PTF 2007 QUARTERBACK ROOM POWER RANKINGS
Who has the best QB room when the starter matters most — but the backup still counts?
HOW THE RANKINGS WORK
This ranking uses the refreshed custom NOVR calculations for quarterbacks and the current 2007 Fit The System roster page to place each QB on his current team.
QB Room Score = 80% QB1 + 20% QB2
QB1 therefore matters four times as much as QB2. The backup matters enough to reward real depth, but a great starter still drives the ranking.
League-average QB-room score: 85.64
THE FULL LEAGUE QB ROOM POWER RANKING
1. Titans — 95.40 — QB1: Daunte Culpepper 99 | QB2: Sage Rosenfels 81
2. Vikings — 93.80 — QB1: Peyton Manning 95 | QB2: Steve McNair 89
3. Cowboys — 93.60 — QB1: Drew Brees 95 | QB2: J.P. Losman 88
T4. Falcons — 92.80 — QB1: Michael Vick 99 | QB2: Troy Smith 68
T4. Lions — 92.80 — QB1: Donovan McNabb 94 | QB2: Doug Johnson 88
6. Saints — 90.00 — QB1: Ben Roethlisbergr 91 | QB2: Brian Griese 86
7. Patriots — 89.00 — QB1: Tom Brady 95 | QB2: Brad Smith 65
T8. Rams — 88.40 — QB1: Marc Bulger 89 | QB2: Jim Sorgi 86
T8. Steelers — 88.40 — QB1: Luke McCown 92 | QB2: Josh McCown 74
10. Eagles — 88.00 — QB1: Gibran Hamdan 91 | QB2: John Navarre 76
11. Cardinals — 87.60 — QB1: Chad Pennington 91 | QB2: Kyle Orton 74
12. Colts — 87.40 — QB1: Chris Simms 90 | QB2: Matt Mauck 77
13. 49ers — 87.20 — QB1: Brooks Bollinger 89 | QB2: A.J. Feeley 80
T14. Ravens — 86.80 — QB1: Cody Pickett 88 | QB2: Shaun King 82
T14. Seahawks — 86.80 — QB1: Matt Hasselbeck 90 | QB2: Trent Edwards 74
16. Chiefs — 86.60 — QB1: Byron Leftwich 90 | QB2: Jake Hammond 73
17. Bears — 85.80 — QB1: Aaron Rodgers 86 | QB2: Craig Krenzel 85
18. Bengals — 85.40 — QB1: Carson Palmer 90 | QB2: Jordan Palmer 67
19. Chargers — 85.20 — QB1: Eli Manning 90 | QB2: JaMarcus Russell 66
T20. Jets — 84.80 — QB1: Alex Smith 88 | QB2: Matt Moore 72
T20. Bills — 84.80 — QB1: Tim Rattay 85 | QB2: Kyle Boller 84
T20. Raiders — 84.80 — QB1: Ty Branyon 86 | QB2: Brodie Croyle 80
23. Dolphins — 84.60 — QB1: Rex Grossman 88 | QB2: Charlie Frye 71
24. Giants — 82.60 — QB1: Tony Romo 84 | QB2: Patrick Ramsey 77
25. Packers — 82.20 — QB1: Dave Ragone 85 | QB2: Matt Leinart 71
26. Buccaneers — 81.00 — QB1: Derek Anderson 84 | QB2: Dan Orlovsky 69
27. Redskins — 80.80 — QB1: David Garrard 87 | QB2: Jeff Rowe 56
28. Broncos — 80.00 — QB1: Vince Young 83 | QB2: James Kilian 68
29. Texans — 79.00 — QB1: Philip Rivers 84 | QB2: Ingle Martin 59
30. Panthers — 78.60 — QB1: Andrew Walter 81 | QB2: Andy Hall 69
31. Jaguars — 74.40 — QB1: Jay Cutler 76 | QB2: Casey Bramlet 68
32. Browns — 72.00 — QB1: David Greene 74 | QB2: Tyler Palko 64
The two-QB formula puts Tennessee at #1. Daunte Culpepper’s 99 has enough weight to overcome Minnesota’s superior backup situation. Peyton Manning and Steve McNair make the Vikings arguably the safest room in the league, but the formula is doing what it should: the starter drives the result.
Dallas and Detroit remain outstanding because they combine elite QB1 play with backup quarterbacks who would be credible starters elsewhere. Atlanta also rises because Michael Vick’s 99 is no longer being diluted by a low-rated QB3.
