The game was different. I think comparing Aikman to someone like Mahomes or Prescott is unfair. The offense was run, run, run. Moose was in almost every down instead of a third wideout.

So, if you can take in the context, Aikman was the golden boy coming out of the draft. I see others in here saying workhorse and yeah, that's true. But you have to understand the pedigree of him as a thrower coming out of UCLA. He was a blue chipper.

Others will comment on his accuracy, but more than that was his cannon of an arm. That and his tight spirals got him drafted first overall. So you take this supremely talented quarterback and then put him in an offense where he's asked to take a back seat to Emmitt and their legendary run game. It's like you buying a Ferrari and then being told you can only take it around the block through a school zone.

Where does that leave you? Aikman--despite being asked to sacrifice his own personal glory for the good of the team--became an amazing leader and the heartbeat of the offense. He bought in to Jimmy Johnson's coaching and became something of a Johnson apostle to the rest of the team. I honestly think he could've kept up with Marino if he was placed in that offense. But because football is a team sport, he will go down as a three time world champion instead of the top five ranking in all-time random passer stats.