The Top 100 Players of 2020 counts down the top players in the NFL as determined solely by the players themselves. This year, NFL Films collected 970 ballots and interviewed 132 players. The NFL players listed the following as the top 5 players in the league:
- Lamar Jackson
- Russell Wilson
- Aaron Donald
- Patrick Mahomes
- Michael Thomas
Doug Gottlieb is baffled at this result and voices in the audio below his disappointment with Lamar Jackson being voted #1:
"I don't know how you could put anybody other than Pat Mahomes as number 1...There's a respect for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens that I get, but we're doing this 'thing' again.
In 2016 Cam Newton was voted number 1 in the same poll. Newton's team went 15-1, and they lost in the Super Bowl. What did we see in that Super Bowl? Cam Newton wasn't great in the playoffs, and in the Super Bowl, he was atrocious, and it showed his limitations. In that 2016 season, I don't believe they played a team that had an above .500 record. Crazy right? Soft schedule, their defense was great, their running game was great...there's a lot of similarities to how Baltimore is playing.
...My thing with Lamar Jackson is there are limitations to what he can do. He still can be wildly inaccurate. We've seen this style of quarterback get banged up, hurt, and then have to be more of a thrower, and that's when they get exposed as 'always been able to "run" out of trouble.' Maybe next season he proves that he can continue to evolve and get better.
But right now, between Pat Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, who are YOU taking? Russell Wilson or Lamar Jackson, who are YOU taking? Aaron Rodgers or Lamar Jackson, who are YOU taking?"