David Hunter
The 2013 NFL Season is just around the corner and what better way to kick off the regular season, and currently runnng pre-season, with the countdown of the Top 10 QBs in the NFL. Everybody and their mother has thrown their hats in the ring, including renowned ESPN’s Ron Jaworski, so why not throw my name in too.
The NFL has become revolutionized through the air with fleet footed receivers coming from all angles: Running Back, Wide Receiver, and Tight Ends. Tack on rocket arms, indelible accuracy, and quick hitting college schemes and you have a recipe for a potential continuation of record breaking yardage and scoring through deep bombs and window tight lasers.
2013 is arguably the deepest and most stacked in the NFL in a long time. I’m expecting a deluge of angry comments wondering why certain quarterbacks didn’t make the list and why others did make the list (and weren’t higher or lower).
The 2010 season saw the average team threw for 3,545 yards with 24 TD against 16 INT. In 2011, that number expanded slightly to 3,675 yards with 23 TD against 16 INT. Last season was by far the most efficient with 3,701 yards and 24 TD against 15 INT.
While the touchdowns and interceptions have remained the same, quarterbacks are airing it out more and more and averaging more yards through the air as a result. Other teams are being forced to not only play catch up, but go against the long held belief of running the ball more than throwing it, and instead air it out as much as their contemporaries making quarterbacks even more imperative to success.
#10: Eli Manning (New York Giants)
Credit to rotoask.com
Eli Manning was considered a strong armed, mobile starter coming out of Mississippi in the 2004 NFL Draft. The legacy initially started off cold, despite a Senior year in which he threw for 3,600 yards with 29 TD, because he helped pioneer a trade from the San Diego Chargers to the New York Giants. In retrospect, the Giants won the deal and Eli turned from a reviled kid to eventual Super Bowl Champion times two.
Eli was believed to be the QB of the Future under then head coach Tom Coughlin but struggled to initially earn playing time. Kurt Warner had just been signed and despite notable struggles and eventually being benched for Marc Bulger in 2003, he was still only 2 years removed from through for a career high 4,830 yards and 36 TD.
Kurt would start the 2004 Season with Eli playing sparingly after a hot start and 5-2 record. Struggles with ball control (4 interceptions and 12 fumbles) along with 39 sacks eventually led to Warner being benched in favor of the young but raw Eli. Eli would close out the year going 1-7 in just 7 starts but showed some promise, throwing the same number of touchdowns, 6, as Warner had in his 9 starts.
Coughlin would tie himself to Eli for the 2005 season while Warner was sent off to Arizona. Eli would immediately start his ascension under the tutelage of Kevin Gilbride and Chris Palmer, throwing for 3,762 yards and 24 TD while leading New York to an 11-5 record. Despite being shut out by Carolina in the Wild Card round, Eli continued to carry the Giants in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, despite a continued up & down regular season with a league leading 20 interceptions, he would cement his early legacy with a red hot playoff run that eventually led to the infamous Super Bowl victory over the then undefeated New England Patriots, including a furious game winning touchdown drive to snatch victory away. He would earn a 2nd Super Bowl ring in another win over New England in the Super Bowl during the 2011 NFL Season.
Eli ranks here in large part due to his fluctuations during the regular season. One season, he throws 20 interceptions or 25 interceptions, as in 2010. Then he follows it up by throwing for 4,021 yards and 27 TD as in 2009 or 4,933 yards with 29 TD as in 2011.
Worth noting is that since being named starter in 2005, Eli has never had a losing season in his career only finishing at 8-8 in 2006 and 2009.
2013 Outlook: Consistency will yet again be key as to whether Eli and the New York Giants can make the playoffs and advance in a rather tough NFC East division.
#9: Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins)
Credit to ESPN.go.com
An absolute force in the first year of his NFL career, he was equally electric at Baylor and lived up to the hype and then some, a rarity for a rookie QB. He came out after a solid Sophomore year throwing for 3,501 yards and an even more sterling Junior year throwing for 4,293 yards and 37 TD. But it was his wheels that were the excitement factor, having rushed for over 1,200 yards and 18 TD combined in those two seasons.
He was taken 2nd overall by Mike Shanahan and proceeded to light it up from the word go, showing incredible poise in the pocket and a very underrated ability to throw the ball accurately while maximizing his attempts. Many people remember the injury he tried to play through in the playoffs last season but he was tearing it up during the regular season and nothing less should be expected this year. RGIII threw for 3,200 yards and 20 TD while running for 815 and 7 TD. This is what fans were expecting in 2001 when QB Michael Vick came into the NFL ready to break things and evolve the QB position.
