Former Super Bowl XXVI MVP Mark Rypien is participating in this week’s Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament. With that in mind and the spirit of the NFL season in full swing, here are the top quarterback golfers:

1:  Tom Brady

Handicap: 8

Although Tom Brady has won three NFL Super Bowl rings, two Super Bowl MVP awards and two NFL MVP awards, he could have had a career in golf, at least as a golf course general manager. During his college summers of 1998 and 1999, Brady worked as a course ranger and clubhouse manager.

2:  Johnny Manziel

Handicap: 7

Johnny was featured on the cover of Golf Digest this week in their “Golfers That Give Back” issue. Johnny told Golf Digest, “Golf Channel was on the TV a lot, we watched the tournaments on TV during the weekend, and more than anything, these were the Tiger years.”

3:  Carson Palmer

Handicap: 5

In the past, Carson Palmer would hold his own golf tournament to raise money for abused and neglected children in the Orange County, California area.

4:  Peyton Manning

Handicap: 4.6

Little brother Eli Manning has been improving his handicap as well, now down to a 7.1 after joining and playing many of the notable clubs in the NY metro area.

5:  Ben Roethlisberger

Handicap: 3

This two time Super Bowl champion shot an 81 at Bethpage Black during the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge in 2009.

6:  Drew Brees

Handicap: 3

According to a 2010 Golf.com interview with Brees, his best golf moment was his first hole-in-one that came a year earlier at the Applebrook Golf Course near Philadelphia. He is a “pure” 5-iron from 199 yards into the bottom of the cup.

7:  Aaron Rodgers

Handicap: 2

In 2009, Rodgers was as high as an 8 handicap but has improved to a 2 as of last September. Previous to 2009, Rodgers said that professional golf coach Hank Haney once helped him get rid of a case of the “s” word.

8:  Sam Bradford

Handicap: 0

The 2008 Heisman Trophy winner said one of his biggest wishes was to play on the Oklahoma Sooners golf team.

9:  Tony Romo

Handicap: Plus 3

This past summer, Romo had his second consecutive off-season back surgery. Unfortunately, he has said publically that he is giving up the game of golf, for the time being, in order to preserve his back. Romo had won amateur tournaments when he was younger and almost qualified for the 2010 U.S. Open, having shot a 69 in a qualifying round. Romo is currently recovering from back injury that flared up after a hit in the Cowboys Week 7 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins.

Recently Retired Notables: Brett Farve (1), John Elway (1), Dan Marino (2) & Troy Aikman (5)