THE BEST QUARTERBACKS IN PTF
1. Michael Vick, Falcons — 99 — Age 27
2. Daunte Culpepper, Titans — 99 — Age 30
3. Drew Brees, Cowboys — 95 — Age 28
4. Tom Brady, Patriots — 95 — Age 30
5. Peyton Manning, Vikings — 95 — Age 31
6. Donovan McNabb, Lions — 94 — Age 31
7. Luke McCown, Steelers — 92 — Age 26
8. Gibran Hamdan, Eagles — 91 — Age 26
9. Ben Roethlisbergr, Saints — 91 — Age 28
10. Chad Pennington, Cardinals — 91 — Age 31
11. Byron Leftwich, Chiefs — 90 — Age 25
12. Carson Palmer, Bengals — 90 — Age 25
13. Chris Simms, Colts — 90 — Age 26
14. Eli Manning, Chargers — 90 — Age 27
15. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks — 90 — Age 32
16. Brooks Bollinger, 49ers — 89 — Age 27
17. Marc Bulger, Rams — 89 — Age 30
18. Steve McNair, Vikings — 89 — Age 34
19. Alex Smith, Jets — 88 — Age 24
20. Cody Pickett, Ravens — 88 — Age 24
21. J.P. Losman, Cowboys — 88 — Age 25
22. Rex Grossman, Dolphins — 88 — Age 26
23. Doug Johnson, Lions — 88 — Age 30
Only Michael Vick and Daunte Culpepper reach 99. Behind them, Brees, Brady and Peyton Manning form a distinct 95 tier. The top of the QB scale is much less compressed than the WR scale.
THE BEST BACKUP QUARTERBACKS
1. Steve McNair, Vikings — 89 — Age 34
2. J.P. Losman, Cowboys — 88 — Age 25
3. Doug Johnson, Lions — 88 — Age 30
4. Jim Sorgi, Rams — 86 — Age 26
5. Brian Griese, Saints — 86 — Age 32
6. Craig Krenzel, Bears — 85 — Age 25
7. Kyle Boller, Bills — 84 — Age 25
8. Shaun King, Ravens — 82 — Age 30
9. Sage Rosenfels, Titans — 81 — Age 29
10. Brodie Croyle, Raiders — 80 — Age 24
11. A.J. Feeley, 49ers — 80 — Age 30
12. Matt Mauck, Colts — 77 — Age 25
13. Patrick Ramsey, Giants — 77 — Age 28
14. John Navarre, Eagles — 76 — Age 26
15. Trent Edwards, Seahawks — 74 — Age 24
Minnesota owns the best QB2 in the league with Steve McNair at 89. Dallas and Detroit are right behind with J.P. Losman and Doug Johnson at 88. These are the teams best equipped to survive an injury without their entire offense collapsing.
THE NEXT GENERATION — BEST QBs AGE 25 OR YOUNGER
1. Byron Leftwich, Chiefs — 90 — Age 25
2. Carson Palmer, Bengals — 90 — Age 25
3. Alex Smith, Jets — 88 — Age 24
4. Cody Pickett, Ravens — 88 — Age 24
5. J.P. Losman, Cowboys — 88 — Age 25
6. Aaron Rodgers, Bears — 86 — Age 25
7. Craig Krenzel, Bears — 85 — Age 25
8. Kyle Boller, Bills — 84 — Age 25
9. Philip Rivers, Texans — 84 — Age 25
10. Tony Romo, Giants — 84 — Age 25
11. Vince Young, Broncos — 83 — Age 24
12. Andrew Walter, Panthers — 81 — Age 24
13. Brodie Croyle, Raiders — 80 — Age 24
14. Matt Mauck, Colts — 77 — Age 25
15. Jay Cutler, Jaguars — 76 — Age 24
16. Trent Edwards, Seahawks — 74 — Age 24
17. David Greene, Browns — 74 — Age 25
18. Jason Campbell, Seahawks — 74 — Age 25
19. Drew Stanton, Cowboys — 73 — Age 23
20. Matt Moore, Jets — 72 — Age 23
Carson Palmer and Byron Leftwich are already 90-rated quarterbacks at only 25. Alex Smith and Cody Pickett are especially interesting because both are only 24 and already sit at 88 NOVR.
