Packers: Where does Aaron Rodgers rank among NFL QBs in 2021?
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers might be the reigning NFL MVP, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the NFL’s number one QB entering the 2021 season.
And he may not even be the second best.
According to NFL Spin Zone’s rankings of each starting quarterback ahead of the 2021 season, Rodgers comes in at number three behind Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Is Rodgers’ ranking a little harsh?
Rodgers should be higher in rankings, but not No. 1
Even though Rodgers had a better season than Mahomes in 2020, I’d still rank the Chiefs’ superstar as the best in the league. He’s been unstoppable in each of his three seasons since becoming the starter in Kansas City.
Mahomes has thrown 114 touchdown passes with only 23 interceptions in his first three seasons as the starter. They are mind-blowing statistics. Not to mention he’s led his team to the Super Bowl twice, and has a Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP in the bag.
Mahomes is the undisputed best quarterback in football and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
However, I’d have Rodgers at No. 2 ahead of Brady. Make no mistake, Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. No question about it. He’s won more Super Bowl titles than most franchises could even dream of. His arrival in Tampa Bay helped turn that team from playoff pretenders into champions.
Brady is still an incredible quarterback but, at this stage in his career, is he ahead of Rodgers?
If we’re just talking about winning games, then yes. But there’s a lot more to it than that. Take the NFC Championship Game as an example. Brady threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns but with three interceptions. Rodgers threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Brady won.
Last season, Rodgers threw an NFL-best 48 touchdown passes, eight more than Brady, with less than half as many interceptions (Rodgers threw five, Brady 12).
Brady is still one of the best in the league and is the greatest QB in history, but Rodgers should be ahead of him in the rankings. But it’s hard to argue with Mahomes in first place.