NFL Quarterbacks Most Comfortable in the Pocket
There has been an influx in recent years of "dual-threat" quarterbacks in the college game and, subsequently, in the NFL ranks, as read-option styles gain more popularity.
But there is still plenty of old-school pocket-passing talent around the NFL, and most of the league's prolific quarterbacks still get it done from inside the tackle box.
They may not be a threat to take off and run, but these passers more than make up for it with their great vision, solid footwork and outstanding arms.
Let's take a look at the 10 NFL quarterbacks who are most comfortable in the pocket.
Tom Brady
1 of 10
It seemed like Tom Brady's best days were behind him earlier in the year, but his recent resurgence proves that he's still one of the best pocket passers in the league.
Brady definitely won't beat you with his legs, as evidenced by his career 1.7 yards-per-carry average and 16 rushing yards on 17 attempts this season.
But his accuracy is deadly, and he can make outrageous throws into tight windows when he needs to. His 63.5 career completion percentage doesn't even do his accuracy justice, although it's still a very good statistic.
He also has a superb command of the Patriots offense, despite working with a mediocre supporting cast in recent seasons.
Matt Ryan
2 of 10
The Falcons have been struggling mightily as of late, but Matt Ryan is definitely not the cause. As a traditional pocket passer, he's had to deal with a weak offensive line and poor defense which makes his job a lot harder.
Yet he's still put up solid numbers this season: 2,306 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and a 64.9 completion percentage with eight picks.
He has the ideal frame and arm strength to drop back and sling it, and his tall outside receivers (Julio Jones and Roddy White) are more than happy to get downfield and rack up the yards.
Peyton Manning
3 of 10
One of the most prolific passers in NFL history, Peyton Manning has had the arduous task in 2014 of living up to his historic 2013 campaign.
In that season, Manning threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns while only throwing 10 interceptions.
This year, he's been on a pretty similar (but slightly less insane) path: He's on pace for 5,144 yards and 48 touchdowns. He also became the NFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes after passing Brett Favre in Week 8.
He averages less than three rushing yards per game too, just in case anyone needed even more affirmation of his reputation as a pocket passer.
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Joe Flacco
4 of 10
For whatever reason, Joe Flacco's name seems to come up in numerous debates about "elite" NFL quarterbacks. I think it's pretty safe to say that he is not in that category.
But he is definitely one of the best pocket passers in the game, and is also one of only five quarterbacks on this list with a Super Bowl ring.
He's got the perfect physical attributes to be a successful passer from the pocket. At 6'6" with a cannon arm, he can see over the linemen and get the ball downfield quickly.
His passing yards per season has increased steadily since the start of his career, and he'll always prefer to throw over taking off to run.
Jay Cutler
5 of 10
Jay Cutler may be a pretty inconsistent quarterback from a production standpoint, but he does consistently stay in the pocket, from where he tries to throw his way out of trouble.
That may lead to too many interceptions (sorry Bears fans), but it's also helped him put up some pretty huge passing numbers over the past decade.
He has arguably the strongest arm in the entire league, and throws absolute bullets when he has time to step up and let it rip. That arm has helped him throw for over 26,000 yards in his career, and his 61.2 completion percentage is actually pretty strong as well.
Cutler actually has (just a little) speed when he does decide to take off and run, but he never gets any designed plays and will always look to throw it away rather than breaking out of the pocket.
Drew Brees
6 of 10
After signing with New Orleans in 2006, Drew Brees really transformed himself into one of the most dangerous pocket passers in the entire league.
It's not as if he ran much in San Diego, but he just really became a full-on gunner once he arrived with the Saints, and put up some amazing numbers as a result.
He's thrown for over 4,100 yards in every season since going to the Saints in 2006, and has surpassed the 5,000-yard mark four times. Despite his shorter height, the 6'0" Brees has a masterful command of the pocket and finds creative ways to see his targets downfield.
Brees is also apparently allergic to scrambling: He has just 346 career rushing attempts, a 1.9 YPC average, and a career-long run of 22 yards, way back in 2004.
Philip Rivers
7 of 10
Philip Rivers has been one of the best pocket passers in the NFL throughout his career, and he has put up some pretty amazing numbers in his nine years as a starter for the Chargers.
His 34,720 passing yards and 241 touchdowns puts him on pace to finish his career as one of the more productive passers in NFL history.
He can consistently drop back and utilize his unique sidearm motion to his advantage, spraying the ball all over the field with seeming ease.
His rushing numbers, however, are borderline laughable. In 141 career games played, Rivers has 482 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He clearly is not going to beat anyone with his legs.
Matthew Stafford
8 of 10
Matthew Stafford may have one of the best arms in the league, but nobody will accuse him of being an elite runner with the football.
He's already racked up an unbelievable 19,673 passing yards and 120 touchdowns in 69 career games while putting up over 630 attempts in each of the past three seasons.
All that passing doesn't leave much time for running, and that's probably fine for Stafford, who would likely prefer to just stand back there and heave it up to Calvin Johnson or Golden Tate anyway.
While his 3.0 YPC average is actually not awful for a pocket passer, he's attempted only 144 runs, and I would bet that most of those came out of desperation.
Tony Romo
9 of 10
In his first two seasons as a starter in 2006 and 2007, Tony Romo actually liked to tuck it in and take off every once in awhile, and he had over 100 rushing yards in each of those two seasons.
But he hasn't had more than 50 in a season since 2009 as he made the transition to full-on pocket passer and flourished as a result.
Romo is one of the most underappreciated passers over the past six years or so, as he's put up some extremely strong and consistent numbers.
He threw for over 4,000 yards in 2011, and nearly surpassed the 5,000-yard mark in 2012. He doesn't have the prototypical height and downfield arm strength of most of the other guys on the list, but he can still gun it with the best of them.
Eli Manning
10 of 10
When things get rough up in New York, some Giants fans may scoff at the thought of Eli Manning being calm in the pocket, but the truth of the matter is that he's won them two Super Bowls by making incredible throws with pressure in his face.
This will always be one of the best plays I've ever seen, and it shows Manning at his best: stepping up into pressure and delivering a phenomenal throw down the field.
The numbers certainly back up the theory as well. He's thrown for over 4,000 yards three times since 2009, and nearly hit 5,000 yards in 2011.
He's also never had more than 35 rushing attempts in a season, which is almost hard to believe. Clearly, Manning will stay in the pocket no matter what, and that seems to be going pretty well so far.
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