Tom Brady is gone, the young quarterbacks around Patrick Mahomes dominate the NFL. Can the warriors of the “old guard” still start a “last hurrah”?
There’s not much US sportswriters and fans love more than rankings. And hardly any ranking in the NFL is more discussed and created more often than that of the best quarterbacks.
If you look at such rankings Currently at the start of the 2023 season, the leaders are almost in unison Patrick Mahomes (27), Josh Allen (27), Joe Burrow (26), Justin Herbert (25) and Jalen Hurts (25). Lamar Jackson (26) and Trevor Lawrence (23) are also high up. It’s the youngsters who dominate. Tom Brady has resigned, and Drew Brees hasn’t played for a few years either.
Aaron Rodgers is the spearhead of the Old Guard
But Aaron Rodgers is still active. Rodgers (39) makes in these rankings the spearhead of the veterans who fly the flag of the NFL’s Old Guard. Together with Matthew Stafford (35) from the LA Rams and Russell Wilson (34) from the Denver Broncos he’s the only starting quarterback other than Mahomes who’s ever played as starter a super bowl and the winner is.
However, that was a few years ago – in February 2011 Rodgers lifted in the jersey of the Green Bay Packers the Vince Lombardi Trophy up. Wilson succeeded him as a player of the Seattle Seahawks three years later, Stafford clinched his title with the rams in 2022.
It’s going to be tough for Stafford and Wilson
Stafford will find it difficult to return to those regions this year. The squad of rams has undergone an upheaval, the team would have to stretch a lot to even get around the playoffs to play along Wilson had in his freshman year after his expensive move from Seattle after Denver huge problems and was among the weakest in almost all relevant statistics quarterbacks the last season. With a new coach and a strengthened squad, they want Broncos attack again now, but it is absolutely questionable whether Wilson can find his way back to his old strength – and that should be necessary to get out Denver to become an advanced title contender.
Kirk Cousins (35), who with a little goodwill can also be counted among the “big” remaining veterans, has Minnesota Vikings at least one team around you, which in the best case scenario can be trusted to still play a role in the playoffs in the NFC.
Rodgers now with the Jets – but is that enough?
And Rodgers? Apparently he looked at them Packers in the late autumn of his career no longer had the opportunity to seriously play for the title again. Rodgers is therefore now, probably two more years, with the New York Jets and refrains, in contrast to his last years in Green Bay, even for money to free up resources for his team for better players. But what is it worth in the end?
The last playoff participation of the jets is as long ago as Rodgers’ title. At the beginning of 2011 they last took part in the finals, last year coach Robert Saleh’s team managed to win seven and in Wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner you had two of the best youngsters of the season in the squad. With Rodgers and a few other roster changes, while the team is undoubtedly better on paper than last season, how well and quickly Rodgers, at 39, is at his first stop outside of Green Bay able to acclimatize can at least be doubted. And even if he didn’t show a major drop in physical performance in the last season, he’s obviously not getting any younger either.
Strong division – rocky road to the playoffs
Small digression: The NFL is in two conferences divided, the AFC and the NFC. They are in turn in four Divisions divided into four teams. Around the playoffs to achieve one must own division win, or among the remaining twelve teams of the Conference belong to the top three teams.
For the jets this is not necessarily good news, because the division has in the Buffalo Billsthe Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots strong competition ready. The bills have regularly belonged to the circle of favorites for a number of years dolphins are just financially putting everything on attack and the Patriots are a long way from the old dominance, but with their defense they are still an extremely unpleasant opponent. Since you have to play two season games against each division competitor, the path for the jets quite rocky and the rest of the game plan also has some big chunks ready.
No over-30s quarterback in the last eight last year
Already last season was in the playoffs none among the last eight teams Starting Quarterback older than 29 years. The year before there were five who were at least 30 years old. The generation change is complete. The chance of a big “last hurray” from the Old Guard isn’t particularly great this year either – but it may actually be the last.