Real Sports 12-17-18
The NFL has seen a great class of quarterbacks from 2000 to 2005, with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger all being drafted in that time frame. Peyton Manning was drafted two years before, in 1998. But from 2005 to 2014, few quarterbacks managed to gain entrance into that elite company. Some like Andy Dalton, Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton, and Russell Wilson were regarded as star NFL quarterbacks but not at the level of Brady, Brees, Manning, Rodgers, and Roethlisberger. Philip Rivers was drafted in 2004 but has not gained the recognition of the others in his class. Rodgers is the last of the class to turn 35, and Brady is 41. Those guys will start to retire in the next two to six years, and leave a huge hole in the NFL. But, the last five years' QB classes may be the next generation of NFL superstars, and that time may be sooner than we expected.
The hottest two teams in the NFL right now are the Los Angeles Rams (9-1) and Kansas City Chiefs (9-1). The two teams are led by Jared Goff (age 23) and Patrick Mahomes (also 23). Goff is in his third year, while Mahomes is in his first year as a starter. Both these teams are explosive offensively, and some of the most exciting teams to watch. Second-year QB Deshaun Watson leads a Houston Texans team that has won five in a row, and Carson Wentz was part of an Eagles team that got a Super Bowl victory last year over Brady's Patriots. Brady (7-3) and Brees (8-1) are both bringing their teams to victory. Rodgers (4-5-1) and Roethlisberger (6-2-1) both experienced rocky starts this first half. Roethlisberger has turned his team around, while the Packers are struggling. Head to head, Brady beat both Watson and Mahomes, Goff beat Rodgers, and Mahomes beat Roethlisberger. The young guns are just slightly ahead in terms of overall wins, but tied head to head.
Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. Goff is second in yards, and fourth in touchdowns. Roethlisberger is fifth in yards, with Rodgers two spots ahead of him. Brees is eighth, Brady is sixth, Watson is fifteenth, and Wentz is twenty-second. Brees and Roethlisberger are tied for fifth on the touchdown list, but Brees has one interception to Roethlisberger's seven. Rodgers is tied for ninth, and Brady is twelfth, and Wentz is eighteenth. The young group does have better statistics, but the older ones have fewer interceptions and a slight lead in completion percentage.
The Rams and Saints are number one and two in everyone's power rankings, and heavy favorites to win the NFC. Both the Eagles and Packers are sitting at around .500 and need wins. In the AFC, the Chiefs are No. 1, with Roethlisberger and the Steelers at number 3. The Pats are third, and the Texans are one spot behind them. The only teams not leading their division are the Eagles (second) and the Packers (third).
There are similarities between the groups. Both Brady and Rodgers sat on the bench before becoming superstars. Mahomes spent last season on the bench before introducing himself to the NFL this year. Interestingly, Mahomes has drawn comparisons to the man Rodgers sat behind, Brett Favre. Rodgers played at the University of California, as did Jared Goff. Wentz (North Dakota State) and Roethlisberger (Miami of Ohio) both played for smaller colleges. The eight QBs are spread across the NFL's eight divisions, so we can only see them play each other once during the regular season and then either during the Playoffs or in the Super Bowl.
Mahomes and Goff are leading the two most exciting teams in the NFL. Both are backed by innovative coaches; Andy Reid and Sean McVay. The two of them seem to be the future of NFL football. On the other end of the spectrum, Brady, Brees, Roethlisberger, and Rodgers are all still coached by respected coaches, but that group of coaches' time may be up as well. Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, and Mike McCarthy all led their QBs to Super Bowl titles. But fans have grown accustomed to seeing these teams in the hunt for championships. Mahomes, Goff, Wentz, and Watson represent a new group of teams that could challenge the superiority of these old teams. The Patriots are the villains of the NFL, so seeing a new team that is the favorite to blow through the AFC is entertaining.
We may get to see these eight QBs battle it out for a couple of more years, but eventually, the torch will have to pass to the next generation. Brady, Brees, Roethlisberger, and Rodgers can rest well, knowing that the future of the QB position is safe and secure in the hands of Wentz, Watson, Goff, and Mahomes.
Sources: https://nfl.com/stats/players
https://nfl.com/standings