Tom Brady and the end of an era of quarterbacks in the NFL: Roethlisberger, the Mannings, Brees… only Rodgers remains

PPatrick Mahomes. Trevor Lawrence. Jalen Hurts. Daniel Jones. Josh Allen. Joe Burrow. Dak Prescott. Brock Purdy. All eight quarterbacks who made it to the divisional round were players under the age of 30.. Unmistakable sign of the changing of the guard of the most important position in the NFL, more considering the Tom Brady retirement.

There are 30 quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame and it seems that they leave the league in droves. From 1977 to 1979, Joe Namath, Frank Tarkenton and Roger Staubach left. At the end of the millennium John Elway, Steve Young, Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Troy Aikman said goodbye. Brady is the last to do it from the Generation of the 2000s: 2019 was Eli Manning’s last season (Hall of Fame credentials debatable), 2020 was Eli Manning’s last season Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger said goodbye in 2021 and Brady now after 2022. The only quarterback drafted from 2000-2005 left in the NFL is Aaron Rodgers. It is the last bastion of the old guard and for who knows how long.

The generation gap between the ‘turn of the century vintage’ and the young blood grew larger because, after the 2005 Draft in which Rodgers arrived, there was a decade of great failures: Jay Cutler, Matt Leinart, Vince Young, JaMarcus Russell, Josh Freeman, Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Brandon Weeden, Robert Griffin III (knee injury affected), EJ Manuel, Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, and Paxton Lynch. Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are unknown. The exceptions will be the three that reached the Super Bowl (Cam Newton and Matt Ryan lost it, Matthew Stafford won it on his second team) and Andrew Luckwith premature withdrawal.

It was not until 2017 that the new litter arrived. 17 years after Brady, 12 after Rodgers. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence and company they already assaulted the podium that for more than a decade the veteran quarterbacks dominated.

Ultimately the teams were left without their veterans, who extended their career for experience. Athleticism was never his forte, but now it coincides that the new litter has mobility What are the teams looking for in this nNew era in the NFL.