Your offseason historical quarterback ranker - subject to random updates.
 

Just for fun, I went back and looked at quarterback performance throughout NFL history. I was interested in identifying periods of quarterback dominance.

So I created a measure of quaterback performance that is in equal part based on effectiveness (yards/attempt, completion %, interception %), and pure production (passing yards, total touchdowns, and starts). Starts is because some statistics get scarce as we go backwards through time.

My measure ranks quarterbacks in each category, but it also accounts for their performance relative to other quarterbacks in the league. So for example, if a quarterback has a slightly higher interception percentage than the league average, but throws for far more yards, that quarterback will get a higher score.

I'll present a table to you of the top ten quarterbacks in the league in 2018, and I'll add to it by year as the offseason drags on. I'm hoping that it'll create some discussion.

So without further ado, here are the top ten rankings for 2018. It'll get more interesting as I add more years.

Sorry. Can't seem to make the picture bigger. I'll try something else.

Here's the Excel File if you can open it. It only has the top ten of 2018 right now, and I'll keep uploading new copies as we go.

Asshole isn’t even the top 10.

One of the more interesting findings, I agree. Especially when we start tracing back through the years.

(I'm assuming you're referring to Brady since Manning is no longer in the league.)

Bingo

Really the Pats are just masters of situational football. Waste clock at the right time, make sure to get the score before the half, etc.

Matt Cassel?

Okay, now we add 2017 totals.

What is notable here is that not a single quarterback was in the top 5 both years, and only six quarterbacks make the top ten both years. None of those six was in the top three in either year, which tells us that, based on our initial data, the truly outstanding years may be outliers.

Also, only one team had a top three quarterback both years, and you'll never guess which team.

Speaking of - shouldn't we be getting a Franchise Index update soon or have I missed the bump?

Oh, good point. I was waiting until the season ended.

Everyone wants a ranker quarterback.

Let's add 2016 now. At this point I'll start highlighting patterns whenever I find them interesting.

What we see here is that three quarterbacks have made the top ten all year. Kirk Cousins, interestingly, is one of them, though he's usually toward the bottom of the list. Phillip Rivers is consistently productive, and Drew Brees has consistently been in the top six quarterbacks in the league over the past three years.

Aaron Rodgers likely would have been the fourth quarterback on this list, but he got sidelined by injury in 2017. And Luck is oddly on the list twice even though I thought he'd been injured for about five years prior to 2018.

What?
No Keesum?

I did a few quick changes to make it an easy image to view for those that can't download things at work.