THE BEST YOUNG QB SITUATIONS
Cowboys
Drew Brees is already elite at 28/95, while J.P. Losman is only 25/88. Dallas can win now and still has a young succession or trade asset behind its starter.
Bears
Aaron Rodgers is 25/86 and Craig Krenzel is 25/85. No other room has such a tiny gap between two quarterbacks who are both still 25 or younger.
Ravens
Cody Pickett is only 24 and already 88 NOVR. Shaun King at 30/82 gives Baltimore a reliable veteran QB2 without affecting the ranking with a developmental QB3.
Bengals
Carson Palmer is 25/90, one of the best young starters in the league. The room ranks lower because Jordan Palmer is only 67, but QB1 is a franchise-level building block.
Jets
Alex Smith is 24/88 and Matt Moore is 23/72. The Jets have a young starter plus a young backup worth developing.
Broncos
Vince Young is 24/83 with 25-year-old James Kilian at 68. Denver is not elite today, but its top two QBs are both young.
Texans
Philip Rivers is 25/84. The backup situation is weak, but Houston has a young QB1 with clear long-term value.
DIVISION-BY-DIVISION BREAKDOWN
AFC EAST
1. Patriots — 89.00 — League 7 — Tom Brady 95 / Brad Smith 65
2. Jets — 84.80 — League T20 — Alex Smith 88 / Matt Moore 72
3. Bills — 84.80 — League T20 — Tim Rattay 85 / Kyle Boller 84
4. Dolphins — 84.60 — League 23 — Rex Grossman 88 / Charlie Frye 71
New England still owns the division’s best room because Brady’s 95 overwhelms the weak backup score. Buffalo is the opposite profile: Tim Rattay is only 85, but Kyle Boller at 84 gives the Bills almost no drop to QB2. The Jets have the most attractive young pairing with Alex Smith and Matt Moore.
AFC NORTH
1. Steelers — 88.40 — League T8 — Luke McCown 92 / Josh McCown 74
2. Ravens — 86.80 — League T14 — Cody Pickett 88 / Shaun King 82
3. Bengals — 85.40 — League 18 — Carson Palmer 90 / Jordan Palmer 67
4. Browns — 72.00 — League 32 — David Greene 74 / Tyler Palko 64
Pittsburgh leads behind Luke McCown’s 92. Baltimore is close behind with one of the division’s best-balanced top-two combinations: Cody Pickett 88 and Shaun King 82. Cincinnati has the best young individual starter in Carson Palmer, but its QB2 is much weaker. Cleveland remains the clear problem room.
AFC SOUTH
1. Titans — 95.40 — League 1 — Daunte Culpepper 99 / Sage Rosenfels 81
2. Colts — 87.40 — League 12 — Chris Simms 90 / Matt Mauck 77
3. Texans — 79.00 — League 29 — Philip Rivers 84 / Ingle Martin 59
4. Jaguars — 74.40 — League 31 — Jay Cutler 76 / Casey Bramlet 68
Tennessee dominates the division with Culpepper 99 and Rosenfels 81. Indianapolis is solid with Simms and Mauck. Houston and Jacksonville are developmental situations built around young starters Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler.
AFC WEST
1. Chiefs — 86.60 — League 16 — Byron Leftwich 90 / Jake Hammond 73
2. Chargers — 85.20 — League 19 — Eli Manning 90 / JaMarcus Russell 66
3. Raiders — 84.80 — League T20 — Ty Branyon 86 / Brodie Croyle 80
4. Broncos — 80.00 — League 28 — Vince Young 83 / James Kilian 68
Kansas City narrowly leads behind Byron Leftwich 90. San Diego is close with Eli Manning 90 but a weaker backup. Oakland’s 86/80 pairing is quietly solid, while Denver is younger but not yet as strong.
NFC EAST
1. Cowboys — 93.60 — League 3 — Drew Brees 95 / J.P. Losman 88
2. Eagles — 88.00 — League 10 — Gibran Hamdan 91 / John Navarre 76
3. Giants — 82.60 — League 24 — Tony Romo 84 / Patrick Ramsey 77
4. Redskins — 80.80 — League 27 — David Garrard 87 / Jeff Rowe 56
Dallas is the class of the division and one of the best rooms in the league: Brees 95 backed by Losman 88. Philadelphia has a strong starter in Hamdan 91. The Giants and Redskins are both much more dependent on QB1.
