Franchise quarterbacks

[Mr. Sunshine]

Watching Andrew Luck tonight, I was reminded that this afternoon on the radio I heard Rich Gannon say there were "about eight franchise quarterbacks in the league."

I've got seven

Brady
Manning
Luck
Rivers
Roethlisberger
Rodgers
Brees

I want to say Ryan just to get DD on this thread in seconds, but he's near the top of the next tier.

What say you?

 

[LongTimeListener]

Wilson.

 

[Songbird]

Andrew Luck is No. 1.

 

[bigpern23]

I'm not sure I'd include Rivers on that list, mostly because of how demonstrative he is when a teammate screws up. That's not the kind of QB who engenders a lot of loyalty from his offense.

You could probably put Wilson on the list.

 

[Double Down]

All a franchise QB means, to me, is that you can win a Super Bow with him, and you don't have to go looking for someone else, even if there are guys who are better. It's such a hard deal to find a competent quarterback, and if you draft one you think is good and miss, it sets your franchise back so many years. That's why I absolutely think Flacco is one, Ryan (despite my mockery) is one, Eli Manning is one. They're all flawed, they all are overpaid, and yet they're still guys who you can win with every week, every season.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

I'm not sure I'd include Rivers on that list, mostly because of how demonstrative he is when a teammate screws up. That's not the kind of QB who engenders a lot of loyalty from his offense.

You could probably put Wilson on the list.

Ever heard of Dan Marino or Peyton Manning?

I'd probably take Wilson next on the list, but I wouldn't put him in the top tier. He's too limited as a passer. I can't see him carrying a team if he had to put up 40 points. Great young quarterback, but I'm not ready to put the "franchise" label on him until I see how he handles things when the rest of the team around him isn't ideal.

 

[amraeder]

Not sure you can look at the WR depth chart and call the talent ideal. I get what you mean - it's a good team, overall. But, damn.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Not sure you can look at the WR depth chart and call the talent ideal. I get what you mean - it's a good team, overall. But, damn.

More about the defense and running game controlling things so Wilson isn't put in many bad spots. He's a very good young quarterback (only Luck is better), but I do think he's limited right now. Maybe he grows into a better passer and all-around QB like Brady did after instant success.

 

[qtlaw]

Wilson for sure. He's amazingly efficient and comes through in some big plays when absolutely have to have it.

No Ryan, no Rivers. They have had the opportunity to show they could win the big game and they did not. I do not get the feeling this will change in the future either.

Thought Kaepernick was going to show he was one; now just a nice bauble that will lose its luster soon enough. I know, this is very fatalistic and subject to change but that's what it looks like from here right now.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I know I'm a fanboy, but it's crazy not to have Romo on this list.

 

[outofplace]

I'm not sure I'd include Rivers on that list, mostly because of how demonstrative he is when a teammate screws up. That's not the kind of QB who engenders a lot of loyalty from his offense.

You could probably put Wilson on the list.

Ever heard of Dan Marino or Peyton Manning?

I'd probably take Wilson next on the list, but I wouldn't put him in the top tier. He's too limited as a passer. I can't see him carrying a team if he had to put up 40 points. Great young quarterback, but I'm not ready to put the "franchise" label on him until I see how he handles things when the rest of the team around him isn't ideal.

Manning is better than Rivers. Marino was better, too. It's not that you can't behave like an asshat and be a great quarterback. Hell, it might be required, but it is fair to count some of the **** Rivers does that might **** off a teammate as a negative when evaluating the player.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

You guys think Manning and Rivers are ballbusters of errant teammates? You couldn't possibly have ever heard of Bobby Layne. Or Troy Aikman for that matter. Or, come to think of it, of Tom Brady.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

PS: We need a definition of the term "franchise" if this thread is to make even minimal sense. Do posters mean in it the common Draft Day hooey meaning of "superstar or potential superstar" or do they mean "QB who's good enough to win with and good enough to be very difficult to replace." If the former, we have maybe seven or eight guys tops. If the latter, then indeed guys like Romo, Flacco, Wilson, Ryan, and even Stafford and Cutler qualify.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I think of a Franchise QB as a guy who is entrenched as a starter. It's not his job to lose. It's his job. Period. That doesn't make them elite. Or great. It just makes them the starting QB, around which an offense will be run.
By that definition I think there are a lot of Franchise QBs in the league.
Brady
Manning
Brees
Roethlisberger
E. Manning
Romo
Wilson
Luck
Stafford
Rivers
Rodgers
Flacco
Palmer

Now how long a QB is a "franchise" QB is another story. Some have longer shelf life than others.
Franchise QBs with short shelf lives:
Ryan
Newton
Kaepernick

 

[JackReacher]

Lots of ELITE takes here.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Lots of ELITE takes here.

Go ahead, say RG3. You know you want to.

 

[JackReacher]

Nah. I'll leave this to the experts.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Nah. I'll leave this to the experts.

Gee needs a definition of "expert."

 

[The Big Ragu]

I think of a Franchise QB as a guy who is entrenched as a starter. It's not his job to lose. It's his job. Period. That doesn't make them elite. Or great. It just makes them the starting QB, around which an offense will be run.

OK, if you want to make a list based on that definition. But I think more historically, a franchise QB a guy that you felt you could build a team around for the future. It wasn't a guy who is entrenched as the current starter. It was a guy that you figure is going to be your starter for the next 5 to 10 years, at least. Using my definition, there should be very few franchise QBs. They are the guys that are young and so good that you figure you aren't going to have to think about the position for a decade.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I think of a Franchise QB as a guy who is entrenched as a starter. It's not his job to lose. It's his job. Period. That doesn't make them elite. Or great. It just makes them the starting QB, around which an offense will be run.
By that definition I think there are a lot of Franchise QBs in the league.
Brady
Manning
Roethlisberger
E. Manning
Romo
Wilson
Luck
Stafford
Rivers
Rodgers
Flacco

Now how long a QB is a "franchise" QB is another story. Some have longer shelf life than others.
Franchise QBs with short shelf lives:
Ryan
Newton
Kaepernick

Jay Cutler needs to be on your list, too.