The debate to end all debates: Eli Manning, Big Ben, Philip Rivers….. who is the best?

FINAL THOUGHT

Nov 30, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is pressured by New Orleans Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis (28) during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

It sounds like a cliche, but there are no losers here. Manning, Rivers, and Roethlisberger are all elite quarterbacks that are sure to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Before doing my research, I went into this article with an idea how I would rank the three. I have never told my friends this but my first knee-jerk rankings would have had Ben Roethlisberger as the best among the three, followed by Eli Manning, and then Philip Rivers. There I said it, are you all happy now!? I mean how could I rank Rivers ahead of any of the other two when he does not have the one thing that defines a players’ legacy, a Super Bowl ring? But after all of the data I collected, I came to a somewhat different conclusion.

Ben Roethlisberger is the best quarterback among the three. He has shown a consistent success in both the regular season and the playoffs as well. He has the same number of Super Bowl victories as Eli Manning, and his numbers are extremely comparable to Philip Rivers. The only knock on him is his ability to stay on the field.

I had every intention to slot Eli Manning behind Roethlisberger before I wrote this article. However,

Nov 15, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning before the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

after looking at his numbers, there was no way I can justify that simply because he has 2 Super Bowl wins on his resume. This is not taking anything away from Manning, he is a real good quarterback. But to state that Eli Manning is a better quarterback than Rivers for the sole reason that he has 2 championships is extremely irresponsible. Manning has lead the NY Giants to 4 losing seasons throughout his career while being extremely inconsistent. When Eli is on, he is one of the best. That is what happened in 2007 and 2011. Manning went on such a hot streak that no one could have taken him down. However, outside of those 2 years, Eli’s performance has been controversial to say the least. As a Chargers fan, I can honestly say I would take Eli Manning’s Super Bowl rings over Rivers’ numbers. But that doesn’t change the fact that Philip Rivers is the better quarterback of the two.

Philip Rivers is highly underrated. The main reason for this is because he doesn’t play in a big market like Big Ben or Eli so he goes unnoticed. I am a Chargers fan and I was still amazed by everything Rivers has accomplished. He is really one of the best regular season quarterback out there. His per game/ per season statistics trump Manning and Roethlisberger. And while it is true he has had no success in the playoffs, his postseason numbers are nearly identical to Ben

Dec 20, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) waves to the fans after the Chargers beat the Miami Dolphins 30-14 at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Roethlisberger. Rivers career is not over yet. He still has a good 4-5 years left in him to pull a John Elway and win a championship in his twilight years. If he is able to accomplish such a feat, not even Giants fans would then argue who is the better among the two. But for now, both are still looking up to the real king, Ben Roethlisberger.