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Patrick Mahomes Ranks No. 1 in NFL Network Top 100 Players of 2021; Tom Brady No. 7
Aug 28, 2021
TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 29: Tom Brady (12) of the Buccaneers shakes hands with Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Chiefs after the regular season game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 29, 2020 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was announced as the
No. 1-ranked player in the NFL heading into the 2021 season as voted by
his fellow players.
Mahomes was joined by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers as the top three vote-getters revealed during an
NFL Network special Saturday.
For the full rankings featuring all 100 players, visit NFL.com.
Mahomes took the top spot for the
first time after another stellar season. He ranked second in passing yards (4,740) and fourth
in passing touchdowns (38) and led the Chiefs to their second
straight Super Bowl appearance in 2020. He was named the Super Bowl LIV MVP for
leading K.C. to a victory over the San Francisco 49ers at the end of
the 2019 season and was the league's MVP in 2018.
Brady checked in at No. 7 after he earned the top spot in 2011, 2017 and 2018 with the New
England Patriots. Changing teams to join the Bucs didn't slow him
down, as he guided Tampa Bay to its second Super Bowl title in his
first year with the franchise after throwing 40 touchdown passes during the
regular season.
Here's the list of players
who've occupied the No. 1 spot since the rankings began in 2011, including Donald, who ranked second this year after leading the pack in 2019:
2011: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
2012: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
2013: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota
Vikings
2014: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver
Broncos
2015: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
2016: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina
Panthers
2017: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
2018: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
2019: Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
2020: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore
Ravens
No player made a bigger jump
into this year's top 10 than Josh Allen, who checked in at No. 87 last
year.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback has transformed from a mistake-prone rookie in 2018 to the MVP runner-up in 2020. He accounted for 45 touchdowns (37 passing and eight
rushing) during the regular season to finish second in MVP voting behind Aaron Rodgers and led the Bills to their first AFC Championship Game
appearance since 1993. Buffalo rewarded him with a six-year, $258
million extension earlier this month.
Davante Adams also made a sizable jump after landing at No. 57 in 2020. He led the NFL with 18
touchdown catches last year despite missing two games with a
hamstring injury.
The 2021 NFL regular season kicks off
Sept. 9 when Brady and the reigning champion Bucs host the Dallas
Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium.
The 2021 NFL season is set to kick off in less than two weeks, which means that fantasy-draft season is winding down. It's always smart to wait until late in the preseason to conduct fantasy drafts...
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Ravens' John Harbaugh on Lamar Jackson Contract Talks: 'There's Really Not a Hurry'
Aug 9, 2021
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 04: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with head coach John Harbaugh after rushing for a second quarter touchdown against the Washington Football Team at FedExField on October 04, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills signed quarterback Josh Allen to a six-year, $258 million extension last week, with a record $150 million guaranteed in the deal.
But Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh doesn't believe that pact will speed up negotiations between the team and its own star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
"There's really not a hurry for us," he told reporters. "He’s going to be our quarterback for years to come."
Whatever figures Jackson ends up on in an extension, he's going to get paid in a major way. In his three seasons he's already been an MVP, a Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro selection and led the Ravens to the playoffs three times.
While he didn't replicate his 2019 MVP form last year, he was still excellent, throwing for 2,757 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 64.4 percent of his passes. He also ran for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns, remaining arguably the best and most productive rushing quarterback in NFL history.
Arguments will be made for Michael Vick in that regard, and fair enough. But Vick only had one 1,000-yard rushing season in his career. Jackson, in three campaigns, already has accomplished the feat twice.
As for a new contract, heading into the season with the situation unresolved isn't ideal. The Ravens already picked up the fifth-year option on Jackson's rookie deal, meaning he's locked into place with the team through the 2022 campaign.
And even after that, Baltimore has the option to use the franchise tag on Jackson for up to two years, though doing so is both expensive and risks souring the relationship between the parties.
More than likely, an extension will happen within the next year. Harbaugh and the Ravens may not be in a rush, but Jackson likely will want the situation addressed sooner rather than later. Allen's megadeal only upped the market value for players of his caliber.
Baker Mayfield: Josh Allen's $258M Contract Is 'Good for the Quarterback Position'
Aug 8, 2021
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) stands during an NFL football practice in Berea, Ohio, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield told reporters Sunday that Buffalo Bills signal-caller Josh Allen's six-year, $258 million extension is "good for the quarterback position" while noting his focus is on winning as opposed to landing a long-term contract with the team that took him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL draft.
"I'm worried about winning," Mayfield said, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. "I think the rest will take care of itself. It's good for the quarterback position overall. I'd be lying if we said otherwise, but I'm worried about winning right now. I don't know the timeline on it. We haven't talked about it because I'm worried about winning this season.”
Baker Mayfield on whether he cares if extension negotiations linger into the season: “I’m not doing the negotiations so quite frankly I don’t give a damn. I’m worried about winning…” pic.twitter.com/OynrmhzCcz
Mayfield led last season's Browns to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and first playoff win since 1994.
The ex-Oklahoma star and 2017 Heisman Trophy winner completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 26 touchdowns (eight interceptions) and a career-high 7.7 adjusted yards per pass attempt. The Browns finished 11-5, their best regular-season mark since 1994.
Naturally, comparisons between Mayfield and Allen are inevitable considering the two were in the same draft class (the Bills took Allen No. 7 overall in 2018).
The Bills locked up Allen after a dominant 2020 season in which he accounted for 46 total touchdowns (37 passing, eight rushing, one receiving) and led Buffalo to a 13-3 record, AFC East title and AFC Championship Game appearance.
Mayfield looks like the long-term answer in Cleveland even if he has yet to finalize an extension. He is under contract with the Browns through 2022 after the team picked up his fifth-year option. However, whenever contract negotiations begin, Mayfield will likely benefit from Allen setting the quarterback market as he secures a massive extension.
Ulrich noted on July 30 that despite the fact that the Browns and Mayfield's camp hadn't engaged in substantial contractual talks, neither party is too concerned:
Mayfield has emphasized he's not in a rush to sign a long-term deal, and both sides seem to be comfortable with where they stand partly because they have mutual interest in a long-term partnership and the quarterback is under contract through the 2022 season after [general manager Andrew] Berry exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract in April for $18.858 million guaranteed.
For now, Mayfield is focused on helping the Browns reach (and win) their first-ever Super Bowl. Cleveland last won an NFL title in 1964 during the pre-Super Bowl era.
The Browns will begin this year's campaign with a road game against the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 12.
