The evolution at the N.F.L.’s most essential position has been clear even with familiar names often making deep playoff runs. Today’s emerging stars are taking on further of their team’s offensive load.
In the ones chaotic cases, there is great comfort throughout the familiar, and some of the familiar scene inside of the remainder 4 N.F.L. postseasons has been an A.F.C. championship game staged at Arrowhead Stadium, space of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
His presence in this round feels inevitable. The absence of a couple of others feels disorienting.
On Sunday, for the principle time in 12 seasons, no longer one of the vital triumvirates of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger can be playing for a tradition title, their Super Bowl hopes — and sumptuous careers, perhaps — expiring earlier the ones playoffs. At least one of those 3 quarterbacks has reached this degree in 18 of the former 20 seasons. And the lone outlier, previous than this one, were given right here throughout the 2009 season, when, alas, we had to settle for Drew Brees, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning (along Mark Sanchez).
Unusually Absent
For two decades, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Ben Roethlisberger have been mainstays of conference championship video video games. This year, all 3 are absent.
SeasonPlayed in Conference Championship GameWon Super Bowl2021-2022None of the three will play
2020-2021
2019-20202018-20192017-20182016-2017
2015-20162014-20152013-20142012-20132011-20122010-20112009-2010None of the three carried out2008-20092007-20082006-20072005-20062004-20052003-20042002-2003None (best Brady in N.F.L.)2001-2002
Today, the older guys can nevertheless play: Rodgers, 38, very most likely will win his second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award — and fourth overall — while Brady, who at 44 threw for a career-high 5,316 yards, should finish correctly at the back of him. But every season ushers the N.F.L. further transparent of 1 golden age of quarterbacking — of Brady and Rodgers, Brees and Manning — and in opposition to each different.
