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NFL longevity is a double-edged sword
NFL longevity is a double-edged sword when it comes to the league’s record books.
For example, take both Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. The new Pittsburgh Steelers passer is entering his 13th year in the league and is already one of the Top-15 quarterbacks in league history when it comes to touchdown passes. Wilson enters 2024 sitting 13th on that list with 334 touchdown tosses, just eight behind Minnesota Vikings legend Fran Tarkenton. Wilson is also third among active quarterbacks, behind Matthew Stafford (whose 357 career TD passes have him 11th on the same list) and Rodgers, whose 475 TD passes have him just 33 behind Brett Favre in fourth place.
That is one edge of the NFL longevity sword.
The other?
Both Wilson and Rodgers are at risk of setting another NFL record for quarterbacks, and a dubious one at that. When Tarkenton stepped away from the game, he left the NFL behind having been sacked 570 times.
That mark still stands as the most a QB has ever been sacked over his career. Tom Brady’s longevity has him second on that list with 565 career sacks taken, and Ben Roethlisberger sits third, with 554.
In fourth? Rodgers, who has been sacked 531 times over his 19-year career. Wilson is right behind Rodgers in fifth, with 527 sacks.
Given their history, both passers could reach Tarkenton’s dubious mark this season.
Rodgers is 39 sacks behind “The Scrambler,” and while he has been sacked more than 39 times throughout his career — his career-high came in 2012 when he was sacked 51 times playing for the Green Bay Packers — with the investments the New York Jets have made along the offensive line there is hope that the Jets will keep him protected all season long. But there is a scenario where he reaches that mark.
As for Wilson, he is 43 sacks behind Tarkenton. But over his NFL career, Wilson’s penchant for trying to escape the pocket has led to some big sack numbers. The lowest number of times he has been sacked in a single season is 33, set in both 2012 and 2021 when he was playing with the Seattle Seahawks.
In every other season of his career, Wilson has been sacked at least 41 times, with eight seasons of 43 sacks or more.
So, that might be fun to monitor this year.
