I. Tom Brady (3 Rings/2x SB MVP's/8x Pto-Bowler/2x League MVP/96.6 QBR/etc.) If he bags another Lombardi, he's the best - ever.
II. Eli Manning (2 Rings. Despite the enormous advantage of his NFL lineage, this guy has shown true grit and leadership in America's most unforgiving - professional - football market.)
III. Ben Roethlisberger (2 Rings. Who's a tougher football player - let alone QB?) +1 to M TOTS.
IV. Aaron Rodgers (1 Ring. He packs the potential to be the greatest - ever.)
V. Joe Flacco (1 Ring. This guy is determined and he can play.)
Note: I defer to "outdoorsmen." Domers don't deserve as much respect ("see Brees").
Flacco top 5? Is this the Twilight Zone? o.o
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
I wasn't a believer. But, Flacco's led the Raven's to the playoffs every year he's been in the league. He hoisted the Lombardi and Super Bowl MVP, in the fourth year of his professional career.
Using your ranking system I'd still put Ben Roethlisberger in Joe Flacco's place. He has won 2 Super Bowls (his 2nd and 5th years in the league). I guess the only case against him is he missed the playoffs twice before this season (his 3rd and 6th years in the league), but I'd gladly trade 2 playoff appearances for another Super Bowl win.
Great defense of Big Ben, on your part. However, I've got to put Eli in second place: 1.) because he's outdone his big brother - a guy many feel is the greatest QB of this era and 2.) he earned his two rings against Tom Brady.
If I had to pick a QB for my franchise, to lead my team for next year, the order would be
1. Rodgers
2. Flacco
3. Luck
4. Roethlisberger
5. Eli
Kaepernick...duh..
did you guys watch any football this year
He got there. But, he didn't finish. And he made some crucial mistakes.
Wow ... I wildly disagree.
I don't see how Peyton Manning can be below 2 on this list, and I would put him at 1. I'm not sure what you're basing your comparisons on, if you dismiss him as a "stats machine". What else can you use to compare? Yes, more superbowl rings counts for SOMETHING, but more credit belongs to coaching and management. Unless Brady was also a Ray Lewis on defense and no one told me. Put it this way - give PM a defense half as good as Brady enjoyed during their ring run (I think those days are over), and he'd be sporting the rings, not Brady. Oh, and he's basically guaranteed to finish no lower than 2nd on the all-time passing yardage list (Brees is 8, Brady is 9, rest are ... *snicker*). We're still comparing individual players, not teams, right?
Also, it's unclear to me if you're comparing their achievements up to date, or potential for future achievements. Because if it's the former, then Flacco ahead of Peyton Manning? I mean, seriously? On the other hand, if you're comparing potential for future achievements, Brady doesn't belong at 1. He's close to being done.
"...superbowl rings counts for SOMETHING..."
Winning the Super Bowl is everything...period.
Absolutely ... to a team and to fans of that team. But if it's the only metric you use to compare individual players, then you have to consider Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer to be better than Dan Marino. If you're a sane person, I'm guessing you don't.
I'm not even proposing a Brady vs P. Manning debate. At least that's a debate. I'm simply insisting that the only quarterback currently in the league with a claim to being a better quarterback than P. Manning is Brady. There is no measurable other than superbowl rings in which Manning doesn't lead among active quarterbacks. The fact that he doesn't lead in rings makes it a reasonable debate as whether he's the best, or second behind Brady, but ranking #s 33 (Eli), 37 (Roethlisberger), 87 (Rodgers), and 112 (Flacco) in career passing yardage behind #3 by a hair, to pass Dan Marino and become #2 next season, is just silly.
Btw, he leads Brady by ~15K yards. Oh, and Brady has caught up quite a bit too since he won his last superbowl. So yeah, winning a superbowl is a great achievement and all that, but the whole team does it, not just the quarterback. I fail to see what MORE Manning could have done to win superbowls. He carried a modestly-above-average team with modestly-above-average coaching on his back for 10+ years. Brady won the football player's equivalent of the ownership/front office/coaching lottery. Yes, his a big piece of those championship teams, but he's just one piece.
I won't argue what is more valuable, SB wins or stats, but I will say...
Peyton Manning does have a super bowl ring too, unlike Dan Marino. and he leads most of those guys on that list in stats.
I'm not a big fan of Peyton Manning but unless you are going on potential only, he should be in the top 5.
If Manning (there is only one in consideration) isn't on the list it isn't a list I'll consider...
I'm amazed anyone would disagree with this position. I guess Dan Marino wouldn't have belonged on this list either. Manning is about to have more career passing yards and more superbowl rings. If he wins the next two superbowls with Denver (kinda like Elway), does he then become #1 on this list, with #2 held empty out of respect for how much better he is than everyone else?
Consider how disrespectful it is to every single other player on superbowl winning teams to give this much credit to the quarterback.
I'm totally blown away myself the lack of respect the guy gets.
For some reason this always gets me riled up. I'm willing to defer to Brady's 3 rings and bring him into the conversation for the top spot, but only into the conversation. Brady is a very good QB on a very good team. Peyton Manning, for my money, is the best QB in the history of the NFL.
