As Aaron Rodgers enters his final NFL season, he has a chance to reach several notable milestones. He already holds records for touchdown/interception ratio and passer rating, and is tied for the best career passer rating. Rodgers is also on the verge of joining an elite group of quarterbacks with over 70,000 career passing yards, needing 3,726 yards to do so. Despite an Achilles injury in 2023 that likely ended his chance to pass Brett Favre on the all-time passing list, Rodgers is still poised to achieve significant career statistical achievements in his final year
ESPN is reportedly planning to add a Pat McAfee-led alternative broadcast for Monday Night Football, airing on ESPN2 on the weeks Peyton and Eli Manning's ManningCast is not broadcast. The move is contingent on NFL approval, which seems likely given the NFL's ownership stake in ESPN and the potential for increased viewership and revenue
Last season was a down year for the AFC's superstar quarterbacks I like to call the "big four." None of Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow made the AFC title game. Mahomes, Jackson and Burrow all missed the playoffs and combined to miss 16 regular-season games. Now, don't get me wrong, confidence is still understandably high in this group. Our experts ranked them as four of the best five quarterbacks in the league entering this season. But, maybe 2025 was more than a fluke. Maybe, just maybe, they are in the midst of, or entering the sports version of a midlife crisis. Think about it. They are getting up there in age. All four quarterbacks are either approaching age 30 or have already turned 30 years old. Could they be questioning their careers? Allen and Jackson still haven't made the Super Bowl and this is the age when mobile quarterbacks start to decline. Burrow had some midlife crisis-type comments last year. Mahomes is coming off a serious knee injury and the Chiefs fell apart last year. What's next? Mood swings and impulsive decisions? Maybe a little jealousy? The next generation of star quarterbacks could be waiting in the wings ( Justin Herbert , C.J. Stroud , Drake Maye , Fernando Mendoza ??) In all seriousness, each future Hall of Fame quarterback is entering the second half of their career with plenty of promise but also some concerns about their Super Bowl windows. That's why I'm looking at a case for and against a midlife crisis for each one with a verdict included. Mahomes is the most fascinating case. He's only 30 years old and is already one of three players all time with three Super Bowl MVPs (Brady and Joe Montana). As he chases Brady for GOAT status, it's actually Brady who provides the blueprint for what Mahomes' midlife crisis could look like. Like Mahomes, Brady tore his ACL in his ninth season. He also went a decade between his third and fourth rings as he competed with the likes of Peyton Manning , Ben Roethlisberger , Joe Flacco and Philip Rivers in the AFC. Mahomes also has plenty of talent to compete with in the AFC who are champing at the bit after he's been ring blocking for years. You can definitely make a case the Chiefs' dynasty is over (at least version 1.0) as players decline and bills come due. Kansas City needed to trade Tyreek Hill a few years ago. They moved Joe Thuney last year. This offseason we saw most of their secondary get dismantled headlined by Trent McDuffie's trade to the Rams . Kelce lost a step (or two) and Chris Jones is beginning to decline. You can see the toll all of that has taken as the Chiefs sputtered last year. They have also been struggling on offense for three years now. We are looking at a 50+-game sample where the Chiefs are below average in scoring. Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Brady never had a 30+-game stretch in their careers where their team was below league average in scoring. There doesn't appear to be a solution in sight as Worthy hasn't lived up to the 4.21 40 hype and Rice can't stay on the field. I was shocked when I found this stat recently. The Chiefs are the only team in the NFL without a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver in a season in the past three years. The lack of playmaking around Mahomes has caught up to them. So has how defenses are playing them. Mahomes has just seven pass touchdowns on deep throws (20+ air yards) since Hill was traded in the 2022 offseason. That's tied for 27th in the league. He had 41 in four seasons prior to that, easily the most in football. We're all waiting for 50-TD Mahomes to walk through that door again. But with all of the above in mind, it's probably going to take some time. Plus, I buried the lede. Mahomes is coming off last year's knee injury. Although he's healthy for the start of the year, we still don't know how this could impact a quarterback who relies on his legs a lot. He leads the NFL in passing first downs (114) and rushing first downs (60) outside the pocket in the pa
