Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers lead the greatest collection of quarterbacks in Conference Championship Sunday history
By Daniel
These four quarterbacks together are good, but are they the best ever?
The NFC and AFC Conference Championship games coming up on Sunday are in many ways intriguing. These games would be must-watch television even if trips to the Super Bowl weren’t on the line. Not only are these clearly the four strongest teams in football, all four teams boast one of the best quarterbacks in football as well. The New England Patriots have three-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, the Green Bay Packers have top MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers, and both Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson are supremely gifted, young signal-callers with plenty of playoff experience already.
Looking at this unusual collection of top-tier quarterbacks made me ask — is this the greatest Conference Championship Sunday of all-time at the quarterback position?
Quarterbacks dominate the NFL and it makes sense that the teams left battling for a chance at the Super Bowl would have quality starting quarterbacks. That said, there is usually at least one team that squeaks into Conference Championship Sunday with a quarterback that doesn’t have much of a shot at the Hall of Fame.
This year, all four quarterbacks participating in the game have a chance to make it to the Hall of Fame. The New England Patriots’ Tom Brady is an obvious first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. The Green Bay Packers’ signal caller, Aaron Rodgers, is on the verge of locking down his first-ballot Hall of Fame ticket as we speak.
The quarterbacks of the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks are both young (Andrew Luck, 25 and Russell Wilson, 26), but both have seemingly endless potential. Each are laying the foundation for Hall of Fame careers. Will they both keep up their pace of ridiculous winning? That remains to be seen. I’m not saying injury or ineffectiveness won’t ever overcome these two players.
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What does history have to say? Well, take a look at some of the teams in recent years that have made it to a Conference Championship Game without a potentially Hall of Fame worthy player under center. It has happened every year for a generation.
The list includes; San Francisco in 2013-14, Atlanta Falcons in 2012-13, San Francisco 2011-12, Chicago Bears 2010-11, New York Jets 2009-10, Philadelphia Eagles 2008-09, San Diego Chargers 2007-08 and so on. This trend continues on all the way back in time until…
1992-93.
That was the last year in which all four quarterbacks participating in a Championship Sunday had the potential at making the Hall of Fame. In that amazing (and rare) year Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly led their respective teams to Conference Championship Games. All four players are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It’s hard to argue against 1992-93 as the greatest quarterback Conference Championship Sunday of all-time, but lets try anyway!
Aikman, Young, Marino, and Kelly combined to win four Super Bowls in their careers. Tom Brady (3), Aaron Rodgers (1), and Russell Wilson (1) have already combined to win five Super Bowls and will have six total in a few weeks. Wilson, Luck, and Rodgers will all play many more seasons, too.
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Aikman, Young, Marino, and Kelly combined to win three AP MVP Awards in their careers. Tom Brady (2) and Aaron Rodgers (1) have already combined to win three AP MVP Awards. Not to mention, Rodgers is the likely winner of the 2014 MVP award and Luck is certain to take home the award at some point of his career, as he led the NFL in touchdown passes at the age of 25.
Clearly this Sunday’s collection of quarterbacks is an incredibly dominant bunch, but is it the best all-time? Does it edge out the dominant early-1990s quarterbacks?
I say yes! Although only time can truly reveal the answer. The four quarterbacks in the 1992-93 Conference Championship Games were great. However 2014-15’s quartet has already accomplished more than them (rings and awards). If Luck and Wilson do end up making the Hall of Fame there will likely be no debate that this was the best foursome of all-time.
Imagine how history will look back on this upcoming Sunday if Luck and Wilson continue to develop into the legends they’re poised to become. NFL fans know Brady’s legend and Rodgers’ is growing seemingly by the week.
My gut says that this year’s batch of Conference Championship Sunday quarterbacks will go down as the greatest of all-time. Enjoy the games this Sunday, with these quarterbacks they promise to be exciting.