Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks

Every year quarterbacks are ranked. Sometimes they are ranked in lists like you will see below, but other times they are ranked in echelons in the minds of fans, players, and football executives. Some quarterbacks are ranked “elite”. The “elite” group is comprised of the very best. They are true winners and leaders of their respective teams. The next group are the “very good” quarterbacks. They are the ones that are just below the “elite” group. Close to elite, but not quite there. They have great skills and have the respect of their teammates as well as other players around the league. Below the “very good” group are the “good/solid” quarterbacks. They have skills necessary to win, but there are usually questions that are keeping them from ascending the list. Each year there are players who perform well and analysts talk about whether they are “elite” quarterbacks. This off season, that man was Super Bowl winning QB Aaron Rodgers. After Rodgers won the Super Bowl, analysts were asking whether he was an “elite” quarterback. Many think he is while some think he will be very soon. It’s all up to personal interpretation With that said, here is my interpretation as to who are the Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks.

10. Matt Schaub
Schaub is an underrated quarterback because he plays for the Texans who have yet to find playoff success, but if his defense ever improved, he has the skills to take the Texans to the Super Bowl. He’s thrown for 4,000+ yards and 24+ touchdowns the last 2 years. Since becoming a starter for the Texans, he’s never dipped below 63% completion percentage. He’s also had a 90+ QB rating since becoming a starter. Schaub is a quarterback to keep your eye on. He’s already very good and with the Texans defense on the rise, he is bound to start entering the “elite” talk sooner rather then later.

9. Matt Ryan
After suffering through the Mike Vick fiasco, Atlanta moved firmly into the Matt Ryan era and has not looked back. Ryan is a young quarterback who is quickly approaching “elite” status as the Falcons continue to move towards the top of the NFC. Last year, Ryan had his best year throwing 3,705 yards, 28 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions leading the Falcons to a 13-3 record and a 1st round bye. His team lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, but Ryan is still a quarterback on the rise and a Super Bowl appearance would likely vault him to “elite” status like Rodgers.

8. Michael Vick
The player with arguably the best comeback story of all time comes in at number 8 here. He is without a doubt the most gifted athlete in the NFL. He’s not too shabby as a QB either. After being a run-first QB his entire career in Atlanta, Mike became a true QB last year throwing for a career high 3,018 yards, 21 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions in just 12 games. Mike has a real opportunity to take the Eagles deep in the playoffs if his offense line and defense help him out. He came out of jail humbled, and ready to work. He has taken his opportunity and is certainly making the most out of it. He isn’t an “elite” quarterback yet, but he is on the cusp. Health will be a big key in the rest of his career.

7. Eli Manning
Despite already having a Super Bowl ring, Eli has garnered a lot of heat for leading the league in interceptions last year with 25. However, the Giants were hurting on both the o-line and the WR corps last year. With a healthy offense, I expect Manning to lead the Giants right back into the thick of the NFC. Despite his 25 interceptions last year, he threw for 4,000+ yards for the 2nd year in a row. He also threw a career high 31 touchdowns on a career high 62.9% completion percentage. Eli doesn’t get enough credit because he is not as good as his brother. In my mind, he is an “elite” quarterback, but just barely.

6. Phillip Rivers
Phillip Rivers is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in the business. Some rank him right behind Peyton, Tom, and Drew as one of the elite QB’s. There is a good argument for it. He led the league last year in yards by throwing for 4,710 and threw 30 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions. Since becoming the starter, he has never dipped below a 60% completions percentage and he is still young at 29 years old. However, the reason he is this low is because he has yet to lead his team to a Super Bowl. Phillip has never gotten to that level. He’s without a doubt one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but until he wins a Super Bowl, he’ll never truly challenge any of the other quarterbacks.

5. Ben Rothlisberger
Big Ben has already proven he’s a winner. He has won 2 Super Bowls for the Steelers and led them to another Super Bowl which they lost. He is without a doubt an “elite” quarterback. He was suspended for the first 4 games last year, but once he was able to play, he played very well throwing for 3,200 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions. He led the Steelers to the aforementioned Super Bowl where he lost to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Big Ben is an extremely tough QB who is very tough to take down. He’s still young (29) and has plenty of time to add a few more Lombardi trophies to his resume.

4. Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers has taken the NFL by storm. After sliding on draft day, sitting behind Brett Favre and dealing with the awkward release of the future Hall of Famer, Rodgers got his chance and never looked back. It took him just 3 years as the starter to win the Super Bowl last year against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He threw for 3,922 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions on the way to hoisting up the Lombardi trophy. Rodgers is still very young (27) and has a team that is full of young talent. I would be absolutely shocked if he doesn’t add another Lombardi trophy to his resume in the next few years.

3. Drew Brees
After suffering what many thought could be a career threatening injury, Drew Brees is now considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Last year was the 5th straight year he threw for at least 4,000 yards. He also threw for 33 touchdowns, but also 22 interceptions. The world was stunned when the Saints lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Seattle Seahawks. However, the Saints had an incredible amount of injuries last year. If they are able to stay healthy, expect them to challenge Atlanta for the NFC South and Green Bay as the NFC Champion.

The age old question: Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? Many say Tom Brady, the fiery leader who has 3 Super Bowl championships. Other say Peyton Manning who has 1 Super Bowl championship and constantly wins games with a below-average team. Who does this list pick as the best quarterback in the NFL?

2. Tom Brady
He’s won 3 Super Bowls and been named the Super Bowl MVP twice. He is an incredible, passionate leader and an incredible quarterback. Last year, he threw for 3,900 yards 36 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. There is no doubt that he is one of the best, if not the best. New England is always a contender, although, the Patriots haven’t seriously challenged for the Super Bowl since they lost to the Giants back in 2007. Nevertheless, Brady will go down as one of the best to play the game.

1. Peyton Manning
To me, Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL. Part of the reason is because he has consistently taken average or bad teams and made them into contenders. Last year, he took a Colts team to the playoffs despite playing with a bunch of Wide Receivers who probably weren’t even starters on their college teams let alone NFL starters. He threw for 4,700 yards, 33 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The part that sets Peyton apart from Brady is how Peyton plays. Peyton Manning is an offensive genius. The Colts can save a million dollar contract for an Offensive Coordinator because Peyton Manning does his job anyway. Peyton goes to the line of scrimmage, looks at the defense and calls a play to beat the defense. He has changed the game in that way. He is the smartest quarterback in the game. He does what it takes and he wins games. He’s only got so many years left, but as long as he is healthy, the Colts have a chance to win the Super Bowl.