The divisional weekend of the NFL playoffs is here, and Tom Brady is home after what can have been the ultimate playoff game of his profession. Aaron Rodgers didn’t appear in these playoffs, and who knows whether he has played his last game in Green Bay — or last game, period? Peyton and Eli Manning spent the season goofing on “Monday Night Football,” providing a mix of insight and folly that seems perfect for 2 players who’ve settled comfortably and lucratively into retirement.
The playoffs now belong to Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, to Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence, to Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott and Daniel Jones and, yes, to Brock Purdy, too. The oldest starting quarterback who stays is 29 (Prescott). The players were drafted in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, two in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The baton has been passed. The following generation of NFL quarterbacks is here.
