As the NFL group awaits Tom Brady’s determination concerning the subsequent step in his profession, one can’t assist however discover the altering of the guard we witnessed in the course of the 2022 season. For the first time since 2009, the divisional spherical of the postseason doesn’t embrace a sport the place Brady or Aaron Rodgers is on the sector. Over a decade of deep playoff runs have ended in the interim, at the least.
Since 2010, the veteran duo has mixed to play in 14 convention championship video games, with Brady taking part in eight consecutive AFC title video games in New England. Either Brady or Rodgers has been in seven of the final 12 Super Bowls, with Tom carrying the majority of that load. No matter the way you slice it, these quarterbacks owned the previous decade.
Whether it’s wins, statistics, or particular person accolades, the story of the ‘10s in the NFL can’t be advised with out Brady and Rodgers. Multiple MVPs, All-Pros, and Pro Bowl alternatives between them, however the one factor we by no means received was a matchup on Super Bowl Sunday. And it’s most definitely by no means going to occur.
New era takeover
This season, we formally noticed a passing of the torch atop QB mountain. Entering the season, Rodgers was the reigning back-to-back league MVP and had performed within the NFC championship sport in opposition to Brady two years in the past. Brady went on to win his seventh Super Bowl ring after bouncing Rodgers and the Packers from that postseason.
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The writing is on the wall in big bold red letters for Brady, and Rodgers. A new breed of younger, more athletic QBs has snatched the mantle away from the old guard, led by Patrick Mahomes. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and now Jalen Hurts are additionally a part of the subsequent era of elite QBs. This is Hurts’ first MVP-caliber marketing campaign, but when he continues to enhance as a passer, he’ll be within the MVP dialog for a few years.
In matchups in opposition to Mahomes, Jackson, and Burrow, Brady was 0-3 this 12 months. Rodgers was 0-2 in opposition to the brand new youngsters on the block, falling in defeat to Allen and Hurts. Brady and Rodgers are now not the dominant power within the league that different QBs are chasing. Neither man threw greater than 26 touchdowns, and Rodgers failed to eclipse 4,000 yards when taking part in a complete season for the primary time since 2015. So, it’s secure to say the times of Brady/Rodgers domination are over. Both performed in all 17 video games, and their groups completed with the identical 8-9 document. Tampa Bay lucked out by taking part in within the worst division in soccer, profitable the NFC South with a shedding document.
What’s subsequent?
Unless one or each choose up and go away, their time within the winner’s circle is probably going achieved. There’s hypothesis that Brady could possibly be transferring onto his third workforce, with a number of suitors reportedly within the combine for his companies. With Rodgers, you by no means know what is going to occur in the course of the offseason just lately, however he’ll in all probability be again in Green Bay for one more 12 months of complaining about what he doesn’t have and the way his huge receiver can’t get it proper. It appears probably the most we will anticipate out of those two now’s drama.