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Conversations have already begun as it relates to the 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class and the insane number of notable players who will be eligible for the first time. Among those players is former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , whose career includes two Super Bowl wins, 60,088 passing yards and 418 touchdowns and the fifth-most wins in NFL history among starting quarterbacks. While Roethlisberger's status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer is up for debate , there is usually no arguing the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers ' former quarterback is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. However, LeSean McCoy , a former All-Pro running back, doesn't think that Roethlisberger had a Hall of Fame career based on his lack of individual accolades. "You should never be in the Hall of Fame if you never had no All-Pros ," McCoy said on his podcast. "Think of how that sounds. All-Pro, for the guys that don't play football. All-Pro is the best in the league. You feel me? But I'm being serious, how the hell he not have (an) All-Pro? So, take him off." McCoy didn't change his opinion when it was pointed out to him that Roethlisberger likely would have garnered more individual honors had he played in a different era that didn't include Tom Brady , Peyton Manning , Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. "For me, I can't push your Hall of Fame with the best players of all time if you never had an All-Pro," he said. "Think about that though. That mean you never was the best quarterback or never was the best player in your position ever." Roethlisberger's lack of individual accolades will likely be discussed when his candidacy is debated by the voters. And while McCoy doesn't agree, it almost won't, however, keep Roethlisberger out of the Hall of Fame altogether. Roethlisberger's individual numbers -- that include his impressive wins total -- are just too good for him not to earn induction at some point if he is not inducted in 2027. The third quarterback taken in the 2004 NFL Draft (behind Eli Manning and Philip Rivers ), Roethlisberger enjoyed one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history. He won his first 12 starts (an NFL record) en route to winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The following season, Roethlisberger became the youngest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl after helping the Steelers become the first sixth seed to win it all. His game-saving tackle in Pittsburgh's divisional round playoff win over the Colts kept the Steelers' championship run alive. Three years later, Roethlisberger engineered one of the most famous game-winning drives in NFL history that culminated in his game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes at the end of Super Bowl XLIII. No. 12: 2008 Super Bowl XLIII - Steelers vs. Cardinals (Feb. 1, 2009) #NFL100 @Steelers 📺: NFL 100 Greatest Games on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/LM12I8rwVt Two years later, Roethlisberger again helped led the Steelers to the Super Bowl, where they were defeated by Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers . And while they did not get back to another Super Bowl after that, Steelers continued to be a perennial contender for the majority following decade largely because of Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger also accumulated some big numbers over that span that included becoming the first player to throw six touchdowns in consecutive games (doing so in 2014). He also owns the NFL record for most 500-yard passing performances (four). From 2014-18, Roethlisberger won a pair of passing titles and was named to four Pro Bowls. He also led the NFL in average passing yards per game on three occasions over that span. On this day in 2014, Ben Roethlisberger threw six touchdowns for the second-straight week! 🔥 The Steelers beat the Ravens 42-23! #BovadaSportsHistory pic.twitter.com/KG43dkJ6vh In addition to his numbers, Roethlisberger's reputation as one of the toughest quarterbacks in NFL history to bring down also strengthens his Hall of Fame argument. Ben Roethlisberger had th
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For most coaches, the issue of player concussions requires sympathy. Moving forward, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will easily be able to empathize with players who have suffered head trauma. In his first training-camp press conference following a July 11 automobile accident, Shanahan was asked if the severe concussion that he sustained will change his perspective on players who are dealing with the effects of brain injuries. “Yeah, no doubt,” Shanahan said. “I’ve been told so much by these guys, don’t compare a sports concussion to an accident like this. I’m starting to realize that now. Just little things, like when they label things, like whether it’s severe or mild. You hear someone has a mild one, I’m like, ‘Oh, alright. It might be one game, but usually that’s two.’ Then you kind of learn those are just words. Each one’s a little bit different. I definitely can relate to how scary it is when you don’t know if you will feel right again. It’s definitely made me more educated on it. Usually I just listen, and like, ‘Tell me when, OK?’ and I move on, but I understand it a lot better and what guys got to go through and the protocol to get back. There’s not a protocol for me on paper, but it’s really cool to be in a profession that knows what to do with those things. All the people that I need help from, it was already built in here. They’ve got a lot of experience with it, and it’s been really good for me.” If anything, players need to be encouraged to not return until they’re fully back to normal. Some players will try to hide their symptoms. Some will resist being evaluated. Some will tank the baseline cognitive exams so that it will be easier to be cleared to return. (Peyton Manning once admitted to doing that , before walking it back as a joke .) Starting in 2009, when Congress got involved in the issue of brain health, the NFL began to take concussions very seriously. For the most part, it does. (There are still periodic lapses in the concussion-spotting process.) Moving forward, Shanahan will have a better understanding of the challenges created by a concussion. And while very few players use a concussion as a crutch to avoid practicing and/or playing, Shanahan could be a valuable resource when it comes to encouraging players to take their time. It also could make him less likely to allow a player to lose his prior spot in the depth chart due to missing time because of a head injury
