The NFL has 32 teams, but it does not have 32 quarterbacks who are worth their salt. We will look at who will be great when the year is over. Some of the names are obvious, and others will be surprising once the year has closed. Certain quarterbacks will be fantastic, and others will need more time to develop. Who is destined to be great, and who is destined to be the mediocre journeyman?
The best in the league
The best quarterbacks are Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, and Matt Ryan. These four guys are solid in every way, and they do not get hurt.
They will stay with their teams for as long as they want, and they will likely power four of the best offenses in the league. Tom Brady may have looked like an old man against the Chiefs, but he is still a brilliant football player.
The second best in football
Matthew Stafford is brilliant, and he is not at fault for the poor franchise that sits around him in Detroit. Russell Wilson is amazing, but there is a question about how he gets along with the Seattle defense. Cam Newton has been the MVP, but he must change his style of play so that he does not get hurt yet again. Andrew Luck has the same issue, and he must get on the field so that the Colts know they can expect him to play for the next decade.
Philip Rivers is extremely good, but his Chargers team is not fantastic. Carson Wentz is a good young player, but he is not a superstar just yet. He must continue to prove himself to the Eagles, their fans, and himself. These guys will be very good for their teams, but they all have room to improve in one way or another. Dak Prescott, Marcus Mariota, and Alex Smith also fall into this category.
The question marks
DeShone Kizer could be great, but we know nothing about him at all. Deshaun Watson will get inserted into the Texans offense at some point, and he could be amazing. Jay Cutler could choose to be great, but he is an old man who already retired. Trevor Siemian could be a good player in Denver, but he has not shown any flashes of true brilliance.
Kirk Cousins has been great in games of the past, but we do not know if he will be great or terrible this season. He is unpredictable, but the 49ers will still want to sign him.
The riff raff
The NFL Riff Raff includes players like Josh McCown who are asked to fill holes on teams until the franchise can find somebody better. Jared Goff also falls into this category until he proves that he can play. The NFL has a quarterback problem because they are unable to find enough people to play the position.