Here’s my take. What’s yours?
When making a list of this sort, it’s essential to explain the parameters of the rankings. This list is based on recent success or failure, style of play and offense gameplan, future expectations, the age factor, and (primarily) how each player performed during the 2018 season.
It will be tough for a first-year starter to crack the top five. Likewise, what a player did 4-6 years ago won’t count significantly.
It’s important to remember that statistics don’t tell the whole story. There have been plenty of great quarterbacks who didn’t put up astronomical numbers but still had great careers. Troy Aikman is a prime example. He led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships.
Alex Smith has been a very successful NFL quarterback. He’s gotten better as the years have gone on, including becoming a perennial playoff quarterback. He’s not Troy Aikman. But much like Aikman, Smith has achieved success without filling up the stat sheet.
We have a bunch of good-to-great quarterbacks in the league right now.
These are the quarterbacks I’d choose to lead my team in the order they are presented.
Let the debate begin!
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Andrew Luck
3. Patrick Mahomes
4. Tom Brady
5. Drew Brees
6. Russell Wilson
7. Philip Rivers
8. Ben Roethlisberger
9. Cam Newton
10. Matt Ryan
11. Kirk Cousins
12. DeShaun Watson
13. Carson Wentz
14. Dak Prescott
15. Jared Goff
16. Baker Mayfield
17. Marcus Mariota
18. Matthew Stafford
19. Derek Carr
20. Alex Smith
21. Jimmy Garoppolo
22. Mitchell Trubisky
23. Ryan Fitzpatrick
24. Joe Flacco
25. Eli Manning
26. Josh Allen
27. Andy Dalton
28. Jameis Winston
29. Lamar Jackson
30. Sam Darnold
31. Josh Rosen
32. Blake Bortles
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*Ryan Tannehill would be in the low 20’s if he were starting this season.
