Current Quaterbacks Going to the Hall Of Fame

No Doubt

Aaron Rodgers: A four time MVP who throws the prettiest ball of all time. He’ll be a first ballot HOF and no one will bat an eye.

Patrick Mahomes: He is putting up numbers and accolades at a faster pace than any QB ever. It pains me to say, but he will make a run at the NFL GOAT and at minimum should be on the Mt. Rushmore for QBs if he stays healthy.

Lamar Jackson: Every player who has won the MVP award multiple times has or is guaranteed to go to the Hall of Fame. For that reason, plus the fact that he is probably the best athlete and running QB ever, I think Lamar has punched his ticket to Canton and he still should have many productive years left.

Likely In

Russell Wilson: Forget the last two years. He’s a nine time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl Champ, an All-Pro, and the QB of a legendary team. I do think he needs one more MVP/OPOY/All-Pro type season to guarantee himself a spot. The one thing that could keep him out is if his play continues to be this ugly moving forward.

Young, but will eventually make it

Justin Herbert: I think his floor is a Dan Marino type career where his team lets him down but he puts up all time numbers. If he can even win one Super Bowl, I think he goes down as a Top 10 QB ever. Getting Jim Harbaugh will only help him.

Joe Burrow: He is a gamer and a winner. I think the Bengals will win at least one Super Bowl and he’ll have many individual accolades. He’s also the only active QB who has shown he can consistently beat Mahomes.

Missing Out

Josh Allen: His play is absolutely amazing but playing like Superman has its consequences. I think he takes too many hits and it will lead to him having too short of a career to do what he needs to make the Hall.

Matthew Stafford: I don’t get the Hall buzz for Stafford. He has made two Pro Bowls, never been an All-Pro, never been considered a Top 5 QB, and never won a major award. It’s not even a question, he’s out.

Quarterbacks Hall of Fame Chances

The infinite question of whether a QB belongs in the Hall of Great or the Hall of Fame. Below I’ll detail recently retired QBs and whether I think they will make the Hall and whether I think they should make the Hall (there’s a difference.)

Matt Ryan

Career Highlights: 4 Pro Bowls, 1x All-Pro, 2016 MVP, 2016 OPOY, 7th in Career Passing Yards, 9th in Career Passing Touchdowns, 0-1 in Super Bowls

Matt Ryan was an amazing player who will always be remembered for a bad thing. 28-3 will be his legacy forever. It’s the first thing you think of when you think of him. He put up great numbers and even won an MVP. But not only did he not win a Super Bowl, he chocked it away in magnificent fashion. That, combined with not consistently being a Top 5 QB, will leave him out.

Will he make it: No

Does he deserve to make it: No

Ben Roethlisberger

Career Highlights: 6 Pro Bowls, 5th in Career Passing Yards, 8th in Career Passing Touchdowns, 2-1 in Super Bowls

Big Ben was always one of the most overrated players in the league. He put up numbers and won 2 Super Bowls, however, those Super Bowls were in spite of him, not because of him. His TD-INT ratio was 3-5 in those games and he never won Super Bowl MVP. Plus, he was never an All-Pro and we never thought of him as a guy who was consistently a Top 5 QB in the league.

Will he make it: Yes

Does he deserve to make it: No

Phillip Rivers

Career Highlights: 8 Pro Bowls, 6th in Career Passing Yards and Touchdowns

Another guy who really needed a Super Bowl win to secure his legacy. Unfortunately, he had to deal with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and other great AFC QBs throughout his career and never even made it. Combine that with no All-Pros and no big awards and he shouldn’t make it.

Will he make it: No

Does he deserve to make it: No

Eli Manning

Career Highlights: 4 Pro Bowls, 10th in Career Passing Yards and Touchdowns, 2-0 in Super Bowls, 2 Super Bowl MVPs

The ultimate underdog. Eli underwhelmed in the regular season, but shined in the playoffs. Unlike, Big Ben, he excelled in the postseason during his 2 Super Bowl runs. The first thing you think of with him is stopping the Pats from going undefeated in 2007. Then he preceded to beat them again in 2011. That’s a guy who deserves a Hall of Fame spot.

