The game is constantly changing, which is apparent by the fact that five of the top eight quarterbacks all-time in passing yards are active and each has multiple years remaining.
Drew Brees eclipsed Peyton Manning to become the all-time leader with more than 72,000 yards passing. Tom Brady (No. 4), Eli Manning (sixth), Ben Roethlisberger (seventh) and Philip Rivers (eighth) also rank ahead of John Elway, who is ninth on the passing list.
But, right now, the only list that matters is this one. Here’s our Week 6 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings:
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1. Drew Brees, New Orleans: In recognition of being ranked No. 1 this week, we hereby award Mr. Brees a flimy paper certificate that will rip in half if his son sneezes while in the same room. (Last week: 1)
2. Tom Brady, New England: Brees breaks a record and Brady privately fumes. (2)
3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay: The Packers should never lose to Detroit. Oh, brother, the 49ers are going to pay the price on Monday night. (3)
4. Philip Rivers, L.A. Chargers: In games involving Bay Area QBs, Rivers has more victories than either of the Santa Clara or Oaktown guys. (5)
5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City: According to Andy Reid, he sounds like a frog. True, maybe. But the guy is a prince in K.C. (6)
6. Jared Goff, L.A. Rams: All attention is on the Rams until LeBron’s games count for real. (4)
7. Russell Wilson, Seattle: The Legion of Boom turns into the Legion of One. (8)
8. Matt Ryan, Atlanta: He absorbed six sacks and 11 hits against the Steelers to give Tampa Bay a blueprint for this week. (9)
9. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota: Was he worth the money? Have you seen Case Keenum lately? (11)
10. Matthew Stafford, Detroit: Yep, the same team that granted the 49ers their only victory is in the thick of things in the NFC North. (10)
11. Alex Smith, Washington: He’ll never lose a game. He’ll never win one, either. (7)
12. Cam Newton, Carolina: He struggled against the Giants but proved to be the best-blocking QB in the business when he leveled Vikings’ 272-pound Kareem Martin. (12)
13. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia: In his first three starts after returning from ACL surgery, he become the first player in Eagles history to complete 65 percent of his passes for 250 yards and one or fewer interception in three consecutive games. (15)
14. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati: The Bengals were flexed to Sunday night on Oct. 21 to replace the 49ers because of Dalton’s star power. And, maybe, Mahomes had a little do with it, too. (13)
15. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh: Big Ben finally dials up Antonio Brown for 101 yards and two TDs, and the Steelers are still hanging around while Le’Veon Bell remains MIA. (14)
16. Deshaun Watson, Houston: Returning from last year’s injury, Watson is tempting fate as he has been hit 55 times and sacked 18 times in five games. (16)
17. Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants: A controversy surrounding Odell Beckham, Eli Manning and Lil Wayne. Is there anything more New York than that? (17)
18. DEREK CARR, RAIDERS: Not that there’s ever a good time to throw an interception in the end zone, but a first-and-goal-from-the-1 situation certainly qualifies as a horrendous decision. (18)
19. Joe Flacco, Baltimore: By the end of the season, maybe there will be no shame in losing to the Browns. But, right now, there’s still shame. (19)
20. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis: Among those who have thrown 100 or more passes, Luck and rookie Josh Allen bring up the bottom with a measly 6.1 yards per pass attempt. (22)
21. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago: In the bye week, we continue to fixate on his six-TD performance and what the future holds. (20)
22. Dak Prescott, Dallas: It’s never a good sign for the QB when his coach appears to be the most likely for an in-season firing. (24)
23. Ryan Tannehill, Miami: If he keeps feasting on inferior competition, people will look past his failings against good teams . . . for a while. (25)
24. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland: He’s giving the Browns no reason to regret that No. 1 overall pick. (28)
25. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville: He might be the only person capable of stopping the Jags from a Super Bowl. (21)
26. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay: Coming off the bye week, he better show something or folks are going to cry for Fitz. (26)
27. Sam Darnold, N.Y. Jets: Showing some promise, but not even close to being there. (30)
28. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee: Hmmm. . . it’s hard to believe Chip Kelly did not groom a top-notch NFL QB. (23)
29. Case Keenum, Denver: He’s proving weekly that the Vikings made a wise decision. (29)
30. C.J. BEATHARD, 49ERS: Forget the number of passing yards, his job is simple -- take care of the dang football. (27)
31. Josh Rosen, Arizona: Here’s a piece of advice . . . do not stop completing passes even if your first throw goes for 75 yards and a TD. (31)
32. Josh Allen, Buffalo: If quarterback victories are a thing, does he really get credit for that 82-yard performance in win vs. Tennessee? (32)