Aaron Rodgers and the 7 Best Quarterbacks in the NFL Right Now

The quarterback position is arguably the most crucial positions in all of sports.  They are the coaches on the field and, for the most part, determine how far a team can actually succeed.

Some say that the NFL has become a quarterback’s league, which is fine by most fans because it allows them to see some gaudy numbers being put up by the offenses.  It is a new age in the game when more emphasis is being put on scoring over thirty points versus keeping their opponents to under ten. 

Week 6 is upon us, and it is about time that we should start to grade some of these quarterbacks on their performance and overall effectiveness.  Some factors are being taken into account such as total wins and losses, completion percentage, touchdowns and interceptions, but the intangibles can come into play as well. 

Some of these names are regulars, however, there are some names that might surprise the audience.  

The following seven picks are not in any particular order.

Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is a Super Bowl MVP.  He is a world champion, and starting today, we can recognize him as the best quarterback in the NFL this 2011 season.  

Rodgers came up in a hostile environment where he was basically living in the shadow of NFL legend Brett Favre for most of his early career.  However, all that criticism of whether or not he can lead the team has dissipated after seeing some of the numbers this guy is putting up.  

He leads the league in completion percentage at a staggering 71.7 percent along with tying New England's Tom Brady in touchdown's thrown at 14.  However, along with those 14 touchdowns, Rodgers has only been picked off twice versus Brady's 6 interceptions thrown.  

Mr. Rodgers is currently leading his team to a 5-0 record, and, with the way they are playing, it is possible that they can do the unthinkable, have an undefeated regular and postseason.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady has been known by some as the quintessential quarterback of the NFL.  He has three Superbowl rings under his belt, leads one of the most efficient offenses in the league, and being married to a supermodel never hurts.

He is throwing at a highly efficient 67.9 completion percentage, while also throwing for 14 touchdowns this season.  Brady is also leading the league in passing yards alongside having the longest pass play of 99 yards from scrimmage during the regular season. 

It is hard to argue that anybody would not want to have Tom Brady at the helm of their offense.  During the final 2 minute drive to win the game, some names come to mind that one would want on the field, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

One of Brady's most formidable qualities is his ability to read defenses.  It is a common situation for Brady to come up to the line see something he does not like and go ahead and change the play all together. Afterwards, it is most likely that the call was right and they are celebrating in the end zone.

Tom Brady is associated with being cold blooded and, on crucial, pressure-filled drives, there is no one that I would rather have than Tom Brady.  He will continue to do well this regular season, and maybe we can see him playing for the Lombardi trophy next year.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees is another elite caliber quarterback that has recently led his team to the top.  Some said that he was physically too small to be effective in this league.  To that, he responded with becoming one of the leagues best passers and winners.

He is currently the league leader in pass attempts, with 219, and is throwing at a 69.4 completion percentage. These are among the top five overall for quarterbacks during this 2011 regular season.  He is also second in overall passing yards only behind Tom Brady, who is on pace to have a record setting year.

Brees has also thrown for 12 touchdowns behind five interceptions.  These numbers put him in the top three for overall quarterback numbers in the league right now.  

His team is currently 4-1 and has no intention of slowing down.  With a cast of great receivers in Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and tight end Jimmy Graham, Drew Brees is poised to make another Super Bowl run this season.  

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers is not having one of his spectacular years where he is leading the league in touchdowns or yards passed, however, he is doing a very good job at keeping his team able to compete.  His current touchdown and interception ration is 6:7.  This does not seem like anything special but his team is still 4-1 overall.

Given the talent of the rest of team, which is nothing special to begin with, he has managed to keep his team in contention with every passing week.  If any fan was to tell you that the Chargers were good this season, they would probably not have any solid evidence to say that they are in fact championship contenders.  

However, they have one of the best records in the league and are continuing to win.  

He is also throwing for over 1,500 yards this season, which is statistically in the top five alongside Rodgers, Brady and Brees.  

Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford is one of the young up and comers that the league has to watch out for.  Playing with his partner in crime, Calvin Johnson, makes this duo a hard combination to compete with.  

Stafford is currently playing at a level on par with quarterbacks such as Rodgers, Brady and Brees.  He has thrown for 13 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions.  His completion percentage is at 63.6 percent, and his overall quarterback rating is at 101.4.  

For how young this guy is, his future in the NFL looks incredibly bright.  Having the best receiver in the game in Calvin Johnson does not hurt either.  Currently, those two have hooked up for nine touchdowns, which is unheard of.

If Stafford keeps playing at this pace, the Detroit Lions (5-0) will have a serious shot at taking it all this year.

Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league.  It was evident, seeing him play during the last Monday Night Football game in which the Lions absolutely hammered his offensive line, that he is tough and wants to win.

His stats are nothing special when looking at them just on paper, however, if one were to look further into his situation, they would understand his tenacity.  So far, Cutler has been sacked 18 times, and that is not counting how many times he gets hit after releasing the ball.  That is tied with the most sacks in the NFL so far.  

Even while having a sub par offensive line, he still has thrown for over 1,200 yards and is throwing at a 58.6 completion percentage.

On a team where the only real threat is their running back, Matt Forte, and utility player, Devin Hester, seeing Jay Cutler keep his team in winning positions every game is impressive.  

What makes this even more impressive is that, while getting pummeled by defenses, there is no mention of his struggling offensive line and that there is no excuse for losing, regardless of personnel. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan who?  Many audience members might know Ryan Fitzpatrick as that guy who is decent and quarterback of the Buffalo Bills.  What you might not know is that his stats are pretty good when looked at on paper.

He is throwing for over 1,200 yards while throwing a 65.7 completion percentage.  He has thrown 10 touchdowns to four interceptions and is currently leading a Buffalo team that is 4-1 overall.  

The rest of the team is playing with a renewed sense of swagger, and it is showing in all facets of the game. The defense has picked up, receivers are running sharper routes and the line is giving Fitzpatrick more time in the pocket to get the ball out.  

One of the most unlikely of choices to put at starting quarterback has paid dividends for the organization, and it looks like the Buffalo Bills are poised to make an impact this coming postseason.