Mike Ditka coached plenty of quarterbacks in his time. Everyone from Jim McMahon and Vince Evans to Jim Harbaugh and Doug Flutie.
Iron Mike even tutored Sean Payton for a spell in Chicago, but the legendary Bears coach looked toward the Green Bay Packers when asked which passer he'd want to oversee if he could do it all over again.
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"There's been so many great ones," Ditka wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times. "But if I had to coach one guy in my career, maybe it'd be Aaron Rodgers."
Wrote Ditka: "I look at guys like (Tom) Brady and (Drew) Brees ... the talent is phenomenal. The guy up in Green Bay, I think is the best in football. But that's my opinion. I like what he does, and I like his leadership qualities. And I think that's the other thing you have to look at. He has to be the guy in charge. And the team has to know it."
No arguments here. When we put together our offseason quarterback rankings, Rodgers sat at No. 1, and he's earned it. From a career standpoint, the achievements of Brady and Peyton Manning mark a golden age in quarterback play, but from where we stand today -- right now -- Rodgers presents a powerful case for No. 1.
Bears fans: Apologies for everything you've just read.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