Will he make it: Yes

Does he deserve to make it: Yes

Cam Newton

Career Highlights: 3 Pro Bowls, 1x All-Pro, 2015 MVP, 2015 OPOY, 2nd in Career Rushing Yards by a QB, 1st in Career Rushing Touchdowns by a QB, 0-1 in Super Bowls

He was absolutely amazing to watch in his prime. But his style of play that made him so great, also led to him taking so many hits and shortened his career. He helped usher in the new style of dual threat QBs and was the greatest rushing QB ever. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a prolific enough passer to warrant being in the Hall of Fame.

Will he make it: No

Does he deserve to make it: No

Andrew Luck

Career Highlights: 4 Pro Bowls

I think Luck is the best QB on this list and if I was starting a team, I would pick him over all of these guys. Unfortunately for him and NFL fans, the Colts couldn’t protect him and he retired early. If he played as long as Eli, Rivers, or Big Ben did, he would’ve been in without a doubt. But health is a huge part of football and that was the one thing he didn’t have.

Will he make it: No

Does he deserve to make it: No

Rookie QB Strategy

Every time a team drafts a potential franchise QB, the fanbase is pumped up but often gets let down. The truth is, that a huge determinate of a QB’s success is where they end up. Even a guy like Andrew Luck, who was one of the best QB prospects ever, played great for the Colts but had his career shut down due to his front office not being able to protect him. Below is what I think teams should down before/after drafting their future QB.

First, they need to build the team around him. With few exceptions (i.e. Luck) you can’t just draft a QB onto an awful team and expect things to turn around. It’s much smarter to draft a QB onto a team that has pieces around him. Start with a solid O-Line that can protect him. Then you want 1 or 2 good to great playmakers he can get the ball to and make him look good. Finally, an, at minimum, average defense that won’t lose him games in which he’s played well enough to win.

QBs should play as soon as possible. If a QB isn’t remotely ready or you have a capable guy ahead of him, then I get it. But if he is the best option you have, why not play him and let him get experience? The first year might suck, but if they are going to be a future star, then it should make them better. Trevor Lawrence had Urban Meyer his first year and has still developed into a good QB.

There are 3 types of exits for QBs after you have drafted them. If after one year they show complete ineptitude and are a bad locker room guy, then its time to move on. After year 2, if they have not shown flashes that they can be great, then its time to move on. Finally, by the end of year 3, if they have not developed into a good QB, it is time to move on. Devoting more than 3 years to a guy who isn’t the answer is unwise. Especially because every current star QB who has been drafted the last 10 years, has shown his talent by the end of year 3.

Modern Keys to Build Successful Teams

The 2010s New England Patriots and late 2010s/2020s Kansas City Chiefs have given the rest of the NFL the blueprint on how to build sustained success in the NFL.

1. It all starts with a great ownership group. I’m not saying this is the most important thing, but it is what gets the ball rolling. Having great owners like the Krafts and Hunts is a bedrock for success. At the end of the day, even great coaches, players, and GMs get fired/released, retire, or move on, but families who are great owners can last until the end of time. Just look at the Rooney Family and the Steelers. The only down side is that is true for bad owners too (looking at you Lions).

2. Great owners will hire great GMs who know football like Belichick and Brett Veach, who can in turn fill out the rest of the front office with quality people. A great GM and front office then hire a great coach and draft/sign/trade for great players. Give Belichick all the shit you want about not being a great GM lately, but he was the architect of the 2000s-2010s Patriots (a dynasty that lasted two decades).

3. A great coach will work with the front office to bring in quality players. They will then develop them and coach them up to fit in the system. Andy Reid and Belichick obviously are experts on the side of the ball they grew up coaching, but also have a great level of knowledge on the other side too. They also hire coaches on their staff who know what they’re doing and bring a lot to the table. This all leads to high quality coaching on and off the field that is necessary for success.

4. This is the most important aspect: a star QB who is willing to take pay cuts. I know this seems to go without saying. But not only does a QB need to be great, especially in key moments, but they need to be willing to take pay cuts for the team. This allows the organization to create a better team around the QB. Brady and Mahomes are the only two QBs who seem to have realized this.

