NFL Top 100 players for 2017: Matthew Stafford makes the top 50

On Monday, NFL Network released players 60 through 51 on their highly-publicized “Top 100 Players of 2017” list. The list is the top 100 players currently in the league as voted by a select group of NFL players.

The bottom 50 of this year’s list has been revealed and there have not been any Detroit Lions announced. Some believed Lions like Darius Slay or Golden Tate could make the list this year, but considering players like Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, Amari Cooper and Dez Bryant have already been named, it seems quite unlikely that they will make the list.

However, we can pretty much guarantee that Matthew Stafford will be on the list. As we pointed out back in April, NFL Network already released a portion of Stafford’s segment on the countdown:

That means Matthew Stafford will land in the top 50 for 2017. This is no small accomplishment, seeing as though Andrew Luck, who many regard as one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, was already announced as the No. 51 player for 2017.

This wouldn’t be the first time Stafford landed in the top 50, however. Back in 2012, Stafford was named the 41st-best player in the league, after throwing for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2011. Since then, Stafford has only appeared twice on the list. He was 76th in 2013 and 100th in 2014.

Though many see this list as meaningless offseason fodder and a mere popularity contest, there’s something to be said about gaining the respect of your peers. After landing in the top 50 in the NFL for the second time in his career, there’s no doubt that Stafford has that now.