Saturday afternoon, two more quarterbacks will join the ranks of the showcase for the greatest ever to play the game when Brett Favre and Ken Stabler are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On Sunday evening, the annual Hall of Fame Game will take place, featuring a pair of signal-callers in Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts who many expect will one day get busts of their own in Canton.
Provided, that is, that Rodgers and Luck can wash off the stink of a disappointing 2015 and reclaim their spots as two of the very best at what they do in the NFL.
Now, were Mr. Rodgers to retreat to his neighborhood tomorrow and announce his retirement, he'd have a decent chance of getting into the Hall. Over 11 NFL seasons (including eight as a starter), Rodgers has thrown for over 4,000 yards five times. Twice he's been named the NFL's most valuable player, including two years ago. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XLV.
Rodgers' career touchdown-to-interception ratio is a staggering plus-192. Yes, plus-192—257 career touchdown passes against only 65 interceptions. In his 2014 MVP campaign, Rodgers tossed 38 scoring strikes against only five interceptions—including none at Lambeau Field.
If Rodgers' career ended today, he would hold NFL records for passer rating for both a single season (122.5 in 2011) and for a career (104.1). He's one of only two qualifying NFL quarterbacks to have a career passer rating in triple digits.
Last year, however, was another story. Playing without top wideout Jordy Nelson, Rodgers threw for 3,821 yards—a career-low for a 16-game season. Ditto for his 92.7 passer rating, which was over 11 points lower than his career average.
That down year and a one-and-done playoff trip one year after coming so close to making the Super Bowl before their meltdown in Seattle has caused more than a bit of hand-wringing where Rodgers is concerned.
Still, as Yahoo's Frank Schwab pointed out, much of that unease is borne of expectations that range somewhere between sky-high and flat-out unrealistic.
"The Packers are 80-39 in games Rodgers has started," Schwab said. "The Packers won four straight NFC North titles, a streak that was snapped last year. They’ve been to the playoffs seven straight times. And they won Super Bowl XLV, of course. That’s a great run."
The team appears primed for another playoff run in 2016. Nelson is back and healthy. Tailback Eddie Lacy reported to training camp in significantly better shape than a year ago. The Packers added a number of big-name free agents in the offseason.
Just making sure you were paying attention. General manager Ted Thompson isn't doing that last one. Ever.
Rodgers appears eager to put last year's struggles behind him as well. As Matt Kiesling and Katie DeLong of Fox 6 News reported, Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy indicated Rodgers showed up to training camp looking like a million bucks (or, given his salary, several million):
I would say Aaron’s vibe, and really, his off-season participation and performance looks to line up for a great year. He’s in great shape. I would say this is the best shape I have seen him in. This is — as always, he’s very into the details. He’s ready to go, and he’s excited. In communication with him—he was excited to start.
If Rodgers is excited to get the 2016 season underway, then his counterpart on the Indianapolis Colts could probably best be described as desperate.
Because where Rodgers' 2015 was a disappointment, Andrew Luck's campaign was an injury-marred disaster.
It wasn't supposed to be that way. In each of his first three NFL seasons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft led the Colts to the playoffs. Luck threw for over 4,000 yards twice in that three-year span, tossing twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions. His passer rating in 2014 was a career-best 96.5.
After making it to the AFC Championship Game in 2014, last year was going to be (in the eyes of many, at least) the year Luck played in his first Super Bowl—his coronation.
Instead, Luck suffered through easily the worst year of his career. He threw seven interceptions over the first three games of the season, then missed two games with a shoulder injury.
When he returned from that injury he just wasn't the same quarterback we'd seen the three years prior. Some said the shoulder still wasn't right. Others said Luck was forcing the ball. Whatever the reason, by the time Luck's season was ended by a lacerated kidney after seven games it was almost a blessing.
Those struggles and the injuries that caused them weren't enough to cool the Colts on their quarterback. In fact, back at the end of June the Colts inked Luck to a six-year, $140 million contract that makes him the highest-paid player in the history of the National Football League.
It's good work if you can get it.
However, Luck's bad year did spur a change at offensive coordinator, and new OC Brian Schottenheimer has made fixing some perceived flaws in Luck's mechanics a priority.
Head coach Chuck Pagano told Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star Luck has bought wholesale into the changes:
Doesn’t question anything. He buys into everything. He trusts everybody. He’s a really smart guy. And when you tell him, ‘Hey, you do A, B and C, you’re going to take your game to this level,’ he’s going to give it everything he has and listen to that coaching and submit to that coaching and buy into that. And he’s dong that.
You can see from footwork leaving center, pocket presence, the way he carries the football in the pocket, the way he’s taking care of it and the decision-making process outside of the fundamental part has been great.
Luck is going to get a chance to try out those new mechanics Sunday night. Per what Pagano told Keefer, all of his starters will take the field in Canton—Luck included:
Rodgers, however, is another story. At least if what he told Alex Marvez of Fox Sports about the Hall of Fame Game last year is any indication.
"We hope we don't get it," said Rodgers. "But we know it's going to be tough because No. 4 (Favre) is going to be going in."
Of course, even if Rodgers does play it would only be for a series or two. The same will go for Luck. And there aren't going to be any earth-shaking revelations—especially with the Packers traveling to face the Colts in a game that counts in November.
The fact is, last year's struggles aside, Luck and Rodgers have a combined eight Pro Bowls between them. They will be fine. Most likely a danged sight better than fine. They're better than even money to make the playoffs, and both are on the early-season MVP short list.
But regardless of how much they play (or even if they play), Sunday night marks an important step toward a rebound for Luck and Rodgers. It's the first game action of the year. A step toward the beginning of the regular season. A step toward putting last year's disappointment behind them.
A step toward order being restored to the universe.
Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPSharks.