It seems like only yesterday that the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and Drew Brees were winning Super Bowls. And as they were aging out, younger replacements were being sprinkled into the league.
There is no doubt that Brady was the QB of the 00s and 10s, winning a remarkable seven Super Bowls…but then Patrick Mahomes emerged to become the heir apparent. He’s no doubt been the QB of the 20s so far, winning three Super Bowls.
But Mahomes is now 30, and inexplicably out of the playoffs for the first time in his career. Other contemporaries were supposed to be in the same rarified air. Joe Burrow is 29, and Lamar Jackson is 28, both in the prime of their careers.
All three are home, sitting out these playoffs. Other perennial top 10 QBs are out of the playoffs as well, with Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, and Baker Mayfield all out. These six QBs are all 28 and older, with Prescott, Mayfield, and Mahomes all on the wrong side of 30.
There definitely seems to be a changing of the guard at the QB position, before our very eyes. And next year’s top five and top 10 lists are going to be all over the place. It will be the most intriguing fantasy draft season that I can remember.
Of the 14 playoff QBs this season, 12 are under 30 years old. Only Matthew Stafford (37), and Aaron Rodgers (42), are over 30. Over half of these QBs are 26 and under, with Drake Maye starting his first playoff game at only 23 years old. CJ Stroud is only 24, and this will be his third consecutive trip to the playoffs. The no.1 pick in the draft two years ago, Caleb Williams (24), is making his playoff debut this weekend… as is the no.1 pick in the draft three years ago, Bryce Young (24). And let’s not forget Jayden Daniels (24), who led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship game last year.
Trevor Lawrence (26) and Justin Herbert (27) have never looked better, while Bo Nix (25) has now made the playoffs two years in a row. Sam Darnold (28) has matched the GOAT, Tom Brady, for being the only two QBs to have back-to-back 14-win seasons.
Jordan Love feels like he’s been in the league forever, and he’s only 27 years old. And the defending Super Bowl Champion, Jalen Hurts, is only 27. And at 29, Josh Allen feels like an elder statesman. With Burrow, Jackson, and Mahomes out, this feels like Allen’s last, best chance to get a ring. It also feels like an early exit will cost him his head coach.
This may be the golden age for quarterbacks, with the deepest crop the league has ever seen. It’s hard to believe, but the top tier of QBs over the last half-decade may be aging out. It sounds like heresy to say, but Burrow, Jackson, Mahomes, and Allen are on the back-nine, and the young guns seem to have supplanted them.
Check out more of our articles: DrRoto.com Blog Articles
Here is a look at some other great Articles: The Big Lead
