The position Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers helped define has changed.
The generation of Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Rodgers and Brady dominating the quarterback position is coming to an end. There are 56 Pro Bowl appearances, seven MVP awards, and 13 Super Bowl titles remarkably shared between those six names - and four of them are already happily enjoying retirement.
For all of their greatness and the gold jackets that await them in Canton, Ohio once they inevitably ‘evolve away’ - to use the term coined by Serena Williams in her own retirement statement - from their arena, the game has moved on. The baton has been passed, although Brady and Rodgers are admirably clinging on as a host of stars who grew up idolising the duo attempt to snatch it and take control.
Yes, Rodgers and Brady in particular have continued to win across their careers, and franchises will never not look for that in a quarterback - but the position this iconic duo defined has changed. Quarterbacks can no longer simply stand in the pocket like Brady and make a number of micro-decisions as chaos closes in on him. They need to do more than evade defenders with intelligent pocket movement before tossing spectacular, scarcely-believable passes as Rodgers continues to do.
All you have to do is tune in on Sunday to see it with your own eyes, clear and simple. Josh Allen can truck linebackers like Jerome Bettis, while Lamar Jackson jukes and spins as if he is Barry Sanders incarnate. Mahomes resembles an overpowered character from Madden when he’s on form, and Burrow - who is as close to the mould of Brady as you’re likely to get in this modern era - carries himself with the swagger of chart-topping rapper after leading the Cincinnati Bengals to an unlikely Super Bowl berth.
Speaking of Madden, Mahomes and Jackson have both graced the cover of the iconic game franchise, with the Kansas City Chiefs star twice enjoying the honour before the age of 26. These are marketable, relatable, entertaining stars for a new modern era of the quarterback and of the NFL.
Their arrival - and the exit of Brady and Rodgers serves as a paradigm shift. The two rivals have perfected the craft of playing the quarterback position, only for the craft to alter.
Brady has taken winning in the NFL to unparalleled heights, becoming the undisputed GOAT in gridiron football. His seven Super Bowl rings in 10 trips to the championship game surpass any franchise, let alone individual player.
Rodgers continues to churn out double-digit wins on an annual basis and he is widely considered a transcendent thrower of the ball, armed with a unique ability to place a pass into places other quarterbacks can only dream of. He has collected four MVPs, a Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl MVP award for his troubles, and while critics may point to his decade-long struggles in the postseason, Rodgers is undeniably one of the greatest football players of modern times.
There are indomitable records in sports that will perhaps stand the test of time. Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, Bill Russell’s 11 NBA championships and Barry Bond’s single season home run number spring to mind when it comes to the Major League sports in the United States.
One stands above all the rest, beyond the confines of sport: Father Time’s undefeated streak. It is universal and ultimately began with life on Earth.
Finally, Father Time appears set to collect a pair of victories in the form of potential NFL retirements in the near future. Brady and Rodgers are two quarterbacks who have immensely left their mark on both the league and American football as a sport.
The 14-12 win for Rodgers’ Packers over Brady’s Buccaneers in Week 3 was hardly a highlight in their careers, but it was a meaningful chapter in their rivalry which has seen fans gleefully watch and ferociously debate over who was the better, greater player. Brady and Rodgers’ clash was defined not by offensive ingenuity but by defensive scheming, and it felt like
I’ve said it before in an old piece and I’ll say it again: GOAT status is not a throne to sit on, elevated above perceived colleagues, rivals, subjects; it is a torch dutifully passed on to the next generation. As Brady and Rodgers - two men who have defined the NFL for decades - step away, Justin Herbert, Mahomes, Burrow, Jackson, Allen and more are ready to step forward and stake their claim.
The same goes for the other sports like tennis and basketball, whose greats in Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and LeBron James are either retired or nearing the end of an iconic and defining period of history. Fear not, though: in US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, tennis has a new star while Ja Morant, Luka Doncic and many more will step forward to collect the crown once the King inevitably departs - although his 19th season was remarkably productive on an individual basis, averaging 30.3 points as the Los Angeles Lakers missed the postseason.
Which sporting retirement affected you the most? Let us know in the comments section.
It’s always difficult to move on from a nostalgic past, especially one coated in drama, success and unimaginable inspiration. As some of the greatest sportspeople from our childhood or adulthood leave their respective coliseums, it is not the time for mourning - it feels far, far better to savour it while we can.
European fans are blessed in this regard, as 2022 serves as the first time Rodgers and the Packers will take part in London’s International Series, marking the 32nd and final NFL franchise to take part in the series. A month later, Brady and the Buccaneers will play in the inaugural Munich match against the Seattle Seahawks.
Fans have desperately sought after tickets for both games akin to chocolate-crazed children searching for Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket. ‘The Golden Era of the Quarterback’ may be almost over, but a new exciting dawn is inching over the horizon with each passing game week.
Let’s enjoy it, shall we?
