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For all intents and purposes, Aaron Rodgers is a lame-duck NFC quarterback. With the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers dancing through the numbers, attention is turning to what the landscape of the conference will look like in 2023. Speaking on Get Up, Robert Griffin III put forward a list of the top quarterbacks in the conference. Put simply, it is shocking to most.
Robert listed Geno Smith as the fifth-best quarterback in the conference. The backup to Russell Wilson entering the conversation after a Wild Card berth is just one surprising aspect of the list. Ahead of Smith, he listed Kyler Murray, who is coming off the worst season of his career.
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In 2022, Murray threw for 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions while going 3-8 in 11 starts for Arizona Cardinals. The show host then ranked Dak Prescott, who led the league in interceptions, as the third-best. Here's how he explained that choice:
Will the AFC win the Super Bowl in 2023?
"You were talking about, 'hey, this guy gets all the hate in the world, but he's 53-32 as a starter, he is a winner. He can get it done in any type of way possible. Last year he was also hurt with a thumb injury."
Robert continued, pressing doubters to ignore Prescott's recent performances:
"But when you talk about him, do not look at what he did in the last game against the 49ers. Don't have that recency bias. Look at what he did against the Bucs. That is the quarterback that he is and this year he has to have more playoff success to prove this ranking."
He then ranked Rodgers' rival, Kirk Cousins, as the second-best quarterback in the conference. Cousins threw for 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2022 and went 13-4 with the Minnesota Vikings. However, critics still doubt the quarterback's ability to show up in most big games.
Lastly, he ranked Jalen Hurts as the best quarterback in the conference. The quarterback who threw for 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2021 before putting on 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2022. Critics claim the quarterback's 8-7 performance in 2021 casts doubt on his ability to repeat his abilities in 2023.
How does the AFC hierarchy look in comparison with Aaron Rodgers?
With the NFC quarterback rankings revealed, most fans claim the AFC has the edge in passer comparisons. Many would agree that (in no particular order) Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert tower over at least four of the top five quarterbacks in Robert Griffin III's NFC ranking.
Mahomes owns multiple Super Bowl victories. Aaron Rodgers is a four-time MVP. Lamar Jackson has won an MVP, Justin Herbert already has broken NFL records in his career, and Josh Allen has shown relative consistency over the last several years.
Will the 2023 season prove the interconference comparison to be a more level playing field than it appears on paper?
