Andre Johnson has languished in wide-receiver hell the past two years with the Texans, hauling in scattershot passes from a broken-downMatt Schaub, the journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick and the undrafted and overmatched Case Keenum.
It's understandable that he would be prone to overexcitement and hyperbole after a few weeks with a golden boy like Andrew Luck in the Colts' loaded offense.
"(Luck is) a hell of a player," Johnson raved Monday, via Kevin Bowen of the Colts' official website. "I think he's the best QB in this game."
Johnson has company in the Luck fan club.
Broncos All-Pro DeMarcus Ware told Around The NFL's Marc Sessler last week that Luck is the toughest quarterback opposing pass rushers face in today's NFL.
"He's one of those guys where usually a quarterback will try to scramble out of the pocket. He doesn't," Ware explained. "He scrambles into the pocket. And so he'll let guys corral and get outside of him, but he'll go into the pocket and throw a javelin."
It's easy to see why a teammate or opponent might place Luck atop the NFL's quarterback hierarchy. Take a look at the postseason highlight package below, featuring a series of spectacular plays that no other player can duplicate.
Even if Luck's relative youth, durability and coach-like powers of perception make him the ideal keystone upon which to build a franchise, though, Johnson and Ware are selling Aaron Rodgers short.
The reigning MVP has been the NFL's best player since he lit the league on fire in the 2010 playoffs.
Among active quarterbacks, Rodgers paces the field in career passer rating (106.0), yards per attempt (8.2), passing touchdowns percentage (6.5) and interception percentage (1.6).
Tony Romo, who ranks second in passer rating (97.6), is closer to ninth-place Matt Schaub (89.5) than Rodgers' first-place mark.
No other quarterback matches Rodgers' combination of arm talent, improvisational ability and awareness. He -- not Luck -- is the single biggest competitive advantage in the NFL.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses the best available free agents and the guys play another edition of What's more likely. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