The Los Angeles Rams must feel pretty good about the success of their monumental 2021 trade that swapped Jared Goff and a cache of picks for Matthew Stafford. The move resulted in a Super Bowl championship at the team’s home in SoFi Stadium. Years later Stafford is finding new heights in his career. He just put a bow on his most productive season yet and earned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player honors. Even with things going so well, the Rams understand quarterback is the most important position in football. Stafford’s career continuation is on a year-to-year basis. He could easily decide to call it quits after 2026. LA decided now is the time to prepare for the future. They drafted Ty Simpson with the thirteenth overall pick earlier this spring. There is plenty of time to discern what Simpson brings to the table and whether he’s someone that the Rams can be trusted with the keys as soon as 2027. As training camp approaches, now seems like a good moment to ponder on Simpson’s NFL ceiling. For as good as Stafford is, could Simpson one day surpass him? For most of Stafford’s NFL tenure, he was often the 8th to 12th best quarterback in the league. Many in front of him have hung up their cleats: Peyton Manning , Tom Brady , Drew Brees , Matt Ryan , Philip Rivers , Ben Roethlisberger , Eli Manning , Andrew Luck , and others. The league’s new elite quarterbacks are stylistically very different from those who have come before. There is a significant difference in the way they play the game from what makes Stafford successful. I’m thinking of Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson , Joe Burrow , Drake Maye , Caleb Williams , Jordan Love , and more. The NFL is in good hands with this emerging crop. But modern professional football almost requires quarterbacks to be able to win with their legs. You can get by with a savvy pocket passer, although in short-yardage and goal line situations you may be leaving meat on the bone if your signal caller can’t pick it up himself. This alone is one of the biggest changes the Rams will see when they one day transition from Stafford to Simpson. And certainly Stafford brings a headiness to his play that is unrivaled by the next generation. His no-look passes and ability to quickly progress through the defense gives Los Angeles a massive inherent advantage. There are tradeoffs for nearly any player teams decide to put under center. At least on the surface the Rams seem to understand where the quarterback position is headed. Simpson fits that bill from a stylistic standpoint. A common draft season knock against both Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson was that they are probably NFL starters but may be not better than mid-tier. Simpson has frequently been compared to Brock Purdy , a former seventh round pick and someone who may never become elite himself. But Simpson has Sean McVay’s seal of approval. That is meaningful for nearly anyone on the offensive side of the ball. While seeing Simpson in such a favorable light does require some hand waving and looking past a small sample size, you can certainly see why the Rams felt he was a fit for their system and that he has the potential to grow into a difference maker. One of the main concerns with Simpson is his frame. He stands 6-1 and weighed 211 lbs. at the NFL scouting combine. That weight is likely significantly heavier than where he played at last season while he was battling gastritis. For example, the below list of quarterbacks have a earned reputation for missing time. Being slight of frame is a real concern. Brock Purdy, 212 lbs JJ McCarthy, 219 lbs Jayden Daniels , 21o lbs Lamar Jackson, 216 lbs Kyler Murray , 207 lbs Joe Burrow, 221 lbs Josh Allen is pushing 240 pounds. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are in the mid-220’s. Even 10 additional pounds may make a big difference in terms of sustaining hits over the course of a season. With an opportunity to observe one of the most savvy passers in football, time to build out his ph
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The Fourth of July is one of the slowest NFL news days of the year. Every year, I remember the shocking news that emerged in the early afternoon of July 4, 2009. Former Titans and Ravens quarterback Steve McNair had been murdered. The details were confusing. It was quickly ruled a murder-suicide; McNair was shot by his 20-year-old girlfriend, who then shot herself. The woman, Sahel Kazemi, had reportedly never owned a gun. But McNair was execution-style, with two shots to the chest and two to the head. Questions lingered regarding whether someone else was involved, but the case was never re-opened. In 2018, SI.com released a podcast series on the McNair murder. The third overall pick in the 1995 draft, McNair led the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, nearly throwing a late touchdown pass that would have set the stage for overtime (or the ultimate all-or-nothing two-point conversion) against the Rams. McNair shared the NFL MVP award with Peyton Manning in 2003, and he finished his career with two seasons in Baltimore. McNair is a member of the Titans’ Ring of Honor. The team has retired number 9 in his honor. McNair was only 36 when he died, 17 years ago today
