Since the NFL released its Top 100 rankings last week, which were voted on by players, a number of media members have been heavily scrutinizing the list. And on Monday, ESPN’s Damien Woody had plenty to say on First Take about Patrick Mahomes’ No. 4 ranking on the list.
Mahomes notably topped the list in the 2023 NFL Top 100 list. So one would naturally assume that after leading the Chiefs to a second-straight Super Bowl championship in the 2023-24 season, Mahomes would maintain his ranking this time around.
However, that was not the case. The two-time NFL MVP came in at No. 4 in the list behind San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
The list immediately received scrutiny based on Mahomes’ ranking alone. And Woody piled onto with a strong statement against the ranking on Monday’s edition of First Take.
“If I had my paper, I would rip the whole thing,” said Woody. “The hell you got Patrick Mahomes at number four…We’re talking about a guy in Patrick Mahomes that’s embarking on something that Tom Brady hasn’t done, that the great Joe Montana hasn’t done. He’s literally one of one and we’ve got a running back above Patrick Mahomes? I’m disappointed in the fellas that voted on this. The players. C’mon guys, we’ve got to do better than this.”
“He’s literally one of one, and we’ve got a running back above Patrick Mahomes? I’m disappointed in the fellas that voted on this.”@damienwoody isn’t feeling the NFL’s top 100 players of 2024 as voted on by players in the league 😳 pic.twitter.com/R4oLZGyurR
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 5, 2024
It’s certainly a fair take from Woody when you consider Mahomes actually defeated all three of the players ranked above him in the postseason this past season.
While team success obviously isn’t the end-all-be-all when it comes to this kind of ranking, it’s not like Mahomes individual stats are noting to sneeze at. Particularly in the postseason, where Mahomes averaged 265 passing yards per game, to go along with six touchdowns and just one interception.
Simply put, any list that currently has another quarterback above Mahomes, after all he has accomplished, certainly is a bit flawed at this point in time. So Woody and the rest of the media members upset with this list have a very fair gripe.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.