NFC NORTH
1. Vikings — 93.80 — League 2 — Peyton Manning 95 / Steve McNair 89
2. Lions — 92.80 — League T4 — Donovan McNabb 94 / Doug Johnson 88
3. Bears — 85.80 — League 17 — Aaron Rodgers 86 / Craig Krenzel 85
4. Packers — 82.20 — League 25 — Dave Ragone 85 / Matt Leinart 71
The NFC North is the strongest QB division. Minnesota has Peyton/McNair, Detroit has McNabb/Doug Johnson, and Chicago has the incredibly tight Rodgers/Krenzel pairing. Even Green Bay’s 85/71 room is not disastrous.
NFC SOUTH
1. Falcons — 92.80 — League T4 — Michael Vick 99 / Troy Smith 68
2. Saints — 90.00 — League 6 — Ben Roethlisbergr 91 / Brian Griese 86
3. Buccaneers — 81.00 — League 26 — Derek Anderson 84 / Dan Orlovsky 69
4. Panthers — 78.60 — League 30 — Andrew Walter 81 / Andy Hall 69
Atlanta and New Orleans give this division two top-six rooms. Vick’s 99 drives the Falcons, while New Orleans has the deeper top-two combination with Roethlisbergr 91 and Griese 86. Tampa Bay and Carolina are well behind.
NFC WEST
1. Rams — 88.40 — League T8 — Marc Bulger 89 / Jim Sorgi 86
2. Cardinals — 87.60 — League 11 — Chad Pennington 91 / Kyle Orton 74
3. 49ers — 87.20 — League 13 — Brooks Bollinger 89 / A.J. Feeley 80
4. Seahawks — 86.80 — League T14 — Matt Hasselbeck 90 / Trent Edwards 74
This is the deepest division from top to bottom. Rams, Cardinals, 49ers and Seahawks are all between 86.8 and 88.4. There is no superstar 95+ QB1, but there is also no weak QB room.
DIVISION STRENGTH RANKING
1. NFC NORTH — 88.65
2. NFC WEST — 87.50
3. NFC EAST — 86.25
4. AFC EAST — 85.80
5. NFC SOUTH — 85.60
6. AFC WEST — 84.15
7. AFC SOUTH — 84.05
8. AFC NORTH — 83.15
The NFC North remains #1 because Minnesota and Detroit are both elite and Chicago has outstanding two-QB depth. The NFC West moves into a very strong second because all four teams have respectable QB1/QB2 combinations. The AFC North is dragged down heavily by Cleveland.
WHAT SHOULD GMs VALUE?
1. QB1 should dominate the decision. That is why the formula is now 80/20. A 99 starter should matter far more than whether QB3 is 50 or 70.
2. QB2 still matters. Minnesota, Dallas and Detroit are protected by backups who could start for many teams. That has real roster value.
3. Do not overpay for QB3 in this model. QB3 has zero effect on the ranking because many teams rarely need a third quarterback.
4. Young starter quality is more important than young room depth. Palmer, Leftwich, Smith and Pickett already give their teams viable young QB1s. That matters far more than having three mediocre young quarterbacks.
5. Backup value is most important when the drop from QB1 is small. Chicago, Buffalo, Dallas and Detroit can change quarterbacks without a catastrophic NOVR collapse.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Removing QB3 makes the ranking more realistic. The position is fundamentally about the starter, and the new formula reflects that.
Tennessee is #1 because Daunte Culpepper’s 99 carries 80% of the score. Minnesota is still arguably the safest room because Peyton Manning 95 is backed by the league’s best QB2 in Steve McNair 89. Dallas and Detroit combine elite starters with elite backup quality, while Atlanta demonstrates how far a 99 QB1 can carry a room even with a much weaker QB2.
Baltimore lands T#14 at 86.80. Cody Pickett 88 is already a strong young starter, and Shaun King 82 gives the Ravens above-average insurance. Kevin Kolb is still useful developmentally, but he no longer affects the room ranking — which is appropriate for a QB3.
ONE IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT QB NOVR
Unlike the WR formula, the QB NOVR distribution still looks healthy.
15 QBs are 90+
5 are 95+
2 are 99
Average NOVR: 73.44
Median NOVR: 73
That creates a clear ladder from elite QBs to strong starters, normal starters, backups and developmental players. The individual ordering can always be debated, but the scale itself does not show the same top-end compression problem as WR.
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