5 times NFL teams turned their backs on their franchise QB in favor of a new player
Finding the right quarterback is one of the top priorities for every NFL team. Most of the time, Super Bowls are won by elite quarterback play, demonstrating the importance of finding the right one to lead a team.
When left without a top-level quarterback, most teams are eliminated from contention before the season even begins.
The enormous impact an elite quarterback has had on the direct success of a franchise has led many teams to make extreme decisions regarding the position.
Teams rarely let go of top-tier quarterbacks, but if one ever becomes available, teams pursue them aggressively.
Teams have been forced to make tough decisions about their quarterbacks over the course of NFL history. Sometimes they have let go of a relatively good one that has been the face of their franchise in order to freshen up the squad.
Here are fives instances a franchise turned their back on their signal caller to move on to a new player they believed gave them a better chance of winning.
#5 San Diego Chargers, Drew Brees to Philip Rivers
Drew Brees had a solid run with the San Diego Chargers, especially in his final two seasons with the team, when recorded a 20-11 record while completing 65 percent of his passes with 51 touchdowns.
Brees hurt his shoulder during the final game of the 2005 season, which may have played a role in the Chargers moving on from him during the offseason.
This was during Brees opening series against the Browns in his first reg season start (9/10/2006) with the #Saints. I just want to say. Thank you San Diego for drafting Rivers and allowing Brees to bless us from 2006-2020! https://t.co/qY9sHILg0D
The Chargers decided to let Brees sign with the New Orleans Saints during free agency, while they selected Philip Rivers in the 2004 NFL Draft.
While Rivers went on to have a solid career, Brees became one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time with the Saints, ranking among the career leaders in every statistical passing category.
#4 Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers
The Green Bay Packers had one of the most notorious quarterback controversies in NFL history. Brett Favre wanted to return for the 2008 NFL season after initially retiring, but the organization had already decided they would move on to Aaron Rodgers.
The bitter Favre continued his career with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings while Rodgers took over his job with the Packers. It was probably the right decision, as Favre was aging and Rodgers was ready to go.
The two have combined for three consecutive decades of elite quarterback play for the Packers, including seven NFL MVP awards and two Super Bowl rings.