It's hard to top 55 touchdowns, 5,477 passing yards and a fifth NFL MVP award to go with a third trip to the Super Bowl.
That's what Peyton Manning accomplished in 2013. For his efforts, Manning's peers voted him the best player in the greatest football league on this Earth, which in theory means he's the best football player alive.
This is the first time Manning has landed at No. 1 on the Top 100 list since the show's inception in 2011. He finished No. 2 that year and again in 2013. He came in at No. 50 in 2012, the year he missed the entire season due to neck surgery.
Admittedly, I'm a fan of Manning. Maybe it's his never-say-die attitude that helped him recover from a career-threatening injury. Maybe it's that he works harder than any player in the league when it comes to the finer details of playing his position.
Heck, maybe it's because he's traditionally gone one-and-done in the playoffs, like my favorite te.....am.
Anyhow, as much as I like Manning, I'm still unsure if he's the player in the league/world. I would put Manning in a class with the likes of Calvin Johnson, J.J. Watt, Jimmy Graham, Tom Brady and Robert Quinn as the players I think deserve to be called the NFL's best.
Those are the players who I go back and forth on as to which is better at playing their respective position, as well as how much they can impact a game.