Is the era of quarterback-driven success in the NFL over?

Is the era of quarterback-driven success in the NFL over?

July 9, 2026 · 56 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential end of the quarterback-driven success era in the NFL and explores the implications of recent changes in the league.

Name your favorite unicorn quarterback. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, you name it. They're all done. Done! The era of a mystical quarterback leading your NFL team to a Super Bowl is over...maybe. The era of Seahawks-adjacent defensive domination is here...maybe. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen are diving into why the NFL has felt so different lately, what the defining factors of this new (kind of) era are, and how long it will last. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:58 Are we in a new era? 6:30 Well, what was the last era? 17:28 And why has the NFL felt so different recently? 28:24 What exactly has changed since the previous era? 41:12 And what do these changes mean for the future? 48:51 Okay, what are the answers? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and…

People in this episode

Host: Robert Mays

Guests: Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Athletic

Books & works: Haunted

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