Aaron Rodgers: Green Bay Packers QB Having the Best Season in NFL History

From a statistical perspective, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having the best season in NFL history.

I went back through history to take a look at the best statistical seasons by any quarterback in the modern era, and Rodgers' epic run takes the cake.

Allow me the indulgence of fast-forwarding to the end of the season, if you will. I will average out Rodgers' stats on a per-game basis and multiply those statistics by 16, the number of games in an NFL season. 

Steve Young: 1992 San Francisco 49ers

1992 was the first year that Steve Young started the season as the 49ers starting quarterback.

Joe Montana wasn't fully recovered from elbow surgery when the season began, and Young took full advantage of his opportunity.

In a performance that earned him his first NFL MVP, Young led the 49ers to a record of 14-2. His stats that year are as follows:

268-of-402, 3,465 yards, 66.7 percent completion, 25 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 8.6 yard per attempt, 107.0 passer rating.

He also chipped in 537 yards on the ground with four touchdowns. 

Daunte Culpepper: 2004 Minnesota Vikings

In his best season as a professional, Daunte Culpepper had a magical 2004 NFL campaign.

Although the Vikings only won eight games, he led them to the playoffs for the second time in his career. 

His stats that season are as follows:

379-of-548 for 4,717 yards, 69.2 percent completion, 39 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 8.6 yards per attempt, 110.9 passer rating.

He ran for an additional 406 yards and two touchdowns. 

Kurt Warner: 1999 St. Louis Rams

In one of the best stories you'll ever hear, Kurt Warner came out of nowhere in 1999 to lead the Rams to the Super Bowl, which they won.

St. Louis had just signed Trent Green as a highly-prized free agent during the offseason, but the team was dealt a harsh blow as Green tore his ACL in a preseason game.

Head coach Dick Vermiel prophesied after that foreboding game, saying, 

"

"We'll rally around Kurt Warner, and we will play good football"

"

Warner's 1999 stats are as follows:

325-of-499 for 4,353 yards, 65.1 percent completion, 41 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 8.7 yards per attempt, 109.2 passer rating.

In addition, Warner, who was never a running quarterback, ran for 92 yards and one touchdown.

Steve Young: 1994 San Francisco 49ers

After failing to get the 49ers to the Super Bowl for two seasons, 1994 was the year that Steve Young finally got all the pieces to fall into place.

The team rolled through the season, finishing with a lofty 13-3 record.

San Francisco was alone atop the pinnacle that season, and they dominated the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. 

Steve Young took both the Super Bowl MVP and the NFL MVP honors that season.

Young's stats for 1994 are as follows:

324-of-461 for 3,969 yards, 70.3 percent completion, 35 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 8.6 yards per attempts, 112.8 passer rating.

Young killed it on the ground that season as well, rushing for 293 with seven touchdowns.  

Peyton Manning: 2004 Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning had a historic season in 2004.

He broke Dan Marino's record of 48 touchdowns—a record that had stood for 20 years.

Some fans are still upset that Manning never got a chance to increase his record 49 touchdowns because head coach Tony Dungy pulled him after one series in the team's final game against Miami.

His staggering stats for the 2004 season are as follows:

336-of-497 for 4,557 yards, 67.6 percent completion, 49 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 9.2 yards per attempt, 121.1 passer rating.

Tom Brady: 2007 New England Patriots

In what I consider to be the Dan Marino curse, Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's record of 49 touchdowns and did one better.

He also led his team to a perfect 16-0 record. And then Peyton's younger brother miraculously beat him in Super Bowl XLII.

It is still one of the greatest single-season performances of all time, and his 2007 stats are as follows:

398-of-578, 4,806 yards, 68.9 percent completion, 50 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 8.3 yards per attempt, 117.2 passer rating.

I never thought I'd see a better season.

Aaron Rodgers: 2011 Green Bay Packers

After nine games, Aaron Rodgers is playing better than any of the other men on this list ever did.

He is a surgeon on the field, diagnosing and cutting through opposing defenses with the greatest of ease.

It is hard to imagine any team giving Rodgers and the Packers much of a run for their money, and the team is marching to the beat of their peerless leader.

Averaged out on a per-game basis, this is what Rodgers' stats will be:

382-of-524 for 5,100 yards, 72.9 percent completion, 49 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 9.7 yards per attempt, 130.7 passer rating. 

He also can run, and his projected stats on the ground are 263 yards and four touchdowns.

He is having the best season in the history of the NFL.