Green Bay Packers: Why Aaron Rodgers Is Already Better Than Brett Favre

Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and is already better than past Green Bay Packer legend Brett Favre.

Rodgers is heading in to just his fifth year as a starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, but he has already supplanted himself as a Packer legend.

He replaced a first ballot Hall of Famer after a sticky situation and has made Packer nation forget about Favre for now.

The way Rodgers gets the ball to all his wide receivers is robotic, and his precision in the pocket or on the run are unfair for defenses.

Rodgers has done what very few people have been able to do in sports—replace a legend. 

By the Numbers

These two quarterbacks will inevitably be compared until Rodgers retires. Rodgers has a decisive edge when comparing their numbers in their first four seasons as starters.

Rodgers has a 65.6 completion percentage with a 68.3 percent best in 2011. In Favre's first four seasons, he had completion percentage of 62.6 and a 64.1 percent best in 1992. Advantage: Rodgers.

Rodgers has thrown for 17,037 yards in his first four seasons as starter which averages out to 275 yards per game. Once again, his best year was 2011 when he threw for 4,643 yards. Meanwhile, Favre compiled 14,285 yards for an average of 235.3 yards a game. Favre threw for a career best 4,413 yards in 1995.

Advantage: Rodgers.

Rodgers has thrown 131 touchdown passes with a career-best of 45 in 2011. Favre managed 108 touchdown passes and a best of 39 in 1995. Advantage: Rodgers.

The quarterback rating is a confusing formula but does reflect how efficient a quarterback is playing. Rodgers has an average quarterback rating of 105.2 and an NFL record of 122.5 in 2011. Favre averages out at 86.9 with a best of 107.7. Advantage: Rodgers.

Rodgers can also make plays with his feet while Favre was a pocket passer. Rodgers has ran for 16 touchdowns, which is two more than Favre had his entire career. Advantage: Rodgers.

None of Favre's career highs in any category are better than Rodgers from 2011. Stack up Rodgers stats from his MVP season against any of Favre's MVP seasons. Rodgers are better across the board.

Breaking down the numbers gives a clear and decisive advantage to Rodgers in the Packer quarterback comparison. 

Rings

Quarterbacks are ultimately judged by how many Super Bowls they win. The quarterback position is about leading the team and coming out a champion.

Right now the two quarterbacks each have one Super Bowl ring.

Favre won his first and only one in 1996-97 in his fifth season as a starter. Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV in his third season as a starter.

Rodgers holds two main edges in the ring conversation. He has a Super Bowl MVP award and has more years ahead of him.

Rodgers earned MVP honors after throwing for 304 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Those numbers would have been higher if not for multiple drops by receivers throughout the game.

Favre finished Super Bowl XXXI with 246 passing yards, three touchdowns (one rushing) and no interceptions. Both have very similar numbers, but Favre did not get MVP awards of the game. Desmond Howard got the award after returning a kickoff for a touchdown.

Father time may be the determining factor for Rodgers edging out Favre. The Packers missed out on a golden opportunity this season, but still look poised for another Super Bowl run in the next five to 10 years.

Rodgers just has to capitalize on another Super Bowl run, and the debate will be over for good.

Rodgers has one Super Bowl in five years while Favre has one Super Bowl in 19 years. Rodgers has a Super Bowl MVP and time on his side.

Advantage: Rodgers. 

The Costly Mistake

The most impressive part of Rodgers' game is that he puts up these gaudy numbers without throwing it to the other team.

The offense is solely in his hands. The majority of the Packers' plays are passes, but Rodgers simply does not make the costly mistake.

The key to winning in the NFL is force turnovers and not turn the ball over.

Favre was the ultimate gunslinger and was fun to watch. However, at any moment he could throw one up for grabs and ultimately cost his team the game.

For example, Favre threw six interceptions against the St. Louis Rams in the 2002 divisional playoffs. Rodgers threw six interceptions the entire 2011 season.

The most interceptions Rodgers has thrown in a season is 13 in his first full season as the starter. Favre has only thrown for less than 13 interceptions once his entire career. That came at the end of his career in 2009 with the Minnesota Vikings.

A coach has to be able to trust his quarterback to make the right decision in the present NFL. So much emphasis is put on the quarterback to make the right read at the line and then make the proper throw.

Mike McCarthy can trust Aaron Rodgers to be smart and take care of the football and still be explosive.

Favre is the perfect example of the gunslinger quarterback, who made plenty of exciting plays but also made the boneheaded play that could cost his team the game.

Ultimately, both quarterbacks will be in the Hall of Fame and go down as the two best quarterbacks in Packers history.

However, looking at the numbers through the first four seasons of both proves that Rodgers is a better quarterback at this point of his career.

Rodgers is simply better than Favre in every statistical category and should be able to amass more rings when his career is finished.

Advantage: Rodgers.