It is that time of the offseason where we begin to ponder the questions that will linger in our minds until the first snap of the 2023 season. One of those questions of course is who is the best at the most important position in the entire sport?
Today we rank all the starting quarterbacks from 1-32. This includes rookies who we will analyze their assumed preparedness given their college success and film.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Unquestionably the top player in the entire league, Patrick Mahomes is set up to once again dominate the league and seemingly glide into the deep playoff race. No one has accomplished what Mahomes has in his first few seasons, and no one in the NFL has figured out how to stop him yet. Expect another MVP trophy to enter his case come next season.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Unquestionably the most physically gifted quarterback in the league, Josh Allen has been on the precipice of an MVP trophy for three seasons straight. Allen has revived football in Buffalo and will continue to guide an explosive offense to yet another productive season. The main question will be if Allen can guide the Bills to the Super Bowl and climb the massive hill of the other quarterbacks in the division.
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
One of the coolest and calmest signal callers in the league, Joe Burrow is primed for another swing at the Super Bowl trophy. With his game developing more and more each season, Burrow is proving he is a main stay at the top of this list for years to come, and with an elite gaggle of weapons around him there is little doubt he will be one of the front runners for the MVP trophy.
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Just barely missing out on an MVP trophy due to some missed time and a freakishly good season by Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts looks primed to perhaps steal the spotlight. Already one of the most dangerous superstars in the league, Hurts has all the tools and an offense around him that puts him in a fantastic position to reach new heights as a passer and playmaker.
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
There’s not been very many players in the history of the game that have come into the league and put up the numbers that Justin Herbert has, and with the addition of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, he could be in for his best season yet. With all the talent in the world and an array of weapons surrounding him, Herbert should once again put up some eye popping stats.
6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
In what is a bit of a familar sight, a former Packer future hall of fame quarterback has signed with the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers is just one year removed from back to back MVPs, and while he showed a bit of wear and tear last season, you would be hard pressed to eliminate him from the conversation as one of the top signal callers in the entire league. Rodgers should thrive with the numerous weapons surrounding him in New York.
8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Now four years removed from an MVP season, Lamar Jackson has maintained his status as not only one of the top quarterbacks in the league, but also as one of the best overall weapons. While he experienced a bit of a down year in 2022 due to lingering injuries, there is no reason to think Jackson won’t be back in the saddle as a MVP candidate once more.
9. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Perhaps forgotten too quickly, it was just two seasons ago that Matthew Stafford guided the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl with an elite level of play. The Rams dealt with some serious offensive line issues and Stafford himself was dealing with injury. There is little reason to doubt one of the most prolific passers in the league won’t jump back into the top ten QBs with a clean bill of health.
10. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
It was a weird year for Dak Prescott as he was clearly not healthy and playing behind a fractured offensive line. Prescott has proven time and time again that he can play quarterback at a high level, and with still one of the most stacked offensive groups in the league, there is little reason to doubt he will once again achieve success as one of the best passers in the league.
11. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
When Tua Tagovailoa was healthy and thriving in the Mike McDaniel offense, there were few better at the position than him. Tagovailoa helped direct one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL to new heights as he routinely slashed up opposing defenses. If Tagovailoa can stay on the field all of next season, he may just sneak into the MVP race.
12. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins seemingly produces consistently enough that people tend to see it as boring or dull to talk about, but there is nothing dull about the level of play Kirk Cousins brings to the Vikins season after season. While he fails to hit the elite quarterback status, Cousins is a reliable producer who can win games for the Vikings. There is little reason to think that will change moving forward.
13. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
One of the feel good stories of the year was the career resurrections of Geno Smith, what perhaps is not talked about enough is just how good he was. Smith was a precision passer that consistently lit up opposing defenses and showed off that talent he had coming out of West Virginia. Smith is an elite processor and should continue being the franchise quarterback for the Seahawks.
14. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
One of the most explosive playmakers in the league last year, Justin Fields took the league by storm during the 2023 season, and while it was a bit underplayed teams need to start paying attention. While his record was abysmal as a starter, there weren’t many defenses that could do anything to stop his ridiculous offensive production. With additional talent added to the Chicago roster, the sky is the limit for Fields.
15. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
One of the biggest winners of the offseason was Jared Goff who kept his whiz of an offensive coordinator in Ben Johnson who made the most of his talent. While Goff floundered a bit at times last season, he was overall one of the better players at the position over 17 games. If he can continue to grow into this high flying offense he may end up in the top ten of this list.
16. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
It has been three years since we saw a solid season from Deshaun Watson, and his last season with Cleveland really created more questions than answers. However, Watson clearly has all the talent in the world needed to become an NFL superstar again, and it would not be surprising if he does just that. Though it is equally fair to wonder if his decision making off the field has affected his performance on it.
17. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
In what was certainly the biggest surprise of the season, Brock Purdy turned being a third string quarterback drafted with the last pick in the draft into a potential starting job for the 49ers going into the season. It was hard to find somebody who played with as much grit and precision as Purdy during that time, and he can continue to develop his skillset further.
18. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
In what was a bit of a career-defining season for Jones, he showed off varied skillset and an ability to win games. A second season under Brian Daboll and a clear improvement in his play should help maintain Jones’ status as the starter in New York.
19. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
It feels like forever since Derek Carr’s elite 2016 season and since then he has been marred by mediocre seasons where he has struggled to get his teams into a winning position. Carr has the potential to push himself far up the last with a solid season in a new offense, but we have not seen that potential in a while.
20. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Marred by injuries and inconsistent play last season, Tannehill could go one of two ways on this list as the season progresses. We have seen high level play from Tannehill recently, and assuming a clean bill of health, Tannehill has all the tools to return to a solid level of play.
21. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young has been the best college football quarterback and perhaps player in the entire country over the last few seasons. Young’s transition into the NFL should be smooth given the high level he was playing at prior to being drafted, and his skillset is a perfect fit for a pro offense.
22. Mac Jones, New England Patriots
In what had to be one of the most bizarre seasons for a signal caller, Mac Jones was paired with multiple “not offensive coordinators” and a system that was a mess, this lead to obvious frustrations and mixed play at best. Now that Jones has a legitimate OC again with Bill O’Brioen, we will likely see play more akin to his impressive rookie season.
23. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kenny Pickett had a rough start to his rookie season but capped it with a promising stretch in which he finished with a 5-1 season over the last six games. Pickett showed enough to be given a legitimate shot to be the Steeler’s franchise quarterback, and has all the qualities of someone who can win you playoff games.
24. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud was one of the elite passers in college over the last few seasons, his pro ready style of play elevates him to be the unquestioned starter for the Texans. His elite accuracy and processing should ensure a productive rookie season.
25. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
It was about as big of a disaster season as possible for the former pro-bowl quarterback, Wilson showed some serious struggles in just about every level of football and struggled to put together any sort of offense. There were still rare flashes every now and then, but it feels like Wilson’s days of being an elite producer are over.
26. Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders
Garoppolo has been steady with the 49ers but his ability to elevate the team beyond the Kyle Shanahan system. After being significantly outplayed by Brock Purdy last season, it raises further questions if he can be a franchise signal caller.
27. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It was certainly a tale of two seasons for Mayfield who utterly fumbled an opportunity with the Carolina Panthers but then miraculously revived his career with a steady stint starting for the Los Angeles Rams. Which Baker will show up in Tampa Bay? That is the question that remains going into the season.
28. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Perhaps the most raw of the quarterbacks drafted in the first round, Richardson will need to nail down some mechanical and consistency issues going into his rookie season. Richardson’s ability as a quarterback is unquestionable, and he should be able to show off some during his rookie season.
29. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love will finally get his opportunity to show why the Packers selected him in the first round of the 2020 draft after the departure of franchise staple Aaron Rodgers. Love has enough ability to elevate the squad around him, but he remains a complete question mark if he can put it all together.
30. Colt McCoy, Arizona Cardinals
One of the more reliable veterans over the last decade, Colt McCoy will need to strap in for the first half of the season with Kyler Murray out with a serious injury. McCoy may be reliable and can win games, but cannot elevate teams on his own.
31. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
Ridder saw limited action in his first season with the Falcons, where he was not asked to be a primary playmaker for the team, and while he had one impressive game under his belt the rest of the season felt lukewarm at best. He is an unknown commodity who will lean on a strong run game going into the season.
32. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
A fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, Sam Howell might be the biggest unknown in the entire league. With just one game of experience under his belt, where he was not asked to do much, it becomes a bit of a guess as to how he will perform this season.
