One of the sleepier times on the NFL calendar kicked into gear on , when the unveiling of the annual NFL Top 100 began.
It's the 16th consecutive year in which current league players have voted to determine the top 100, ultimately providing their choice for the No. 1 player in the NFL land.
Two new players will be unveiled each weekday (at 10 and 11 a.m. ET) on X, 麻豆国产 and NFL.com until the arrival of the top 10, which will be announced over the course of two weeks with a player revealed each day at 10 a.m. ET from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4.
So, who are the top contenders for the top spot?
Here's a quick look at some prime candidates as we hit the halfway point, as well as a look back at the gridiron greats who have previously earned the No. 1 billing.
- Four-time Pro Bowler had 39 total touchdowns in 2025, including 14 rushing scores, which were tops among all quarterbacks
- Threw for 3,668 yards to tally sixth straight 3,500-plus season; recorded third consecutive year with 500-plus rushing yards and double-digit rushing scores
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 3
- 2025 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler
- Posted 12 sacks (seven on third down), 23 QB hits, 20 tackles for loss, 85 QB pressures (NFL-high 48 pressures on third down, per Next Gen Stats)
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 46
- Followed up an all-time great 2024 campaign with 1,140 rushing yards -- his fifth 1,000-yard season
- Tallied 1,413 scrimmage yards to lead the NFC East-winning Eagles; his nine scrimmage scores were second on the team
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 1
- 2025 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year set league's single-season record with 23 sacks, while also recording 33 tackles for loss (second all-time)
- Won second DPOY, voted first-team All-Pro for fifth time, selected to Pro Bowl for seventh time
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 8
- Voted to third straight Pro Bowl to begin his career after second season in a row with 1,800-plus scrimmage yards
- Scored 18 scrimmage touchdowns (13 rushing; five receiving) to total 49 scores in 49 career games
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 27
- 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player runner-up was youngest player in NFL history to lead league in completion percentage (72.0, team record); Pro Bowler also led league in passer rating (113.5) and passing yards per attempt (8.9), ultimately guiding Patriots to Super Bowl LX
- At 23, became youngest QB to record 4,000-plus passing yards, 30-plus passing touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: Unranked
- 2025 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year; finalist for AP NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year honors
- First-team All-Pro led league with 413 touches, eclipsed 2,000 scrimmage yards for third time in career, surpassed 100 receptions for third time
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 73
- 2025 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year finalist led league with 129 receptions
- First-team All-Pro also had 1,715 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns during season in which Rams advanced to NFC Championship Game
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 41
- 2025 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year finalist was first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler
- Led NFL with 2,298 scrimmage yards (1,478 rushing yards; 820 receiving)
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 62
- 2025 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards (eighth all-time)
- First-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler registered 119 receptions, 10 receiving touchdowns and league-high nine 100-yard games, ultimately helping lead Seahawks to Super Bowl LX victory
- Last year鈥檚 Top 100 ranking: Unranked
- 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player led league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns
- Led Rams to NFC Championship Game while becoming third player (fourth instance) to record 45-plus TD passes and fewer than 10 INTs (eight) in a season
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 59
- 2024 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year was AP's top cornerback for second year in a row
- All-Pro second-teamer was selected to fourth consecutive Pro Bowl after helping Broncos become top-three defense, with Denver ultimately advancing to AFC Championship Game
- Last year's Top 100 ranking: No. 10
NFL Top 100 No. 1 honorees
| Player | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | Patriots | 2011 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Packers | 2012 |
| Adrian Peterson | Vikings | 2013 |
| Peyton Manning | Broncos | 2014 |
| J.J. Watt | Texans | 2015 |
| Cam Newton | Panthers | 2016 |
| Tom Brady | Patriots | 2017 |
| Tom Brady | Patriots | 2018 |
| Aaron Donald | Rams | 2019 |
| Lamar Jackson | Ravens | 2020 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 2021 |
| Tom Brady | Buccaneers | 2022 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 2023 |
| Tyreek Hill | Dolphins | 2024 |
| Saquon Barkley | Eagles | 2025 |
It's unlikely Barkley will repeat as No. 1 after such a drop-off from his 2,000-yard 2024 season.
Lamar Jackson is already out of the running after his controversial No. 69 slotting.
After the Chiefs failed to make the playoffs, it would be stunning to see Patrick Mahomes take the top spot again -- and even more shocking if it were the Steelers' Aaron Rodgers, who led his squad to the playoffs but put up paltry numbers in comparison to seasons past when he lit up the league.
Barkley, Tyreek Hill, Jackson, Mahomes and Rodgers are the only past No. 1s who were active last season, so it seems all the more likely a new top dog will be crowned. Therefore, it's also safe to say Mahomes, a two-time recipient, and Tom Brady, an incredible four-time No. 1 choice, will remain the only players to have been voted as the NFL's best on multiple occasions.
So, who will it be?
Since its inception in 2011, the Top 100 has seen a quarterback voted the top-ranked player 10 of 15 times.
In 2024, it was the Dolphins' Hill who was voted No. 1 by his NFL brethren, becoming the first wide receiver to garner the honor.
There have been two running backs to take the No. 1 spot: Adrian Peterson with the Vikings in 2013 and Barkley last year.
And only two defensive players have ever been No. 1: J.J. Watt with the Texans in 2015 and Aaron Donald with the Rams in 2019.
Who do NFL players believe is the best of the best after the 2025 season? The countdown carries on until Friday, Sept. 4.
