Good news, long-suffering Jets fans, you are off the list after coming in at No. 15 last season. But a bigger NFL problem — fans as a whole — tops our yearly counter as the league and sport face a crucial time in their existence.
1. The fans (2016 rank: NR): The debilitating anthem controversy, troubling reminders about the hazards of CTE and the absence of some of the marquee stars and compelling games has precipitated declining television ratings and popularity. Unless and until the problems are resolved in a satisfactory manner, a concerning number of fans have decided to take a knee.
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers QB (40): Danica Patrick’s favorite quarterback returns — with a $134 million contract — from a broken collarbone that limited him to seven games last season and crippled the Packers.
3. Deshaun Watson, Texans QB (31): Would have been Rookie of the Year (19 TDs, 7 INTs, 269 rushing yards) if he hadn’t torn an ACL during a November practice. Former Clemson national champion is a natural-born leader and dynamic talent.
4. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers QB (NR): The $137.5 million man has single-handedly invigorated the 49ers franchise and the best is yet to come under Kyle Shanahan.
5. Odell Beckham Jr., Giants WR (2): All eyes on the lightning rod and Comeback Player of the Year candidate who will chase his goal of a legendary career as the highest-paid receiver ($95 million over five years) in the game.
6. Jon Gruden, Raiders coach (NR): Raiders owner Mark Davis, 16 years after his HOF father Al Davis traded Guden in the middle of the night to the Bucs, lured the grinder coach out of the television booth with a 10-year, $100 million deal. After trading star DE Khalil Mack to the Bears, you’ll be seeing a lot more of the Chucky face.
7. Andrew Luck, Colts QB (20): He would have been one of the faces of the NFL if his barking throwing shoulder hadn’t cost him the 2017 season. Root for his comeback.
8. Carson Wentz, Eagles QB (26): He was on his way to MVP honors before suffering a torn ACL and LCL in Week 14 that rendered him a spectator to Nick Foles leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl championship. All eyes on when he returns, but it won’t be Thursday night.
9. Kirk Cousins, Vikings QB (NR): The prize of the free-agent market has been guaranteed $84 million over three years to take the Vikings to the Super Bowl.
10. Saquon Barkley, Giants RB (NR): Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber were known fleetingly as Thunder and Lightning. The second-overall pick of the draft is both. As recently as two months ago, his No. 26 was the NFL’s top-selling jersey. Imagine once he starts playing.
11. Tom Brady, Patriots QB (1): So much drama as Life Begins at 41 — tension with Bill Belichick over Trainergate, fluctuating deals with Gisele over retirement, Tom versus Time. Could ride off into sunset if he wins sixth Super Bowl. Or play til he’s 45.
12. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots TE (17): Whenever he decides on a Hollywood career, it’s a safe bet that Gronk won’t be playing the part of Belichick since the bloom seems to be off that rose. A WWE career would be a seamless transition as well.
13. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys RB (6): His sophomore season was marred by an on-again, off-again, on-again six-game suspension (domestic violence offender). With Dez Bryant and Jason Witten gone, it’s Zeke’s show.
14. Dak Prescott, Cowboys QB (5): It’s Dak’s show. He’s the quarterback of America’s Team.
15. Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner (11): But mostly, it’s Jerry’s show. He’ll be the first to tell you that.
16. J.J. Watt, Texans DE (16): Impossible not to root for Hurricane Harvey’s Houston Hero as Comeback Player of the Year following back-to-back season-ending injuries.
17. Bill Belichick, Patriots coach (12): The Other New England G.O.A.T. Could a sixth ring compel Hoody Chuckles to hang it up and hand the reins over to OC Josh McDaniels?
18. Khalil Mack, Bears DE (25): The most compelling Monster of the Midway since Brian Urlacher. Highest-paid defender ($141 million) in NFL history. Moneyball in NFC North against Rodgers and Cousins.
19. Sam Darnold, Jets QB (46): Off-Broadway Sam’s rookie growing pains begin Monday night in Detroit.
20. Donald Trump, U.S. President (NR): He’ll be watching every national anthem like a hawk and tweeting about the evils of the NFL every chance he gets. Would have placed him higher, but wouldn’t want it to go to his head.
21. Baker Mayfield, Browns QB (NR): How quickly will he supplant Tyrod Taylor and rally his team and quarterback-starved town around him? He won’t be Drew Brees or Russell Wilson, but no one should be expecting Johnny Manziel, either.
22. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs QB (NR): The second-year gunslinger takes over for Alex Smith following a redshirt rookie season in Kansas City under Andy Reid.
23. Cam Newton, Panthers QB (50): He still can give us Superman moments on the field and sore loser moments off it.
24. Russell Wilson, Seahawks QB (NR): First-round RB Rashaad Penny will take some heat off him, but he’s still The Straw That Stirs the Seahawk Drink.
25. Mitch Trubisky, Bears QB (NR): He’ll be expected to mimic Jared Goff’s sophomore season in Los Angeles with a rookie head coach (Matt Nagy) and new weapons Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller.
