Every year the NFL Network counts down the Top 100 players in the NFL but it isn't voted on by reporters or experts. It is voted on by the NFL players who choose which of their contemporaries that consider the best. After Tom Brady won more Super Bowls than any quarterback in NFL history with his New England Patriots, many fans called him the G.O.A.T. His fellow NFL players agree, at least for this year, as Tom Brady took the No. 1 spot in this year's countdown.
Tom Brady's legacy
This is the second time that Tom Brady took the No. 1 spot in the Nfl Network Top 100 players countdown.
He also won it in 2011. In 2014 and 2015, Brady ranked third. In 2012 and 2013, Brady ranked fourth. In 2016, Brady finished second behind only Carlina Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton.
While Tom Brady hasn't won the honor since 2011, many fellow NFL players told ESPN that they couldn't think of anyone else who deserves to be in the No. 1 spot. Free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis said that Brady is not only the best this year but the best ever in the NFL. New York Jets linebacker Demario Davis said that as long as Brady plays, he deserves the No. 1 spot.
In 2016, Tom Brady missed the first four games of the NFL season due to a suspension. In 14 games, Brady threw for 3,554 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only two interceptions.
His 112.2 QB rating was the best of the year and the second-best season of his NFL career at the age of 39. By the end of the season, Brady played in his seventh Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, winning his fifth.
Other NFL contenders
This year, it was Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller who finished second place behind Tom Brady in the voting for the NFL Network top 100 players of the year.
Following him was Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, and Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack.
Last year's No. 1 pick Cam Newton, fell all the way to 44th on the list of top 100 players as voted on by fellow players. The Houston Texans' J.J. Watt, who spent almost the entire season on the injured reserve, finished in 35th place.
Dallas Cowboys 2016 rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott finished in 14th place and seventh place respectively.
Tom Brady will turn 40 years old before the 2017 NFL season starts and has hopes for another Super Bowl opportunity with one of the best offenses ever assembled in New England around him. Brady said he believes he can play into his mid-40s.