The Fourth of July is one of the slowest NFL news days of the year. Every year, I remember the shocking news that emerged in the early afternoon of July 4, 2009. Former Titans and Ravens quarterback Steve McNair had been murdered. The details were confusing. It was quickly ruled a murder-suicide; McNair was shot by his 20-year-old girlfriend, who then shot herself. The woman, Sahel Kazemi, had reportedly never owned a gun. But McNair was execution-style, with two shots to the chest and two to the head. Questions lingered regarding whether someone else was involved, but the case was never re-opened. In 2018, SI.com released a podcast series on the McNair murder. The third overall pick in the 1995 draft, McNair led the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, nearly throwing a late touchdown pass that would have set the stage for overtime (or the ultimate all-or-nothing two-point conversion) against the Rams. McNair shared the NFL MVP award with Peyton Manning in 2003, and he finished his career with two seasons in Baltimore. McNair is a member of the Titans' Ring of Honor. The team has retired number 9 in his honor. McNair was only 36 when he died, 17 years ago today
Matthew Stafford was the 13th consecutive quarterback to win the AP Most Valuable Player after bringing it home for the Los Angeles Rams in 2025. The last time a non-QB won was Adrian Peterson with his superhuman season in 2012. It’s a quarterback award for the most part these days, and the list of recent winners is littered with some of the best quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. After putting up those big years, though, how did those last 12 quarterbacks fare in their follow-up effort? Is it at all predictive for what could be in store for Matthew Stafford? Let’s dive into the data. After missing the 2011 season due to his neck injury, Manning arrived in Denver with a bang in 2012, but it was the 2013 Broncos season that earned Manning his fifth MVP honor. One year later, in 2014, Manning was still undeniably good, throwing for 4,727 yards and 39 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl campaign, but the signs of decline were starting to creep in. He’d retire after winning Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season when his decline was at its nadir. There was a legitimate argument for J.J. Watt to win the award this year, but Rodgers pulled it out for his second MVP with another hyper productive and exceptionally efficient year. In 2015 things sputtered a little for Rodgers and the Packers offense, though they still won a playoff game and Rodgers reached the Pro Bowl. We’re nowhere near done with him on this list. Cam Newton was phenomenal in 2015, leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record and their second-ever Super Bowl appearance, although his performance in that game is still criticized to this day. He never reached those heights again, with no more Pro Bowls or any other honors in the remainder of his career. In fact, his 2016 season was the least productive healthy season in Carolina, throwing for just 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, going 6-8 as a starter and missing the playoffs. Everyone knows how this season ended for Ryan and the Falcons, but he was exceptional on his way to winning MVP. After Kyle Shanahan departed following Super Bowl 51 to become the head coach of the 49ers , Ryan stumbled production-wise, posting his lowest yardage total since 2010 and fewest touchdowns (20) since his rookie season. He remained productive for the remainder of his career but never got close to his MVP campaign again. Tom Brady won his third and final MVP in 2017, racking up big-time numbers through the air yet again. He followed it up by winning the Super Bowl the following season. We don’t need to rehash any more about that particular accomplishment. In his first season as a starter, Mahomes took the league by storm when he won the MVP award in 2018. He threw for a league-high 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,100 yards for one of the best offenses in league history. Defense cost the Chiefs in the long run as they melted down in the AFC Championship Game that year, but he battled back to win the Super Bowl the next season. Another quarterback in his first full season as a starter, Jackson similarly put the league on notice right away like Mahomes did, although did so with a very good campaign throwing the ball and a historic one rushing it. He dropped off a bit in 2020, though, missing even a Pro Bowl and passing for 12 fewer touchdowns, and the Ravens only scored three points in a divisional round loss to the Bills. After putting up good numbers and an NFC title game appearance in his first season with Matt LaFleur as his play caller, Rodgers and the Packers offense exploded in 2020. He completed nearly 71% of his passes that season and posted a league-best 48 touchdown passes. How did he follow that up? Well… Rodgers became the first player to win back-to-back MVPs in over a decade, since Peyton Manning did it in 2008 and 2009. The raw numbers weren’t quite as gaudy for Rodgers in ’21 as they were in ’20, but he still led the league in TD%, INT% and passer rating, although Green Bay ’s offense collapsed and went one-and-done in the playoffs, the [... truncated ...]