26. Malcom Jenkins, Eagles S (NR): The face of the racial injustice, police brutality and criminal justice anthem protest movement.
27. Josh Rosen, Cardinals QB (46): It won’t be long before Chosen Rosen gets his chance to prove his contention that there were nine mistakes made before the Cardinals traded up for him at the 10th pick. Will he be popular with his teammates? Will he need to be challenged by the coaching staff? Is he in love with football? Is he the most pro-ready of the rookie quarterbacks?
28. Jalen Ramsey, Jaguars CB (NR): He’s suddenly the Muhammad Ali of shutdown cornerbacks. Now he’ll have to back it all up against all the quarterbacks he dissed.
29. Sean McVay, Rams coach (9): The pressure will be on the 32-year-old reigning NFL Coach of the Year to get his Rams Dream Team (new additions Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, Ndamukong Suh and Brandin Cooks) chemistry right.
30. Case Keenum, Broncos QB (NR): John Elway never made an offer to Cousins, and after landing the journeyman quarterback who enjoyed a career year with a two-year, $36 million deal, declared: “We got our guy.”
31. Matt Ryan, Falcons QB (28): The $150 million man received a new contract and a new receiver in rookie Calvin Ridley as he stalks that elusive first Super Bowl ring.
32. Von Miller, Broncos LB (14): The league’s best pass rusher can now meet rookie DE Bradley Chubb at the quarterback. Memo to quarterback: Duck.
33. Al Riveron, NFL director of officiating (44): The simplification of the catch rule will help him, but the helmet rule and all the confusion it will cause early on will put the second-year head of officiating on the griddle trying to explain it all.
34. Drew Brees, Saints QB (NR): No signs of slowing down at 39 as he chases a second ring.
35. Blake Bortles, Jaguars QB (NR): Super Bowl-or-Bust with that defense and Leonard Fournette grounding and pounding. Will he hold the Jags back when it matters?
36. Antonio Brown, Steelers WR (21): He turned 30 before training camp. That won’t stop Ben Roethlisberger from targeting him early and often and it probably won’t help cornerbacks a whole lot.
37. Eli Manning, Giants QB (NR): A Last Hurrah at 37? The Giants are banking on it.
38. Colin Kaepernick, Free agent QB (10): The face of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Will any NFL owner Just Do It and hire him as a backup QB/first-team activist?
39. Marshawn Lynch, Raiders RB (3): Beast Mode will be rejuvenated as Gruden’s workhorse, even with Doug Martin onboard. He’s just here so I don’t get fined.
40. Hue Jackson, Browns coach (NR): Jumping in Lake Erie is one thing. If he doesn’t start winning quickly with his 1-31 record, GM John Dorsey will dump him in there himself.
41. Pat Shurmur, Giants coach (NR): Phil Simms considered him a top-five offensive coordinator last season, and now he has toys like Barkley, Beckham, Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard. Can he do for Manning what he did for Keenum and bring the Giants back in his second head-coaching stint?
42. Philip Rivers, Chargers QB (NR): Best chance to win first ring in a winnable AFC West.
43. Aaron Donald, Rams DT (NR): Watch how destructive and disruptive the $135 million man will be with Suh as his partner in crime.
44. Matt Patricia, Lions coach (NR): The rookie Lions head coach tries to remind us that football isn’t rocket science.
45. Ryan Shazier, Steelers LB (NR): The inspirational Steelers linebacker won’t be playing this season, but the whole country will be rooting for him following his frightening spinal injury last December. Shalieve.
46. Shaquem Griffin, Seahawks LB (NR): The one-handed rookie linebacker joining with brother Shaquil in Seattle is as good a feel-good story as you will find.
47. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals WR (NR): Enjoy the Cardinals’ HOF receiver now before he calls it a career.
48. Vontaze Burfict, Bengals LB (NR): Once he returns from his four-game suspension, the Bengals linebacker will resume ownership of his Dirtiest Man in the NFL dishonors.
49. Adam Vinatieri, Colts PK (NR): Needs 58 points to pass Morten Andersen as the NFL’s all-time scoring leader (2,544). This future HOFer turns 46 in December. Who does he think he is, George Blanda?
50. Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner (37): The owners mostly love him, the players and fans mostly don’t. He’s laughing all the way to the bank.
Who dropped off last year’s list?
Tony Romo (4), Derek Carr (7), Tom Coughlin (8), Adrian Peterson (13), Long-suffering Jets fan (15), Jay Cutler (18), Joe Mixon (19), Jameis Winston (22), Martellus Bennett (23), Leonard Fournette (24), David Johnson (27), Marcus Mariota (29), Jared Goff (30), James Harrison (32), Josh Norman (33), Jaylon Smith (34), Martavis Bryant (35), John Lynch (36), Landon Collins (38), Rex Ryan (39), Darrelle Revis (41), Christian Hackenberg (42), Cris Collinsworth (43), Matthew Stafford (45), DeShone Kizer (47), Myles Garrett (48), Le’Veon Bell (49)