Hall of Fame-quality NFL QB Class of 2004 runs 'fade' route

Is this the end?

Are we watching, in real time, the crumbling of the most historic quarterback class of the past 35 years?

Ben Roethlisberger, 37, felled by a bum throwing elbow, his career now in question.

Eli Manning, 38, simply a bum, benched to make room for a rookie picked No. 6 overall.

Philip Rivers, 37, the last man standing -– and the only one of the three without a ring –- starting to show his age in a 1-1 start.

We wish they could go out at the top of their game, but for so many of our heroes, the end sneaks up before we know it. Now 15 years after these three surefire Pro Football Hall of Famers were drafted, we might be witnessing the demise of the Class of 2004.

When the threesome does call it quits, it’ll be the end of an era. They will be the first draft class to have three quarterbacks enshrined since the historic class of 1983 (Dan Marino, John Elway and Jim Kelly) and only the second ever. (Only 32 quarterbacks are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.)

How fitting is it that two of them might be shelved for good on the same week?

For Roethlisberger, ineffectual Sunday in a 28-26 loss at home to Seattle, there wasn't much glory in his could-be goodbye. ESPN’s Dianna Russini was told by a Steeler that Roethlisberger was “dealing with some elbow inflammation all week at practice.” Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, Roethlisberger’s recently crowned heir apparent, told reporters that Big Ben's elbow woes began after a 33-3 loss at New England in Week 1.

Surgery will sideline Roethlisberger for the season, but who knows if the two-time Super Bowl winner and Pittsburgh’s most prolific passer will come back?

 “This is shocking and heartbreaking for me, to miss this much of a season and feel like I am letting down so many people," Roethlisberger said in a statement. "I can only trust God’s plan, but I am completely determined to battle through this challenge and come back stronger than ever next season.”

If he were to play into his 40s, Roethlisberger would be the 22nd 40-year-old quarterback in NFL history. Only two of those geezer signal-callers –- Tom Brady, who shows no signs of slowing, and Brett Favre -– were effective.

Manning may feel like he belongs in the same category, even as he’s being shoved out the door by the Giants. His exit feels anticlimactic, because New York’s selection of his supposed successor, Daniel Jones, in April’s NFL Draft signaled the beginning of the end.

We saw this coming two years ago, actually, when Manning's streak of 210 straight starts came to an end in Week 13. The Giants handed the reins -- albeit temporarily -- to journeyman Geno Smith.

New York's selection of Saquon Barkley over quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen in 2018 was just another delay of the inevitable for Manning, who started this season 56-for-89 passing for 556 yards for his offensively challenged team. Manning's passer rating is 78.7, Eli's worst since 2014 and second lowest since 2008, his fourth year in the league.

If Jones flourishes, the Giants will certainly part ways with the 2004 No. 1 pick, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Manning bounce around the league for a year or two. Giants coach Pat Shurmur said what you would expect regarding the change: that the move was "best for the team at this time" and "more about Daniel moving forward than about Eli."

Rivers, meanwhile, keeps plugging on, even though his game-clinching interception in a 13-10 Week 2 loss to Detroit has soured the start of his 16th season. Of the three, he has the best chance of aging gracefully into his 40s. He turns 38 in December, but is coming off a 4,300-yard, 32-touchdown season and has started every game since 2006.

Assuming he’s the last of the class, Rivers would be the last to head to the Hall. Sooner than we think, each remaining QB from the Class of 2004 will see his career fade to black.