Offering up predictions for an upcoming NFL season is always fun. You throw out things that you believe are going to happen, and if you are feeling particularly spicy then you toss out some that you feel a bit less confident in but could still see happening if things broke a certain direction. On Wednesday the worldwide leader in sports did just that by offering several bold predictions for the league at large . These vary in type and some are specific to players as opposed to teams. But the theme of them all was that they were of the bold variety. There is one involving the Dallas Cowboys. This is the kind of thing that requires the right environment. The “right” environment means one conducive to it happening. Players generally only throw for 5K because their teams were in positions for them to do so. This is a nice way of saying that they had bad defenses. Dak Prescott came close to 5K back in 2019 as noted by ESPN. They note that a big factor in that was how quickly the Cowboys offense moved that season and that they shared a similar level of speed last year which is why the prediction is what it is. It has been done 14 times by nine different players: Peyton Manning , Drew Brees , Tom Brady , Patrick Mahomes , Ben Roethlisberger , Dan Marino, Matthew Stafford , Justin Herbert and (I’ll give you a billion guesses for the last name) Jameis Winston . The most recent 5,000-yard passer was Mahomes in 2022. To clear 5,000 passing yards in a 17-game season, a quarterback must average 294.1 passing yards per contest. In Prescott’s best season (2019), he averaged 306.4 yards per contest and fell just 100 yards short of the 5,000-yard mark since there were 16 games. Interestingly, the Cowboys weren’t particularly pass-happy that season, with a 60.7% dropback rate that was below the league average. But they had a high total number of plays because they were moving fast . In their first season under offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, no team snapped the ball with more time on the play clock. Only five offenses had more plays per game; only six ran no-huddle more frequently. Last season, the Cowboys rediscovered their superspeed ways in their first year under coach Brian Schottenheimer and coordinator Klayton Adams. The Cowboys once again led the league in play clock remaining at the snap, and this time, they led the league in offensive plays per game. Prescott had a career-high 600 total pass attempts. The volume will be there for Prescott to not just lead the league in passing in 2026 but to once again challenge for the 5,000-yard milestone. Volume is the first half of the riddle; explosiveness is the other half. To that end, the Cowboys must successfully get wide receiver George Pickens to play on the franchise tag for Prescott to reach the mark. Pickens unlocked a new level to his game in just one season with the Cowboys, as Prescott provided him with stable quarterback play for the first time in his NFL career. It did take Dallas some time to riddle out the chemistry between Pickens and incumbent WR1 CeeDee Lamb , and Lamb missed four games early in the season with a high ankle sprain. When both Pickens and Lamb were on the field, Prescott averaged 8.1 yards per pass attempt. When at least one was not on the field, that fell to 6.7. Lamb had a weird year in general, with a career-worst eight drops and his worst season for YAC since he was a rookie. It’s fair to project an improvement in the Cowboys’ passing game in Year 2 under Schottenheimer and Adams, as they’ve had time to iron out the wrinkles in the Lamb/Pickens pairing. While the Cowboys’ offense should get better in 2026, it’ll likely remain a below-average unit, forcing them into shootouts that give Prescott additional dropbacks. There’s some concern in pass protection at both tackle spots for Dallas, but no environment can be perfect. As Prescott gets older, he’ll scramble less and instead throw more against pressure. Cincinnati ’s Joe Burrow is another good c
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THIBODAUX, LA — Every year spent at Manning Passing Academy is like a family reunion. That’s what University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning told reporters Friday morning at Nicholls as the camp celebrates its 30th anniversary. There were four college players when MPA started at Tulane in 1996: then- Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning , Southwestern Louisiana (now UL ) quarterback Jake Delhomme and wide receiver Brandon Stokely and Northeast Louisiana (now ULM ) quarterback Bo Meeks. Three of those four went on to play in the NFL, while Meeks is a successful high school football coach in north Louisiana. Arch Manning is one of the 46 college quarterbacks who are MPA counselors this year. “I get excited to come back every year and learn more and spend time with my family and other college quarterbacks. It’s a blessing,” Arch said regarding the camp. Manning Passing Academy has been held at Nicholls since 2005 and has also taken place at Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond. The biggest goal of the camp isn’t to mold NFL players but to