Payton Manning: King of All Media
I think you are all well-aware of Payton's commercials, his SNL appearances, his body of work as an emcee, and all of his other major media conquests. I won't clutter this post with a ton of links (just one for Sprint), but I will acknowledge that I agree with the general opinion that he is one of the best. His comedic timing is spot on. Grade: A+
Terry Bradshaw: King of the Big Screen
No doubt Terry is a great actor and relatable personality. I like this recent ad for Fox Sports where he gives us a peek into a "world with no football" but the big screen is where he really showed his skills (see "Canon Ball Run" and "Smokey and the Bandit"). In these films, he held his own with Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise, to name just a couple Hollywood stars. Grade: A
Baker Mayfield: Better at Acting Than Throwing
I was a big fan of the "At Home With Baker Mayfield" campaign where he showed tremendous range from comical obliviousness to deep-seated earnestness, although I thought he over-acted a bit in the book club episode. If he can stay relevant in the NFL, he could become an all-time commercial MVP. Grade: A-
Patrick Mahomes: Up and Comer
Patrick is new to the game but he seems to be as comfortable in front of the lens as he is in the pocket. I give him high marks for his ability to conjure confused indignation as well as plausible deniability in these two recent spots for State Farm Insurance. Grade: B+
Aaron Rodgers: Solid as a Rock
Aaron has been in several long-running campaigns over the course of his career, from the early days of "discount double check" with Bears fans, to more recent State Farm ads about combining home and auto coverage. He's better than average and has a good shot to get into my "QB Acting Hall of Fame", but not likely on the first ballot. Grade: B
Tony Romo: Undercover Thespian
Tony was a great QB, he's currently a star analyst, and he's also a scratch golfer... but he's bad at acting. At least that is what I thought until a comprehensive review of the facts led me to change my mind. His performance in this spot as "Arts and Craftsy Tony Romo" is Oscar worthy. Damn guy is good at everything! Grade: B-
Joe Montana: Best Lines
Joe Cool is not a great actor; in fact, he's was down right folksy in some of his early roles (like this Schick spot), but it was noteworthy because he met and married his costar from the shoot. Joe's acting career has benefitted greatly from excellent writing like when he spoke humbly on behalf of NFL Network with only a couple lines, or when he spoke knowingly for AT&T with only three words addressing a room full of Heisman Trophy winners. Of course, in the all-time best Montana commercial for Tide, he speaks no lines and does no acting. Grade: B-
Joe Namath: The OG
The whole QB-acting thing started with a pantyhose ad when Joe Willie established himself as more than just an over-rated signal caller; he made it clear to the world that he was also one heck of a bad actor. Despite the poor acting, I think this iconic Noxema ad from my youth might represent the first time that the old "cast an attractive female" trick worked to interest me in a product. Grade: C+ (more for his historical importance in the ad game than for his emotive skills)
Jared Goffe: Most Surprising
Judging from on-field interviews, I never would have expected such dramatic chops from Goffe, but here he is on this Red Bull prank delivering such a performance that real-live people were fully engrossed. Bravo Goffe! Grade: C (needs a bigger body of work for a better grade)
Tom Brady: Better at Throwing Than Acting
Hate to say it, but it has to be said. His best work is good, as shown here in a Mobil One spot (with Gronk). Other work though, like this DailyMVP spot is mediocre, and this Footlocker spot is just bad. Unfortunately, despite a few shining moments, the bad work is too prevalent to give him a rave review. Grade: C- (could have been a "C" if he didn't advertise Uggs)
Eli Manning: Nope
Maybe I am judging Eli too harshly because his co-star in this Quaker Oats ad is also very bad, and because his brother Cooper is very bad in all of Eli's Ceasar's commercials. It's just unfortunate...nice guy though. Grade: D
I know, I know... I didn't rate everyone. Perhaps in the future I will comment on Favre (ok), Marino (bad), Staubach (good), Tebow (mixed), Brees (bad), and any other QBs that my imaginary readers will undoubtedly mention. Also happy to hear any contradictory thoughts or reminders of obvious omissions!