5. This will outline different positon groups in no particular order

Running backs: No need to spend big on this position. It’s better to have a running back by committee. That way you don’t commit too much salary cap to RBs and aren’t fucked if one goes down by injury.
Receivers (WR/TE): You need one great receiver and the rest don’t have to be stars, but need to have a few big moments when called on. The Pats and Chiefs lucked out that their star weapons have been TEs in Gronk and Kelce. Not only do they create matchup nightmares that open up the field for everyone else, but they produce as well as a star WR, for much less money. Outside of you star receiver, your other WRs and TEs should be solid guys but nothing special. Yes, one of the Super Bowls Mahomes won he had Tyreek Hill, but he proved the last two years he could win with a rag tag bunch of WRs too. Mahomes is so good he made them better, and they made plays when they had to. For the Pats, it was the same way. Julian Edelman was especially clutch, but he would not be the same player without Brady. Guys like Chris Hogan, Martellus Bennett, and Danny Amendola also stepped up when needed.
OLine: You need a solid unit that gels, but you do not need any superstar tackles or players. It is most important to have a unit as a whole that is great.
Defense: This is where the two teams differed. The Pats had overall great defenses who ranked in the top 10 in scoring 15 out of 18 years from 2001-2018, but they did not have a constant superstar the entire run, more so just a great unit. The Chiefs defense has finished 4 out of 5 seasons in the Top 10 from 2019-2023. Their biggest asset has been they stepped up their game in the postseason. Their only star defensive player for all 3 rings has been Chris Jones. The rest of the defense has been a solid unit that played well together and wasn’t very expensive.
Special teams: Special teams need to be well coached and disciplined. They need to not lose their team’s games and ideally make a couple big plays throughout the season, such as a clutch kick or punt return.

The blueprint is there for teams and players to follow. It’s easier said than done but the NFL is a copycat league and unless another team adopts these ways, the Chiefs will keep dominating.

NFL All-Time Team

Offense

QB: Tom Brady

The Super Bowl wins, the career passing records, the longevity and so much more make Brady the undisputed GOAT.

RB: Barry Sanders

This was a tough decision but if you watch Barry Sanders highlights it’s clear why he’s the best running back ever. He was so shifty and made NFL players look like JV players.

WR: Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson

Rice is the undisputed GOAT WR and put up mind boggling stats for two decades, maybe none more impressive than having a 1,200 yard season and being an All-Pro at age 40. “Moss” is literally a verb we use to describe an incredible catch by a WR. That tells you everything you need to know about how good Randy was. Johnson is perfectly nicknamed Megatron as he was not human. 6’5” 240 lbs, ran a 4.3 40, could out leap anyone, and dominated despite being on an awful team his whole career.

TE: Rob Gronkowski

He may not have the longevity of other TEs, but when he played, he absolutely dominated. He was unguardable in the passing game, but what really sets his place as the best TE is his willingness and ability to block. Many older TE could block but weren’t great catchers and many modern TEs are just bigger WRs, but Gronk could do it all.

LT: Anthony Muñoz

The 11x All-Pro and Hall of Famer is the epitome of a perfect left tackle.

LG: Randall McDaniel

McDaniel is not super well-known but was a stalwart at left guard for 14 years.

C: Mike Webster

A star for the Steel Curtain Steelers Dynasty, Webster was part of two All-Decade Teams.

RG: Bruce Matthews

The 10x All-Pro was extremely versatile and could play all over the offensive line.

RT: Joe Thomas

He was a left tackle, but the extremely durable 8x All-Pro played 10,363 snaps in a row and excelled for bad Cleveland teams his whole career.

Defense

Interior DLine: Aaron Donald, JJ Watt

Donald is still active in the league but is still already in the conversation as the greatest defensive player of all time. He has won three DPOY awards and has been wreaking havoc his whole career. Injuries may have cut his prime short, but Watt could make plays from any position on the D-Line and also won three DPOY awards.

Edge Rushers: Lawrence Taylor, Bruce Smith

Lawrence Taylor still lays claim to being the defensive GOAT and is the last defensive player to win MVP. Bruce Smith dominated for two decades and holds the record for most sacks in a career.

Linebackers: Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary, Jack Lambert

As much as I don’t like Lewis, he is the epitome of what a MLB should be and was the heart of a physical Ravens defense his whole career. Mike Singletary was the man in the middle for the greatest defense in NFL history and won two DPOY awards. Jack Lambert was one of the stars of the Steel Curtain Defense that won four Super Bowls in the 70s.

