Aaron Rodgers is gone, who will be QB1 in the NFC?

With four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers leaving the NFC, there is no clear number-one quarterback in the division. Although the Philadelphia Eagles were clearly the best team in the conference in 2022 and saw quarterback Jalen Hurts take a massive leap in year three, they have lost a few key players to free agency making it very difficult to replicate their achievements from last season.

For years, Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback that everyone feared in the NFC, the one guy you didn’t want to see in the playoffs. But now that he is gone, there are 10 teams that could legitimately make a run and take the NFC crown. Aside from the teams that made the playoffs last season, the Arizona Cardinals and 2021 super bowl champions Los Angeles Rams will look to make a comeback having battled injuries to important players throughout the 2022 season.

The most talented team in the NFC from top to bottom is undoubtedly the San Francisco 49ers, but they have no idea who will start a quarterback next season. Jimmy Garoppolo is no longer there, Brock Purdy is likely out for next season due to injury, and Trey Lance could get traded. However, they managed to acquire Sam Darnold, and if they can get decent level production from the former third-overall pick, they would be the betting favorite in the NFC.

A conference has never been so open; many teams can win it if things go their way, but they all have a few holes that may discourage a person from leaning toward them. All this makes for extremely exciting games.

Who knows, if one of the younger quarterbacks can take the kind of leap that Jalen Hurts did last year, that could be the thing that pushes their team over time. The Carolina Panthers will likely select their franchise quarterback at number one overall in the 2023 NFL draft, maybe they will take the crown of QB1 in the NFC.