NFL Top 100 list embarrasses itself again with Patrick Mahomes ranking

The top of the NFL’s annual Top 100 list has officially been unveiled, and once again, it’s proof that such rankings are as irrelevant as they are inane. Patrick Mahomes checked in at No. 5 this year, but anyone with even a casual awareness of the league knows the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is the best player in the game.

The frustrating part of the NFL's Top 100, as compared to other lists, is that it's voted upon by the players themselves—those who should know better. Instead, somehow the rankings come out incredibly skewed, as Chiefs Kingdom has already seen with Creed Humphrey's inclusion at No. 93.

Sure, he didn’t post the gaudiest numbers in 2024, but Mahomes has redefined the game's most important position in just seven seasons as a starter.

Mahomes’ résumé speaks for itself, despite what the NFL's Top 100 list says this year.

Since taking the torch from Alex Smith in 2018, Mahomes has lived inside the Top 10 of the NFL Top 100 every single year. This year, he landed at No. 5 despite throwing to a depleted wide receiver group for the second straight season.

Despite playing without Rashee Rice, his most trusted target, and Hollywood Brown, the team's big-ticket addition in free agency, Mahomes still went 15-1 as a starter and led the Chiefs to a third straight Super Bowl appearance.

At least the NFL's list acknowledges Mahomes' performance under pressure, yet somehow it doesn't elevate him above his peers. The 29-year-old led the NFL in both fourth-quarter comebacks (5) and game-winning drives (7) in 2024, but his overall production dipped behind Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, both of whom were ranked higher.

Perhaps there is something to be said for the respect Mahomes still holds around the league in a "down" season. Jalen Hurts won a Lombardi last year with solid numbers, yet he was ranked No. 19 overall. (Nah, we're just trying to give someone some credit here, which is more than what we can say for the list's respect for Mahomes.)

Here's what's true: ESPN's ranking of the top 100 players for the 2025 season had Mahomes at the top—the very place he's been year after year after year (after year)—literally. That's the result of winning two MVPs, three Super Bowls, and five AFC titles before turning 30. When you're quarterbacking a team trying for a historic three-peat, few crumbs are left for anyone else. Perhaps that's why Mahomes is sitting this one out, so to speak.