I was deep into this project when ESPN Insider published Sam Monson’s piece highlighting Brady’s diminished production while under pressure. Monson questioned Brady’s status as one of the top five QBs. Still, none of the people I spoke with thought Brady had slipped to a significant degree. Twenty-five of the 26 voters put him in the first tier. The lone exception, a pro personnel evaluator, saved his only Tier 1 vote for Peyton Manning. He was an unusually tough grader at the top, focused more intently than others on the 2013 season, when Manning performed at a historic level.
Of course the main point here? All these rankings mean absolutely nothing. Brady’s still good, but on any given play or game he might not have the best outcome. Or maybe he will. That’s why sports are fun. Having everything and everyone ranked in a nice little box takes the fun out of it.
NFL – Anonymous league insiders rank 32 starting quarterbacks into tiers – ESPN
