Declining QB Talent

[Ed Monix]

This is just my opinion, but it seems as though the level of NFL quarterback talent has declined in the past few years.

If you compare the talent of today to a decade ago, there is no comparison.

2012 Elite QB’s

Tom Brady (35)
Drew Brees (33)
Andrew Luck (22)
Eli Manning (31)
Payton Manning (36)
Cam Newton (23)
Phillip Rivers (30)
Aaron Rodgers (28)
Ben Roethlisberger (30)
Tony Romo (32)
Matt Ryan (27)
Russell Wilson (24)

[Donoghus]

There's a really good crop of QBs in today's NFL.  I actually think its pretty close.  The position is played a bit different but, when all is said and done with this crop, I think it'll be similar to what 2012 panned out to be.

-Mahomes
-Allen
-Jackson
-Herbert
-Burrow
-Brady
-Hurts
-Murray
-Stafford
-Rodgers
-Tua
-Lawrence
-Cousins

[celticsclay]

There's a really good crop of QBs in today's NFL.  I actually think its pretty close.  The position is played a bit different but, when all is said and done with this crop, I think it'll be similar to what 2012 panned out to be.

-Mahomes
-Allen
-Jackson
-Herbert
-Burrow
-Brady
-Hurts
-Murray
-Stafford
-Rodgers
-Tua
-Lawrence
-Cousins

I think this new group could go either way but the only clear superstars of the new group right now are probably Allen and maholmes. Hurts has taken a big leap this year and Tua was looking much improved but I’m not quite sold on them having hall of fame careers. I know lamar has had some very good stat years but I’m not sure if he is a playoff winning qb at this point and he seems to have really regressed late in games this year. Lawrence looks better this year but am not sure he is the sure fire superstar we thought he was.

[Donoghus]

There's a really good crop of QBs in today's NFL.  I actually think its pretty close.  The position is played a bit different but, when all is said and done with this crop, I think it'll be similar to what 2012 panned out to be.

-Mahomes
-Allen
-Jackson
-Herbert
-Burrow
-Brady
-Hurts
-Murray
-Stafford
-Rodgers
-Tua
-Lawrence
-Cousins

I think this new group could go either way but the only clear superstars of the new group right now are probably Allen and maholmes. Hurts has taken a big leap this year and Tua was looking much improved but I’m not quite sold on them having hall of fame careers. I know lamar has had some very good stat years but I’m not sure if he is a playoff winning qb at this point and he seems to have really regressed late in games this year. Lawrence looks better this year but am not sure he is the sure fire superstar we thought he was.

Jackson already has a league MVP to his name.  Stafford has a Super Bowl ring.  Burrow's been to a Super Bowl.  And Herbert already has a 5,000 yard season. 

This current group of QBs is young but I really don't think there is a significant gap in the league now from where they were a decade ago.

[Moranis]

I'd take today and wouldn't give it a second thought.  The next generation doesn't get worse.  Also it is weird to count guys that entered the league in the 90's as being elite in 2012, but not go back that far today.  I mean Wilson, Rodgers, and of course Brady are all still elite QB's.  And then counting guys like Luck and Ryan as elite in 2012 is also weird.  I mean Luck was a rookie in 2012.  A rookie with far worse stats than someone like Herbert had as a rookie.  Newton was a 2nd year man on a crappy team with crappy stats.  This seems like an awful lot of looking back with 20/20 hindsight, yet not applying the same criteria to the young guys today.  Plus, Mahomes and Allen are probably the 2 most talented QB's the league has ever seen. 

So yeah give me Mahomes and Allen and I will go head to head with anyone especially when I can add vets like Rodgers, Brady, Wilson, Prescott, Carr, and Stafford, a league MVP in Jackson, and rising stars like Burrow, Herbert, Lawrence, Hurts

[celticsclay]

I'd take today and wouldn't give it a second thought.  The next generation doesn't get worse.  Also it is weird to count guys that entered the league in the 90's as being elite in 2012, but not go back that far today.  I mean Wilson, Rodgers, and of course Brady are all still elite QB's.  And then counting guys like Luck and Ryan as elite in 2012 is also weird.  I mean Luck was a rookie in 2012.  A rookie with far worse stats than someone like Herbert had as a rookie.  Newton was a 2nd year man on a crappy team with crappy stats.  This seems like an awful lot of looking back with 20/20 hindsight, yet not applying the same criteria to the young guys today.  Plus, Mahomes and Allen are probably the 2 most talented QB's the league has ever seen. 

So yeah give me Mahomes and Allen and I will go head to head with anyone especially when I can add vets like Rodgers, Brady, Wilson, Prescott, Carr, and Stafford, a league MVP in Jackson, and rising stars like Burrow, Herbert, Lawrence, Hurts

I agree with most of this, but I don’t think we can just say rodgers and Brady and Wilson are all still elite. It may just be his pectoral injury but Wilson has been one of the worst qbs in the league this year. They want to run him out of town here In Denver.

