I love tournaments. You love tournaments. I love football. You love football. I think quarterbacks are important. You think…okay you get the picture.

But who’s the best quarterback in the NFL? And not just “the best (Peyton Manning),” but who would you want for your franchise’s future, starting right now. Contracts versus contracts. Potential versus previous success. It’s all so exciting.

We’ll look at the primary QBs for each of the 32 NFL teams, going forward this season, but with some common sense. Tim Tebow is likely not the starter in Denver next year. Just like Shaun Hill and Jon Kitna aren’t the starters for Detroit and Dallas. And for Tennessee, why not go with Rusty Smith (besides the obvious fact being that he’s terrible)? In the curious case of the Carolina Panthers, who are starting a fresh pile of manure every week at QB, let’s just go with Jimmy Clausen for the heck of it (sorry Keith Null). And for Minnesota, are you convinced that Brett Favre isn’t coming back?

Each quarterback will be seeded 1-8, in four different regions with the seeding being based upon their team’s current record in the NFL. So with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Baltimore Ravens (we’re going to alphabetical in instances of tied records because figuring out the tiebreaking scenario between 7 teams for the sake of a blog post, isn’t exactly a wise use of time) being our top 4 teams, Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez, Tom Brady, and Joe Flacco get our number one seeds. And so on, and so forth. Each region will be named for a great QB of the past. Analysis where necessary.

Round 1
Steve Young Region
1.) Matt Ryan (ATL)
vs.
8.) Jimmy Clausen (CAR)
Matt Ryan wins this easily. Nothing I’ve seen from Clausen in his rookie year lends itself to future success. Meanwhile, Ryan is quickly evolving into a top 7 QB.

4.) Matt Cassel (KCC)
vs.
5.) Donovan McNabb (WAS)
Cassel wins because of youth and because he seems to be evolving into a better QB, while McNabb just exists.

3.) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
vs.
6.) Colt McCoy (CLE)
I really think this is closer than I ever would have expected. Roethlisberger makes big money (12 million per). McCoy makes little money ($1.25 million per). It’s hard to believe, but Big Ben is only 4 years older than Colt. Big Ben has also won 2 Super Bowls. But Big Ben is also one misstep away from a year long suspension. Meanwhile, McCoy has shown flashes of near-brilliance in his rookie campaign. Call me crazy, but for my franchise’s future, I’m taking Colt McCoy.

2.) Jay Cutler (CHI)
vs.
7.) Troy Smith (SFO)
Jay Cutler, as mistake prone as he is, gets a good draw here and advances.

John Elway Region
1.) Mark Sanchez (NYJ)
vs.
8.) Matthew Stafford (DET)
I think Stafford is the better QB, but Stafford has also shown himself to be less than durable. Meanwhile, Sanchez is a winner and he’s healthy. And a little cheaper. And more marketable. Tough break for Stafford, drawing Sanchez.

4.) Eli Manning (NYG)
vs.
5.) Rusty Smith (TEN)
If there’s a bigger mismatch on here, Lord help us. Rusty Smith was an inferior college QB. He lacked the tools necessary to be elite at Florida Atlantic. Why an NFL team drafted him, I’ll never know. How he’s starting for an NFL team as a rookie, I don’t want to know.

3.) Josh Freeman (TBB)
vs.
6.) Derek Anderson (ARI)
You see that bandwagon driving by with Josh Freeman’s face on it? I’m driving.

2.) Aaron Rodgers (GBP)
vs.
7.) Brett Favre (MIN)
Funny how this draw happened. This is actually a pretty huge mismatch too, no offense to Rusty Smith.
Otto Graham Region
1.) Tom Brady (NEP)
vs.
8.) Carson Palmer (CIN)
Carson Palmer’s inflated numbers, put up in garbage time, aside, Tom Brady is and always will be, superior to Carson.

4.) Chad Henne (MIA)
vs.
5.) Matt Hasselbeck (SEA)
This is a can’t win matchup. In that it “can’t win” the next round. I’ll take Henne because of his youth.

