'Long journey has ended! – 5 NFL quarterbacks that can give us a Rory McIlroy moment next season and the likeliest to do it
As Rory McIlroy walked off Augusta National's Hole 18 for the second time on Sunday following his first ever win at The Masters, scads of expressions crowded his face. Joy. Shock. Pride. As his face turned from one feeling to another, it was clear one was the driving force behind all the others: Alleviation. The relief […]
As Rory McIlroy walked off Augusta National's Hole 18 for the second time on Sunday following his first ever win at The Masters, scads of expressions crowded his face. Joy. Shock. Pride.
As his face turned from one feeling to another, it was clear one was the driving force behind all the others: Alleviation.
The relief McIlroy felt the moment his putt won him the career grand slam he had been chasing for 11 consecutive Masters Tournaments was shared by the patrons watching him live and the millions watching on TV.
Going into Sunday, McIlroy was the story of the day. Win the Masters and he'd go from a remarkable player into an all-time great, the sixth golfer ever to win a career grand slam. Lose it, and the accusations of choking would grow to the point where you'd wonder if he'd ever come back from it after staring the final round with a two-shot lead.
It's crazy how tiny the margins are with which we measure sports greatness. Think about how McIlroy's win came about.
On Sunday, the Northern Irishman hit what Jim Nantz described as "the shot of a lifetime" on the 15th hole and set himself up for an eagle. He missed the putt and settled for birdie. In Hole 18, he missed the for-the-win putt following a remarkable shot off the tee and headed to a playoff round with Jim Rose.
Had Hole 15 gone different, had his putt in the 18th gone in, a playoff wouldn't have been necessary. And in the sudden death hole they played moments later, it also came down to a single putt.
"Long journey has ended!" shouted Jim Nantz when the ball went in.
Because McIlroy made it, he will now be immortalized. He can leave behind the days of being called a choker, of being told he's "not that guy." For the week, he had four double bogeys. No one in Masters history had done that and gone on to win. It ultimately didn't matter. The difference between standout and legendary came down to the tiniest of moments.
And if you want to be immortal, the moments better happen in majors, otherwise they're mostly meaningless.
But I'm no golf writer. So here's where we take a sharp turn and take it to the NFL: In football, playoff games take the place of majors. Many quarterbacks have everything it takes to be considered elite or great and yet it's the lack of a Super Bowl win that keeps them reaching an upper echelon.
Maybe as an excuse to write about McIlroy's win, which I can't stop thinking about, I'm listing the five NFL quarterbacks that can give us a moment similar to Rory's in Augusta in 2025. Let's dive in.
NFL quarterbacks that can give us a Rory McIlroy moment in 2025 season
- Josh Allen, Bills: Now an MVP winner, Allen is a top three quarterback in the NFL. He has seven playoff wins, which is a mark many others would trade everything for but he has yet to make it to a Super Bowl. Four times he's fallen to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Until he gets a ring, his legacy will be tainted by every playoff trip having an expiration date when facing the league's best. With one of the best teams in the AFC next year and an MVP award fueling him, I view Allen as the likeliest to get his McIlroy-esque moment.
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens: Lamar is one of 11 players to ever win multiple career MVPs. So why doesn't he get the utmost respect? Fans often accuse him of choking on the playoffs and while doesn't depict an accurate version of reality, it's true a Super Bowl win would completely change Jackson's standing among fans and his legacy.
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys: They say Dallas' quarterback position is always the most scrutinized in the NFL and the everlasting debates about Prescott prove it. Talking heads on TV often pitch trade scenarios even though his contract is untradeable and the Cowboys wouldn't even entertain it. Sometimes, the arguments don't even make sense but one line of criticism is fair: More than once, he's look rattled in the playoffs. He's rushed things and has failed to overcome adversity. Defenses have let him down but a Super Bowl win would re-write the books.
- Joe Burrow, Bengals: Burrow has been in the big game before but it was early enough in his career to where fans don't really hold his loss against him. But he might not escape it in the future, specially now that he's got a major deal and his wide receivers are paid now.
- Aaron Rodgers, Steelers (?): Though Rodgers is expected to sign with the Steelers, it's not a done deal so this comes with an asterisk. But even though Rodgers is a four-time MVP and a Super Bowl champion, he's several steps below the cream of the crop. A second ring would push him slightly toward the territory of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and other all-time greats.
It's safe to say, none of the above would get as dramatic of a moment as McIlroy's win was on Sunday. Simply put, most of them haven't been as close such great a glory as Rory has in the past. But the sixth-ever golf grand slam winner reminded us of the tiny margins in sports greatness. Maybe we should take it easier on athletes.
But then again, that's where the magic is.
