Is Joe Flacco the WORST non-rookie Starting QB in the NFL?

[JFried1029]

While I agree with all of you that Eli has NEVER been "elite" outside of the two post-season SB runs, which totalled a whopping eight games, I would bet big $ that those two playoff runs alone, combined with the decent "career numbers" will earn Eli a place in Canton ... I would literally be shocked if he doesn't make it in on his first ballot, let alone ever.

Believe me, I have no doubt that a guy like Tony Romo, who may never make it into the HOF, was an infinitely better QB than Eli, but so much of the perception of players, and especially of the HOF voting process is built up around media narratives and the like, and all of that said, you've got a site like FiveThirtyEight saying that Eli was "the most clutch playoff QB EVER" ahead of even Montana ... which is insane ... but that's what they say ... I have no real doubt Eli gets into Canton.

I wouldn't consider Romo to have been that great of a quarterback either. He had a penchant for being very un-clutch. He tended to turn the ball over at the most inopportune times.

[palantri]

you have to take into account also, that the football hall of fame doesnt have quite the prestige of some of the other hall of fames- because they let so many people in. i have taken to calling it the hall of very good. Eli will get in because he is very good. To me, a hall of fame should be the iconic players of each era- I wouldnt put Eli in that category, nor would I consider many of the other hall of famers to truly be worthy of that level of recognition

but hey- just one guy's opinion!

Ed

[JFried1029]

you have to take into account also, that the football hall of fame doesnt have quite the prestige of some of the other hall of fames- because they let so many people in. i have taken to calling it the hall of very good. Eli will get in because he is very good. To me, a hall of fame should be the iconic players of each era- I wouldnt put Eli in that category, nor would I consider many of the other hall of famers to truly be worthy of that level of recognition

but hey- just one guy's opinion!

Ed

Ed- You raise an interesting point. One of the things I have never liked about the Pro Football hall of fame is that there is a minimum number of new inductees every year- whether there are that many worthwhile candidates or not.

[Jameis1of1]

Ed- You raise an interesting point. One of the things I have never liked about the Pro Football hall of fame is that there is a minimum number of new inductees every year- whether there are that many worthwhile candidates or not.

I'm not sure any of the HOF's are all that exclusive ... to me there should be tiers in the HOF ... in a way there already are ... the "first ballot" guys are on another level than the 2nd, 3rd and vet ballot guys ... but, like I said, I have a feeling Eli will be a 1st ballot guy and that doesn't feel right ... to think he will be on the same level as Montana ... wow

[Rabs]

Yeah I know Eli had some good Giants teams with him and that's what helped him get two rings. And credit to him not playing badly in those two games against the Pats. But his two rings are what will help him get into the HOF not his overall pedigree.

I can't believe he has two rings when so many better QBs have 1 or even 0. Rodgers only has one ring and he is so far ahead of Eli it's ridiculous. Even Peyton who was way better barely got two rings!

[JFried1029]

Yeah I know Eli had some good Giants teams with him and that's what helped him get two rings. And credit to him not playing badly in those two games against the Pats. But his two rings are what will help him get into the HOF not his overall pedigree.

I can't believe he has two rings when so many better QBs have 1 or even 0. Rodgers only has one ring and he is so far ahead of Eli it's ridiculous. Even Peyton who was way better barely got two rings!

Rabs- To your point, Marino retired with no rings and I don't think there is a sane person who would put Eli in the same league as Marino. This speaks to Jameis1of1's point that it's a team game.

[Rabs]

Rabs- To your point, Marino retired with no rings and I don't think there is a sane person who would put Eli in the same league as Marino. This speaks to Jameis1of1's point that it's a team game.

Oh yeah Marino is a great example. I think many people would say Eli is the 3rd best QB from his own draft class.

[Jameis1of1]

Honestly, I think rings mean next to nothing when evaluating individual greatness ... people understand that for every other position except QB which is silly ... no one cares that Barry Sanders, Dick Butkus, Randy Moss, etc., never won a ring as they recognize those players were either the greatest or second greatest players of all-time at their positions even though they never experienced the ultimate TEAM success ... but for same absurd reason people view QBs differently. Tom Brady is not in Marino's class as a QB and that's pretty obvious, yet because Brady experienced the ultimate TEAM success FIVE times and Marino never experienced it once, people consider Brady the GOAT ... it's all rather silly.

[JWinn]

I think it's Jay Cutler, and thank my lucky stars I never put a whole lot of money into his cards.

And I've felt this way for a while now.

He's not a bad qb on paper. He's got the talent, and the arm. At least he used to.

But he doesn't care. He simply doesn't care about a play, a game, or the team. It's simply a job to him, and one he doesn't seem to really like doing.

Just do the job, collect the check, and go home. Thats Jay Cutler.

Even Kyle Orton gave a rats A** and put in the effort to try to win.

I'd rather have any of the other guys discussed here over Cutler. At least they TRY to win football games. Well, maybe not Johhny Football, but that's a pretty close tie.

[pwaldo]

I think many people would say Eli is the 3rd best QB from his own draft class.

He's also the 3rd best QB from his family....