Geniuses In The NFL

Geniuses are rare; elites, small in number, possessing the remarkable ability to make the impossible seem possible; and we the people of the United States of America entertain this absurd idea—what a genius can accomplish with ease, we can accomplish with difficulty. However, most of us settle for the lesser roles of spectator and commentator, gratefully leaving the real work to the professionals. To understand the incredible skill set of geniuses, one must look at both what they have done, but also what their counterparts have failed to do. The NFL, the National Football League, holds in its domain an array of seemingly naturally gifted geniuses; nonetheless, the name at the top of the list, engraved in green and gold—Aaron Rodgers, quarterback

Rodgers is the sole player in NFL history to rank among the top four in completion percentage (second place), average gain per attempt (fourth place), touchdown percentage (third place), and interception percentage (first place); not one other player in the NFL can be found among the top ten in all four categories. Rodgers, with a career completion percentage of 65.74%, is the most accurate passer in the history of the Green Bay Packers; Brett Favre (61.42%) is second. But, when Favre’s hubris resulted in countless interceptions, Rodgers’ arm quickly and accurately picked up the pieces Favre left behind. Next, Rodgers has averaged 8.13 yards per pass attempt in his career, surpassing previous record holder, Bart Starr, in 2010. Rodgers' accuracy is the reason why he has been incredibly successful; his downfield throws—an NFL best: 65 passes of 40 or more yards in the past five years—is another. With a 6.52 touchdown percentage and a 1.73 interception percentage, Aaron Rodgers avoids interceptions like the plague. If Rodgers continues on his upward bound path, there is no doubt that he will become the finest and first-rate quarterback the NFL has ever

However, for the few who fool themselves into thinking otherwise, Aaron Rodgers compared to his peers still comes out on top. The two twelves that matter in the NFL are the green 12 on the back of Aaron Rodgers and the blue 12 on the back of Tom Brady. Currently, Brady is the only other NFL quarterback which Rodgers can entertain. But, plainly and statistically speaking, Rodgers is better. His touchdown-interception ratio at 4.05 is the best in the NFL; Brady comes in second place, but far behind Rodgers with his touchdown-interception ratio at 2.82. Focusing on careers, Rodgers is the leader in career passing with a rating of 106.5; better than Brady’s 96.5, better than Young’s 96.8, better than Manning’s 96.9, and better than Romo’s 97.6. From this, the question then becomes which of the two can compare with Joe Montana—the supposed greatest quarterback? The answer is Brady. Brady is the logical choice because Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers; not even history's greatest quarterbacks were as well-rounded as Rodgers. Joe Montana had amazing accuracy but not amazing athleticism—also, he had Jerry Rice. Steve Young was impressive to watch, but even he can’t compare to Rodgers—he also had Jerry