Peyton Manning ranks his top five NFL quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow headline list

Peyton Manning is a Hall of Fame quarterback, and he's also pretty good when it comes to ranking the best current players at his old position.

Speaking at Fanatics Fest, Manning was asked to name his top five quarterbacks currently in the NFL . In order, here's a rundown of Manning's picks and what he said about each quarterback.

Patrick Mahomes KC • QB • #15 CMP% 67.2 YDs 4183 TD 27 INT 14 YD/Att 7.01 View Profile

Manning's take: "Quarterbacks need to be coached hard. Andy Reid coaches Patrick Mahomes hard. That's good for Patrick, but that's bad for NFL defenses."

Joe Burrow CIN • QB • #9 CMP% 66.8 YDs 2309 TD 15 INT 6 YD/Att 6.33 View Profile

Manning's take: "I'm a big fan of Joe Burrow . Glad to see him back healthy. I like the way he carries himself. I like his demeanor out there. He doesn't sweat. He doesn't flinch. He's just kind of calm and cool the whole time."

Justin Herbert LAC • QB • #10 CMP% 65.1 YDs 3134 TD 20 INT 7 YD/Att 6.87 View Profile

Manning's take: "This Justin Herbert is as talented as anybody. He can throw it a mile. The Broncos ' division is gonna be tough."

Lamar Jackson BAL • QB • #8 CMP% 67.2 YDs 3678 TD 24 INT 7 YD/Att 8.05 View Profile

Manning's take: " Lamar Jackson does things that just don't seem possible with the football in his hands. He makes throws, he runs, and he protects himself too. I never could run, so I never had that problem."

Josh Allen BUF • QB • #17 CMP% 66.5 YDs 4306 TD 29 INT 18 YD/Att 7.44 View Profile

Manning's take: " Josh Allen is a total stud. Tough. I saw him this summer. He is so motivated to bring a championship to Buffalo."

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It's hard to argue against Manning's list. Mahomes has already put together a career that is bound for Canton, Ohio. Burrow, when healthy, has proven to be one of the NFL's top quarterbacks. Herbert actually broke Manning's record for the most passing yards in NFL history through four seasons. Jackson is a two-time league MVP. Allen has been one of the NFL's most productive quarterbacks since 2019, his second season in Buffalo.

But with every list, there are notable names who did not make the cut, such as Cowboys ' Dak Prescott , Texans ' C.J. Stroud , 49ers ' Brock Purdy and Packers ' Jordan Love . It'll be interesting to see if any of these quarterbacks does enough this year to warrant consideration if Manning is asked the same question this time next year.