Top 5 active NFL QB's

With NFL training camps opening up this past week, I figure now is a better time than ever to discuss my Top 5 Quarterbacks of All-Time. Now to be fair to all players past and present, I decided to go with two lists, one for active and one for retired players, because comparing players from different eras in NFL history is unfair and unreasonable.

Now when ranking these players I thought about a few key factors, stature, team success, individual statistics and of course Super Bowl wins. Let's begin with the active players. 

1. Tom Brady 

Brady is number one in my book for a few specific reasons, even though there are many to defend his placement as king of the mountain. One, Brady is a winner. He has lead the New England Patriots to 10 straight 10 win seasons. Two, Brady has brought three Lombardi trophies to New England. Although at least one may be tarnished (Spygate) nevertheless, Brady still outshines any other QB in the NFL. Three, Brady compiled one of the greatest seasons ever for a QB. In 2007, Brady threw for 4,806 yards and 50 touchdowns while only throwing 8 interceptions. He took an aging receiver in Randy Moss and made him look like he was still in his prime. Not to mention how many different no name receivers Brady has turned into superstars. To add icing on the cake Brady is the only QB on this list that was not drafted in the first or second round. In fact Brady's selection as the 199th pick in the 6th round of the 1999 NFL Draft continues to be the reason why Brady strives to be the best. Brady is the ultimate QB. 

2. Aaron Rodgers 

The Future of the NFL sits on the arm of this man. After waiting his turn behind Brett Favre, Rodgers took over the reigns as the leader of the Packers and hasn't looked back. Rodgers is the prototype for a QB for reading through his progressions and being efficient with the ball. He has a career passer rating of 104.9, putting him as the highest rated player ever. Rodgers is a Superbowl champion, Superbowl MVP and league MVP and he is only halfway in to his career. If he can stay healthy, I believe Rodgers may become the best the league has ever seen. The Packers and their fans should be ecstatic to have one of the leagues best players under contract for the long-term. 

3. Peyton Manning 

What's not to say about Peyton. He truly is one of the Icons of the NFL. He was the face of the Indianapolis Colts for 13 seasons and now has become the Broncos lone hope for another Superbowl. His presence on the field is unmatched, he is a true field general. His ability to read defense pre-snap, and make audibles gives offenses a huge advantage every game. Manning has won one Superbowl, which is the reason why I placed him at 3. So many winning seasons only producing one title thus far is quite frankly a disappointment. Manning is coming to the end of his career withing the next few seasons but has the chance to end up as one of the most prolific passers in history. He has passed for 59,487 yards in his career which should leave him close to Favre's record of 71,838 when all is said and done for the leagues only 4-time NFL MVP.  

4. Drew Brees 

Class act. One of the true role models for young NFL fans and one hell of competitor as well. Brees has always been an underdog, from the time he was replaced by Phillip Rivers in San Diego, the New Orleans Saints QB has done nothing but rack up yards, touchdowns and wins. Brees brought a Superbowl trophy home with a timeless victory over Manning's Colts in 2010. I was inclined to rank Brees ahead of Manning for that victory, but the Saints missing the playoffs on more than one occasion puts him in the four spot. Something you can't see on a stat sheet or a game highlight is that Brees is also a advocate for community service, making him one of the classiest athletes in all of sports. After hurricane Katrina, Brees and the Saints provided much needed relief to an aching city after devastation. Kudos to you Mr. Brees.

5. Eli Manning

Eli makes a case to be the best Manning on my list with two Super Bowl victories and clutch playoff performances, but little brother's career stats simply don't hold up when being compared to the other QB's on this list. But with that being said, Eli owns Tom Brady in the Superbowl and has defeated Rodgers and the Packers in the Playoffs twice. With one more Superbowl victory, I think Manning would surpass everyone on this list that is quite frankly, ever-changing. Eli has magic in his right arm that has thrown one of the greatest passes and catches that I have ever seen. No matter what, Eli deserves to be Top 5.   

Stay tuned for my All-Time Top 5 QB list coming soon! Thanks for reading! 

*Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com player pages. 

*Photos used in this blog courtesy of Google images.