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Is Andrew Luck in Position To Become the Face of the NFL in 2015?

By Daniel

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Entering his fourth season in the NFL the Indianapolis Colts’ franchise quarterback Andrew Luck is already universally regarded as a superstar. Although he may leave the 2015 season as the face of the entire league. Of course, he won’t be the only insanely popular player in the NFL next season.

The other candidates for the ‘face of the NFL’ include the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt, New England Patriots’ Tom Brady, the Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning, and Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson among a few others. As you can see the quarterback position dominates the NFL, but you already knew that.

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Rodgers is probably Luck’s stiffest competition to this arbitrary title, as he is one of the most popular athletes on the planet (and his production matches that fame). Rodgers is a two-time AP MVP that is in the midst of his prime playing for one of the league’s marquee franchises. If forced to choose, I’d say Rodgers is the face of game at the moment.

However, Luck plays in a city that has learned to love football more each year for the past two decades and he definitely has the skills to win the MVP award this year, but we’ll come back to these two players later.

Brady is, arguably, the face of the league at the moment, too. He is a four-time Super Bowl Champion and two-time AP MVP, but he doesn’t seem very interested in growing his brand off of the field. Plus, he doesn’t have that many seasons left in the NFL. The same can be about the Broncos’ Manning, although he is much more seen off of the field. Yes, they’re both incredibly popular, but the league is no longer theirs.

Watt is every bit as worthy as being the face of the league as Luck, but his position, defensive end, kind of limits him from becoming the biggest name in the game. Translation: He doesn’t have a chance to throw the game-winning touchdown pass at the Super Bowl — not to say he can’t just as big of an impact.

Of course, Wilson has proved to be a better winner than Luck so far after three years; the two players both entered the NFL in 2012. Unfortunately, Wilson’s statistics aren’t as gaudy as Luck’s and they never will be. This country loves scoring, statistics, and awards and Wilson will never have or experience as much as Luck will of those things. Wilson has won, a ridiculous amount mind you, with a solid running game and a legendary defense. I’m not taking anything away from him as he’s a great leader, but he’s not on the same individual level that Luck is.

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Luck has done more with less than perhaps any quarterback over the last three years.

What should scare the rest of the NFL is that Luck now has numerous weapons to play with in 2015. The Colts signed wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Frank Gore to compliment wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and the rest of the Colts’ first-ranked passing attack from a year ago. It’ll be fun to see how dangerous Luck can be with a full, and hungry, ensemble of talent around him.

Even without these weapons Luck led his Colts to three consecutive 11-5 seasons and three consecutive playoff appearances. On top of that he’s already been invited to three Pro Bowls in three years in the NFL, too.

In preparation for the 2015 season, Indianapolis has done everything it can to take it to the next level. As this team progresses, so will Luck’s fame and case for being the ‘face of the NFL’ — look out Rodgers.

Speaking of Rodgers, Luck is already nearly statistically on par with him. In 2014, Luck threw for 40 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and 4,761 yards. Rodgers threw for 38 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, and 4,381 yards. Of course, Rodgers is better at protecting the ball, but Luck’s turnovers should drop over the next few years as he gains more experience.

The difference is that Luck is only 25 years old and Rodgers is 31. If Luck can top his production in 2014 he will definitely be thought of as an elite quarterback by everyone in the country (he already should be in my opinion) and his fame will only rise. Not to mention, Luck’s numerous appearances on the popular NBC show Parks and Recreation do not hurt his popularity one bit. Either does his disturbingly iconic (neck) beard. Although Rodgers is on television often as well; I don’t think anyone has forgotten the “Discount Double Check” commercial saga, for better or worse.

Luck and Rodgers should battle as the ‘face of the NFL’ for the next five years or so, but in truth, Luck’s youth should give him the edge as time goes on. If he leads Indy to the promised land in 2015, otherwise known as the Super Bowl, he could join Rodgers. Over the next few years he could even possible surpass him; Luck possesses that much skill, poise, and likability.

Does it truly matter who the ‘face of the NFL’ is? No, not really, but it’s still fun to think about and debate. Who do you think is currently the league’s most popular player? Do you think Luck has a chance to become that by the end of 2015?

Next: Five Quarterbacks Poised To Break Out In 2015

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