CB: Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders

With 7th All-Pros and 11 Pro Bowls, Rod Woodson is one of the greatest defensive players ever. Prime Time was as flashy as he was dominant and this team wouldn’t be complete without his swagger and skill.

Safeties: Ronnie Lott, Ed Reed

The heart of the defense for those great 1980s 49ers teams could make plays all over the field. Ed Reed was the ultimate centerfielder and was always a threat to produce a takeaway and take one back to the house.

Special Teams

Kicker: Justin Tucker

With more First Team All-Pro selections than any other kicker and the highest field goal percentage of all time, Tucker is a clear choice.

Returner: Devin Hester

The Windy City Flyer had more return touchdowns than any player in NFL history and could take a kick or punt back to the end zone at any point.

Top 10 QBs of All Time

1 Tom Brady

Numbers. Awards. Super Bowls. He has done it all and done it better than anyone else we’ve ever seen. The one and only GOAT.

2 Joe Montana

A guy who played his best during the biggest moments. His Super Bowl stats: 4-0, 3 Super Bowl MVPs, 11 TDs-0 INTs, and a QB rating of 127.8. Oh yeah and he wasn’t too bad in the regular season, winning 2 MVPs and being a 5 time All-Pro.

3 Peyton Manning

A super likable guy off the field, but a killer on it. A ten time All-Pro, 5 time MVP, and he won 2 Super Bowls.

4 Aaron Rodgers

He probably throws the greatest ball in NFL history and doesn’t even look like he’s trying. It’s no surprise he’s won 4 MVPs and put up a ridiculous TD-Int ratio of 475-105. He can still build on his insane resume.

5 Patrick Mahomes

Probably the most talented QB to ever play. At only 28, he still has a lot of his legacy left to write and could make a run for the top spot on this list.

6 Brett Favre

The ultimate gunslinger. Favre would improvise like no one else and was never afraid to make any throw, which led to many interceptions, but also 3 MVPs and a Super Bowl.

7 John Elway

One of the most hyped QBs coming out of college and he delivered with 2 Super Bowls and an MVP.

8 Johnny Unitas

Unitas was putting up big numbers in the passing game well before most QBs were. His 3 MVPs and 7 All-Pro selections show how dominant he was.

9 Dan Marino

He was dominant and put up modern day numbers in the 80s. The fact he’s on this list despite not winning the big one shows how good he was.

10 Drew Brees

He put up huge numbers year after year and brought NOLA a much needed Super Bowl.

Edge Rusher and Defensive Lineman Rankings

Having a star edge rusher or interior defensive lineman who can wreak havoc is one of the most sought after weapons teams look for. Thankfully, there has never been more talent at these positions than there is now. Below is my ranking of these players:

1. TJ Watt EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers

2. Myles Garret EDGE, Cleveland Browns

3. Micah Parsons EDGE, Dallas Cowboys

4. Aaron Donald, IDL, Los Angeles Rams

5. Nick Bosa EDGE, San Francisco 49ers

6. Chris Jones, IDL, Kansas City Chiefs

7. Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders

8. Khalil Mack, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Trey Hendrickson EDGE, Cincinnati Bengals

10. Aidan Hutchinson EDGE, Detroit Lions

End of Season Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform moving forward.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Do I even have to explain?

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow had a tough year, first dealing with a nagging calf injury that hampered him the first 4 games, then going on IR after the 10th game of the year. During the 5.5 games he was healthy, he threw for 13 TDs and showed how good he is.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the modern day Brett Favre. He is an absurd athlete who routinely makes jaw dropping plays. He will also go rouge every now and then and make you ask yourself what the hell he is doing. His 173 total TDs the past 4 years make up for those mistakes.

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar balled out and won his 2nd league MVP this year. He is one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen and can do things at QB that no one else in the league can. He needs to play better in the playoffs though.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert is insanely talented, but has struggled to win. The lack of coaching and injuries around him in the past is reasonable enough to blame. However, with Jim Harbaugh now his coach, there are no more excuses. He needs to start winning games and making runs in the postseason.

