Quarterback is a different position than anything else in sports because it is not only a position of skill, but of chemistry and leadership. The intangibles are often what determine the fate of a signal caller.

Skill-wise, there is little difference between Jeff George and the quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame. The intangibles were the difference. You can’t yank a quarterback because he has a bad start or go with the backup because he had a good week of practice.

It isn’t a position that can be evaluated on play-by-play performance. Doing so is a recipe for disaster and has proven to be so time and time again.

That being said, you also have to earn the job and earn your job security. This isn’t like some high schools where you become a senior and thus earn your turn by the date on your birth certificate. You have to prove you are able to handle the job.

The list of quarterbacks that are in that position are as follows: Tom Brady, Marc Bulger, Matt Hasselbeck, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger, and Tony Romo.

That is nine guys out of 32. Those nine guys will not lose their job, no matter how poorly they play in camp or how great their backup plays.

The other 23 guys have varying degrees of safety, from Rex Grossman, who has absolutely none, to a guy like Jon Kitna, who would be pretty hard pressed to lose his job. But if Detroit’s No. 2 man blew up camp and Kitna stunk, don’t think for a minute that the Lions would not change course with the snap of a finger.

The above list of quarterbacks is distinguished. Super Bowl Championships, Super Bowl appearances, League MVP awards, Super Bowl MVP awards, Pro Bowl appearances, 30-touchdown-pass seasons, 4,000-yard-passing seasons, and NFL record holders.

Then you have Aaron Rodgers, who brings his 59 career passes to the list. Why is Aaron Rodgers in the group of nine and not 23? Someone explain to me what he has done to earn job security?

In my opinion, if Brian Brohm blew up in camp and looked like the better quarterback, the Packers should go with him to start the season. Rodgers’ service as a backup will be rewarded by a NFL paycheck. He is not entitled to a guaranteed starting job because of that service.

Critics of that point of view will say that allowing Favre to compete for the job would make the Packers look hypocritical, that they would be going back on their word.

Let me ask this.

If Tom Brady suddenly was disgruntled with Patriot’s management and demanded a trade today and listed the Packers as his No. 1 destination, I guess the Packers couldn’t entertain that trade because bringing in Brady would go back on this golden covenant that Packer management made with Aaron Rodgers.

If the Chargers called and said they would trade L.T. for Rodgers, straight up, the Packers couldn’t entertain that trade, because they owe Rodgers their word. It just wouldn’t be fair to make him a backup in San Diego because NFL football isn’t about putting the best product on the field. It’s about relationships and being true to your word. It’s about caring for one another and always obeying the golden rule.

Please!

Promises change as situations change in professional sports. That is part of the business. It’s that simple. If Aaron Rodgers can’t handle that, he should get out of Dodge. So far, he has handled the situation perfectly and deserves nothing but applause.

I’ll tell you how I would handle the situation if I were Ted Thompson. I would call Aaron Rodgers in my office. I would say, “Son, back in March when our starter retired we made a decision based on what we had on our roster that you would be the most qualified player on our roster to be the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers in 2008.

Recent developments have allowed us to reacquire our previous starting quarterback who was second in the MVP voting last year. We think we would be foolish not to see if this guy puts our team in the best position to win. He will be reporting to camp to compete with you for the starting job of the Green Bay Packers. It will be a fair competition.

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