The 2014 NFL season is finally upon us, and if there's anything we've learned in the last several years it's that the play of your quarterback will likely determine your team’s fate. The rules of the league have evolved to the degree where you can barely touch the quarterback or the wide receivers, which in turn means that those guys' ability to execute on offense determines more often than not whether their team wins or loses the game.
But not all quarterbacks are created equal. For some like Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers, running a high-powered offense is practically second nature. For guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick or Geno Smith, it's not quite so simple. After all, there's a reason that Manning, Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and others find themselves deep in the playoffs every season, whereas guys like Fitzpatrick and Smith have never sniffed anything close to that.
There's a wealth of young quarterback talent in the NFL right now as well, with young guns like Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck challenging the old guard for the distinction of being the best passers in the league. They may not quite be there yet, but there are plenty of Pro Bowlers in this group who you would be happy to have leading your team.
In an annual tradition, we are taking a look at the entire league and are Ranking Every Starting Quarterback in the NFL.