Griffin is one of the few QBs in the league who are absolutely must watch TV.
2013 Outlook: Predominantly it is going to be his health. If he can manage to hold up for an entire 16 game season or at least get the Redskins into the playoffs early, he could cement himself as one of the better dual threat quarterbacks in the NFL.
#8 Matt Stafford (Detroit Lions)
Credit to sportsillustrated.com
Stafford is pretty close to what a near perfect QB should look and throw like, except he stands at 6’2″ as opposed to the ideal 6’4″ or 6’5″ instead. Coming out of Georgia after throwing for 3,459 yards and 25 TD, he was an absolute lock for a Detroit team that had finished 0-16 the year before.
Stafford entered the NFL and started things slow despite being just 21 years old. He struggled both with the speed of the game as well as injuries throughout the season that forced the Lions to yield the starting QB role to a finished Daunte Culpepper and mediocre Drew Stanton. He put up a respectable 2,267 yards in just 10 starts but threw 13 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
He looked like a big bright spot entering the 2010 season but suffered an injured shoulder after being sacked by Julius Peppers in week 1. He would return for just 2 games, including a 37-25 win over Washington in which he threw 4 TD on 45 passes, but ended up undergoing season ending shoulder surgery.
There were rumblings that Stafford could turn into another long line of quarterbacks with talent who succumbed to injuries almost annually and never lived up to their potential, earning the dreaded monicker of “bust” to their final career obituary. In 2011, despite a near non-existent running game, Stafford torched the NFL while leading the Lions to a 10-6 record. He threw 663 passes (a year after undergoing shoulder surgery remember) for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns. Calvin Johnson dominated as the primary target, hauling in 96 passes for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Many expected the same from Stafford and Detroit in 2012 with several picking the team as sleepers to make a name for themselves in the NFC Playoffs after losing to New Orleans in 2011. 2012 was a major disappointment as the lack of a prominent running attack again forced Stafford to throw the ball to try and win games for Detroit. With Titus Young burning his way out and rookie Ryan Broyles coming on late after injuries at Oklahoma, Detroit lacked a real wide receiver threat. This showed with Calvin Johnson catching 122 balls for 1,964 yards but only scoring 5 touchdowns. Despite 727 passes, Stafford only threw 3 more touchdowns than interceptions (20 to 17) and just 4,967 yards.
2013 Outlook: The Lions acquired RB Reggie Bush to try and shore up their running game and are hoping WR Ryan Broyles can make the jump to #2 WR opposite Calvin Johnson. He has proven he has the arm and potential to put up record challenging numbers but the question is whether Stafford’s consistency and Detroit’s overall ability as a team will have him throwing 40 touchdowns or just 20.
#7 Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens)
Credit to ESPN.go.com
Flacco is a guy that has generally been underrated and defined as a game manager on a team that has had potent defenses to mask for subpar or average, at best, offenses. Flacco transferred to Delaware from Pittsburgh where he had been playing under Dave Wannstedt. Flacco flourished in Delaware’s spread offense and his powerful arm rewarded him with the 18th selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.
He got throw into the fire immediately by John Harbaugh and like many of Baltimore’s quarterbacks before him, he managed the game en route to an 11-5 record as starter despite throw for just under 3,000 yards but only 14 touchdowns. Flacco and the Ravens would eventually lose to their rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the AFC Championship game.
More was put on Flacco’s shoulders in 2009 and he responded in kind, throwing 499 passes but for 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns while minimizing turnovers (just 12 interceptions). Flacco would again lose in the playoffs, this time to the Indianapolis Colts 20-3.
In 2010 and 2011, Flacco continued to earn the well-meaning yet derisive game manager label for teams that went 12-4 both seasons. Flacco again threw for just over 3,600 yards with 25 and 20 TD while minimizing his interceptions. Yet again, losses to the Steelers and then the Patriots in the AFC Title game started giving rise to Flacco being a solid game manager incapable of winning a big game to reach the Super Bowl.
On the surface, 2012 looked ordinary yet again despite the dramatic death related to wide receiver Torrey Smith early in the year. Flacco would throw for a career high 3,817 yards with just 22 touchdowns and tie his career low with 10 interceptions. The Ravens themselves finished with a good but not great 10-6. 2012 though was to be Flacco’s coming out, much like Eli Manning during his two Super Bowl winning runs in the playoffs. Flacco would have one of the greatest playoff runs in NFL History, throwing for at least 240 yards in every single game and throwing for a combined 11 touchdowns to 0 interceptions.
