Why NFL Players’ Voting for the Top 100 Can Miss the Mark

Players Think They Are the Best Judges

Sometimes, football players say, "Because we actually play the game, we are the perfect people to judge how good other players are!" That sounds fair. But every now and then, they go and make a silly mistake that proves they aren’t flawless at this.

The Lamar Jackson Head-Scratcher

Here’s a real example. The NFL Network makes a list called the NFL’s Top 100 Players, and the twist is that only players get to vote.

This year, the Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback (that’s the player who usually throws the ball and leads the team’s attack) Lamar Jackson landed at No. 69.

That is a full 67 spots lower than where he was ranked in the 2025 list!

Why His Number Might Look Smaller

Some folks might say, "Well, maybe he wasn’t as good this year." Look at these simple facts:

• The Ravens barely missed the playoffs (those are the special end-of-year games to decide the champion).
• Lamar sat out 4 games because he got injured.
• His passing yards (how far he threw the ball) dropped from 4,172 to 2,549.
• His rushing yards (how far he ran with the ball) went from 915 to 349.

So his numbers were lower, sure.

But He’s Still Super Special!

Even with those bumps, he is still Lamar Jackson! Let’s be clear:

• There are not 68 players better than him in the whole NFL.
• There aren’t even 28.
• There aren’t 18.
• You could argue there aren’t even 8!

He is one of the brightest stars in football, no matter what one list says.

How the Vote Works (And Why It’s Wonky)

The NFL Network explained the rules a while back. Here’s the simple step-by-step:

1. A certain group of players (we don’t know exactly how many) is asked to write down their personal top 20 players in the league right now.
2. Each spot on their list gives points: the player at No. 1 gets 20 points, No. 2 gets 19, and so on, all the way down to 1 point for No. 20.
3. All those points from all the ballots are added up to create the big Top 100 list.
4. If a normally great player has a rough year (like Lamar did), he might not appear high on many ballots because other players who are super hot at that moment take those top spots instead.

Important Point: This isn’t the voters being silly on purpose. The process is flawed! Because the system only looks at a small snapshot (top 20 ballots), a star having an off year slides way down farther than he should. Lamar’s giant drop is the proof.

Summary

Players like to claim they know best, but the case of Lamar Jackson dropping to No. 69 shows the player-voted Top 100 list can get it wrong. The voting method—where a handful of players list only their current top 20—unfairly pushes down athletes who had a slightly worse season due to injury or team results. The players aren’t the problem; the rulebook for counting votes is.

FAQ

Q1: What is the NFL Top 100 Players list?
A: It’s a fun yearly countdown where only NFL players vote to pick who they think are the best 100 players in the league.

Q2: Why did Lamar Jackson fall so far if he’s great?
A: Because the voting system rewards players who are playing amazing right now, and Lamar had some injuries and lower stats, so others took his spot on many ballots.

Q3: Did the Ravens have a bad year?
A: They barely missed the playoffs, meaning they just missed the cut to compete for the championship.

Q4: Can a player’s ranking go back up next year?
A: Yes! If Lamar stays healthy and plays like a star again, voters will likely put him near the top once more.