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is a special QB and a great duel threat. He had some up and down moments this year, but the season ended on a bad note. He will need to shake it off next year.

7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

This season did not go as he wanted it to, however, I am still a believer that this all-time great will come back with a splash next year.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak played great at times this year, but does not always bring it during big games.

9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence struggled this year, especially when his team needed him down the stretch. He’ll need to work out some kinks this offseason to return to the player he was last year.

10. Brock Purdy, San Franciso 49ers

He is definitely aided by his coach and playmakers around him, but he still gets them the ball and plays great. My only concern is that he struggles to bring his team back if they get too far behind.

On the Bubble:

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

He’s a solid starting QB, but is limited.

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud established himself as one of the best young QBs in the league this year. Should he continue to develop, he could easily enter the top 10 next year.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Kirk’s absence shows the Vikings and the world how good he really is. He just doesn’t get it done in the playoffs.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

He’s a very similar QB to Brock Purdy. I give Purdy the slight edge, because I trust him more in big games.

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

I still am a Russ believer. He played well this year despite the fact that he did not have that much talent around him. I think Sean Payton scapegoating him for all of Denver’s woes is laughable. He may not be at his peak anymore, but is still a good starting quarterback.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

He rebounded well this year and led a young team to the playoffs. I still think he’s slightly overrated.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler has all the talent in the world and he played well in limited action this season. I’m excited to see him back to full strength next year for an entire season.

Greatest NFL Dynasties of All Time

What makes an NFL team a dynasty in the Super Bowl Era? You often hear dynasty talk when it comes to the NBA but not as much with the NFL. To me, there are five clear-cut dynasties (in order from best to worst): 1. 2001-2018 New England Patriots 2. 1981-1994 San Fransisco 49ers 3. 2019-Present Kansas City Chiefs 4. 1974-1979 Pittsburgh Steelers 5. 1992-1995 Dallas Cowboys.

My loose criteria for a dynasty is at least 3 Super Bowls in a 6-year span, but as long as there is at least some common factor a dynasty can continue past that six-year span. For example, given that Brady and Belichick were at the helm for all six Super Bowls and that the fact that the Patriots consistently were contenders and made Super Bowls, I consider them a dynasty. In the case of the 49ers they had two different quarterbacks and coaches, but George Seifert took over and won while Montana was still the quarterback and players like Jerry Rice played and won with both coaches and quarterbacks so there’s enough similarity to include that 5th championship in the dynasty. The Chiefs, Steelers, and Cowboys make the list because they fit in my original criteria for a dynasty.

After those five, the case can be made for some other teams based off one’s personal criteria.

The 1960-1967 Packers won 5 championships in 8 years and made another in that span. However, only the last two were Super Bowls and the other 3 were NFL championships in the pre-Super Bowl era, so I didn’t include them.

Some might say the 1971-1973 Dolphins are a dynasty as they won two Super Bowls and made three in a 3-year span, but once again they don’t have my three Super Bowl requirement. Winning two Super Bowls in a short period of time makes you a great team, but not a dynasty.

The team that comes the closest to a dynasty, but is just short is the 1976-1983 Oakland Raiders who won three Super Bowls in eight years. Had they kept the same coach and/or quarterback throughout all of their titles I would be inclined to put them at number 6 on my list. However, there is too little similarity from their first title to their third title for me to include them.

The last team I definitely considered putting on the list was the 1982-1991 Washington Redskins. They won 3 titles and made another in that 10-year span. They have decent similarities with the same coach and few of the same players on all three teams such as Hall of Fame WR Art Monk. However, the fact that all three were so spread out (5 years between the 1st and 2nd title and 4 years between 2nd and 3rd title), they weren’t dominant throughout the entire run (three straight years finishing third in their division), and that there was a different quarterback on all three title-winning teams is what keeps them off of my list.

Overall, the definition of a dynasty varies from person to person. Regardless of whether or not the teams above are considered dynasties, they were great teams that will go down in history as some of the best ever.

Thank You

This was my first year covering the NFL and I want to say thank you to all who followed. It was a great year of football with many ups and downs (especially as a Patriots fan!) I really enjoyed writing about the NFL this season and will continue to write an article at least once a week during the offseason, so be sure to check back each Monday.