Creed Humphrey Ranked NFL's Best Center Entering 2024

With Jason Kelce no longer in the league, a recent list has Humphrey taking his old spot as the top center in all of football.

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey (52) warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

For years, the Kansas City Chiefs have been known for having the top quarterback and tight end in the NFL. Entering the 2024 season, could there be another offensive piece who's the best player at his position?

One article from CBS Sports points to it. In his ranking of the top 20 interior offensive linemen in football, Jeff Kerr includes Creed Humphrey in a prime position. The former second-round pick takes the top center spot on the list, which belonged to Jason Kelce before he retired.

According to Kerr, Humphrey is the whole package.

"With Jason Kelce retired, Humphrey takes the mantle as the best center in football," Kerr wrote. "Even in a season in which he allowed five sacks in 699 pass-blocking snaps, Humphrey allowed just 14 pressures (2.0% pressure rate) and hasn't missed a game in his three seasons. Humphrey is a dominant run blocker and has made two pro Bowls in his three seasons. The Chiefs interior offensive line is the best in the NFL thanks to Humphrey's dominance and communication with Patrick Mahomes."

Here's who rounded out the top five:

• Frank Ragnow (Detroit Lions)
• Ryan Kelly (Indianapolis Colts)
• Tyler Linderbaum (Baltimore Ravens)
• Ted Karras (Cincinnati Bengals)

It's hard to find an NFL center better than Creed Humphrey, and he'll soon know it

In just three short seasons, Humphrey has built quite the reputation. A two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, he also was awarded second-team All-Pro honors back in 2022. That, combined with a top-three Offensive Rookie of the Year finish, is quite impressive. Humphrey is a steady presence in the middle of the Kansas City offensive front, having logged well over 3,000 regular-season snaps.

A good athlete with quality size for the position, Humphrey blends his natural gifts with an impressive processor and pristine communication at the line of scrimmage. The former Oklahoma standout is someone the Chiefs can count on to do his job consistently. Pro Football Focus agrees with that sentiment, giving him two 90-plus grades for 2021 and 2022 before seeing him earn a 78.2 composite mark for this past season.

Humphrey should come to terms with his immense value in the near future. Extending his contract figures to be a top priority for the Chiefs, and locking up such a promising young player won't come cheap. Recently, I wrote about the reality both sides find themselves entering in the coming weeks and months.

"How much is too much for Humphrey? It's hard to say. Right now, the highest center salary by average annual value is Detroit Lions standout Frank Ragnow at $13.5M. Behind him are Lloyd Cushenberry of the Tennessee Titans ($12.5M AAV) and Ryan Kelly of the Indianapolis Colts ($12.4M AAV). Is Humphrey the best center in football at his peak? There's a case to be made, and the nature of positional markets always resides with who's the new highest-paid player."

In recent instances, it hasn't necessarily been the Chiefs' preference to shell out top-of-the-market money to centers. With that said, the stars might just be aligning for it to happen with Humphrey. He's young, durable, consistent and a teammate favorite. Given the impact he's had on Kansas City since joining the team, it'd be difficult to envision a world in which general manager Brett Veach allows him to move on in free agency.

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