At this point, you probably know who you want to win on Sunday. Aside from the teams' fans, you might want to see Matt Stafford claim a ring after so many years in football purgatory. Or maybe you’d like to see the Bengals win their first title ever. Or maybe you just want to see a competitive game and an old-school, nostalgic, hip-hop halftime show.
Whatever most interests you, take a moment to appreciate the importance of quarterbacks in the league. Because they’ve gone from integral part of an offense, to the most important player on the team, to a one-man rebuild.
The Buccaneers won their last Super Bowl because of Tom Brady. No, he didn’t go out there and do it alone, but does anyone think they would have won it all (or even gotten there) without him? The Rams were a solid playoff team, but Matt Stafford has them back in the big game. Kansas City has hosted four conference championships in a row, and those happen to be the four years Patrick Mahomes has been their starter.
And the Bengals? They were 2-14 the year before Joe Burrow showed up. He got hurt last season, but you could tell there was something there. A year later they’re in the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history, and the first in Burrow’s lifetime.
In today’s NFL, the elite quarterbacks can pick and choose which team gets the privilege of paying them, even if they’re under contract with another team. The only way Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson stay with their current teams is if they want to stay there. Despite his legal issues, Deshaun Watson is a great quarterback, so there will always be a market for his services. And if you don’t have a quarterback, you really don’t have much of a chance come January.
Yes, there are exceptions. These same Rams got to the Super Bowl with Jared Goff a few years ago, and this year’s team was down double digits to Jimmy Garoppolo. The Titans maintained their top seed standing in the AFC despite losing Derrick Henry, too.
But none of those teams won a title. Goff was traded away for Stafford, Garoppolo is on his way out of San Francisco, and Ryan Tannehill, despite decent play except for their playoff game, is mainly protected by a contract that makes it hard to move him. Everybody wants a superstar behind center.
Fantasy players want them behind center, too. Even if selecting a quarterback early in fantasy drafts doesn’t usually pay off, those stars are producing fantasy-relevant players like Jamarr Chase and Cooper Kupp. Sure, Kupp was already a great receiver, but he wasn’t a record-breaker without Stafford. Tyreek Hill might be an asset for any team, but he was the first receiver taken in many drafts because of Mahomes. So again, the quarterback position matters, even if a fantasy team doesn’t focus on them. Okay, you already knew quarterbacks are this important, and you knew they’re why the Rams and Bengals are playing in the last game of the season. But is that good for fantasy football, or football in general? Should the fate of billion-dollar franchises rest with one guy? Should any player be important enough to demand trades when they’re not happy? Is it right that a fantasy team’s fortunes could be ruined by an injury to a player who isn’t on the team? When you have 32 teams, and just a handful of true elites, what does that mean for the rest of the league?
Here’s what it means: Teams will keep using whatever draft picks they have just for a shot at getting a star. And for every Joe Burrow there are many more Sam Darnolds. And if they do somehow get that star, they have to keep them happy or he’ll want to leave. And while they’re waiting to strike gold, they’ll be one of several teams with no realistic shot at a championship. The NBA is in a similar situation, and I don’t think it’s great for that league, either.
I’m not saying there’s anything we can actually do about it. I’m just concerned that one position is accumulating too much importance and too much power. And I live in Tampa, so I’ve seen the benefits of attracting the right player. They improve the team with their presence, and they help attract other players. Why did Antonio Brown want to play for the Buccaneers (for a while, anyway)? Why did Odell Beckham, Jr. target the Rams as a destination?
It’s not bad for fantasy, but I think it’s bad for the game. When one position means everything, most teams end up with nothing. At least we won’t be seeing any of those this Sunday; one of them will be a champion. Enjoy the game.
How do you feel about the prominence of the quarterback position? Is it possible for a player to have too much power, or is it simply a benefit of possessing rare talent and supply and demand? Who are you rooting for this weekend? Share your thoughts below.