Welcome to my sixth annual Quarterback Tiers survey. As “QB Tiers” makes its debut on The Athletic after five years at ESPN, a short primer is in order.



Fifty-five NFL coaches and executives contributed to the survey this year by placing all veteran starting quarterbacks into one of five tiers and then offering insights into their thinking.



Tier 1 is reserved for the best, while Tier 5 is so poor that no starters received a majority of votes in that tier this year.



Once ballots were in, I averaged the results to create a ranking. The Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers commanded 53 Tier 1 votes and two Tier 2 votes, creating a 1.04 average that narrowly landed him atop the rankings despite a tumultuous 2018 season, generating a rich, lively discussion among voters. By proceeding past this introduction, you’ll enjoy a front-row seat for some of the most candid discussions among those voters — not just for Rodgers, but for all...