Aaron Rodgers Ranks as NFLN's 11th Best Player But Still a Tier 1 Quarterback

The Packers quarterback received a fair amount of media attention after appearing on recent polls released by both the NFL Network and ESPN.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers by Evan Habeeb—USA TODAY Sports.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers by Evan Habeeb—USA TODAY Sports.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers received a fair amount of media attention on Wednesday after being unveiled as the NFL Network's 11th best player of 2014 and also being named a "Tier 1" quarterback on a poll conducted by Mike Sando of ESPN.com.

Many observers, fans and media alike, have reacted to Rodgers' ranking on the NFL Network list as being underrated, the outlet's own Daniel Jeremiah among them:

The NFL Network ranking is comprised from an offseason poll of NFL players. The previous season, Rodgers ranked No. 6 overall, a fall of five spots.

Perhaps even more surprisingly, Rodgers came in at No. 14 in a fan vote conducted by NFL.com.

Presumably, players and fans alike took into account Rodgers' missed playing time this past season due to a broken collarbone, sitting out a full seven games and nearly all of another.

The Packers went 6-2 in the games Rodgers was healthy but just 2-5-1 during games in which he was injured.

Rodgers has dropped in the annual NFL Network poll ever since being named the No. 1 overall player in 2012, following his MVP performance the season prior.

In the three seasons the Top 100 list has been aired, the reigning NFL MVP has always taken the top spot.

Rodgers is the fourth Packers players to appear on this year's edition of the list, and the first since Clay Matthews checked in at No. 77. Wide receiver Jordy Nelson and running back Eddie Lacy came in at No. 83 and No. 90 respectively.

Despite Rodgers' seemingly low ranking by his fellow players, he was still hailed as a top-tier quarterback in Sando's poll of 26 league insiders.

Joining Rodgers in the first tier were Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck.

As for the methodology, Sando writes:

I asked 26 league insiders to grade every projected starting quarterback on a 1-5 scale, with "one" reserved for the best and "five" for the worst. Eight general managers, two former GMs, four pro personnel evaluators, seven coordinators, two head coaches, two position coaches and a top executive participated, attacking the project with gusto almost across the board.

Although those polled remained anonymous, Sando probably couldn't have come up with a more expert group of analysts.

Sando gives a brief overview of his results:

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Comments (10)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Evan's picture

July 03, 2014 at 08:51 am

"@itsCrab: I say it every year, i have yet to meet a player who actually voted on this."

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RCPackerFan's picture

July 03, 2014 at 09:16 am

We all know Rodgers plays with a chip on his shoulder. Well this is just one more thing that Rodgers can and will use as motivation.

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Bearmeat's picture

July 03, 2014 at 10:54 am

Who cares. Rodgers and the offense as a whole will be one of the best units the NFL has seen in the past 20 years this year. Those players will have other ideas next year when ARod, Nelson, Cobb, Lacy, and Sitton are all in the top 25.

This season’s success will rise and fall on health and the (supposed) ascension of Burnett, HHCD, D Jones, B Jones, Perry, Boyd, and Hyde. If half those guys go from ineffective to quality starters and 2 or 3 make the jump to pro bowler, (yes this is quite possible) then GB becomes the super bowl favorite.

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balding_pastor's picture

July 03, 2014 at 12:44 pm

Did you hear that Aaron? They're saying there is 10 better players than you. Hope you'll use this egregious diss as fuel for your fire in 2014.

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Zola Davis's picture

July 03, 2014 at 04:52 pm

At least we didn't have to go through the farce of voting against him to avoid the Madden curse.

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4thand1's picture

July 04, 2014 at 02:47 pm

SB MVP knobhead, you suck.

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@ballark's picture

July 07, 2014 at 10:52 pm

I agree with this 150% and I suspect every single player in the GB locker room feels the exact same.

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Otto's picture

July 05, 2014 at 12:01 am

Dumbasses.

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TKWorldWide's picture

July 05, 2014 at 02:43 pm

Offseason fodder.
But if 12 sees this as motivation, ok w/TK.

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@ballark's picture

July 07, 2014 at 10:51 pm

These rankings are so super important. I think I'm going to not think about them some more while I am busy not caring, but not before I'm finished forgetting they exist.

Here's the official NFLN ranking of football things I give a shit about:
#2: Packers winning the NFC North in 2014
#1: Packers winning the Super Bowl in 2014

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