The Super Bowl was arguably his finest moment, completing 67% of his passes for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns without throwing any interceptions.
Many probably don’t expect much from Flacco this season statistically but there is something to be said for a quarterback who consistently puts up the expected numbers year after year like clockwork.
2013 Outlook: He can pretty much be penciled in to reach 3,000 yards and 20-25 touchdowns. The big question is whether the no huddle attack and Torrey Smith can help him take the next step forward statistically and help the Ravens defend their 2012 Super Bowl trophy.
#6: Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)
Credit to sports.yahoo.com
The greatest undrafted quarterback in NFL history often gets treated like he was a 1st Round Top 5 selection, unfairly but par for the course given he quarterbacks the Dallas Cowboys and the national spotlight that revolves around them, most commonly associated with Fox.
Romo entered the 2003 NFL Draft after throwing for 3,165 yards with 34 TD as a Senior but went undrafted and signed with Dallas in the offseason. He started his career on the bench sitting behind Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson in 2003 as Dallas finished 10-6.
Dallas drafted Drew Henson out of Michigan the same year in the 6th Round as they signed Romo but Henson went off to play baseball and Parcells leaned towards past favorites such as Vinny Testaverde (2004) and Drew Bledsoe in 2005.
Finally, in 2006 after long being championed by owner Jerry Jones, Romo got his chance to shine as Bledsoe struggled to a 3-3 record in 6 starts and threw 8 interceptions to just 7 touchdowns. Romo would take over against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8 and lead Dallas to a 6-4 record down the stretch while throwing for 2,903 yards with 19 touchdowns. Unfortunately for Romo, that season would end against Seattle on the infamous botched field goal snap to win the game. What’s largely forgotten is that he was a rookie quarterback and still nearly scored anyways.
Credit to Jason Hay for video
Wade Phillips would take over in 2007 and Romo would step up his game as well, leading Dallas to a 13-3 record while throwing for over 4,000 yards with 36 touchdowns. Yet again, his regular season would be overshadowed as the Cowboys would lose to the Giants 21-17 with the image of Romo throwing an interception (despite driving to the Giants 23 and it being 4th Down) being the lasting imprint.
Dallas would miss the playoffs in 2008 largely due to a 44-6 thrashing to Philadelphia in Week 17 with the Cowboys needing a win to finish 10-6. Romo again was reliable during the regular season with 3,448 yards and 26 touchdowns. 2009 was a breakout season for Romo who would lead the Cowboys to a playoff win over the Eagles only to lose to Minnesota in the divisional round. Statistically, Romo had his best season yet throwing for almost 4,500 yards and 26 touchdowns to just 9 interceptions.
2010 was bittersweet, seeing Romo deal with injuries that would eventually end his season forcing Jon Kitna into a starting role and leading to the ousting of Wade Phillips. Then OC Jason Garrett would take over.
The Cowboys would again miss the playoffs at 8-8 in 2011 despite the normally very good season that Romo put together (over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns). Dallas would be sitting at 8-6 but close out the year with 2 straight losses, mustering just 21 points total.
Finally came last season and another bitter finish at 8-8 with the exact same scenario playing out as in 2011, 2 straight losses in the final 2 weeks of the season after being 8-6. Romo had his worst season despite a career high 4,903 yards by throwing an uncharacteristic 19 interceptions in part due to RB DeMarco Murray being injured, leaving a non-existent running game. To Romo’s credit, Dallas closed out the year 5-3 including two wins in overtime. Yet again, the indelible image was Romo throwing an interception in a key situation on national television with Dallas down 21-18 to Washington.
Romo tends to get unfairly maligned because his turnovers often come late in the season, on national television, in situations where he is asked to lead furious comebacks after the defense has surrendered multiple touchdowns or field goals. From 2007-2011 during the regular season Tony Romo has thrown more than 2 touchdowns for every interception (130 – 59). There are not too many quarterbacks that can be said of. Rather than going down as the greatest undrafted quarterback ever, Romo may instead go down as a QB who was turnover prone and struggled in clutch situations. Cold, Hard, Football Facts did a great job examining and turning that contention on its head.
2013 Outlook: It’s all about the team itself in Big D. If DeMarco Murray can stay healthy, that will be a boon to Romo who should continue to put up 4,000+ yards and flirt with 30 touchdowns again. The question is whether the defense and weapons can push Dallas into the realm of playoff challenger and whether the poise will hold up when December and January hits.
