Look, is Dak on the level of Brady, Rodgers, Mahoney, etc? Of course not, but what are the odds you can replace him with a QB of that caliber? I guess they could have traded 3 1st rounders for Russell Wilson this off-season, but then you don’t have Micah Parsons. Deshaun Watson was likely available last offseason as well, but only because of his off the field issues that ended up keeping him from playing.

Long-term, you’re right that the Elliott contract was the real mistake. You just can’t pay running backs like that in the NFL. Zeke has already slipped to “average” and within a year or two will likely be completely washed up. That money could have been used to shore up the offensive line.

And of course none of it matters that much if they keep McCarthy around. If you watched the game yesterday, it was easy to see what an undisciplined mess the team was. They led the NFL in penalties this year, and yesterday had 14(!), mostly of them dumb and preventable, and in crucial situations. Those don’t just go away without a change in leadership.