Illustrations via Christopher Mineses.

Peyton Manning barely survived last season with his injuries and third string-level skill set. Yet, what made him so valuable to the NFL was how he represented the league’s ideal core principles. He was strong and silent, confident but humble, and a staunch leader. He was unquestionably an amalgamation of what the NFL wishes it was, and the league lost that when he announced his retirement last March and officially hung up his cleats after Super Bowl 50.

Manning was the unquestioned, undisputed face of the NFL. But now that he’s gone, who has assumed his role? Well, the NFL MVP has been won by a quarterback or running back all but three times, and no running back has stood out this season as being “the guy.” Adrian Peterson is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus and 2016 rookie Ezekiel Elliot (the league-leader in rushing so far), while young and exciting, is not ready to be considered as a face.

So that means the face of the NFL is likely a QB. Could it be a certain former MVP and Super Bowl-winning Packer? The once-anointed Dab Daddy? Or maybe it’s a defensive player that flat-out dominates his opponents and presents offensive coordinators with the most grief?

To find an answer, we chatted with Fox commentator and former NFLer John Lynch, CBS Sports senior NFL writer Will Brinson, and Adam Schein, host of CBS Sports Network's Time to Schein and NFL Monday QB. These are the candidates we came up with, and ultimately, our selection for The Face of the NFL.