NFL: What defines the elusive “Franchise Quarterback”

Franchise quarterbacks are the envy of every NFL team. You simply can’t win without one. Or so we’ve been told.

As elusive as these mysterious super-athletes seem to be, they are just as difficult to define. What exactly is a franchise quarterback? There clearly is no universally accepted definition. Is a franchise quarterback just another way of saying ‘a great quarterback’? Why not just say so?

Or, is the mythical franchise quarterback one who plays the position at an extremely high level and is able to demonstrate his prowess with enormous Super Bowl rings on his finger(s)?

That defintion doesn’t work very well as it excludes the likes of Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Jim Kelly, Dan Fouts and quite a few other legendary passers of the football.

Obviously, a Super Bowl ring in and of itself does not a franchise quarterback make. Otherwise, Trent Dilfer, Nick Foles, Jim McMahon, and  Jeff Hostettler, among others, would qualify.

So, absent any rational formula that helps us accurately label the franchise quarterbacks in today’s NFL, I’m using a situation specific barometer to measure the quarterbacks for inclusion into this elite group.

I’ve ranked some of the games better quarterbacks and assigned them to various categories. If your quarterback is not represented I apologize. It simply means that I couldn’t figure out exactly where he fits in this exercise. Suffice to say, he is not a franchise quarterback.

I’ll begin with the premise that a franchise quarterback refers to someone who plays the position at an extraordinarily and consistently high level.  He possesses greatness in such abundance that it transcends the physical athletic ability and leadership of mere mortals and makes everyone on his team a better football player.

And with that, I present the criteria, or situation, that will be used to determine the players worthy of such high praise.

Your quarterback has the ball at his own 20 yard line. His team trails by 5 points. There are 2:00 (minutes) left in the game and he has all three of his timeouts at his disposal. Is your quarterback a franchise quarterback? Can he regularly take his team 80 yards for a touchdown with the game on the line? In most cases, the answer is no.

The list starts with the very best of the best. These six quarterbacks would consider the challenge presented as mere child’s play.

1. Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is so good that he’s thinking as much about how much time to leave on the clock as he is about the next play call.

2. Russell Wilson. Whether Wilson moves down the field throwing the ball or running it, he will, much more often than not, find a way to get the ball into the end zone.

3. Tom Brady. Tom takes his place under center. He surveys the situation. His team needs a touchdown. Tom will get them one. Everyone on the field knows it. Everyone in the stands knows it. So it is written, so it shall be done. He’s Tom Brady.

4. Drew Brees. His greatness always prevails. Again, and again, and again.

5. Ben Roethlisberger. There is an aura that surrounds this guy that defies description. He is, quite frankly, awe-inspiring.

6. Eli Manning. Sorry. I absolutely refuse to leave Eli off this list. Last year’s front office/coaching fiasco was hard to watch. Eli has this scenario down to a science. He has pulled miracles out of his helmet so many times for so many years that heroic endings for Eli have become routine.

The next group offered up for your consideration I have designated the ‘close but no cigar’ quarterbacks. These four guys may accomplish the task at hand much more often than not but not with the consistency of the previous group. Therefore, they are very, very good quarterbacks. They are not, however, franchise quarterbacks.

7. Matt Ryan. Probably belongs with the first group but should be held to account for his epic Super Bowl collapse. You can blame offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan until the end of time for the absolutely stupid play calling that turned the tide in that game. The NFL MVP should have known better. The six guys that preceed Ryan on this list would not have lost that game.

8. Cam Newton. Great athlete. Great quarterback. Whines too much. It’s embarrassing.

9. Jameis Winston. The talent is there. Seems to have the potential to be one of the greats. Hopefully, someone can help him figure out how to get his priorities straight.

10. Jimmy Garoppolo. I have to rank him this high. Yes, the body of work is small but facts are facts. The guy has never lost an NFL game. He has greatness written all over him.

The next 4 QBs on the list constitute the ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ portion of the program.

11. Carson Wentz. Wow! Enough said.

12. Deshaun Watson. Again, wow!

13. Marcus Mariotta. Keeps getting better and better. Very close to qualifying as scary good.

14. Jared Goff. It’s hard to believe the guy we saw two years ago is the same guy we saw last year and will probably see again this year.

The next group of quarterbacks I’ll refer to as the ‘No Man’s Land QBs,’ or the ‘Put Up or Shut Up’ group.

15. Alex Smith. I really like the situation that Alex is in. Of course, they are still the Redskins so all optimism should be tempered with that.

16. Phillip Rivers. So much talent. So much turmoil. I still can’t say L A Chargers.

17. Derek Carr. Talented enough to be quite a bit higher on the list but the giant step backward last year definitely gives pause.

18. Matthew Stafford. I’ve always liked Stafford but I know a lot of Lions fans that have little patience left.

19. Dak Prescott. Can he be great without Zeke? Probably not.

The next quarterback grouping is the ‘Rookie Studs and Duds’ from this year’s highly touted QB draft class. Admittedly purely speculation at this point but these guys have received so much fanfare going into the upcoming season I felt justified with their inclusion on this list. As I don’t believe any of these guys will be total flops, or duds, this group might more aptly be referred to as the ‘Time  Will Tell’ chapter.

20. Lamar Jackson. The superstar of this draft class. Over the next 10 years or so Lamar will be a regular Pro Bowler and might well own a Super Bowl ring or two.

21. Sam Darnold. The Jets went with the safe pick and they’ll get what they deserve- solid but not spectacular.

22. Josh Allen. His superhuman arm will mask a lot of deficiencies. Still, probably a good, but never great, NFL Quarterback.

23. Baker Mayfield. He deserved the Heisman and maybe even deserved to be the number one overall pick, (although I would have gone with Lamar), but in Cleveland the mountain is just too high. This will demonstrate to the football world that college football, especially at the quarterback position, is just about as similar to pro football as ice hockey is to figure skating.

24. Josh Rosen. Yes, he throws a beautiful ball. But, it’s hard to throw those pretty passes from the injured reserve list.

Lastly, for good reason, are the quarterbacks who comprise the ‘Snowballs Chance In Hell’ group of quarterbacks capable of putting together a game winning drive in crunch time.

25. Andy Dalton. Used to like him a lot. Still like him a little. But, he’s not the guy.

26. Blake Bortles. Never saw it in him. Still don’t. Never will.

27. Ryan Tannehill. Please see above.

28. Kirk Cousins. After years of really pulling for this guy it’s time to face reality. He struggles to process what defenses are doing. Unlike the elite franchise quarterbacks of the game who seem to possess an almost magical ability to see everything that is happening downfield before it happens, Kirk’s assessment of the opposing defense occurs in rigid and predictable segments. Hence the untimely sacks, the fumbles, and the game ending interceptions. Cousins is by no means the only NFL quarterback that struggles with this problem. Although he is the highest paid.

In summary, it would seem that the NFL’s great quarterbacks, the franchise quarterbacks, have several traits in common. They all have very high football intelligence, that is, they possess a profound understanding of how the game is played. They are tough beyond compare as no athlete in any sport takes more of a pounding than an NFL quarterback. And lastly, they are winners. They consistently rise to the occasion and elevate the play of the rest of the team. These guys improve the performance of the franchise by making everyone better. It’s not just a physical dominance, it’s as much mental and psychological. They  possess the afore-mentioned aura of invincibility. They are the kind of men that others would follow through the gates of hell. That kind of leadership is rare. And it explains why the 5-10 franchise quarterbacks in the game get paid in excess of $20 million a year. It’s kind of a shame that some of the other guys do as well.