#5: Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)
Credit to sportsillustrated.com
Matty Ice burst onto the scene his senior year at Boston College after throwing for over 4,500 yards and 31 touchdowns. He became the immediate successor to Michael Vick, in the wake of his dog fighting scandal that nearly permanently stained the franchise, and was the first pick of new general manager Thomas Dimitroff who had come over from the New England Patriots.
Ryan has had a similar career arc to fellow 2008 draftee Joe Flacco, initially being labeled as a game manager then somewhat derided for being just “good” despite the plethora of weapons around him on offense. He had one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory at the time with 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns and has continued to improve year to year as the offense has transitioned from a run focus to a pass focus.
2009: 2,916 yards with 22 TD vs 14 INT.
2010: 3,705 yards with 28 TD vs 9 INT.
2011: 4,177 yards with 29 TD vs 12 INT.
2012: 4,719 yards with 32 TD vs 14 INT.
Yet the knock on Ryan, like Flacco and Romo and Peyton Manning early in his career, was his inability to win playoff games and in particular his inability to produce when he was needed. As a rookie, Atlanta finished 11-5 but lost to Arizona by 6 points as Ryan threw for just 199 yards and 2 interceptions.
In 2009 they would miss the playoffs despite a late rally in the year to finish 9-7. In 2010, they would go a sterling 13-3 only to get blasted by Green Bay 48-21. 2011 the same story where Atlanta finished 10-6 only to get knocked out in their first playoff game, this time by the New York Giants 24-2.
Much like Tony Romo, Matt Ryan finally took that step last season after Atlanta finished 13-3. Despite some struggles, including 2 interceptions, Ryan led a near improbable drive in just 2 plays from their own 28 yard line to set up the eventual winning 49 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. Made even more astounding in that Ryan had just 25 seconds left in the game to get within field goal range.
2013 Outlook: Much like Tony Romo, Matt Ryan finally took that step forward into being a winning playoff quarterback. Now he has to fend off the New Orleans Saints and a tough NFC South while finding a way to get further than the NFC Title game.
#4: Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
Credit to onestopsports.wordpress.com
Coming out of Purdue under Joe Tiller, Brees was widely agreed to be the best pure passer in the 2001 NFL Draft (having thrown 49 touchdowns to 24 interceptions his final 2 years) but his height, only 6’0, caused his stock to tumble down to the 2nd Round where he was snared by the San Diego Chargers. He’d spend his rookie season watching Doug Flutie, then 39 years old, work the Chargers to a 5-11 record.
2002 saw the arrival of Marty Schottenheimer, whom immediately named Drew Brees the starter. Brees would struggle in his first two seasons as he refused to adapt to Marty’s style and preaching of ball control and minimizing turnovers (28 touchdowns to 31 interceptions). It was not until 2004, and the arrival of rookie Philip Rivers whom was acquired via trade for QB Eli Manning in the NFL Draft, that Brees turned the corner and led the Chargers to a 11 wins in 15 starts. Brees would cement himself as one of the premiere young quarterbacks, throwing 27 and 24 touchdowns his final 2 years in San Diego.
He was seen as a potential quarterback of the future but was allowed to walk, much to Schottenheimer’s chagrin, after Brees had suffered a shoulder injury that jeopardized his future. Brees had reportedly reached out to multiple teams, including the Miami Dolphins under head coach Nick Saban whom instead opted for Daunte Culpepper, but ended up landing with the New Orleans Saints under first year head coach Sean Payton.
Payton, considered one of the sharpest offensive minds in the NFL, proceeded to let Drew Brees rip it down the field in his vertically aggressive scheme. From 2006-2012, Brees would proceed to slaughter NFL defenses at will while essentially turning the college video game numbers into a reality at the professional level. Hurricane Katrina had struck New Orleans in 2005 and the Saints immediately helped unity the state of Louisiana by finishing 10-6 and eventually making it to the NFC Title game, only to lose to the Chicago Bears.
In 2009, Brees finally culminated his rampant offensive success with a Super Bowl win over the Indianapolis Colts. The season before, Brees had challenged the long held record by Dan Marino of 5,084 yards passing a season, a record that many believed would never be broken if even challenged at all. Previously, the closest challenger had been Kurt Warner in 2001 with ‘just’ 4,830 yards.
It wasn’t until 2011 that Brees slaughtered the record with an NFL leading 5,476 yards (200+ yards better than runner up Tom Brady). Brees also set his sights on the completion percentage record finishing 2009 at 70.6% on 514 passes and 2011 at an insane 71.2% made on an even more improbable 657 attempts.
