Editor’s note: Follow all NFL Week 1 events with live coverage from USA TODAY Sports.
Whether Tom Brady is the greatest player in NFL history has always been a topic of discussion. What’s indisputable is that his longevity — this will be the first season this century without Brady on the active roster — coupled with his success on the field and celebrity off it, make him a standout. Different stars.
Instead of preparing for a drop in ratings and interest as Brady retires, with 82 of the top 100 TV rights in 2022 according to a study by Sportico, the NFL is preparing for the opposite. Be prepared, thanks to a stable of young star quarterbacks and rich storylines heading into the 2023 season.
“This is probably the only sport that we’re in business where the greatest player of all time can retire, and you don’t even Won’t think twice before taking action.”
Brady is a historic player, a sixth-round pick in 2000 who went on to win seven Super Bowls, four MVPs and set multiple passing records.
NFL Stats Center: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, statistics and more.
“Tom is a very special story and has been a part of this league for a long time,” said Brian Rolapp, NFL vice president of media. “It’s not a common story. That being said… I think We’ve never been more excited about how many stars we have in the league.”
Most of them play quarterback. Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes, who turns 28 next Sunday, is the obvious successor to Brady.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, 25, finished second in MVP voting last season behind Mahomes. Other standout signal-callers include Joe Burrow (26), Josh Allen (27), Justin Herbert (25), Lamar Lamar Jackson (26) and Trevor Lawrence (23).
“There’s a lot of quarterbacks that are in the spotlight,” CBS Sports analyst and former Raiders CEO Amy Trask told USA TODAY Sports. “Attention has been lost.”
Aaron Rodgers doesn’t fall into the category of young signal-caller, but the 39-year-old’s offseason trade to the New York Jets raised expectations in the nation’s largest market. Rollup said the interest in the Jets is reflected in the league’s schedule, which offers the Jets up to six prime-time games, including the first Black Friday game against the Miami Dolphins.
“You think about this league and the stars, if they come and go, that’s good news,” Rohlapp said. “We have amazing stars and we’re sad to see them leave, but we also have great young stars who step right into the spotlight.”
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said he’s not sure the NFL has ever been that good as an on-field product. Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback from 2005-16, said as many as 10 quarterbacks could be a reasonable bet to win MVP.
Orlovsky said: “As much as Tom is a superstar and it’s unbelievable, he’s the best football player to ever play the game, but how much has he produced — the NFL is now dominated at quarterback. Dominance.” “They’re young. They’re talented. They have character. There’s diversity.”
Orlovsky said it will feel strange at times without Brady.
“But the quarterback play is going to be really good,” he added.
Mulvihill said no position in sports attracts more viewers than quarterback.
“That’s only going to become more true as more quarterbacks become dual run-pass threats,” Mulvihill said. “It makes every game more dramatic and exciting.
“It gives you a lot of comfort that you can take the pain of losing Tom Brady and be as strong as ever.”
Over the past three seasons, with Brady playing in the NFC as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fox has been able to watch more of Brady’s games than ever before (Fox typically airs NFC games while CBS will air Sunday’s AFC game). During that time, the network’s strategy was reduced to the acronym “ABC.”
- A, Rogers, Aaron
- B, Brady, Tom
- C is for Dallas Cowboys
Mulvihill said Fox will learn more about the Cowboys and invest more in the Eagles and Los Angeles Rams in 2023. Mulvihill said that with populous cities like New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago under their umbrella, “we’re never going to be overly reliant on one player or a handful of players.”
The post-Brady transition will also be easier for network and league executives to stomach than the 2016 retirement of Brady’s contemporary and arguably his biggest personal rival, Peyton Manning. At the time, the top talent at quarterback wasn’t that strong. Just like now, veterans like Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Joe Flacco and Eli Manning are all entering their twilight years.
“There’s a great quarterback,” Trask said. “But that’s not the start of their careers.”
Mulvihill said the impact of Manning’s retirement will be felt more in terms of AFC broadcasts, but it’s definitely there.
“It’s easier to absorb the change now than it was before,” he said.
Trask wonders if another person will achieve Brady’s level of fame.
“Brady is in a league of his own,” Trask said.
The same goes for the NFL. That’s why even without Brady’s long-term appeal, people around the league are feeling pretty good about it.
“There’s a lot to talk about,” Rolap said. “We’re very excited about the young stars we have. I think the impact on the ratings will be positive. I think people will pay attention to that.”
