPeak
Aaron Rodgers ^ Quarterback 14 2011–2024 #1 (2012)
Tom Brady Quarterback12 2011–2022 #1 (3 times)
Trent Williams ^ Offensive tackle 11 2013–2019, 2021–2024 #7 (2024)
Drew Brees Quarterback10 2011–2020 #2 (2 times)
Von Miller ^ Linebacker 2012–2020, 2022 #2 (2017)
Russell Wilson ^Quarterback 2013–2022 #2 (2020)
Larry Fitzgerald Wide receiver 2011–2020 #7 (2012)
J. J. Watt Defensive end 9 2013–2021 #1 (2015)
Aaron Donald ^ Defensive tackle 2015–2023 #1 (2019)
Khalil Mack ^ Defensive end 2015–2021, 2024 #3 (2019)
Travis Kelce ^ Tight end 2016–2024 #5 (2 times)
Bobby Wagner ^Linebacker 2015, 2017–2024 #13 (2020)
Ben Roethlisberger Quarterback 2011–2019 #18 (2018)
Cam Newton Quarterback8 2012–2019 #1 (2016)
Tyreek Hill ^Wide receiver 2017–2024 #1 (2024)
Julio Jones ^Wide receiver 2013, 2015–2021 #3 (2017)
A. J. Green Wide receiver 2012–2019 #9 (2014)
Earl Thomas Safety 2012–2018, 2020 #17 (2014)
Philip Rivers Quarterback 2011, 2012, 2014–2019 #17 (2019)
Patrick Peterson ^ Cornerback 2012–2019 #18 (2016)
Tyron Smith ^Offensive tackle 2014–2020, 2022 #18 (2017)
Cameron Jordan ^Defensive end 2014, 2016, 2018–2023 #23 (2020)
Ndamukong Suh ^Defensive tackle 2011–2018 #24 (2015)
Mike Evans ^Wide receiver 2015, 2017, 2019–2024 #26 (2024)
Cameron Heyward ^Defensive tackle 2016, 2018–2024 #42 (2022)
Kirk Cousins ^Quarterback 2016–2020, 2022–2024 #42 (2023)
Zack Martin ^ Guard 2017–2024 #53 (2024)

Reception

Several NFL players have expressed negative opinions of NFL Top 100. Responding to the 2021 list, Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle D. J. Humphries called the list "bullshit" and "made up" and cast personal doubt on if players actually vote, stating that he had never voted. [11] In 2022, former tackle Andrew Whitworth, a 3× NFL Top 100 selection himself, also asserted that not every player votes on the list, calling it a "joke" and "content filler". [12]

NFL.com writer Jeremy Bergman opined that Aaron Rodgers' inclusion and Joe Flacco's near-make on the 2024 list showed that "players continue to suffer simultaneously from recency bias and a misunderstanding of what the criteria for this exercise are, if there are any". [13]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Where Would Manning, Megatron & Other Retirees Be on the Top 100 Players of 2016?. National Football League. July 13, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2019– via YouTube.
  2. ↑ #51 Aaron Rodgers (QB, Jets) | Top 100 Players of 2023. NFL Top 100. National Football League. August 8, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023– via YouTube.
  3. ↑ Roberson, Matthew (July 22, 2024). "How Does the NFL Top 100 Actually Work?". GQ . Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Top 100: Donovan McNabb". National Football League. April 27, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ Sharma, Aashish (July 4, 2011). "Tom Brady Named NFL's Top Player of 2011: Why He Will Go Down as the Greatest". Bleacher Report . Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  6. ↑ Smith, Michael David (April 29, 2012). "Chris Johnson falls 87 spots in NFL Top 100 ranking". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ Top 100 reaction: Biggest surprise. NFL.com . April 28, 2012. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ Bibel, Sara (April 19, 2013). "NFL Network Presents 'The Top 100 Players of 2013'". TV by the Numbers. Zap 2 it. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ Wilson, Aaron (April 29, 2013). "Dennis Pitta Named NFL's 100th-best player". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ @NFLFilms (July 29, 2024). "The players who just missed this year's #NFLTop100 list: 👇" (Tweet). Retrieved August 4, 2024– via Twitter.
  11. ↑ Balzer, Howard (September 3, 2021). "Humphries on NFL Top 100 Players: It's 'All Made Up'". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ Crisafulli, Owen (August 15, 2022). "'It's a joke': Andrew Whitworth rips NFL Top 100 list, exposes that not all players vote". ClutchPoints . Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  13. ↑ Bergman, Jeremy (August 2, 2024). "NFL's 'Top 100 Players of 2024': Five things the voters got wrong". NFL.com . Retrieved August 4, 2024.
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