4 Chiefs players who were snubbed by the NFL's Top 100 list

Putting Travis Kelce, arguably one of the best tight ends of all time, at number nine was understandable considering some of his performances last season. Having Chris Jones, the highest paid defensive lineman in the league--for good reason, too--at number six was not an out-of-this-world dumb decision considering he sat out of week one and there are some significant offensive players above him.

But having Patrick Mahomes, possibly a top-three quarterback and NFL player in the entire history of the sport, at number four was blasphemous and laughable. Even some former players voiced their thoughts on the decision to place the back-to-back Super Bowl champion that low, although he shouldn't be the only Chief upset about the list.

There were a few Kansas City Chiefs players that did not appear on the Top 100 list despite the fact that they created some of the best plays, game-changing moments and stats at their respective positions during the 2023-24 season. They are the definition of 'snubbed' and they can easily prove why...

1. Trent McDuffie, corner

The easiest case for the top 100, let alone a top 50 spot after his second season in the league, is the Chiefs rising star in the secondary: Trent McDuffie.

Last year McDuffie not only secured his second Super Bowl ring in as many seasons, he also nabbed an All-Pro nomination which cemented him as one of the best players in the NFL. Now he's not even one of the top 100 players?

Even though McDuffie didn't finish in the top 20 as far as PFF rankings are concerned, he did start as the number one-ranked cornerback in the league during the first month of the season. Then, after he humiliated Tyreek Hill (the eventual #1 player in this year's NFL Top 100), he had one of the best performances of Super Bowl LVIII when he was targeted seven times and only allowed two catches for nine yards. Oh, and he had one of the biggest plays of the game against one of San Francisco's best receivers (below).

If the NFL Top 100 list is decided by players in the league, including those who were consistently shut down by McDuffie throughout the season, why couldn't he creep into the list?

Could it be because of his age (23 years old)? Maybe some of the older vets don't respect the young guns rising to the top? Or perhaps it's because the next player on this list was taking on number one receivers every week instead of McDuffie.

2. L'Jarius Sneed, corner

I know. I know. L'Jarius Sneed is no longer a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. However, because this list was based on the play on the field last season, Sneed can still represent red-and-yellow instead of his new threads in Tennessee.

As mentioned before, Sneed took on the top receivers of opposing teams nearly every game last season and showed that he was worth every penny of the $76.4 million the Titans would eventually pay him. And if you want an example of how he handled the best in the game, look at how he fared against Tyreek Hill as well in the postseason (see below).

dsSneed proved that he was not only one of the top 100 players in the league but that he might be a top three cornerback on the field right now. He did so by holding number-one options like New York's Garrett Wilson, Minnesota's Justin Jefferson, and Philadelphia's A.J. Brown to less than 25 receiving yards apiece.

In fact, throughout the entirety of the 2023-24 regular season Sneed didn't allow a touchdown catch as the nearest defender until the Divisional Round playoff victory in Buffalo.

Now that he's gone, Chiefs Kingdom will have to see just how huge of a hole hleo in the team's' secondary. Until then, we have to look back at the last few years and realize Kansas City once again had one of the best secondary players in the entire league, even if the NFL Top 100 voters don't believe so.

Fortuntely, CBS Sports' list of the top 100 players in football did recognize Sneed's greatness by placing him at number 51. That's just below the next player on this list.

3. Creed Humphrey, center

Originally drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Creed Humphrey has been nothing short of spectacular during his 51 games as a Chief. Sure, he had some low snaps during the playoffs this past season--especially in the Super Bowl--but that shouldn't take away from him being a top-two center last year behind (maybe) Philadelphia's Jason Kelce.

With Kelce retired, Humphrey sits alone at the top of the power rankings, so why wasn't he included in the Top 100? Is it because centers are a somewhat forgotten position, easily pushed aside for more flashy players like quarterbacks and wide receivers?

If that were true, then the previous year's Top 100 list should provide some insight. At that point, however, Kelce was not only listed in the top 100, but he was 37th overall, just one year after being ranked 71st.

PFF even stated that Humphrey "surpassed Jason Kelce as the game's best center" in last year's rankings. Allowing just 16 pressures throughout the entire season will bring that type of praise, and eventually it will bring a boatload of cash once his contract is up after this season.

Although Humphrey did not reach the list this time, other offensive linemen did. Names like Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs (85th) and Houston's Laremy Tunsil (71st) were honored, but sadly Humphrey will have to wait until next year before his name is lumped in with his teammates in the top ten.

4. Harrison Butker, kicker

Sure, the Chiefs kicker dealt with significant drama this offseason following a commencement controversial commencement speech at Benedictine University, but on the field, Harrison Butker still stands among the best. Nor does that take away the countless records and amazing stats that he has accrued over the several seasons with Kansas City.

This past season Butker proved his merit, going 33-for-35 on the season and kicking 100% on extra points for the first time since 2017 when he attempted ten fewer extra points At the end of the playoffs, when the confetti was falling on Butker for the third time in his seven-year career, he went 44-for-46 (95.7%), 15-for-15 on field goals of 40+ yards and 7-of-7 on field goals of 50+ yards while staying consistent at 100% on extra points (46-for-46).

Butkerbsf was the best kicker in the league, there is no denying it, and that includes Baltimore's stout kicker Justin Tucker who missed five of his 37 field goal attempts on the year. Tucker, on the other hand, was named to the NFL Top 100 list two seasons ago after going 35-for-37 and making 100% of his extra-point attempts.

So what is the difference this year? Butker's 94.3 field goal percentage was just 0.3% worse than Tucker's from 2021, and if we're splitting that many hairs, then one could argue Butker's real percentage should be 97.1% considering the ball used in the New England game was likely underinflated "by 2, 2 1/2 pounds." In that game, Butker missed his first field goal of the season (39 yards) while the Patriots' Chad Ryland also missed a kick (41 yards), both of which "you could see" how underinflation affected the trajectory of the kicks.

But back to this laughable list without Butker, which shoved the three-time Super Bowl champion and new Super Bowl record holder (57 yards) out of the top 100 despite his obvious rise to being the number one kicker in the league. Butker not only holds the Super Bowl record for longest field goal converted, but he also holds the record for longest field goal in Arrowhead (62 yards). What more can the man do to get noticed as a top player in the league?

Every other position, minus the aforementioned center, had their number one player on the Top 100 list. Why not kicker? Why not the player who needs to be reliable for games not to be lost by one or two points?

Perhapssdf players don't respect the kicker enough to believe they are a top 100 player? Either way, Butker was one of the biggest snubs from this year's NFL Top 100 list and it's painful to see him and some of his most talented teammates not on the list despite them all deserving to be.