Keenan Allen wasn’t happy with his NFL Top 100 ranking. Mike Evans put him in his place
Every year someone gets hurt by their NFL 100 rankings. And every year they choose to blame someone other than themselves.
This year, it’s Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen who, after seeing his No. 77 ranking, called out Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Well, Evans wasn’t having it. The three-time Pro Bowl fired back on Twitter, telling Allen that the two are on different levels.
While Allen did record more catches, targets and receiving yards than Evans in 2019, calling out someone else is never the right move especially considering how quick people can pull receipts. For starters, Evans, who was drafted the year after Allen, outpaces the Chargers receiver in career receiving yards and career touchdowns. And let’s not forget that Evans and Randy Moss are the only two receivers in NFL history to start their career with six consecutive 1000+ yard seasons, a feat the former achieved in spite of Jameis Winston’s poor vision.
Of course these lists are subjective. Stats and the eyeball test do play a role, but it’s not like Evans colluded with the NFL Network to snub Allen.
Sure, Allen has a right to be disappointed. He’s entitled to his own opinion. But to call out Evans and two other receivers — both of whom have accolades that Allen doesn’t (namely a Super Bowl ring and an All-Pro selection) — just comes off as petty.
If Allen wants to really prove there aren’t 76 players better than him, he will show it once the regular season kicks off — if it ever happens. He will certainly have his work cut out for him, though, with the loss of longtime starter Phillip Rivers. Meanwhile, Evans will look to benefit from having five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady under center.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 1:33 PM.
