As the 2021-2022 NFL Season has now concluded, we begin to reflect upon the both surprising and exciting season. Two events that definitely stood out to the NFL community was the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, and the greatest player of all time — Tom Brady.
Tom Brady’s Retirement
Big Ben’s Retirement
With Roethlisberger and Brady stepping away from the game of football, they join a group of other recent retirees who also had a huge impact on the game. This group includes Peyton Manning, Phillip Rivers, Eli Manning, and Drew Brees. The only remaining quarterbacks in this era are Aaron Rodgers, who is currently undecided about what his next step is and might retire, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and possibly Matt Stafford, who just won his first Super Bowl . With this being said, this era of quarterbacks is definitely coming to an end in the coming years. As we take a look back on the careers of these retired quarterbacks, we see just how elite this era was.
Peyton Manning
Retired in 2016
2-time Super Bowl Champ
5-time NFL MVP
7-time NFL All-Pro
14-time NFL Pro Bowl
Eli Manning
Retired in 2020
2-time Super Bowl Champ
2-time Super Bowl MVP
4-time NFL Pro Bowl
9th All-Time Pass Yards
Phillip Rivers
Retired in 2021
2013 NFL Comeback Player of the Year
8-time NFL Pro Bowl
6th All-Time Pass Yards
Drew Brees
Retired in 2021
1-time Super Bowl Champ
2-time NFL OPOY
2006 NFL All-Pro
13-time NFL Pro Bowl
Ben Roethlisberger
Retired in 2022
2-time Super Bowl Champ
2-time NFL Passing Leader
6-time NFL Pro Bowl
5th All-Time Pass Yards
Tom Brady
Retired in 2022
7-time Super Bowl Champ
5-time Super Bowl MVP
3-time NFL All-Pro
15-time NFL Pro Bowl
These quarterbacks have dominated the league for years on end, and now look towards the younger generation of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow to carry on their legacy.
