A panel of nine AP Pro Football Writers ranked NFL head coaches and players by position group, making their selections based on current status entering the 2023 season.
First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points, respectively.
Writers based their evaluations on several factors ranging from statistics, overall accomplishments, age and injury history.
Patrick Mahomes and two other players were unanimous choices at the top spot at their positions. Andy Reid was a near-unanimous choice as the No. 1 head coach.
Bill Belichick finished second to Reid despite having won four more Super Bowls. But Belichick won six championships with Tom Brady and the Patriots are 25-25 since No. 12 left New England.
Overall, Belichick is 80-90 in his career without Brady.
AP lead NFL writer Rob Maaddi used that against him, ranking Belichick fifth behind Reid, John Harbaugh, Doug Pederson and Mike Tomlin.
"Belichick made my top five because he has six rings but he has a losing record without Brady so I couldn’t put him higher,” Maaddi said.
AP’s Simmi Buttar, who is based in New York, ranked Belichick second.
“He may not have Tom Brady anymore but Bill Belichick will find a way to keep the Patriots in contention for a playoff spot in what could be the league’s most competitive division,” Buttar said.
Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers placed fourth among QBs behind Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen. The 39-year-old Rodgers, in his first season with the New York Jets, led the Green Bay Packers to one Super Bowl title and is a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“If the rankings were based on career as opposed to right now, Rodgers would be No. 2 for me behind Mahomes,” Maaddi said. “I put him fourth behind Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Burrow.”
Burrow finished second despite being left off two ballots because he missed the preseason with a calf strain and is questionable for Week 1.
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