Image via Complex Original
Illustrations via Christopher Mineses.
Peyton Manning barely survived last season with his injuries and third string-level skill set. Yet, what made him so valuable to the NFL was how he represented the league’s ideal core principles. He was strong and silent, confident but humble, and a staunch leader. He was unquestionably an amalgamation of what the NFL wishes it was, and the league lost that when he announced his retirement last March and officially hung up his cleats after Super Bowl 50.
Manning was the unquestioned, undisputed face of the NFL. But now that he’s gone, who has assumed his role? Well, the NFL MVP has been won by a quarterback or running back all but three times, and no running back has stood out this season as being “the guy.” Adrian Peterson is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus and 2016 rookie Ezekiel Elliot (the league-leader in rushing so far), while young and exciting, is not ready to be considered as a face.
So that means the face of the NFL is likely a QB. Could it be a certain former MVP and Super Bowl-winning Packer? The once-anointed Dab Daddy? Or maybe it’s a defensive player that flat-out dominates his opponents and presents offensive coordinators with the most grief?
To find an answer, we chatted with Fox commentator and former NFLer John Lynch, CBS Sports senior NFL writer Will Brinson, and Adam Schein, host of CBS Sports Network's Time to Schein and NFL Monday QB. These are the candidates we came up with, and ultimately, our selection for The Face of the NFL.
Cam Newton
Yes, the Panthers are 1-3 and Cam Newton’s post-game outfits inspire more bewilderment than props. But he’s a face of the NFL candidate by virtue of being the league’s reigning MVP. Remember, just last season his confounding mix of mobility, arm strength, and leadership pushed Carolina to a 15-1 record. Cam was only really shut down twice in 2015: Week 15 at Atlanta and against the Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
“He’s the most dangerous red-zone weapon the league might have ever seen, thanks to his dual-threat ability to run like a battering ram and pass efficiently in compressed spaces,” Will Brinson says. “He's a delightfully entertaining personality, too, and he crosses multiple generations and myriad demographics in terms of his appeal as a player.”
Newton’s unapologetic confidence and penchant for dabbing helped turn him into a divisive figure. But lately, it looks like he’s been taking steps to appeal to Middle America—or at least, not screw up endorsement deals. One way he’s doing this is by scaling back his strong perspectives on race. Earlier this year, he said that being an “African-American quarterback may scare a lot of people.” He’s since changed his tune, claiming that the nation is “beyond” racism, a statement made even more jarring when compared to Colin Kaepernick’s explicit stance against police brutality. Newton is alienating some of his fan base, but the NFL tends to award “company men” who produce on field.
Tom Brady
Despite having to rely on their second and third-string quarterbacks through the first four games of the season, the Patriots are 3-1. They won a tough game in the opener at Arizona and crushed the Texans in Week 3. So yeah, it’s fairly obvious that Bill Belichick’s machine is so exceptional that it doesn’t collapse without Tom Brady. But if Sunday’s embarrassing 16-0 home loss to Rex Ryan and the Bills indicates anything, it’s that the Pats need Brady.
With Manning’s retirement, the four-time Super Bowl winner is the league’s premier winner which is why he should be the face of the NFL in the eyes of Lynch.
“I don’t know if there’s a clear [Face of the NFL]. But I think it should be Tom Brady because he does what he’s supposed to do—he wins,” says the Fox broadcaster.
Brady has never suffered a losing season since taking the starting role from Drew Bledsoe 15 years ago. But as we know, Brady’s elite status comes to commissioner Roger Goodell’s chagrin. The Patriots have gained a reputation for living on the rulebook’s borders (see Spygate and Deflategate). After over a year of legal skirmishes and absurd #hottakes, Brady dropped his Deflategate appeal on July 15 and served the resulting four-game suspension. But Brady will return under center Sunday with his team leading the division, and you can bet he’ll have a chip on his shoulder.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers doesn’t have Brady’s hardware or Newton’s athletic gifts, but Goodell doesn’t low-key despise him. And that’s a great position to be in. It probably helps that Rodgers is really good at his job. Like, absurdly good. Even his predecessor, the great Brett Favre, had to admit his greatness.
“I think if you were putting together a team and thinking about who would you draft first, he’d top many people’s list,” Lynch says.
Do his talents on the field make Rodgers a solid candidate for Face of the NFL? Yes, but it’s also worth noting how many commercials he’s been in (cue: discount doublecheck). His level of visibility rivals that of Peyton Manning. When people actually know what you look like, that goes a long way in terms of being the face of anything.
Bill Belichick
Not expecting to see The Hoody? The only non-player on this list is here for one reason: Behind Bill Belichick’s stone frump of a human face is a football genius. He’s built a system in New England that’s formidable regardless of the parts and players who run it. Having Brady for all 16 weeks would’ve been nice, but it’s clear from the Patriots’ impressive 3-1 start that Belichick can survive without him. Phil Jackson detractors say his triangle offense worked because he had all-time greats like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan to lead the charge. With the Patriots, it’s clear Belichick is the mastermind behind Brady’s show.
“He has always been, in my opinion, the best coach in NFL history,” Schein says. “If you consider what he’s done in the salary cap, free agency era, the league is set up for teams to be competitive and average every year. And look at the Super Bowls, the Super Bowl record, the regular season record, and most especially the conference championship game appearances. That’s impressive.”
He’s not nearly the over-the-top presence that Rex Ryan is (far from it), but when you think of winners in the NFL, Belichick is front and center.
J.J. Watt
It’s hard to believe someone who can rack up sacks at will, pull off solid tight end work, and leap 61 inches is an actual person, and not the monster from the Upside Down. But J.J. Watt is real, so he’s eligible for this list. In a just world, the Texans would be a competent enough team to strengthen Watt’s claim to a season MVP title. That’s not the case, so he’s going to have to settle for just three Defensive Player of the Year awards. There have been other multi-DPOY winners before him, but Giants great Lawrence Taylor is the only other one to win three by the age of 27.
Watt is far saner than Taylor, though. The Texan hugs grandmothers and learns dances from little kids. Watt rarely causes media conflagrations despite his outspokenness, and his 2.87 million followers on Twitter is statistical evidence of his popularity. On-field skills and an audience will certainly get you a Gatorade commercial, at the very least. Watt’s brand of toughness and amicability also represents NFL’s idyllic view of itself, and he’s well aware of that.
“I understand the amount of eyeballs that are on somebody that has that kind of title,” he said in a 2015 interview. “And I take it very seriously and I’m very proud. I’m very proud to go out there and represent not only my team, but the NFL in general.”
Watt re-injured his back and will miss the rest of the season. Make no mistake: His absence will be felt by the Texans, fans, and the rest of the league.
And the face of the NFL is...
The NFL hasn't been consistent in what constitutes as a "catch" over the years, and they don’t have a great track record when it comes to dealing with player issues. And while making money is ultimately the goal with running a business like the NFL, the fans, players, and league value winning (and winners) over everything.
Tom Brady by far has more victories than any of his fellow candidates. He has the privilege to stay silent on controversial issues and the winning smile to compliment his on-field success that gets him endorsements. Oh, and he’s one of the greatest (if not the greatest) quarterbacks of all time. As long as Brady is lacing up his cleats, people will be watching, hating, and witnessing the best go to work.