I'm curious to how some would rank the quarterbacks in today's league. Before the year, Rodgers was kind of in the same category as Jay Cutler, but now that's not even up for debate.... Is it?
I think Rodgers has separated himself from Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, and now Matt Schaub as just a superior player. Cutler may have more physical talent, but he's way too much of a gunslinger. At least when Brett Favre did it, he eventually learned to make it a positive rather than a negative, but Cutler's throws are all over the place. His skills are great, but raw.
To me the QBs today look like this
Elite
1. Tom Brady
2. Peyton Manning
3. Drew Brees
4. Brett Favre
You really can't separate them right now. I would take Brady because of his consistency. The older Manning gets, the better he seems to get. Brees is definitely going to lead the way into the next decade in my view. Favre is ridiculous.
Upper Echelon
5. Ben Roethlisberger
6. Phillip Rivers
7. Aaron Rodgers
I think Ben leads that class much like Brady leads his class because I would want them with the ball with two minutes left, but it's close. I think Rodgers and Rivers are interchangeable. I can't decide really. They both do things so good and both are playing for two of the better offensive coaches or quarterback coaches in the league behind Sean Payton.
Good to Very Good
8. Donovan McNabb
9. Carson Palmer
10. Kurt Warner
I see McNabb as someone who has always been good, but never great. He had TO that one year, but TO has made a lot of QBs look great such as Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo. Still, he's consistently in the top ten.
Palmer would've been in the same category as Rodgers, Rivers, and Roethlisberger, but injuries have stalled him and he still hasn't been the same type of player since.
Warner, I always felt like was a nice quarterback, but needed big time receivers to play well. He has never had success without potential HOF receivers. Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in St. Louis and now Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in Arizona. It doesn't diminish him like some think it might, but it is who he is IMO.
I guess my point to this post is that look how far Rodgers has come since the start of the season at least on my list. I had him outside of the top ten because I wanted to see him do it again. He has and then some, so I'm not Rodgers bashing. In only his second full season, he's starting to separate himself. He's better than Romo, Schaub, Cutler, E. Manning, and right now, my guy, Matt Ryan. He's also passed veterans like McNabb, Palmer, and Warner.
So maybe Ben is next :)
That, in my view, speaks for itself.