Niner Noise
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NFL quarterback tiers, 2018: Ranking each team’s starter by category

By Peter Panacy

FOXBORO, MA - NOVEMBER 03: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers greets Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots following the game at Gillette Stadium on November 3, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - NOVEMBER 03: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers greets Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots following the game at Gillette Stadium on November 3, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots reacts after winning the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots reacts after winning the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

Franchise-Caliber Quarterbacks

Tom Brady (Patriots), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Drew Brees (Saints)

These are your elite names… the best of the best.

Tom Brady is on the verge of his sixth Super Bowl ring. And at 40 years old, he’s perhaps playing the best football of his already storied NFL career. If you want the definition of franchise elite, he’s it.

The Green Bay Packers’ fortunes this year would have been much different with Aaron Rodgers not suffering a broken collarbone, which ultimately led to a 7-9 finish. With Rodgers healthy, the Packers are a perennial playoff contender. Without him, they’re little better than a middle-of-the-pack squad.

One could argue the Pittsburgh Steelers would have faced the Pats in the AFC Championship game had they had better game management. Their 45-42 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars wasn’t on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulders at all. He was excellent. And those kinds of performances are why he owns two Super Bowl rings and has made the Pro Bowl six times.

If there was a quarterback on the fringe of this list, it’s the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees.

For years, Brees was the Saints. But the 2017 story was more about how both the running game and defense found strides. Still, Brees managed to blow out the competition with an NFL-leading 72.0 completion percentage.

If that’s not elite, I don’t know what is.