By Sean Simara @Sean_FootyMad @TLE_Sport
The quarterback role in the NFL is the marquee position. He is the heartbeat of the team, the talisman. All the players and fans look towards him. This NFL season hasn’t been a great one for quarterbacks but the man from Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, has been a shining light thus far. The Packers are currently 7-3 and are tied at the top of the NFC North with Detroit Lions.
The Packers had a slow start to the season with only one win in their opening three matches. The star QB was questioned by some for not throwing towards the best cornerback in the game Richard Sherman on that opening night. Rodgers told the Packers Nation to ‘relax’ and how right he was. He has gone on to lead the Packers to 6 wins from their last 7 games with, most notably, a record-breaking two consecutive 50+ scores against Chicago Bears (55-14) and Philadelphia Eagles (53-20).
Rodgers already has 28 touchdowns to his name with only 3 interceptions and has thrown for over 2500 yards so far this season. He is one of the best QB’s on the move and has linked up with Jordy Nelson for some spectacular touchdowns at Lambeau Field. In the pocket he’s calm and a hell of a gunslinger. Rodgers’ decision-making is one of the best in the business – if sometimes risky – the fake spike at Miami springs to mind earlier this year.
There’s no doubt Rodgers is a talent; he won the 2011 Super Bowl XLV and MVP and has notched up some impressive records in recent weeks: throwing 6 touchdown passes in a first half, the most touchdown passes of 70 or more yards v Bears, most consecutive touchdown passes without an interception at home and the most consecutive passes at home, beating Tom Brady’s 288 without an interception.
He has the world at his feet and at 30 years old, still has time on his side. If you look at the likes of Peyton Manning (38) and Brady (37) still going strong, Rodgers could well be a future Hall of Famer. As the great Brett Favre’s successor he had big shoes to fill but he has more than justified his place and is beginning to create his own legacy. With Rodgers at the helm, the Packers could be heading for at least the NFC Final or even, maybe, the Super Bowl itself.
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