enhance the high school football experience. MPA has also provided opportunities for women in sports. Multiple NFL starting quarterbacks have been MPA counselors while in college, from Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield to Tyler Shough and Cam Ward . Signal callers from Louisiana colleges were represented on MPA's staff this year: Aidan Armenta (ULM), Kyle Lowe (SLU) and Ean Rodrigue (Nicholls). Retired NFL quarterback Eli Manning described himself as an “old-timer” regarding his time at MPA. He was a camper during the first four years while at Newman. Following a decorated career at Ole Miss and winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants , Eli’s passion as an MPA counselor still grows after 26 years. “It’s a great reunion to be around my two brothers and my dad but also just being around these high school kids and (seeing) their passion for the game of football,” Eli said. “It’s a great reminder when I was playing to come here and see what it’s all about. "It’s about loving the game and trying to get better and making improvements every single day. I'm happy to be here and coach them up and coach up these college kids as well and kind of help them on their journey going forward.” Manning Passing Academy is more than just a football camp for high schoolers but an economic and tourism boost for Thibodaux and south Louisiana. The Houma Times reported Wednesday economic estimates from the camp’s impact is between $2.5 and $3.2 million annually. Nicholls continues to grow over the past several years with upgrades to John L. Guidry Stadium and a covered practice field. Louisiana Line Camp, which celebrated its 40th anniversary, is another top event that takes place at Nicholls during the summer. Cooper Manning said it’s a tough camp as his youngest son, Heid, was an attendee while at Newman. “It’s been a terrific partnership (with Nicholls), seeing all these unbelievable football fields," Cooper said. "This is a pretty impressive place, seeing these many football fields in a row, just one whistle and everybody rotates. You can’t do that anywhere else. To accommodate 1,400 campers with a cafeteria and dorms and all that is just amazing. The good people of Thibodaux and Houma and this region have been great to us, and I love my time in south Louisiana.” The Mannings are proud of the impact MPA has made across generations. The campers from Tulane are now sending their children to Nicholls. High schoolers from every corner of the United States flock down to Thibodaux each year to continue creating lifelong memories. Former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning's three sons have never missed a second of Manning Passing Academy , which will remain at Nicholls until at least 2028. “We’ve done something that people enjoy,” Archie said. “I hear from friends about the anticipation of the kids before camp, about the week before and two weeks before and how excited they are, es
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Over the next few weeks, I’m going to run through the greatest Denver Broncos players of all-time by position. Naturally, I should start with the easiest Top 2 then we can all argue about the other three on this list. Yes, I will already have Bo Nix in the top three after just two seasons. The reason is pretty simple: there haven’t been that many great quarterbacks in Broncos’ history. The only two that maybe deserve to be on this list is Craig Morton and Tim Tebow . And those two would make the list for entirely different reasons. Instead, I went with Kubiak because he was instrumental in all three of the Super Bowl championships that we’ve enjoyed. Plummer then makes the cut above the rest as he is likely the best in actual quarterbacking skill compared to the rest of the options available. John Elway Peyton Manning Bo Nix Gary Kubiak Jake Plummer I also pinged the rest of the Mile High Report staff for their opinions on the matter. Here is where they stand: Scotty Payne: Probably the easiest list to do. Elway and Manning don’t need any explaining, Bo Nix is the present and the future, Jake Plummer was fun, and Tebow had a magical season, won a playoff game, and helped the Broncos land Manning. John Elway Peyton Manning Bo Nix Jake Plummer Tim Tebow Chris Hart: John Elway and Peyton Manning are head and shoulders above the rest of the list for obvious reasons. Hall of Fame players who helped deliver the franchise’s three Super Bowl victories. Prior to the arrival of Elway, Craig Morton was the Broncos’ all-time passing leader in his six seasons with Denver compiling a 41-23 record. Jake Plummer, despite eventually being replaced by Jay Cutler in 2006, had an underrated 39-15 record as a starter. Entering his third season, Bo Nix is the future of the franchise and seems destined to climb up the Broncos’ all-time passing record marks in short order. John Elway Peyton Manning Craig Morton Jake Plummer Bo Nix Ian St. Clair: The first two are obvious. They’re two of the best QBs to ever play in the NFL. Nix passes the eye test and just out-dueled Josh Allen for an incredible playoff OT win. Morton was integral to the