NFL’s Changing of the Guard

The year is 2035. Tom Brady is still playing QB at age 57. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Eli Manning, & Peyton Manning have all retired over the past several years. These guys have been fixtures of the league for decades, and all of them are likely to be Hall of Famers (with Peyton Manning already in). Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, & Ryan Fitzpatrick are amongst the oldest active quarterbacks now. Rodgers is great, but the other two pale in comparison to anybody in the aforementioned list. Who are the names to watch for in terms of the next generation of quarterbacks? Will these dudes be as exciting to watch as the previous generation was? Let’s analyze this young group.

Patrick Mahomes

            Mahomes already has a Super Bowl win, Super Bowl MVP Trophy, & NFL MVP trophy on his resume, and he’s just 26 years old! Safe to say, this guy is the face of the league right now & likely will be for the foreseeable future. He’s been to the AFC Championship Game every year since becoming the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2018. His 2-2 record in those games is kind of misleading, as both losses were heartbreakers in overtime against the Patriots & Bengals. This list is loaded with AFC quarterbacks, but until further notice Mahomes is the man to beat.

Josh Allen

            Allen went toe to toe with Mahomes in the AFC Divisional Round this year, which was an instant classic that ended in overtime despite the fact that the Bills offense never got the ball.  I think the game would’ve continued throughout the night if Allen had a chance to tie things up. He doesn’t have the accolades that Mahomes does yet, but he was a late bloomer who was also Mahomes’ main source of competition in the AFC for many of these team & individual awards. His time is coming, and one of these days he will finally best Patrick Mahomes & the Chiefs. What would really help him out is if the Bills could get him a solid running game to lean on.

Justin Herbert

            Herbert set the record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie (31) in the 2020 season. He’s been simply incredible since taking over for an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of last year. I’ll never forget watching him drive the Chargers down the field time & time again in a Week 18 thriller against the Raiders this year. Let’s set the scene here, this was the last regular season game of the year & it was a de-facto playoff game as both teams faced win or go home scenarios. His team trailed 29-14 with 8:23 remaining, and that’s when Herbert began his comeback bid. The 23-year-old QB tied the game with 0:00 left, and lost in heartbreaking fashion in overtime. AFC West divisional games late in the season certainly look like must-see TV going forward.

Joe Burrow

            Why not talk about the guy who’s got his team on the verge of winning the Super Bowl? What’s crazy is that this guy is just 25 years old & he’s only been in the league for 2 years. Crazier is the fact that he led his team from a 21-3 deficit in the AFC Championship Game to an OT win over the Chiefs that gave the Bengals their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988! An underrated aspect of Burrow’s game is his accuracy, with a career 68.2% completion percentage. He really lives up to his “Joe Cool” nickname as nothing about football really seems to faze him.

Lamar Jackson

Jackson had a down year in 2021 as he battled an ankle injury that cost him 5 games. Despite that, he still had nearly 800 yards rushing & 16 total touchdowns in a career worst year. His accomplishments so far include a 2019 NFL MVP Award and the most wins (41) by a quarterback before turning age 25 (he turned 25 in January). He also set the NFL’s single season rushing record for a quarterback (1,206 yards) in 2019, which broke Michael Vick’s old record. Let’s hope for a better season from Lamar Jackson in 2022 as he enters a crucial contract year.

Kyler Murray

            You might have noticed while looking over this list that most of the hot-shot quarterbacks are from the AFC. That’s certainly true, but guys like Murray from the NFC deserve recognition. He’s like the NFC’s version of Lamar Jackson, with a dynamic ability to tuck & run as needed. The 24-year-old has averaged 5.7 yards per carry with 20 rushing touchdown in 3 NFL seasons. His infamous “Hail Murray” play where he threw a walk off touchdown pass to All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins while being driven to the ground against the Bills was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, his Achilles heel has been an inability to sustain this style of play for a full year.

Dak Prescott

            I hesitated to put Dak Prescott on this list, mainly because he’s a little bit older (28) & a little less dynamic than most of the other young guns on this list. Dak’s been a solid starter for the Cowboys since taking over for Tony Romo in 2016 though, and he still has room for growth. His 2021 season was his best yet in completing 68.8% of his passes for 4,448 yards & 37 TDs. The Cowboys QB is poised to continue putting up solid numbers with a stellar supporting cast.

The bottom line

            Let’s face it, the AFC is absolutely loaded with young quarterbacks entering their primes. This is not the case for the NFC, which is mostly being carried by Kyler Murray & Dak Prescott. The fate of NFC quarterbacks rests on the progress of Justin Fields, Trey Lance, & Jordan Love. We haven’t seen much from these guys yet, but if they’re any good the NFC will be competitive.

A new era in Pittsburgh

The Steelers need more of these in 2022. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Ben Roethlisberger has been the starting QB for the Steelers since being taken with the 11th overall pick by the team in the 2004 NFL Draft. Kevin Colbert became the Steelers director of football operations in 2000, and has been the team’s general manager since the 2010 season. Keith Butler, the Steelers defensive coordinator since 2015, has been with the team for 19 years. All three men announced their respective retirements from football over the course of this week. The Steelers have been the NFL’s model of consistency over the past decade & a half, which is when Mike Tomlin took over as head coach of the franchise. His teams have never finished below .500, and they’ve won 1 Super Bowl, 1 Conference Championship, & 8 playoff games. What comes next for the Steelers after nearly two decades of success? Let’s dive in & find out.

Transition year lies ahead

            Look, the road ahead for this team seems like it will indeed be filled with challenges. Let’s consider their division, in which the AFC North claims the Bengals, Ravens, & Browns. The Bengals are playing in the AFC Championship Game, while the Ravens & Browns were borderline playoff teams in 2021. This is one of the toughest divisions in all of football, which is why it’s hard to see the Steelers remaining competitive with a new starting quarterback in 2022.  Mike Tomlin’s streak of his teams finishing .500 or better each year will surely be put to the test.

Tough act to follow

            This mainly concerns whoever becomes the Steelers next starting QB after Roethlisberger. Big Ben’s going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer for a reason, as his legacy in leading the Steelers for 18 years is remarkable. Just take a look at what happened in New Orleans last year, as the Saints played several quarterbacks who all struggled in the post-Drew Brees era. This team is built to win now, so I envision them looking for a veteran QB rather than a rookie. The bottom line is that it will take a special type of QB for this franchise to succeed right away.

Defensive scheme changes incoming?

            The organization hasn’t really needed to make any defensive scheme changes since 1995. That was the year that legendary defensive stalwart Dick LeBeau took over as the team’s defensive coordinator, and he was later succeeded in 2015 by his linebackers coach Keith Butler. This is why I’m shocked to read about the club interviewing candidates outside the organization. Maybe some defensive adjustments, including fixing the run defense, are needed after all though. Even if they do decide to stick with an internal candidate, the defense will look different in 2022.

Changes in draft philosophy

            Similar to the club’s defensive coordinator dilemma, the organization needs to decide if they want to stay in-house or look elsewhere in replacing their general manager Kevin Colbert. Owner Art Rooney II recently said in a statement that, “(we) interviewed (two) in-house candidates. (We’re) certainly not afraid to bring in someone from the outside.”  His statement to me makes it seem like they would like to fill Colbert’s position externally rather than internally. That doesn’t really make much sense though, considering the team’s two decade run of success. Either way, the next general manager for the Steelers will certainly bring with him a different flavor in terms of draft evaluations, free agency processes, and player acquisition techniques.