[Donoghus]

I'd take today and wouldn't give it a second thought.  The next generation doesn't get worse.  Also it is weird to count guys that entered the league in the 90's as being elite in 2012, but not go back that far today.  I mean Wilson, Rodgers, and of course Brady are all still elite QB's.  And then counting guys like Luck and Ryan as elite in 2012 is also weird.  I mean Luck was a rookie in 2012.  A rookie with far worse stats than someone like Herbert had as a rookie.  Newton was a 2nd year man on a crappy team with crappy stats.  This seems like an awful lot of looking back with 20/20 hindsight, yet not applying the same criteria to the young guys today.  Plus, Mahomes and Allen are probably the 2 most talented QB's the league has ever seen. 

So yeah give me Mahomes and Allen and I will go head to head with anyone especially when I can add vets like Rodgers, Brady, Wilson, Prescott, Carr, and Stafford, a league MVP in Jackson, and rising stars like Burrow, Herbert, Lawrence, Hurts

I agree with most of this, but I don’t think we can just say rodgers and Brady and Wilson are all still elite. It may just be his pectoral injury but Wilson has been one of the worst qbs in the league this year. They want to run him out of town here In Denver.

If we're establishing Luck, Newton, & Wilson as elite in 2012, then I don't think its too far off base to be labeling guys like Herbert, Burrow, & Murray the same in 2022.

[Kernewek]

Also by 2012 we'd seen Stafford & Megatron set the NFL's season record for receiving yards - seems weird to include him in this decade instead of the prior group. Hell, 2012 was RGIII's breakout rookie year, and we're not including him?

I guess if we're the bar for 'talented quarterback' as 'quarterback on a winning team', then sure.

[Roy H.]

On a related topic, I saw this “redraft” of last year’s QBs:

It’s pretty wild.  Fields the first QB taken?  Lawrence third, behind Mills?  Jones seventh?

As a Bears fan, I’m high on Fields and think that he’ll be in the Jackson / Hurts mold.  But best in his class?  I hope so.

[Moranis]

On a related topic, I saw this “redraft” of last year’s QBs:

It’s pretty wild.  Fields the first QB taken?  Lawrence third, behind Mills?  Jones seventh?

As a Bears fan, I’m high on Fields and think that he’ll be in the Jackson / Hurts mold.  But best in his class?  I hope so.

If it is based on how they've played thus far, that might be correct, but anyone that is truly advocating that Lawrence is behind Mills should just turn in their journalist card and never report again.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

On a related topic, I saw this “redraft” of last year’s QBs:

It’s pretty wild.  Fields the first QB taken?  Lawrence third, behind Mills?  Jones seventh?

As a Bears fan, I’m high on Fields and think that he’ll be in the Jackson / Hurts mold.  But best in his class?  I hope so.

If it is based on how they've played thus far, that might be correct, but anyone that is truly advocating that Lawrence is behind Mills should just turn in their journalist card and never report again.

The sophomore class has not been good. Depending on the day, you could have a preference for any of these guys. All have shown flashes, yet none appear to be consistent. All have looked bad at some point.
 
I think Lawrence, Fields, Mac, Mills, Wilson, Lance is the order, but this could change with just two good games in a row by any of these guys.

[Roy H.]

Forgot the link:  https://www.nfl.com/news/offensive-player-rankings-week-9-re-drafting-the-2021-qb-class-sorting-fields-la

[Moranis]

Forgot the link:  https://www.nfl.com/news/offensive-player-rankings-week-9-re-drafting-the-2021-qb-class-sorting-fields-la

Reading that there is but 1 conclusion, David Carr is a moron. 

[Ed Monix]

This is an old post, but I still believe to be true.

Perhaps my wording was incorrect.

Instead of saying ‘declining talent’, I should have asked if we moving from a golden era of quarterback talent.

[Moranis]

I'd still take today and wouldn't give it a second thought.  Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Herbert, Lawrence, Jackson, Hurts, Prescott, and the old man still being in the top 3 in yards i.e. Brady.  Rodgers still performing well.  Goff and Garoppolo doing their thing while appearing in 3 Super Bowls between them. Tua and Carr really not doing anything differently than guys on that list, same for Cousins, well you know except not having good enough teams or coaches to really maximize their talent.

But as I said at the start of the season, give me Mahomes and Allen, and I'd feel pretty good against any era.  Add Burrow to those two, and I'm not sure there has been a time in the league when you had 3 players as good and as talented as those 3, all in the beginning of their prime and the success that early.  Mahomes is the greatest talent the league has seen at his position.  I don't even think it is all that close.  There is literally nothing he cannot do as a QB.  He has shown that time and time again.  Allen might be the 2nd most talented QB the league has seen and Burrow has had an incredible start to his career.