Is it safe yet? Can we come out? (Looks around.)
Phew. OK. The coast looks clear.
As Aaron Rodgers officially moves on to the “Big Apple” and the New York Jets, he leaves behind a rather large chasm. The same can be said for Tom Brady in retirement (for now). No, I’m not talking about the Green Bay Packers’ barren depth chart. I’m referring to the quarterback power vacuum that now exists in the NFC.
Sure, there are certainties like Jalen Hurts, the elite leader of the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. But after him, we’re not exactly looking at a proven top-shelf conference of quarterback play. There are undoubtedly quarterbacks with tons of promise, but that’s all they are for now: unproven commodities who have shown flashes. Otherwise, this is far from a murderer’s row of the most critical position in football.
With two future Hall of Famers officially leaving the NFC landscape, here’s a ranking of where all current 16 starters in the conference might stand at the end of the 2023 season. This is a projection based on an individual’s talent, their current team situation and supporting cast, and past sample sizes of play.
And yes: the results are clearly very scientific.