At some point it will happen and it will be sooner rather than later.
Maybe next weekend or within one or two years, but the generational change in the quarterback position in the NFL is close to materialize and the last stage of the transition is led by two living legends like Tom Brady and Drew Brees and a pair of young figures That’s already a reality, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff
The duels between New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and between Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints in the NFC will have the biggest difference in age among starting quarterbacks in the history of the conference finals, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The biggest difference is between Brady and Mahomes. On the day of the game, the Patriots quarterback will be 18 years and 45 days older than his rival Chiefs. The difference of 15 years and 272 days between Brees and Goff will be the second largest in the history of championship games.
Regardless of who wins or loses on Sunday, the change of leadership in the most important position is underway and will not stop possible victories that lead Brady and Brees to face each other in Super Bowl LIII. In fact, a duel between them in Atlanta will only serve to give more brilliance and a spectacular closing to a successful generation of pins.
Brady and Brees represented a group of quarterbacks that began to shape with the arrival of Peyton Manning to the NFL in 1998 and that still has that figure, for the most part, also their prestige with Super Bowl rings like Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron. Rodgers. Behind them, passers like Eli Manning -even after all, the guy won two championships- and Philip Rivers – one of the most productive of the litter – should be considered within the group, which will gradually lose the members due to the natural decline of his performances or injuries.
When Manning stormed the NFL and later Brady, Brees and the rest, they also arrived to fill the gaps left by figures like Dan Marino, John Elway or Troy Aikman in the late 1990s.
Currently, quarterbacks like Mahomes, Goff, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson or Mitchell Trubisky offer stability, leadership and the continuity that the position requires for when predecessors like Brady, Brees decides to end their careers.
For now, the conference finals next Sunday may be the beginning of the end of a brilliant era for the quarterback position in the NFL.
We do not anticipate the retirement of Brady and Brees if Patriots and Saints fall this Sunday, but the story is cyclical and in some sense, Mahomes and Goff are the current reflection of what they were several years ago.
And just as Brady and Brees came away thanks to their talent and skills, the same happens now with Mahomes and Goff, who, driven by their impetus and youth, will go for more in the coming years no matter what happens on Sunday.
