Last season was a down year for the AFC's superstar quarterbacks I like to call the "big four." None of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow made the AFC title game. Mahomes, Jackson and Burrow all missed the playoffs and combined to miss 16 regular-season games. Now, don't get me wrong, confidence is still understandably high in this group.
Our experts ranked them as four of the best five quarterbacks in the league entering this season. But, maybe 2025 was more than a fluke. Maybe, just maybe, they are in the midst of, or entering the sports version of a midlife crisis.
They are getting up there in age. All four quarterbacks are either approaching age 30 or have already turned 30 years old. Could they be questioning their careers?
Allen and Jackson still haven't made the Super Bowl and this is the age when mobile quarterbacks start to decline. Burrow had some midlife crisis-type comments last year. Mahomes is coming off a serious knee injury and the Chiefs fell apart last year.
Mood swings and impulsive decisions? The next generation of star quarterbacks could be waiting in the wings (Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, Drake Maye, Fernando Mendoza??) In all seriousness, each future Hall of Fame quarterback is entering the second half of their career with plenty of promise but also some concerns about their Super Bowl windows.
That's why I'm looking at a case for and against a midlife crisis for each one with a verdict included. Mahomes is the most fascinating case. He's only 30 years old and is already one of three players all time with three Super Bowl MVPs (Brady and Joe Montana).
Extract — continue reading at the source.