TRENT DILFER HAS A SUPER BOWL RING....So clearly he's a better QB than Marino EVER was because he didn't have a ring
100% of unprayed prayers go unanswered
Marino did Isotoner Glove commercials back in the 80's. Dude lived and worked in Miami Fla, but endorsed female winter gloves. Marino was a douche and Dilfer would whip his ass.
Espn loves to talk and obsess about who's an elite QB or who's the top 5 QB's blah blah blah yawwwnn. It's quite sickening how obsessed they are about it actually.
Run_Fido's favorite word is strawman.
That list just looks like who has the rings. Pretty sure any list as of right now is going to start with Aaron Rodgers.
1 game or the next 5-10 years would differ quite a bit for the top 5 QB's, but I believe both should start with Rodgers.
1 Game
1.Rodgers
2.Brady
3.(tie) Big Ben and Eli
5.Brees
Next 5 Years
1.Rodgers
2.Luck
3.Eli
4.Flacco
5.Ryan
This is much more reasonable, but I still disagree. We're talking about one game where you just swap out the quarterback on a hypothetical team that otherwise remains the same, right? And also assuming every quarterback is familiar and comfortable with this hypothetical team's offensive scheme? In fact, assuming that that scheme is reasonably suited to that quarterback? Because comparing one game with Brady playing for the Pats to one game with, say, Brees playing for the Aints is absolutely meaningless. If we are talking about this hypothetical team, then I'd still take Peyton Manning over Eli, Roethlisberger, and Brees. Agree that Rodgers is the best choice for one game right now. Brady vs Manning is definitely debatable. Prior to neck surgery, I would have taken Manning over Brady without a second thought. Brady is/was good, but Manning was better.
By the way, the "experts" agree. Silly ESPN Top 5 lists and "who would you take right now to start a franchise" hypotheticals notwithstanding, Manning (36 yo) is 12-time pro bowler/6-time 1st team all pro to Brady's (35 yo) 8 times/2 times. The latter is most impressive to me. Despite all the superbowl rings and media adoration, Brady was only chosen over Manning twice.
Actually the 1 game list is very crude. Basically just thinking Super Bowl caliber team, as Im figuring this would be the definition that most people use for a 1 game situation. And really not factoring in systems and schemes as that would be another huge can of worms. But a very valid point by you sir. For example if you say the game is in a dome then Im probably going to have Peyton in there somewhere.
And as much love as QB's get, the cliche that QB's get too much credit when they win and too much blame when they lose is very true imo. And Im not a huge Eli fan, but he impressed in the biggest moments, and did what so many others have not been able to do, beat Brady and the Pats. And I myself have always been a defender of Peyton when talking he and Brady. Peyton will go down in history as coming up short this year as well, when in all reality just have 1 DB who doesnt completely get lost in the moment and they move on. But as of right now Id have to take Brady. I know I shouldnt put so much stock into 1 play, but that throwback across his body was something foreign from Peyton, just didnt look right.
I think pretty much everyone agrees that post-surgery Peyton hasn't recovered his old form, despite still being very good this year. Unlikely he ever recovers his peak form again, but I think he has a few more strong seaons + playoff runs in him, assuming Denver properly surrounds him with talent. For once I'd love to see him play for a team with a truly dominant D. Can you imagine a Peyton Manning offense with a defense like early 2000s Ravens?
Also, I think you get at the heart of why it's so silly, imo, to judge any individual player by number of rings. Imagine this doesn't happen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Manning_pass_to_David_Tyree
And a few plays go differently last year, and now we're talking about Brady as the MOST CLUTCH QB EVVAAAAR, instead of having the last 2/3 of his career defined by almost-but-not-quite (thank GOD for that). Conversely, Vinatieri doesn't kick a huge FG, and now there isn't really an argument for Brady over P. Manning. Yes, +1 ring (oh those magical 2 years ...), but with the benefit of a much better team. Otherwise, not even close.
Point being, you don't compare players based on team performance. You compare them based on how they do the things they do, over many, many games. In other words, statistics.
As of right now, these are my guys to quarterback my team:
Sorry, Flacco's still too inconsistent to be considered an elite NFL QB (paging Baltimore's "shitting-the-bed" losing streak), and I don't get the Eli Manning hype--he was the QB of two teams that got hot at the right moments, sure the rings mean something, but I'd take any one of these five over him any day of the week. I could care less how many rings the guy's got (ironically, though, all my examples have at least one ring), I just want a quarterback who's consistent.
I'm with Hodge on the Flacco issue, though I'd personally have Rodgers further down on the list and Big Ben closer to the top. I think Eli doesn't get enough love for what he's accomplished, probably because Peyton is so much-more user-friendly and fan-lovable.
Finally someone smart enough to put Peyton on the list...
After thinking about it for a minute, I actually agree with your list almost completely because of your "as of right now" qualifier. I would take Rodgers over Brady (prime of career vs on downslope, but still very good). Peyton behind those two in light of neck surgery. Up until two years ago he's the automatic #1. Roethelisberger vs Brees would be debatable, were it not for Roethelisberger's injuries.
tim couch
knucklehead
I've always been a Jon Kitna fan. Overcame huge odds...great guy.
What, no Matt Cassel?
Weeden