Tom Brady is getting ready to play in his 23rd NFL season. And while the soon-to-be 45-year-old is playing at a high level, he will retire soon, which means NFL experts and fans will look for the next quarterback who can have the same success or be better than Brady.
That’s not an easy task because Brady has done a number of things no other NFL quarterback has done. Along with playing in 10 Super Bowls and winning seven of them, Brady has won the Super Bowl MVP award five times and is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also holds the NFL record for games started, Pro Bowl appearances, wins by a starting quarterback, division titles, Pro Bowl appearances and he’s the only player in NFL history to beat all 32 NFL teams.
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In order for any of the young quarterbacks to be better than Brady, they will have to play at a high level consistently for 20-plus seasons. That is not an easy task, but there are a few who are just as talented as Brady, and one could be the face of the league if things go his way.
Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes is the closest to being Brady based on what he has done in his four seasons as a starter with the Chiefs. He has led to the team to four AFC Championship Games, two Super Bowls and one Super Bowl win. But there is some competition in the conference that could surpass Mahomes.
Josh Allen – Buffalo Bills
Allen has breathed new life into the Bills who played in four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s. He has led the Bills to an AFC Championship Game appearance in his four seasons as a starter and has the highest passer rating in a single postseason at 149.0, which was this past season.
Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow led the Bengals the Super Bowl in just his second season as a starter. This past year, Burrow was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year and led the league in completion percentage.
Justin Herbert – Los Angeles Chargers
In two seasons with the Chargers, Herbert won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and was named to the Pro Bowl. He has yet to reach the playoffs, but with 2022 being his third season, Herbert will likely take a huge step forward in his progression.
Mac Jones – New England Patriots
After one season, Jones has established himself as the franchise QB for the Patriots. He threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in his rookie season, leading him to be named to the All-Rookie Team and Pro Bowl.
Trevor Lawrence – Jacksonville Jaguars
As of now, this is a long shot as Lawrence had a challenging rookie season, throwing 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 17 games. But with Doug Pederson as the new head coach of the Jaguars, Lawrence should improve vastly in 2022 and be the quarterback fans expected him to be when he was drafted No. 1 overall.
The Best Chance
As mentioned earlier, Mahomes has the best chance to be the next Brady. But all six quarterbacks mentioned are still very young and have a chance to do special things in their careers. The interesting thing is all these QBs play in the AFC, meaning they will face each other multiple times over the years, which is not a bad thing for fans.
