NFL Quarterback Rumors: The Smartest (And Dumbest) QBs In The League [VIDEO]

The NFL isn't always the home to the smartest athletes in the world. Anyone who looks at the list of suspended players every week knows that, but there are some very intelligent players both on and off the field.

The most important position on the field is at quarterback as players need to have the sense to make smart plays when they're under center, but also need to carry themselves well off the gridiron. Those two elements don't always mix well and there are a number of smart QBs in the league, but also, and pardon us for being frank, there are some dumb players at the most vital position in the sport.

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49ers head coach Jim Tomsula recently praised quarterback Colin Kaepernick, saying he's a "very talented" athlete, but he also lauded his intelligence.

"He's a really smart guy, by the way," Tomsula said, according to ESPN. "He was an AP student in high school, very smart, and really impressive that way in meeting rooms."

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Here are three other quarterbacks who are also known for their brain on and off the gridiron

1) Tom Brady

Putting the Deflategate, Spygate and Headset gate stuff to bed for now, there is no arguing that Brady is one of the most intelligent quarterbacks on the field. The signal caller has four Super Bowl championships and a wealth of great stats to back that notion up. The Michigan graduate also overcame a lot of adversity to get to where he is.

2) Andrew Luck

Not only did the Colts quarterback fill the void of Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, but he's become one of the game's elite quarterbacks, showing great awareness and intelligence when he's on the field. If you don't think Luck is smart, consider that he is a graduate of Stanford after going to the school on an athletic scholarship. Among his many accomplishments at the school, Luck was a first-team All American and won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

3) Peyton Manning

The Broncos quarterback will undoubtedly be an NFL Hall of Famer one day and his sharp mind in the face of pressure on the gridiron has helped him become a 14-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion. Manning attended the University of Tennessee and finished his degree, a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication, in three years.

While these guys have all excelled on and off the field, here's a look at three quarterbacks that don't quite measure up in the brains department.

1) Jameis Winston

Winston had a rough start to his professional career last Sunday, but it's his off-field incidents at college that led him to become infamous before he ever took a snap in the NFL. The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner has gotten into trouble with the law for stealing crab legs, made vulgar comments in public that got him suspended for the first half of Florida State's season-opener last year, was caught in multiple shoplifting incidents and even had a sexual assault allegation levied against him.

2) Mark Sanchez

The former first-round pick of the Jets currently finds himself playing as a backup for the Eagles after many subpar performances and bone-headed plays on the field. Most noteworthy, of course, is the infamous Butt Fumble that took place on Thanksgiving in 2012 when the Jets took on the Patriots.

3) Eli Manning

Unfortunately, the Giants signal caller makes this list as we just can't forgive what transpired on Sunday against the Cowboys in New York's 27-26 season-opening loss. Manning, a veteran, somehow lost count of how many timeouts the Cowboys had and failed to manage the clock properly, giving the Cowboys plenty of time to strike a game-winning drive late in the game. To make matters worse, he told running back Rashad Jennings not to score twice during a drive that ended in a field goal and gave Dallas 1:43 left to win the game.