Who is the best starting quarterback in the NFL? What makes an elite quarterback?

Most NFL fans know the answer to the first question. The second question, however, is the source of endless talking head debates. After Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, nobody is necessarily safe depending on who you ask. Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson are just a few that get put up against that test.

Sporting News ranked the starting quarterbacks from 1-32 for the 2017 season, and we used several different guidelines.

We looked at last year's stats and career stats. We factored in win-loss records, winning percentages and playoff victories. We did some head-to-head arguments. Finally, we propped every quarterback up against the Flacco scale in honor of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who is the flashpoint for those "elite" debates. Quarterbacks who scored four or more "Flaccos" are in that elite discussion.