Steve Young’s then near-record in 1994 of 70.3% was done on only 461 pass attempts, almost 200 fewer attempts than Brees threw in 2011. Ken Anderson’s record 70.6% was done on only 309 pass attempts to really put Brees’ efforts into perspective. It is the equivalent of asking a running back to score 35 rushing touchdowns on just 200 carries or to run for 2,200 yards on just 300 carries.
Since joining the Saints, Brees has completed 67.1% of his throws for an insane 33,571 yards with 244 TD to 112 INT. Those numbers rival Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly’s entire career.
2013 Outlook: Pretty much going to lead the NFL in nearly every statistical passing category again now that head coach Sean Payton is back from his year long suspension. The biggest test will be the strength of the Saints defense under DC Rob Ryan and the development of a consistent (and healthy) running back group.
#3: Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
Credit to nydailynews.com
He was considered by most pundits to be the absolute can’t miss quarterback since John Elway came out of Stanford entering the 1998 NFL Draft. Contrary to hindsight, there were some who favored Ryan Leaf’s stronger arm but the Colts took Manning and the rest is history, for good and bad for both parties.
Manning started out of the gate for the Colts and struggled to a 3-13 record while being asked to try and carry the team on his back offensively. He led the NFL with 575 pass attempts and 28 interceptions but flashed his potential as well: 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Starting in 1999 with the drafting of Edgerrin James, Peyton slowly but surely started to become: Peyton. Despite solid but unspectacular records through 2002, he would start to cement himself as the best passing quarterback routinely throwing for around 4,100+ yards and 25-28 touchdowns a season.
As with all great quarterbacks, Peyton was leading his team to the playoffs year after year but was struggling with the indignity of being labeled a choker or unable to win the Super Bowl despite the bevy of talent around him at RB, WR, and TE. In 2003, New England would win the AFC Title Game 24-14 over the Colts.
Peyton would stage his greatest feat in 2004, throwing for 4,557 yards and a mind boggling 49 touchdowns to break Dan Marino’s record of 48 set in 1984. However, this would be overshadowed in the playoffs as the Patriots again would knock the Colts out this time by the score of 20-3. Despite largely being seen as needing to beat the Patriots: the Titans (in 1999), Dolphins (in 2000), Jets (in 2002), and Steelers (in 2005) had also knocked the Colts out of the playoffs.
By 2006, Peyton was being compared to Dan Marino, somewhat unfavorably, as a fantastic quarterback who compiled awe-inspiring statistics but would never be able to win the big one aka the Super Bowl. Peyton would throw a (for now) career low 9 interceptions that season and produce win after win in the playoffs including dropping 38 points on the New England Patriots. Peyton would finally earn his ring despite a subpar, for him, game against the Bears including throwing for just 247 yards with 1 touchdown to 1 interception.
Continuing his usual dominance through the air, Peyton would finish the 2010 season with career highs in completions, attempts, and passing yards. Unfortunately, he would sit out the entire 2011 season after successful neck surgery but would be faced with a dilemma entering the 2012 season. The Colts would draft Andrew Luck out of Stanford, ironically considered the most can’t miss QB since Peyton came out, which did not sit too well with Peyton who requested his release. The Colts acquiesced and Peyton eventually signed with the Denver Broncos and proved he could physically hold up to the hits but also that he was just as, if not even more efficient than in the prime of his career. He completed 68.8% of his passes along with 37 touchdowns, the most he had thrown since his 49 effort in 2004.
2013 Outlook: The Broncos signed Wes Welker as a free agent and Peyton is poised to possibly shatter his career highs in every passing category. The biggest issue with the team’s success is the defense having lost Elvis Dumervil to the Baltimore Ravens. If the running game struggles, Peyton may be asked to shoulder the load on a neck that continues to remain a question even with his success in 2012.
#2: Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
Credit to blog.masslive.com
Everybody knows the story of Tom Brady. He split his time at Michigan with much higher touted QB Drew Henson, became a lowly 6th Round pick, entered a starting role thanks to Drew Bledsoe’s life threatening injury, and became one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Brady, in some respects, has done the most with the least of my Top 5 quarterbacks. Even when given talent such as Randy Moss, he isn’t given too many years with them before the roster turnover at the wide receiver position occurs yet again. Given his season ending injury in 2008, Brady even lost a full year with both Randy Moss and Wes Welker.
