Aaron Rodgers won the 2011 NFL MVP award in a landslide. We don't get the full voting results from NFL Network's "The Top 100: Players of 2012," but we suspect this race wasn't close either.
Rodgers' peers voted him the No. 1 player on this year's list. He was the only logical choice.
It's almost hard to believe Rodgers only ranked No. 11 a year ago, after winning the Super Bowl. Even though the Green Bay Packers didn't go as far in the playoffs this time around, Rodgers' rise in the rankings was well deserved. He was a much-improved player in 2011, playing quarterback at a level we have rarely seen.
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Rodgers' numbers are as dominant as you'd expect: 45 touchdowns, six interceptions and a league-leading 9.2 yards-per-attempt. But numbers feel secondary when it comes to Rodgers.
We can't think of a good comparison for Rodgers because no other player owns his skill set. He combines Ben Roethlisberger's ability to improvise with Tom Brady's accuracy. He pulls off low-percentage throws into tight spots as well as Jay Cutler and Eli Manning. He's one of the best quarterbacks before the snap and one of the most athletic.
Greg Cosell of NFL Films said something during the 2011 season that stuck with me. He couldn't remember any quarterback playing at a higher level consistently because no other quarterback does as many different things at such an elite level. Rodgers is a joy to watch.
Rodgers' play tailed off at the end of 2011 from otherworldly to great, but his body of work earned him the No. 1 spot. Players know it. Writers know it. Heck, the league office and NFL Players Association might even be able to agree on that.
There's no reason why Rodgers can't hold on to the top spot for the next few years.
