Before Joe Theismann became a Super Bowl-winning starter for the Washington Redskins, he picked apart defenses for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Well, most days he did. In one game, however, the Hamilton Tigercats picked off five of his passes. When the got home that night, his wife posed a question:

"Have you ever considered getting an eye exam?"

When you are employed to throw passes, you don't catch a break from anyone.

"The guys that I have spoken to other sports, they agree with me that playing quarterback is unquestionably the most difficult position in any sport," Theismann said. "There's not another job like it anywhere. You have to be a politician with the fans, and media, and teammates. You have to be Superman, because no one expects you to get hurt. You are so many things to so many people."

That's why so many talented people have failed to perform well at the highest level. Many have argued that hitting a baseball is sports' most difficult task. Others might say it's stopping a hockey slapshot. Others might claim it's serving as a go-to guy in basketball, charged with carrying a team down the stretch, night after night.

Still, you could make a compelling case that NFL quarterbacks face the most emotional, intellectual and physical pressure of any athletes in team sports. They are more than just the engines of their offenses. They are usually the faces of their franchises, for as long as they can hold a starting spot. That job is perpetually in jeopardy, not simply due to inconsistency or injury, but also due to external factors. Such as a coach's whims, the fans' complaints or the media's demands.

Already this season, there's been plenty of quarterback turmoil, on teams expected to compete for the playoffs.

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The Green Bay Packers endured a summer-long soap opera as Brett Favre retired and unretired. Now, after GM Ted Thompson traded Favre to the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers faces relentless pressure to prove worthy of their faith. The New England Patriots lost league MVP Tom Brady to a knee injury, forcing them to turn to unheralded backup Matt Cassel, who hadn't started a game since high school. Cassel's inexperience showed in Sunday's stunning 38-13 home loss to the lowly Miami Dolphins, in which star receiver Randy Moss's longest completion was seven yards.

The Minnesota Vikings reversed course after two close losses, benching Tarvaris Jackson for veteran Gus Frerotte, who played efficiently in the Vikings' first win of the season. The Tennessee Titans, after losing Vince Young to a knee injury, committed to veteran Kerry Collins as a starter while Young deals with personal issues. Collins won again Sunday but, he like Frerotte, isn't a long-term solution.

Several other teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams, have stashed highly paid quarterback prospects on the bench or on injured reserve. On Sunday, Tyler Thigpen became the third quarterback to start — and lose — for the Kansas City Chiefs in three contests. And the much-hyped Cleveland Browns may be regretting their decision to sign Derek Anderson to a long-term contract after one surprisingly good season; they are 0-3, and it appears that backup Brady Quinn will get a shot soon. In St. Louis, Marc Bulger has been benched in favor of Trent Green, who has a history of concussions.

As the season progresses, poor play and bad luck will force many more changes.

Quarterback is the most glamorous position in sports. You get the glory. You get the money. You get the girls. If "Broadway" Joe Namath began the trend, Tony Romo dating singer Jessica Simpson and Brady dating model Giselle Bundchen keep it going.

The tradeoff is, you own the biggest burden.

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"As a quarterback, you've got to be not only be a great player, but also be a great leader of people," said ESPN analyst Shaun King, who started 24 games in the NFL. "The one constant of Super Bowl champions, either the quarterback was a phenomenal player or a phenomenal leaders. And, in most cases, it's both."

If only this was just about dropping back, finding an open receiver and throwing the ball. What else is in the job description?

"First of all, you have to master the offense, so there's the intellectual part of it," Theismann said. "There's the mastering of the communication of more than 100-plus plays in your mind. Then it is the ability to get it out of your mouth, get to the line of scrimmage, and identify things in about three seconds."

If you're lucky.

"While you are doing this, people are trying to get to you, bodies are flying all over the place," Theismann said. "You really have to be a focused individual to play it as well. And that is just on the field."

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