3.) Peyton Manning (IND)
vs.
6.) Sam Bradford (STL)
Here is the most fascinating matchup of Round 1. Two #1 overall QBs. One is 34 years old. The other is 23 years old. One has won a Super Bowl, multiple MVPs, and is widely regarded as the best QB of this generation, or perhaps any. The other is a rookie, throwing to guys whose wives don’t recognize them on the street. And yet he’s still on pace for 3500 yards passing and 20+ TDs, while keeping his INTs down. The other guy threw 28 INTs in his rookie season. Look, I’m going to level with you here. Manning, today, is a much better QB than Sam Bradford is. But is he necessarily always going to be better than Bradford ever could be? What this boils down to is Peyton Manning for the next 4 or 5 years or Sam Bradford for the next 14 or 15. I want Bradford. A franchise quarterback is terribly valuable. Especially one as marketable as Sam. Especially one as smart as Sam. Sounds a lot like Peyton, no? I almost feel bad not taking Manning, but his career isn’t going to last forever. Bradford’s potential is limitless.

2.) Drew Brees (NOS)
vs.
7.) Kyle Orton (DEN)
This is far easier than the previous one.

Dan Marino Region
1.) Joe Flacco (BAL)
vs.
8.) Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF)
This is closer than you think. I’ll take Flacco for now.

4.) Jason Campbell (OAK)
vs.
5.) Phillip Rivers (SDG)
Moving on….

3.) David Garrard (JAX)
vs.
6.) Matt Schaub (HOU)
Moving on….

2.) Michael Vick (PHI)
vs.
7.) Tony Romo (DAL)
Another fascinating matchup and by far this region’s most interesting. Vick is 30. Romo is 30. Vick is due to make some serious change. Romo already makes serious change. Vick has been questioned his entire career. Romo has been questioned his entire career. Vick spent two years in prison for running a dogfighting ring out of his home. Tony Romo dated Jessica Simpson. Vick makes a living with his feet and can throw really well. Romo makes a living with his arm and can run pretty well. I’m going to take Romo as my franchise QB. He might not be “a winner,” but neither is Vick, frankly. I’m not sure how to market Vick. Reformed monster? Electric superstar who’s one strike away from career expulsion from the league and almost got there this summer? It’s a hornet’s nest. Vick might be the most exciting player in the league, but they don”t give trophies for that.

Round 2
Steve Young Region
1.) Matt Ryan
vs.
4.) Matt Cassel
In the battle of the Matt’s, the better one wins.

6.) Colt McCoy
vs.
2.) Jay Cutler
FoxSports.com says that Jay Cutler makes $22 million per season. I’ll take Colt McCoy.

John Elway Region
1.) Mark Sanchez
vs.
4.) Eli Manning
Funny how this worked out with the two New York QBs facing each other. If either of these two played in Kansas City or Seattle, they’d be regarded as elite QBs. Instead, the word “shaky” is used to describe them. And yes, at times, both can be shaky. Sanchez “suffers” from being super attractive. Because he’s so attractive, people will have a hard time taking him seriously as an NFL QB. Eli suffers from being Peyton’s younger, dopier looking brother. Because of that, people have a hard time taking him seriously. Both guys are paid quite a lot of money. I’m going with the younger guy and the guy who I like more: Sanchez. He has a moxie that Eli clearly lacks. Sanchez is funny and engaging and marketable. Eli sells rich people’s watches because he plays for the Giants and has a familiar last name. I also think Sanchez is ahead of Eli’s career curve at this point.

3.) Josh Freeman
vs.
2.) Aaron Rodgers
I love how far Josh Freeman has come along. But I am not insane.

Otto Graham Region
1.) Tom Brady
vs.
4.) Chad Henne
I’ve talked a lot about age here and made it the determining factor between two QBs who are close in potential vs. previous success. This is not one of those instances.

