Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In the case of most players, a No. 6 ranking in the league’s best countdown would be a good spot, but that’s not necessarily the case with Aaron Rodgers. Some fans are actually pretty upset with the quarterback’s spot on this year’s countdown, but I think he’s right where he should be.
According to the countdown, Rodgers is the NFL‘s third best quarterback. He came in behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, which really isn’t unfair. Manning transformed the Denver Broncos into the AFC’s top-seeded team in one short season, while Brady was again just a few plays away from another Super Bowl. You can argue for Rodgers being ahead of both guys because he did throw more touchdown passes, but in the wins department, Manning and Brady both had better years.
I think ultimately that’s why Rodgers came in at No. 6 this year – the Green Bay Packers just weren’t ever really a legitimate Super Bowl team. It was no fault of Rodgers, because he played well all season, but the end results just weren’t there. While that’s not necessarily what the top 100 countdown is all about, I think that’s a possible reason why the players voted the way they did. When a quarterback leads his team to a great year, it just tends to stick out more in the minds of fans (or players in this case).
Of course you can build an arguement that Rodgers is better overall right now than both of the guys in front of him, but just looking at the 2013 season by itself, the players got this one right.
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