During the month of July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will determine which three players deserve to be considered the faces of each franchise. For this series, we will only consider active players. In this edition, the Green Bay Packers are the focus.
Faces of the Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers
There aren’t many in the NFL who are as likable as Aaron Rodgers. Of course, if you’re a fan of a team with a poor defensive secondary, that’s a different story. On the field he’s among the best signal callers in the league, while off the field he has a clever sense of humor and is involved in his community as well as humanitarian efforts.
Obviously his personality and philanthropic undertakings are just icing on the cake for what is developing into one of the most impressive careers in NFL history. In terms of pure passing yardage, he’s been above 4,000 yards in five of seven years starting. In one of the remaining two he was just 78 yards away from that number, and in the other, 2013, he missed seven games due to injury.
Overall, he’s third all-time in terms of completion percentage, behind only Drew Brees and Chad Pennington. His most impressive stats involve his overall quarterback rating and touchdown to interception ratio. He holds the record for highest career rating, which sits at an astounding 106.0, nearly ten points above the second, third and fourth place quarterbacks. His touchdown to interception ratio is 3.96, which is significantly more impressive than Tom Brady’s 2.74. While Brady, Manning and others have their die-hard fans, Aaron Rodgers is making a great case for himself as the best quarterback in the league and, maybe one day, of all-time.
Clay Matthews III
The Matthews family is one of the most prolific producers of football players in league history. It started with Clay Sr., who played only a couple of years but made a name for himself as an entrepreneur after four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s. His two sons, Clay Jr. and Bruce, both played in the NFL with Clay Jr. as a linebacker and Bruce as a guard. Both had multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons. Clay Matthews III is an example of an obscenely athletic apple not falling far from a heck of a talented family tree.
Clay Matthews played his first five seasons at outside linebacker, but with the Packers defense struggling at inside linebacker in 2014, he was moved there and excelled. In six years with the Packers he has tallied up over 60 sacks, and has been one of the league’s most reliable pass rushers. While his play speaks for itself, he also has a name for himself as a fan favorite, whose long blonde hair, overall Viking appearance, commercial performances and cameo in Pitch Perfect 2 have all contributed to his renown. At 28 years old, Matthews combines youthful energy with mature instincts and has seemingly not lost his step despite missing almost half of 2013 with a broken hand.
Jordy Nelson
The third choice here was a difficult one, as the Packers have quite a few well-known players on their roster. Randall Cobb is arguably the best slot receiver in the league, but he is still young and 2014 was his only full season as a starter. Julius Peppers used to be one of the best pass rushers in the league, but fans more consistently recall him as a Carolina Panther or Chicago Bear, as his best years are behind him.
Thus it is Jordy Nelson who reigns as the third member of our “Faces of the NFL” Packers edition. Nelson was a steady producer for the team in his early years, usually as a backup wide receiver and a return man. With over 1000 receiving yards in three different seasons, he has joined the ranks of elite Green Bay receivers. Furthermore, 2014 saw Nelson set the Packers record for most receiving yards in a season with 1,519. He’s eighth in terms of career receptions for the team, ninth in receiving yards and is tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns. Expect each of those numbers to rise this year as Nelson, Randall Cobb and second year up-and-comer Davante Adams look poised to form one of the best receiver trios in the league heading into 2015.
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