What a former NFL player thinks about the Top 100 list

With training camps soon to start all over the NFL, an annual tradition has been kicked off again: the Top 100 list. First introduced in 2011, the list counts down the 100 best players in football today, as voted on exclusively by the players. However, the list has frequently been criticized numerous times in the past for not accurately reflecting players’ quality but rather their standing among the league’s star players. It is, in its essence, a popularity contest.

One former NFL player, retired offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, therefore recently took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the list and its voting process:

The NFL 100 list is silly. It’s just something for offseason programming. When I was playing and got asked to do [it], I’d put Mitch’s name first. Then my teammates. And then my favorite lineman. Not sure how many guys take it seriously.

The Mitch mentioned by Schwartz, who played in the NFL between 2008 and his retirement in 2016, is his brother, Mitchell Schwartz. Despite his status as one of the best offensive linemen in the game today, the Kansas City Chiefs’ current starting right tackle will likely not appear on the list this year.

Regardless of opinion and validity, however, the list will continue to stir up controversy and debate over the next few days when NFL Network unveils the Top 100 10 players at a time.

Through the years, only one man has been voted the league’s best player more than once: former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has taken the honor home three times (2011, 2017, 2018). Meanwhile, current Patriots QB Cam Newton was voted No. 1 after his 2015 season that saw him lead the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl and be named the league’s most valuable player.