Now that the regular season has concluded and the calendar itself has turned to 2018, it’s time to look back at who was the most popular NFL figures during 2017.
Some of these men will find themselves on our SNIP Top 100 because of the drama they were involved in off the field. Others were extremely popular because they either performed well during the 2017 calendar year or were part of a major regression.
The list starts with a quarterback in Tom Brady who enters 2018 looking to win a record sixth Super Bowl. It concludes with another future Hall of Fame signal caller in Drew Brees that has helped lead a major turnaround in New Orleans.
These are the 25-most popular NFL figures from the 2017 calendar year.
1. Tom Brady, quarterback, New England Patriots
Starting the year with your fifth Super Bowl championship will make you an extremely popular figure. Continuing to dominate at the age of 40 while leading your team to title contention once again will magnify this even more. Brady finished the 2017 regular season having put up 4,577 yards with 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions en route to leading the MVP race heading into the playoffs.
It’s absolutely stunning how he continues to lead the Pats to Super Bowl contention with a revolving door of assets on offense. This past year, the addition of Brandin Cooks played the largest role for New England.
2. Colin Kaepernick, quarterback, free agent
A year that started with Kaepernick completing 17-of-22 passes in his final start with the 49ers against Seattle concluded with the former Super Bowl quarterback remaining unemployed. The story is by now well known, and it’s what makes Kaepernick one of the most-popular NFL figures from the 2017 calendar year.
In August of 2016, Kaepernick started the divisive National Anthem protests around the NFL. An already huge story, this was taken to a new level when President Donald Trump decided to call out Kap and other NFL players protesting. That led to a widespread protest back in Week 3, which culminated in Kaepernick taking over the news cycle once again. Voted Sports Illustrated’s Muhammad Ali Legacy Award winner and a Time Person of the Year finalist, Kaeperick’s popularity is now more about his off-field activism and sense of community. That likely won’t change in 2018.
3. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, Green Bay Packers
The 2017 calendar year started with Rodgers leading his Packers to a comeback win over the No. 1 seed Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. And despite the team losing in the NFC Championship Game the following week, most figured Green Bay would be Super Bowl contenders once again.
That all came to a crashing halt in Week 6 when Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone, only to miss the next seven games. This pretty much ended the Packers’ playoff aspirations with Rodgers coming back and stinking it up in his return to the field in Week 15. The question now is whether the Packers have done anywhere near enough to build a contending team around Rodgers. As the most-popular athlete in Wisconsin, the quarterback is his own brand. He’s the sole reason interest is piqued relating to Packers football. Continued team-wide struggles will only add to a more frustrated fan base, something that came out in droves during the 2017 calendar year.
4. Tony Romo, quarterback, retired
Romo was subject to much intrigue when the year first started. Linked to multiple teams after injury forced him out of the Dallas Cowboys’ starting job, there seemed to be a chance he would land with a contending team like the Denver Broncos. Instead, Romo decided to call it quits on a tremendous playing career and try his luck as an on-air talent for CBS Sports. Boy, has that proven to be a genius decision.
Already considered one of the better NFL commentators, Romo has excelled beyond anyone’s wildest imagination as part of the No. 1 broadcasting crew with Jim Nance on CBS Sports. His ability to call plays before they happen, willingness to joke around in the booth and a keen sense of the game has made this a seamless transition. It’s also made him among the most-popular figures in the NFL World.
5. Ezekiel Elliott, running back, Dallas Cowboys
On a completely different note, Romo’s former teammate in Dallas has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Accused of domestic violence, the star running back was never charged with a crime in the court of law. That didn’t stop the NFL from handing Elliott a six-game suspension.
In what is the latest example of the NFLPA attempting to limit commissioner Roger Goodell’s power, Elliott and Co. took this to court. It looked like he was going to win in said court multiple times. But when it came down to it, the NFL came out on top again. Elliott eventually dropped his appeal, deciding that a nuclear option against Goodell and the NFL wasn’t worth it. In serving his suspension, the running back could have also cost his Cowboys a shot at the playoffs. Such is the nature of the beast in an NFL where as much is happening in the court of law as it is on the field itself.
6. Bill Belichick, head coach, New England Patriots
Five Super Bowl victories. Seven Super Bowl appearances. One enigmatic personality. This is what continues to make Belichick the talk of the NFL coaching circles now heading into his 44th year in the league.
