Here's something that I was just thinking through when I was pondering football when I was growing up. The early to mid 90s was truly a bonanza as far as QBs went. From 1992-1994, we had no fewer than eight starting QBs who are/will be Hall of Famers: Elway, Montana, Marino, Young, Kelly, Aikman, Moon, and Favre. That means over one-fourth of the league had a Hall of Fame quarterback. In addition, there were several other very good QBs out there around the time--Phil Simms was just finishing a good career, Boomer Esiason was still around, Randall Cunningham was lighting things up in Philly, Drew Bledsoe had his Super Bowl year.

Compare this to today. The only two QBs that come to mind as no-brainer Hall of Famers are Brady and Manning. McNair's probably the next closest--I need to hear arguments for and against regarding him. McNabb has been up and down through his career, Carson Palmer's shown some flashes (didn't look good yesterday, though), Roethlisberger has a Super Bowl but has been inconsistent, jury will still be out on several young QBs (Cutler, Rivers, Young).

Anyone else get this feeling? If so, any thoughts as to the downgrade in quality?

maybe it's just a fluke? kind of like how the NFC dominated the league for many years...and now the opposite is true?

What's strange is that it seems the quality of WR's has dramatically jumped since then....you would think there might be a link between the two.

Free agency is a part of it, I do believe. I'll explain why later (I just woke up).

the system has become more important, or as important, as the person running it.

McNair can't see it. I would put him in the same class as a Trent Green. Although McNair had a few more years at the top of his game. A good QB but nothing that would deserve hall of fame recognition

Brady and Manning only ones deserving right now.

I really could see Vince Young having a chance.... he can win games by himself, but some decent receivers would go a looooooooong way in making him a better QB.

Carson Palmer...... nah, his receivers make him who he is, once a couple of them jet for their big payday, he'll be left standing looking like Chad Pennington.

do you know who carson palmer is?

The ridiculous PI rules and hamstringing of DB's have gone a long way in improving WR play.

QB's of this generation are soft mentally and they simply aren't as good. I think it's just cyclical like it is in the NBA with superstars, there were a lot better players back in the 80's and early 90's than there are now

you're right about the rules favoring WR's resulting in better stats for them...but you would think that would elevate QB play as well.

? I don't get it ?

One hypothesis I have is that QBs who are more mobile are having great success in the college game right now, but those skills don't import over well to the quicker, tougher defenses of the pros.

carson palmer is bigger, more athletic and has a better arm than pennington. even if is benefitting from good receivers, which is debatable, he has nothing in common w/ pennington besides his possition.

I guess that was taken too literally..... I'm just not sold on him being a HOF QB, obviously I can be wrong. I've been wrong several times (look up my comments on the sox / yankees over the course of the year). But then again I did call a no - hitter for buchholz the day before....

yeah i called that no hitter too

aside from manning and brady, id say palmer is in the next tier of qb's. he's got more to prove, but i dont think its out of the question that he could one day be a HOFer

The other big difference is Pennington has actually won playoff games.

I tend to disagree with you here, Rothlisberger is fairly mobile and makes a lot of throws on the move, Mcnabb has made a career out of it, Brady is extremely athletic in the pocket (watch him slide), Manning knows when to move to get out of the way, Farve dosen't take many big hits, Mike Vick made it to the NFC championship game and the playoffs a couple of times. Tony Romo has been very good of late...

The Mobile QB making a lot of throws out of the pocket as opposed to the statuesque QB (Drew Bledsoe) is the future. You can't play QB anymore unless you can move and evade the freakishly athletic new wave of DE's. See Byron Leftwich. (Yeah he just got signed by Atlanta but they suck dick and don't have a clue)

Offenses are less gimmiky because players are more on even footing athletically and in football intelligence in the NFL but I think mobility can't be anything but a plus at QB they just have to know when and how to use it and still be able to deliver the ball.

I meant more of being mobile as a dominant strength at expense of being a good pocket passer. Obviously, if you have both down you can be a good QB, but if you depend on your legs then you are going to get killed eventually in the pros.

true true, I just mistunderstood sorry.

Even some on the road...

Last time I checked didn't Palmer have his knee blown out in the only playoff game he appeared in?