Broncos having its best season in franchise history at the time in 1977. While Plummer brought stability and leadership to the QB position. He also helped lead the Broncos to a playoff win over Tom Brady . John Elway Peyton Manning Bo Nix Craig Morton Jake Plummer Ross Allen: It’s almost odd to me that a team with such a long and storied history and winning record doesn’t have a long list of talented quarterbacks. The first two are easy picks, but then the last three can be a little harder to determine. Bo Nix has all of the ability to be the third-best. Morton’s impact on the earlier years of this franchise is undeniable. And Tebow might be a stretch to some, but that 2011 season was electric and he did help lead Denver to a playoff win over the 12-4 Steelers , the defending AFC champs. John Elway Peyton Manning Bo Nix Craig Morton Tim Tebow Sadaraine: This list fairly easily writes itself. I’ll have Morton higher on my list because I appreciate the history of the franchise before I was a fan more than most fans. And yes, Bo Nix belongs on this list. He’s going to be a Bronco for a very long time and has a decent chance to move up the list over the course of his career. John Elway Peyton Manning Craig Morton Jake Plummer Bo Nix Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann: I was surprised at how hard it was to figure out No. 3-5! As much as I loved the Tebow season, he really does not belong on the top 5 all time. And even though Craig Morton doesn’t have the flashy career of the others, it was a completely different era and he was hugely important to this franchise for decades to come for helping lead the Broncos to their first Super Bowl. John Elway Peyton Manning Craig Morton Bo Nix Jake Plummer Adam Malnati: The list has been explained well by everyone else, so I won’t do that here. Inst
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This article explores a hypothetical scenario where Hank Baskett recovered the onside kick in Super Bowl XLIV, analyzing how this could have altered Peyton Manning's legacy and the Colts' historical standing
This article discusses the best and worst draft picks in Denver Broncos history, highlighting Shannon Sharpe as the best pick due to his seventh-round selection and Hall of Fame career, and Terrell Davis as a close second. Paxton Lynch is identified as the worst pick, selected 26th overall in 2016, and his tenure is seen as a catalyst for a decade of mediocrity
Each day in the month of June, we’ll roll out a fresh topic to get Chicago Bears fans thinking. Be sure to chime in with your answer in the comments so we can all get to know our WCG members a bit better. This one was tough as there have been quite a handful of painful moments in recent Bears history. The “Double Doink” and Javon Wims ’ dropped TD pass from Mitch in our last playoff appearance before the 2025 season come to mind. But if we change too much in recent memory, we may not end up with Ben and Caleb. With that said, I am going to our last Super Bowl appearance back in the 2006 season. Even in this game alone you could go multiple directions. I remember throwing my hat on the ground when Cedric Benson was subbed in after Thomas Jones led the team down for a TD drive and we held the Colts to a three and out. What does Benson do? He fumbled the ball on his first carry. There was an opening drive fumble by Rex later in that first half and a couple of INTs by Rex that game, but one deflated me more than any – and it came at the hands of a future Bear – Kelvin Hayden . THAT would be the one moment I change. It was early in the 4th quarter and we just forced another three and out (the Bears defense played lights out that game to be honest) and were driving down the field. After a couple strong runs by Thomas Jones and a deep connection from Rex to Mushin Muhammed, Rex attempted another deep shot to Moose and was picked clean. Not only did Hayden come down with the ball, but he took it the distance and made it a two score game with just under 12 minutes remaining in regulation. If I could change that moment, I would simply get the ball back in Thomas Jones’ hands. Let him carry Chicago down the field to take the lead with a TD or draw within 2 points after a FG. Who’s to say we wouldn’t have still lost? Either way, I like our chances with that play erased from history considering the way our OL was blocking and our Defense was playing against Peyton Manning and Co. We averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a team despite Thomas Jones averaging 7.5 and we forced 3 turnovers by the Colts. The problem is, we had 5 turnovers ourselves, with Rex Grossman committing 3 himself and nearly losing a 4th fumble as well. If we don’t throw that back breaking INT and eventually score on that drive and win that game – Chicago and Lovie Smith bask in the South Beach glory on that humid February night in 2007 instead of Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs , Peanut Tillman and Devin Hester all get their Super Bowl rings and Virginia gets to see her fathers dream come true. Perhaps Thomas Jones wins Super Bowl MVP and sticks around in Chicago for longer too!