At 65 years old, Belichick is showing no signs of slowing down. His Patriots have won nine consecutive NFC East titles and has failed to come out on top in that division just twice in Belichick’s 18 seasons as head coach. The team continues to dominate with revolving parts surrounding Belichick and Brady, making this the best coach-quarterback tandem in the history of the game, with all due respect to Bill Walsh and Joe Montana.
7. Dak Prescott, quarterback, Dallas Cowboys
As the aforementioned Romo knows full well, being the starting quarterback for America’s Team brings a certain level of expectations and popularity. Whether said popularity is good or bad depends on the performance of the team as a whole. It’s in this that Prescott’s popularity was at a tremendous and positive level throughout what would ultimately be a record-breaking rookie season for the signal caller.
But 2017 was a vastly different story. Struggling with accuracy and mistakes, Prescott threw nine more interceptions as a sophomore than he did during his rookie campaign. It led to Dallas finishing with a 9-7 record and missing out on the playoffs a year after finishing as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. And it’s led to renewed questions about whether Prescott is indeed the Cowboys’ franchise quarterback.
8. Rob Gronkowski, tight end, New England Patriots
From a pure entertainment perspective, there’s no other player in the NFL that brings more to the table than Gronkowski. He truly is a one-of-a-kind personality and a dominating on-field presence. Gronkowski finished the regular season with 69 receptions (imagine that) for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns, continually proving himself to be the best pass-catching tight end in NFL history.
Though, 2017 wasn’t without its Gronk-related drama. The tight end was suspended one game for this hit on Bills rookie corner Tre’Davious White, leading to a ton of debate regarding the NFL’s punishment process. All of this will be moot if Gronkowski and his Patriots repeat as champions in Minnesota this upcoming February.
9. Adrian Peterson, running back, Arizona Cardinals
What a whirlwind of a year it was for AD. It started with him sitting on the sideline injured in what would ultimately be his final game as a member of the Vikings on New Year’s Day. Months later, and Peterson was released by Minnesota.
He ultimately signed with New Orleans, playing a grand total of four games for the Saints before being dealt to Arizona. In what was seemingly a shocking turn of events, Peterson responded by putting up 134 yards in his first game as a member of the Cardinals. Though, injuries came back to bite him in the back end again. Peterson suffered a neck injury against Jacksonville in Week 12, and was ultimately placed on injured reserve. One of the greatest running backs in modern NFL history, the 2018 calendar year could in fact be defined by an end to a Hall of Fame worthy career.
10. Carson Wentz, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
After an uneven rookie season, Wentz and the Eagles didn’t necessarily have huge expectations heading into 2017. That changed rather early during the season, when Philly won 10 of its first 11 games. Sadly enough, Wentz himself suffered a torn ACL in a game that clinched the NFC East against the Los Angeles Rams two weeks later.
But it’s not said injury that had this former No. 2 overall pick as the talk of the football world. Instead, it’s what was a tremendous sophomore campaign prior to suffering the knee injury. Wentz finished the season having put up 3,296 yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions en route to leading Philadelphia to an 11-2 record in 13 starts. He’s clearly a franchise quarterback, something that 2017 proved to a T.
11. Cam Newton, quarterback, Carolina Panthers
We can easily conclude that Newton’s solid 2017 on-field performance was clouded by even more drama off the field. Whether it’s the comments he directed at a female beat writer or the sexual misconduct allegations directed at soon-to-be former owner Jerry Richardson, this is what defined the Panthers’ season and Newton’s own popularity. Especially considering he went to bat for Richardson prior to the Panthers’ founder announcing he would sell the team.
On the field, Newton and the Panthers surprised a great deal during the 2017 season. They finished with an 11-5 mark en route to earning a playoff appearance following a one-year hiatus. And for his part, Newton tallied 4,056 total yards to go with 28 total touchdowns in a rebound performance.
12. Eli Manning, quarterback, New York Giants
Speaking of drama, 2017 was defined by a ridiculous level of off-field issues for Manning’s Giants. From the infamous Miami boat trip prior to last January’s playoff game to the Giants’ ensuing blowout loss to Green Bay in the Wildcard Playoffs, things didn’t start out too swimmingly.
Though, no one could have foreseen what the final quarter of the 2017 calendar year would bring for this team. It started with season-ending injuries to starting receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall before mid-October even came calling. It continued with the Giants absolutely stinking it up on the field in what would ultimately become a 13-loss season.
