| NFL Top 100 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 14 |
| No. of episodes | 140 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 3–9 minutes (per player) |
| Original release | |
| Network | NFL+,NFL Network |
| Release | 2011 (2011) |
| Related | |
| NFL Top 10 | |
TheNFL Top 100 is an annual television series aired during the NFL offseason counting down the top one hundred players in theNational 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]
In 2010,NFL Network airedThe Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players, an all-time top 100 list, with wide receiverJerry Rice being voted as the number-one player. The following year, the network debuted their annualNFL Top 100, with quarterbackTom Brady being voted at the top. Brady holds the record for most number-one selections, with four (2011, 2017, 2018, and 2022). Fellow quarterbackPatrick 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 backAdrian Peterson (2013), defensive endJ. J. Watt (2015), defensive tackleAaron Donald (2019), wide receiverTyreek Hill (2024), and running backSaquon Barkley (2025).[2]
| Season | Originally aired | Number 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Player | Team | ||
| 1 | April 30, 2011 (2011-04-30) | July 3, 2011 (2011-07-03) | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | |
| 2 | April 28, 2012 (2012-04-28) | June 27, 2012 (2012-06-27) | Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | |
| 3 | April 27, 2013 (2013-04-27) | June 27, 2013 (2013-06-27) | Adrian Peterson | Minnesota Vikings | |
| 4 | May 10, 2014 (2014-05-10) | July 9, 2014 (2014-07-09) | Peyton Manning | Denver Broncos | |
| 5 | May 6, 2015 (2015-05-06) | July 8, 2015 (2015-07-08) | J. J. Watt | Houston Texans | |
| 6 | May 4, 2016 (2016-05-04) | July 6, 2016 (2016-07-06) | Cam Newton | Carolina Panthers | |
| 7 | May 1, 2017 (2017-05-01) | June 26, 2017 (2017-06-26) | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | |
| 8 | April 30, 2018 (2018-04-30) | June 25, 2018 (2018-06-25) | |||
| 9 | July 22, 2019 (2019-07-22) | July 31, 2019 (2019-07-31) | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | |
| 10 | July 26, 2020 (2020-07-26) | July 29, 2020 (2020-07-29) | Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens | |
| 11 | August 15, 2021 (2021-08-15) | August 28, 2021 (2021-08-28) | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | |
| 12 | August 14, 2022 (2022-08-14) | August 28, 2022 (2022-08-28) | Tom Brady | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| 13 | July 24, 2023 (2023-07-24) | August 3, 2023 (2023-08-03) | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | |
| 14 | July 22, 2024 (2024-07-22) | August 2, 2024 (2024-08-02) | Tyreek Hill | Miami Dolphins | |
| 15 | June 30, 2025 | September 1, 2025 | Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles | |
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Produced byNFL Films, the series'first season was released during the2011 NFL offseason.[3] The series was aired onNFL 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 quarterbackDonovan McNabb,[4] and ended whenNew England Patriotsquarterback and2010 NFL MVPTom Brady was selected as the number one ranked player.[5]
TheNFL Top 100 list returned following the2012 NFL season, running during the NFL's offseason.[6] Each episode of the season was followed up byNFL Top 100 Reaction Show, which featuredNFL 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 theTop 100 listing.[10]
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| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| † | DenotesPro Football Hall of Fame member |
| ^ | Denotes active player |
Several NFL players have expressed negative opinions ofNFL Top 100. Responding to the 2021 list,Arizona Cardinals offensive tackleD. 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 tackleAndrew 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 andJoe Flacco's near-make on the 2024 list showed that "players continue to suffer simultaneously fromrecency bias and a misunderstanding of what the criteria for this exercise are, if there are any".[13]