Over the past two weeks, the NFL released its inaugural list of the league’s top 100 players. There is always controversy over who’s left off the list or who is too low, but this year’s list has created even more buzz. Tyreek Hill was voted the NFL’s best player for 2024, he joins Adrian Peterson, J.J. Watt, and Aaron Donald as the only non-QBs to win this honor.
When Hill’s teammate surprised him with the award, he was extremely excited and even thought it was a prank. He stated, “I’ve been wanting this my whole career…what did I say my rookie year? Give me time.”
Many media outlets and TV hosts have challenged this, saying that Patrick Mahomes is far and away the best player in the league. This is likely true, with Mahomes coming off his second consecutive Super Bowl, and third overall. Yet even with that Mahomes was not given the top spot, or even the top three.
Mahomes was voted number four in the league behind Hill, Christian McCaffrey, and Lamar Jackson. Making him, according to voters, the second-best quarterback in the NFL.
When looking at the full list, it does seem ridiculous for him to be outside of the top three, but we must consider who is voting: the players.
The players vote on this award during the NFL season. From a defensive player’s standpoint, it is understandable that Hill, CMC, and Jackson are the three hardest people to defend in the NFL. Tyreek Hill is the league’s fastest player, McCaffrey is the league’s best running back, and while Lamar Jackson may not be the best QB, he is, by far, the most elusive and hardest to gameplan for.
I don’t think anyone would disagree that Mahomes is the best the league has, but the players may be tired of hearing it. With that said, Hill’s 119 catches, 1,799 yards, and 13 touchdowns were truly remarkable and deserved to be recognized. Additionally, on Saturday, Hill agreed to restructure his contract with the Dolphins, making it worth $90 million and $65 million of it guaranteed.