For Manning, the issues were even more vast. Dealing with no real talent on offense, Manning found himself benched in favor of Geno Smith back in Week 13. Not only did this end the longest active consecutive starts streak in the NFL, it pretty much led to the firing of head coach Ben McAdoo after less than two seasons at the helm in Jersey. It also forced multiple ex-Giants players to speak out against the organization. Now, as the offseason gets going, we have absolutely no idea what the future will bring for either Manning and the Giants.
13. Jay Cutler, quarterback, Miami Dolphins
Miami talked Cutler out of retirement and a cushy gig with Fox Sports to return to the NFL in South Beach this season. For Cutler (and his wife), this likely wasn’t the best decision in the world. Replacing an injured Ryan Tannehill, he led the Dolphins to a 6-10 record and suffered a concussion in the process.
It’s not yet known whether Cutler will return to the NFL for the 2018 season. Our hope is that he decides a career in broadcasting suits him best. As has been the case throughout most of his career, Cutler’s popularity in 2017 wasn’t necessarily a positive. That’s putting it lightly.
14. Antonio Brown, wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
Prior to suffering a calf injury back in Week 15, Brown was in the midst of what could have been a career season. In 13 full games, the league’s best receiver put up 101 catches for 1,533 yards and nine touchdowns. It’s just a continuation of what has been a brilliant career for a player that might go down as one of the best at his position in NFL history.
To put Brown’s career into perspective, he’ll enter his age-30 season just 400 receptions from passing Tony Gonzalez for No. 2 on the all-time list. His 9,910 yards are also just 5,000 from placing him seventh all-time. At this point, it would not be a shock if Brown stood behind only Jerry Rice in both categories by the time his career comes to an end.
15. Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers
Following a five-interception performance early in the season, there was some major questions about whether Big Ben had it anymore. Some had concluded that he hit the brick wall we saw from Peyton Manning back in 2015. In fact, there was some of this concern within the Steelers’ organization.
What a difference a couple months makes. Roethlisberger has his Steelers heading into January playoff football with a first-round bye and a legitimate shot at earning a trip to the Super Bowl after an eight-year hiatus from the big game. Whether that happens remains to be seen. But Big Ben remains the toast of Steel Town, something that will continue until he calls it quits.
16. Andrew Luck, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
This past year was downright horrible for Luck. It started in January with him undergoing surgery on a bum shoulder that should have been attended to long before that. After missing off-seasons activities, including training camp, the thought process was that Luck would be able to return in Week 1. When this didn’t happen, the Colts showed their hands in realizing the extent of the injury by acquiring Jacoby Brissett from the Patriots.
As summer turned to fall, it didn’t get much better for Luck. He suffered a setback in throwing during practice and was ultimately placed on injured reserve. After that, Luck sought treatment for the injury in Europe and has just recently returned.
Even if Luck were to be able to return in time for the 2018 season, there’s no guarantee he’ll ever be the same quarterback that saw him earn a Pro Bowl spot in each of his first three seasons, leading the Colts to three consecutive 11-win campaigns in the process. And in reality, the mishandling of Luck’s injury by the Colts was one of the most-depressing stories of the 2017 calendar year. Period.
17. Derek Carr, quarterback, Oakland Raiders
Unfortunately for Carr, the end of his 2016 season wasn’t replaced by much better luck in 2017. Carr’s broken fibula towards the end of the 2016 campaign resulted in the Raiders losing in the wildcard round against the Texans this past January. After signing what was then the largest contract in NFL history, expectations were high for Carr and the Raiders heading into September.
It did not go according to plan. Oakland finished up the 2017 campaign with a disastrous 6-10 record. And for his part, Carr went from likely franchise quarterback to mediocre signal caller in the matter of mere months. The hope here is that Carr can turn it around in 2018. But it will have to come under a new head coach.
18. Kirk Cousins, quarterback, Washington Redskins
The 2017 calendar year started with rumors ramping up that Cousins might join his former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, with the San Francisco 49ers. While that never came to fruition with Cousins eventually signing his franchise tag tender, the future is unknown here.
Cousins and his Redskins ended the 2017 campaign having it up 7-9 mark. The decision to replace Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson with Terrelle Pryor backfired big time. And in reality, Cousins just did not have any help on offense. Despite this, Cousins still found a way to put up another solid performance, passing for 4,093 yards with 27 touchdowns and just 13 picks. His popularity will likely take an even better turn in 2018 with Cousins expected to be among the most-coveted free agent this upcoming spring.
19. Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver, New York Giants
Much like the rest of the Giants’ team, 2017 was just frustrating as all get out for OBJ from beginning to end. We know about his boat trip to South Beach prior to last January’s playoff game. We also know about the receiver’s struggles against Green Bay in said playoff game. Just so much unfortunate there.
