The NFL Top 100 list was released earlier this week, and naturally, there are some controversial and surprising picks that have people debating. One of the main talking points from the list was Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ranking higher than Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, a choice that has sports analyst Chris Broussard complaining.

For those who missed it, Burrow ended up no. 6 on the list, which was a major leap from his 2022 ranking where he was at no. 21. However, Hurts took an even bigger jump, as he ended up third despite not being in the Top 100 in the previous campaign.

Hurts propelled the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance in 2023, so it's not really a surprise to see him in the Top 10. While many would argue that he isn't the sole reason for Philadelphia's incredible 2022 run, the fact remains that he was at the core of the team's success.

What Broussard didn't like, however, is the fact that Hurts surpassed Burrow despite the Bengals QB doing the same thing as Hurts did last year for two straight seasons now. Burrow powered Cincinnati to a Super Bowl appearance in 2021 (but he didn't even crack the Top 10 for that) and guided the team all the way to the conference championship once again in 2022.

“If you want to say Jalen had a better overall year, OK. If you want to say by the end of this season he'll be viewed higher than Burrow, OK. But right now, Burrow has done it for two years,” Broussard argued on First Things First.

The veteran sports commentator then doubled down on that take with a social media post, writing: “The players got it wrong. Joe Burrow should be ranked higher than Jalen Hurts in the NFL’s Top 100.”

Since the NFL Top 100 is a yearly thing, it's easy to see why NFL players voted for Jalen Hurts to be in the Top 100. The Eagles' 2022 run is one for the history books, and Hurts deserves plenty of credit for the success they had despite failing to win the Super Bowl in the end.

But on one hand, Broussard's argument makes sense. Joe Burrow has been as consistent as ever, and it just feels weird to see Hurts rated higher than him.

Burrow finished the 2022 campaign with 4475 yards and 35 touchdowns on a 68.3 percent completion rate. Meanwhile, Hurts recorded 3701 yards on 22 touchdowns on 66.5 percent completion. The only knock on Burrow's case was his 12 interceptions as compared to Hurts' six.

NFL Top 100: Joe Burrow vs. Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts finished just behind Patrick Mahomes and Justin Jefferson on the NFL Top 100 list, which is the biggest leap among all those who made it. Hurts was the only previously unrated player who made it to the Top 10.

Explaining Hurts' case to be no. 3, Coral Smith of NFL.com wrote: “In his second season as starter, Hurts led his Eagles to the best record in the league and a Super Bowl appearance, while putting up individual stats that earned him the runner-up spot in MVP voting. As one of the top rushing QBs in the league, Hurts finished with 760 yards and 13 TDs, the latter fourth among all positions. His poise under pressure and mobility shot Hurts to the top of this year’s list.”

Perhaps his consistent performance, as well as the Eagles' success played a massive role in Hurts' ranking. The Eagles finished with a 14-3 record, tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best win-loss tally in the NFL. In contrast, Burrow's Bengals finished 12-4.

“Burrow remains one of the best young quarterbacks in the game, finishing top-five in most major passing categories and placing second in completion percentage (68.3), TDs (35) and passing yards per game (279.7). All this earned Burrow his first Pro Bowl nod and a fourth-place finish in Most Valuable Player voting. Cincinnati is expected to reward his play handsomely with an imminent extension that could put him among the highest-paid at his position,” the NFL Top 100 list said of Burrow.

When thinking about it, the 2022 battle between Burrow and Hurts was pretty close. It would have probably been more acceptable had the two finished closer to each other instead of a three-place gap. But at the end of the day, there's always some preference and subjectivity when it comes to such voting.

No one can deny the success that the Eagles had with Hurts, and that definitely helped the young quarterback stay in the mind of his peers. Who could forget Philly's eight-game winning streak to start the season anyway?

Hopefully, though, Burrow uses this NFL list to prove to everyone that they made a mistake putting Hurts over him.