6.) Sam Bradford
vs.
2.) Drew Brees
I took Bradford because of his youth and near limitless potential against Peyton Manning. And here I am stuck with the same battle. Brees is three years younger than Peyton. But Peyton is a better QB than Brees. But this isn’t about Brees vs. Manning. It’s about Brees vs. Bradford. And I’m taking Brees. Barely. But I’m taking Brees because he’s the ideal face for an NFL franchise right now and for the next 8 years. He might not have Sam’s measureables. But he’s a franchise face right now; not in two or three years. It’s very close and Bradford is probably going to prove me wrong in 5 years. But today, Brees just edges him out.

Dan Marion Region
1.) Joe Flacco
vs.
5.) Phillip Rivers
This isn’t close at all. Rivers in a landslide. Flacco’s “potential” continues to decrease every game, seemingly. Rivers’ grows.

6.) Matt Schaub
vs.
7.) Tony Romo
Schaub is cheaper, but I’m not sure that he has ever spoken and he has never shown himself to be a winner. Romo has taken teams to the playoffs and Romo can lead a team. I refuse to believe that Romo is to blame for Dallas’ underachieving during his tenure as starting QB.

Round 3
Steve Young Region
1.) Matt Ryan
vs.
6.) Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy’s dream run had to come to a close some time. This was the time. I’ve been so impressed with Matt Ryan’s development. Once he starts consistently winning road games, he’ll catapult into the top 5 in the NFL. He has that much skill. McCoy may never be a top QB.

John Elway Region
1.) Mark Sanchez
vs.
2.) Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers has tools that few other QBs have. He’s mobile, nearly perfect in accuracy, vocal, but not too vocal, easy to root for, and not terribly expensive. Sanchez is going to be very good, but perhaps not elite like Rodgers is.

Otto Graham Region
1.) Tom Brady
vs.
2.) Drew Brees
By far the most difficult of these matchups. Brady has won 3 Super Bowls. Brees has won 1. Brees is two years younger than Brady. Both are already elite QBs and show no signs of letting that fade. I’m going to take Brady here. The previous knee injury worries me a little, but not much. The reason why I’m going with Brady is because he’s a proven, repeated winner. And he’s done it with awful teams. Not subpar. Awful. Antoine Smith? Deion Branch? Benjamin Watson? These are the guys that Brady has won with. Almost in spite of. This is no slight to Brees. He’s great. Brady, though, is an almost perfect QB. And perfection is hard to turn away from.

Dan Marino Region
5.) Phillip Rivers
vs.
7.) Tony Romo
Phillip Rivers hasn’t reached his full potential yet. That’s really scary.

Final Four
1.) Matt Ryan vs. 2.) Aaron Rodgers
At first, I thought that I should labor over this decision. I shouldn’t. Rodgers is only a year older and is much closer to reaching his full potential, which I think is greater than Ryan’s, ultimately. This really isn’t too difficult.

1.) Tom Brady vs. 5.) Phillip Rivers
This one is. Well, until you remember that Phillip Rivers’ career playoff record is 3-4 and he’s thrown more INTs than TDs. Brady is 14-4 in the postseason. And his TD/INT ratio? Nearly 2:1. Brady might be four years older, but I’m not totally stupid. Rivers has had a great season and put up historic numbers. But he’s not the winner that Tom Brady is. And who knows if he’ll ever get there.

Championship
2.) Aaron Rodgers vs. 1.) Tom Brady
Rodgers has started one career playoff game and threw for 4 TD and over 400 yards. He only threw one INT. He lost that game. So Brady has the better career postseason winning percentage. But Rodgers is 26 years old. He has at least a decade ahead of him, maybe more. Rodgers is already an elite QB in just his third season as a starter. He doesn’t make mistakes and throws for a ton of yards.4000 yards in your first season as a starter is wildly impressive. Rodgers did it. Just three years ago. Brady doesn’t need me to write any glowing words about him. He’s a surefire Hall of Famer, 5 years to the day of his retirement. He’s one of the five best QBs of all-time. But this is Aaron Rodgers’ time. And he may very well be in that top 5 with Brady some day. I’m willing to bet the future on it.

Champion
Aaron Rodgers