If you need one word to describe Tom Brady, it is this: adaptable. He has adapted to different crews, different offensive philosophies, and has seemingly done the impossible and gotten even better as he closes in on 40 years old.
Stage 1 (Game Manager/Leader) 2001 – 2005: 18,029 yards with 123 TD vs 66 INT.
Stage 2 (Great Offensive Dynamo) 2006 – 2009: 12,809 yards with 102 TD vs 33 INT.
Stage 3 (The Centerpiece Leader) 2010 – 2012: 13,962 yards with 109 TD vs 24 INT.
Despite his recent struggles in the playoffs, highlighted by hard fought losses with the New York Giants in the 2007 and 2010 Super Bowls, he continues to be one of the most effective quarterbacks at maximizing his decision making and opting for the open receiver as opposed to the deep shot. The past two years he has thrown 611 and 637 passes with just 20 interceptions total. For comparison, Drew Brees threw a league leading 19 in 670 pass attempts last year.
You want real adaptability? Take a look at Brady’s receiving core since 2006 (minimum 20 catches in a given season): Sam Aiken, Deion Branch, Troy Brown, Reche Caldwell, Julian Edelman, Doug Gabriel, Jabar Gaffney, Daniel Graham (TE), Rob Gronkowski (TE), Aaron Hernandez (TE), Brandon Lloyd, Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Brandon Tate, Ben Watson (TE), Wes Welker.
Chad Johnson/Chad Ochocinco only had 15 catches in the 2011 season but he too was yet another in the revolving door for the Patriots and Brady.
2013 Outlook: A lot of media like to say that this will be the toughest challenge to Tom Brady in his career. Tom Brady has proven that regardless of who is running the route, he will find them and keep the offense running like a well-oiled machine. I expect the usual from Brady and would not be surprised to see him end up with numbers around 4,500 yards, 30 TD, and 8-12 INT despite the young receiving talent.
#1: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
Credit to cleveland.com
Like Tom Brady, a lot of you know the story of Aaron Rodgers and his fall from likely #1 QB off the board in the 2005 NFL Draft to being picked by Green Bay in the late 1st Round. Then he dealt with injuries as a rookie and played sparingly for 3 seasons behind then entrenched starter Brett Favre before Favre messily left the Packers in 2008 only to end up with the New York Jets and then the Minnesota Vikings in 2009 and 2010.
Since being named starter in 2008, Rodgers had absolutely lit up the NFL combining the efficiency of Peyton Manning with the adaptability of Tom Brady and the scrambling ability of a John Elway. Rodgers won the Super Bowl in 2010, further cementing his legacy as the best QB in the game by throwing for 304 yards with 3 touchdowns despite his lead running back rushing for just 52 yards.
Rodgers has done all of this with arguably the worst offensive line, outside of maybe Dallas, of any of the quarterbacks in this Top 10 list. He was sacked 50 times in 2009, 51 last season, and looks to be getting 50+ more this year after LT Bryan Bulaga was injured for the 2013 season.
You want minimizing turnovers? He’s thrown 142 touchdowns to 32 interceptions in over 2,000 passes from 2009 – 2012. He’s cut his fumbles down to just 14 over the last 3 seasons despite getting hammered constantly and running 55 times a year.
His biggest advantage over quarterbacks like Brees, Manning, and Brady is his ability to get yards with his legs. Since 2009 he has ran for 316, 356, 257, and 259 yards while chipping in 14 touchdowns in addition to his 142 through the air.
In a lot of ways, Rodgers is a better passing throwback to quarterbacks like John Elway, Steve Young, and a younger Brett Favre. The most impressive aspect of what Aaron Rodgers has been doing is that he has not been asked or required to throw the ball 600+ times over the course of a given season like a Drew Brees or even Tom Brady. In fact, the 2012 season saw him throw the ball a career high 552 times, not including sacks in those pass attempt totals.
Rodgers for all his popularity, including the Discount Double Check commercials, is the top of the next generation of quarterbacks that will be following Brady and Manning. For all the hype around Colin Kaepernick, RGIII, or Russell Wilson’s ability to run with the ball, nobody is better than Aaron Rodgers for the simple fact that he is among the best passing quarterbacks in the NFL as well.
2013 Outlook: This will be a big task for Rodgers. His offensive line will be challenged and he has lost Greg Jennings to Minnesota but the running game should be bolstered with rookies Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin. Rodgers, could cement himself even further as the top QB in the NFL, especially if he is given the opportunity to throw the ball as much as the other quarterbacks on this list.
Credit to Green Book Blog for feature image