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had a storied career. His four MVP awards are the second-most all-time, trailing only Peyton Manning , and he ranks top five in passing yards and touchdowns. On top of all of his accolades, Rodgers is largely regarded as one of the best pure passers in the history of the sport. And according to Tom Brady, there is no one better when it comes to throwing the football than Rodgers. “There’s no greater passer of the football than Aaron Rodgers,” Brady said on Stick To Football . “I mean… you see everyone do it and then you see one person throw the ball that much better. Aaron Rodgers was incredible… the way [the ball] comes out of his hand, the way that it spins and delivers with the pace and with the accuracy. There’s only probably three people in the history of the NFL that could do it like him.” Rodgers and Brady are two of the ten best quarterbacks to ever play the game. And depending on who you ask, both rank inside the top five. In the Top 30 quarterbacks of the Super Bowl era panel put together by myself last summer, Brady was the unanimous No. 1 quarterback of all-time, while Rodgers ranked No. 6. The two faced each other five times in the regular season and once in the playoffs, Brady holding a 4-2 record over Rodgers. We very nearly got Brady vs. Rodgers in Super Bowl XLIX. Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers led the Seattle Seahawks 19-7 with just over two minutes left before Green Bay ’s defense and special teams fell apart. The Seahawks came back and won in overtime, leading to their second straight Super Bowl appearance and eventual loss to Brady and the New England Patriots on the infamous Russell Wilson interception to Malcolm Butler . Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Steelers unable to draft QB Brendan Sorsby, per NFL ruling T.J. Watt welcoming change with Mike McCarthy as he chases return to dominance Steelers under the radar defender named big winner of offseason Four trades the Steelers should make before training camp Mike McCarthy is exactly who Pat Freiermuth needed
This article explores a hypothetical scenario where the Indianapolis Colts traded the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Andrew Luck, to the Washington Redskins. The author delves into the team's situation in 2011, coming off a losing season without Peyton Manning, and the subsequent hiring of new management. The hypothetical trade would have involved the Redskins sending their 2012 #6 pick, #39 pick, and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 in exchange for the Colts' second overall pick
Part 1: What If the Colts Drafted Ryan Leaf Over Peyton Manning ? This six-part Colts What If series looks back at some of the biggest turning points in franchise history, from the Peyton Manning draft decision to playoff heartbreak, quarterback pivots and coaching chaos, while revisiting what happened, what could have changed, and how different the Colts might look if one major moment had gone the other way. For Part 2, there is no better place to go than one of the most painful moments of the Peyton Manning era! Mike Vanderjagt’s missed field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2005 divisional round has lived in Colts history for nearly two decades. It was a shocking ending to a bizarre game, one that included a massive comeback attempt, a rare Jerome Bettis fumble at the goal line, Nick Harper somehow being one cut away from one of the greatest playoff returns ever, and then the most accurate kicker in NFL history pushing a 46-yard field goal badly wide right. It is remembered as the kick that ended the Colts’ season, and that is true, but it’s also important to frame the play correctly. If Vanderjagt makes that kick, the Colts do not beat the Steelers… they tie the game! That distinction is important because this was not a guaranteed Super Bowl path that disappeared the second the ball missed. The Colts still would have needed to win overtime against a Pittsburgh team that had outplayed them for most of the afternoon. Still, if Indianapolis survives that overtime period, the entire 2005 playoff picture changes, and the Colts likely become the clear favourite to win the Super Bowl. The mistake people make with this what-if is jumping straight from “Vanderjagt makes the kick” to “the Colts win the Super Bowl.” The field goal would have tied the game at 21, sending it to overtime. From there, the Colts still would have needed to beat a Steelers team that had been physical, aggressive and better prepared for most of the game. Pittsburgh had controlled the early stages, pressured Manning, disrupted the timing of the offense and put Indianapolis in a hole that took nearly the entire game to climb out of. In the sudden-death overtime format of that era, the next part of the story is basically a coin flip. Maybe the Colts win the toss, get the ball, and Manning finally settles into rhythm. Maybe Pittsburgh wins the toss, leans on the run game, and gets one more drive from Ben Roethlisberger . Maybe the Colts defense, which had already survived the Bettis fumble sequence, creates another stop. Maybe Vanderjagt gets another chance. There are too many variables to pretend the result is obvious. So the fairest starting point is simple: if Vanderjagt makes the kick, the Colts probably have about a 50/50 chance to win the game in overtime. That might sound conservative, but it keeps the discussion honest. The Colts were the better team over the full season, but that day was not being played on paper. Pittsburgh had already proven it could win in Indianapolis. Making the kick gives the Colts life, not a win. But if they do win overtime, then the real pain of this what-if begins. If the Colts beat Pittsburgh in overtime, they host the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos had already beaten the Patriots the night before, handing Tom Brady his first playoff loss. That meant the AFC title game was waiting to be played in Denver if Pittsburgh won, or in Indianapolis if the Colts survived. In the actual timeline, Pittsburgh went to Denver and beat the Broncos convincingly. That result does not automatically mean the Colts would have done the same thing, but it does tell us something about the strength of the remaining field. Denver was a good team, but the Broncos were not viewed the way the Colts were viewed that season. Indianapolis was 14-2 and had been the league’s most complete team for most of the year. The Colts had Manning in his prime, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Dallas Cl
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