Rodgers, Brady, Mack? NFL Scouts, Coaches, Executives Name Best League Player

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the best player in the league today, according to nine of 12 longtime NFL scouts, coaches and executives.

Of course, it's hard to gauge who the best player in the league is because not only production and results, but talent is considered the criteria for some.

For others, accolades also matter which is why many feel New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time, even if he's not unanimously regarded as more talented than Rodgers for example, who has less of a supporting cast to his credit.

However, Bleacher Report asked 12 scouts, coaches and executives and nine of them have Rodgers as the best player in the NFL today, using their own criteria.

"If you put it all together—stats and talent and impact—Rodgers is still the best," was one of the scout's reports.

There could be a recency bias at play, especially after how Rodgers inspired yet another comeback win this season, this time, against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.

However, many have held the viewpoint that Rodgers is the most talented quarterback of all time for some time.

"Who's the better of the two? It's Rodgers. Who's the more accomplished of the two? Clearly, it's Tom Brady," Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe said earlier this year. "But here's the thing… We have never, ever, in the history of football seen a guy that possesses what Aaron Rodgers possesses."

"Nobody, no quarterback in history, has the touch, the accuracy, the ability to throw the ball moving left or right, throw the ball from the pocket, throw the ball from different plains. No one has ever been able to do it with the accuracy that Aaron Rodgers has been able to do it," Sharpe added.

Others also state if he had the supporting cast that Brady did over the years, he would have won more than just the solitary Super Bowl from 2010.

Speaking of Brady, he came in at second, however, he did not get a single vote as the best player in the league.

This could be because the Patriots have struggled this season, at least initially, with Brady absent from the top 10 in yards or quarterback ratings. However, with Julian Edelman back from his suspension, Josh Gordon in their ranks, and three wins in their last three games, Brady might just be getting started now.

"He's obviously the greatest ever, but he's still really good right now too," one scout report said.

Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack rounded out the top three, even getting one of the three non-Rodgers votes as the best player in the league along with Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley, who came in fourth, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who came in fifth.

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was sixth, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was seventh while Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. completed the remaining three ranks respectively.