The sad reality here is that it didn’t get any better as the 2017 calendar year progressed. He suffered an ankle injury in the preseason, only to return in time for Week 2. But less than a month later, OBJ went down for the season with a fractured ankle. This came at a time when the enigmatic but talented pass catcher was looking to become the game’s highest-paid player.
Now, several months later, and it’s not a foregone conclusion that the Giants will even extend Beckham. For a player that put up over 4,100 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns in his first three seasons, this is a dramatic turn of events.
20. Jerry Jones, owner, Dallas Cowboys
It wouldn’t be a year in review in the NFL without mentioning a man in Jerry Jones who simply loves to find himself in the news. It started with the entire Tony Romo drama, continued with Jones speaking out against the NFL during the Ezekiel Elliott suspension debate and concluded with the Cowboys’ owner attempting to take on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
In between, Jones’ Cowboys proved to be nothing more than a farce on the football field. A year after putting up 12 wins and earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Dallas missed out on the playoffs altogether. Maybe Jones should focus more on his team’s roster and less on what is happening around the league. It’s a war he’s not going to win.
21. Russell Wilson, quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
As the rest of his team seemingly imploded in epic fashion, all Wilson did throughout the 2017 calendar year was prove himself to be among the most-dynamic quarterbacks in the recent history of the league.
Without much to work with along the offensive line and at running back, Wilson accounted for 90 percent of his team’s touchdowns and north of 70 percent of its offensive yardage. That’s about as absurd as it gets.
All the while, Wilson continues to keep his nose clean off the field and has proven to be a dynamic force within the Seattle community. And no matter what happens with this version of the Seahawks, he’s going to continue remaining the face of the franchise.
22. Deshaun Watson, quarterback, Houston Texans
Watson’s 2017 started out with a national championship victory over Alabama in his final game with Clemson. Then, after a long draft process, he found himself selected to be the savior in Houston. It didn’t start out too swimmingly with Texans head coach Bill O’Brien making the absurd decision to start Tom Savage over Watson in Week 1.
But after less than a half of football, Watson was thrown into the fire under center. And what he did for the next several weeks will be talked about for years to come.
Prior to suffering a devastating torn ACL in late-October, Watson put up 21 total touchdowns in seven games (six starts). This had him on pace to destroy multiple rookie records. And while the injury itself was horrible for us objective football onlookers who love good quarterback play, Watson’s future is absolutely bright in Houston.
23. Marshawn Lynch, running back, Oakland Raiders
Lynch’s return home didn’t necessarily go according to plan. After unretiring following a year hiatus from the NFL, the former Super Bowl winner was unable to help his Raiders recapture the magic that saw the team win 12 games in 2016. And there was some major drama surrounding the enigmatic veteran running back, mainly an ejection and subsequent suspension for making contact with an official.
Despite this, Lynch still showed himself to be a capable back in this league. He finished the season having put up north of 1,000 total yards to go with seven touchdowns. It’s not yet known whether Lynch will return for the 2018 campaign, but he brings an entertainment factor few other players on the Raiders can match.
24. Julio Jones, wide receiver, Atlanta Falcons
For Jones and the Falcons the 2017 year started with complete misery. Atlanta blew a 28-3 lead against New England in the Super Bowl, finding itself on the wrong end of amateur comedians the world over. And really, it didn’t get much better for either Jones or his team as the 2107 calendar year played out.
Sure Atlanta snuck into the playoffs as the sixth seed in the NFC. But this doesn’t have the look of a real Super Bowl contender. Now that Kyle Shanahan is doing his thing with Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco, the Falcons’ offense regressed a great deal under first-year coordinator Steve Sarkisian. It ended the 2017 season ranked 15th in total points compared to a No. 1 overall ranking in 2017. And Jones put up his worst statistical season since 2012, compiling just three touchdowns. Ouch.
25. Drew Brees, quarterback, New Orleans Saints
Brees and his Saints started the year out without much expectations. Here’s a squad that had finished each of the past three seasons at 7-9. The defense had been among the worst in NFL history during that span. But something clicked big time for this unit, enabling the Saints not to have to rely too much on an aging Brees.
The end result was a 11-5 regular season record an an NFC South title. And for his part, Brees was great as always. He finished the year having completed an NFL-record 72 percent of his passes for 4,334 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight picks for a suddenly Super Bowl contending Saints squad. Not too shabby for a 38-year-old quarterback who seemingly wants to play for another decade.