Not a single Detroit Lions player made an appearance on the NFL 100 list from the NFL Network. There aren’t any Lions on Touchdown Wire’s list of the top 101 players in the NFL, either.
It’s a disappointing development. It’s an unfortunate slight for a couple of worthy Lions players. But it most certainly is not a surprise.
The lack of respect for individual accomplishment is part of the price of playing on a team that has won just nine games in two seasons. In popularity contests, being on national TV celebrating great feats is a much easier path than toiling away in relative obscurity on the television network’s “D” team during a 3-win campaign.
But the plain fact is, the Lions do not have a star-studded lineup. The Madden 21 player ratings reflect it, too. Detroit has the lowest highest-rated player of any team.
Personally, I would include Trey Flowers in the top 101 players. A healthy Matthew Stafford absolutely belongs there too. Frank Ragnow is closing in quickly, and I expect Tracy Walker to merit legit consideration if he keeps up his impressive career arc.
But I watch every play of every Lions game, most of them multiple times. The other NFL players, who are the voting bloc for the NFL 100, don’t do that. The analysts who concoct other such lists don’t do that either, with very few exceptions.
Don’t mistake that national lack of respect as anything personal toward the Lions players. It’s the cold reality of playing for a losing team in relative media anonymity.
