The NFL Playoffs are down to 4, with the New York Jets pulling off the upset at New England. If you look at the remaining teams, it shows how much teams value the quarterback position. Ben Roethlisberger is the old man of the group, coming into the league in 2004. He has won 2 Super Bowls, and is now making his fourth appearance in the AFC Championship Game. You can say what you want about his off-field problems, but Big Ben is the rock that the Steelers have built their foundation on. Remember all the talk at the beginning of the season about Pittsburgh trading Roethlisberger away because of all the problems and the bad light it put the franchise in? You don't hear much about that anymore, do you?
Green Bay drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005 with the thought that he would eventually replace Brett Favre. He sat and watched for three season, then Favre announced his retirement after the Packers loss in the 2007 NFC Championship game. Rodgers was made the starter, and when Favre announced he was coming back, the Packers did what many considered unthinkable and traded the Packer legend to the Jets. Rodgers has led the Packers to the playoffs the last two seasons, and was nearly perfect in a dismantling of the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. Packer fans may have felt the front office was out of their minds to trade Favre. I don't think too many feel that way now.
The Chicago Bears looked like they might be mortgaging their future a bit when they traded for Jay Cutler. The move left them with no picks in the first 2 rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft, and though he has ability to burn, Cutler had yet to prove himself a winner in Denver. His first season in Chicago saw Cutler getting intercepted at an alarming rate, and winding up on his backside just as often. But the arrival of Mike Martz has had a tremendous effect on Cutler, and this weekend he became the first quarterback to throw for 2 touchdowns and run for 2 in the same game since Otto Graham. He is now one game away from leading the Bears to the Super Bowl.
The New York Jets traded up with Cleveland to select Mark Sanchez with the 5th Overall selection of the 2009 NFL Draft. Combined with Coach Rex Ryan, they have given the Jets a swagger and confidence that the franchise has not had for years, and now they have won 4 road playoff games in their first two seasons. After getting handily beaten in December by the Patriots, the Jets went into Foxboro and knocked off the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. Now they are one game away from leading the Jets to their first Super Bowl since another quarterback with an excess of confidence, Joe Namath, led New York to victory in Super Bowl III.
Quarterback is the most important position in team sports. Next weekend, four quarterbacks that their teams have trusted with the keys to the franchise will try to drive them to the ultimate destination, the Super Bowl. With the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft, teams will be looking for find the quarterback that can lead their teams to the same destination. Will it be Ryan Mallett? Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, or Jake Locker? Or will it be a diamond in the rough like Tom Brady? Only time, and Lombardi Trophies, will tell the whole story.
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