RADIO
Mike Fanelli ranks all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks. Who are the top quarterbacks in the NFL? Which NFL teams have elite quarterbacks? Which teams will continue to struggle at the position?
As we are into the first week of August and training camps across the NFL are officially underway, it's the perfect time to start evaluating what each team possesses at various positions for the upcoming 2023 NFL season. The QB position perhaps trumps them all when projecting wins and losses, as an excellent player under center can be a legitimate difference-maker for NFL teams.
Most of the offseason movement has happened, so it gives the fans their first look at what they can expect from their favorite team this season. However, let’s change it up. Instead of team power rankings, I will rank all 32 expected starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
Some teams have an open competition for the starting role, so I went with the player I believe will start more games this year. Furthermore, these rankings are a combination of past success and potential upside.
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The Top Tier
1) Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
What more does Mahomes need to prove at this point? He has two MVP awards and two Super Bowl rings on his resume. The superstar led the NFL in passing yards (5,250) and passing touchdowns (41) last year despite losing Tyreek Hill in the offseason. Furthermore, Mahomes has made the Pro Bowl every year of his career as the starter.
2) Josh Allen – Buffalo Bills
While Mahomes is the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback, things become up for debate after him. Allen gets the slight nod as the No. 2 quarterback because of the difference he can make on the ground. The superstar has three consecutive seasons with over 4,200 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. Yet, he also has been a difference maker in the run game, totaling at least six rushing touchdowns every year of his career.
3) Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals
After a rookie season that was limited because of injury, Burrow has been one of the top quarterbacks over the past two years. The superstar has thrown over 4,400 yards and 34 touchdowns over the past two seasons, averaging over eight yards per pass attempt. Furthermore, he finished fourth in MVP voting last year and made his first Pro Bowl team. However, Burrow has the best years of his career still ahead of him.
4) Justin Herbert – Los Angeles Chargers
Unfortunately, injuries and poor play calling caused Herbert to struggle last season. The Chargers had multiple injuries on the offensive line and at wide receiver. He had only a 3.6% touchdown rate after having a 5.4% touchdown rate over the first two years of his career. However, Herbert was outstanding before last season. With Kellen Moore taking over as the offensive coordinator, expect a bounce-back season from the superstar quarterback.
5) Aaron Rodgers – New York Jets
After 15 years as the starter in Green Bay, Rodgers joined the Jets this offseason. The future Hall of Famer has won four MVP awards, including two in the past three years. Furthermore, the superstar has four career All-Pro team appearances. Despite almost being 40 years old, Rodgers is still playing at an elite level. He had 26 passing touchdowns last season despite playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand.
6) Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts had a breakout season last year. The quarterback finished second in MVP voting, made All-AP Second-Team, and the Pro Bowl. More importantly, the superstar led the Eagles to the Super Bowl. While the team came up just short of the win, Hurts had 304 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, and four touchdowns in the contest.
7) Trevor Lawrence – Jacksonville Jaguars
While he had an awful rookie season, Lawrence looked like a superstar in 2022. The former No. 1 overall pick had 4,113 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions last year. By comparison, he had only 12 passing touchdowns and 17 interceptions as a rookie. Meanwhile, the Jaguars added Calvin Ridley, giving Lawrence the receiving core needed to take his game to the next level.
Very Good Options
8) Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens
Unfortunately, the star quarterback has struggled with injuries the past two years, missing 29.4% of the games. However, Jackson has the 2019 MVP on his resume. He won the award in his first year as the full-time starter, leading the NFL in passing touchdowns (36) and QBR (83) that year. Meanwhile, Baltimore added Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers to go with Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman. Jackson could have a career year throwing the ball in 2023.
9) Deshaun Watson – Cleveland Browns
Watson has played in only six games over the past two years. Therefore, no one should be shocked that he struggled last year after going 700 days between starts. However, the star quarterback was outstanding during his time in Houston. He averaged 2.7 passing touchdowns per game as a rookie. Furthermore, Watson has a career 2.7-1 touchdown to interception ratio. While his first year in Cleveland was rocky, the star should be much better this season.
10) Russell Wilson – Denver Broncos
After being a superstar in Seattle, Wilson struggled last year in Denver. However, Nathaniel Hackett was over his head as an NFL head coach. Yet, Wilson played better at the end of last season. He averaged 241.5 passing yards and 2.5 total touchdowns over the final four games in 2022. Now that Sean Payton is the head coach, Wilson should have a bounce-back year.
11) Matthew Stafford – Los Angeles Rams
While Stafford’s best years are behind him, the star quarterback has been a stat machine. He has over 52,000 passing yards and 333 passing touchdowns in his career. Furthermore, the veteran was at his best in 2021. Stafford had 41 passing touchdowns that year, a career-high. Unfortunately, the entire offense struggled last season, but the veteran quarterback should be better this year if he is healthy.
12) Kyler Murray – Arizona Cardinals
Murray is the starter in Arizona. Unfortunately, he won’t start the 2023 season. The star quarterback is recovering from a torn ACL injury he suffered last year. Therefore, Colt McCoy will be the starter for at least the first part of the upcoming season. However, Murray is vastly underrated when healthy. The star quarterback had over 3,700 passing yards and 400 rushing yards every year of his career before tearing his ACL.
Starters With Upside
13) Justin Fields – Chicago Bears
The second-year quarterback was electric last season. After struggling as a rookie, Fields was outstanding in 2022. He had 1,143 rushing yards in 15 games, the seventh-most in the NFL, and 379 more than any other quarterback. Meanwhile, the Bears improved his receiving core this offseason with the addition of DJ Moore. Fields should have a breakout season in 2023.
14) Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys
Sometimes Prescott plays like an elite quarterback, and other times he struggles. Last year the veteran led the NFL with 15 interceptions despite missing five games. However, Prescott has thrown 30 or more touchdowns in the past two healthy seasons of his career. While he isn’t the most consistent quarterback, the Cowboys have helped by giving him an appealing supporting cast.
15) Kirk Cousins – Minnesota Vikings
After struggling earlier in his career, Cousins has been productive over the past few years. However, he started to show signs of age last season. His touchdown rate dropped to 4.5%, the lowest in seven years. Furthermore, he had a career-high 14 interceptions in 2022. While the veteran is the starter this year, Cousins’ time in Minnesota is ending.
16) Derek Carr – New Orleans Saints
Carr isn’t an elite quarterback, but he gets too much hate. The veteran has never been a high touchdown producer, throwing more than 28 touchdowns in a season only once. However, Carr averaged 282.6 passing yards per game in 2021 despite playing with a limited receiving core. After nine years with the Raiders, Carr will give the Saints their best quarterback since Drew Brees retired.
Low-End Starting Caliber
17) Jared Goff – Detroit Lions
The veteran quarterback has had an up-and-down career. At one point, Goff looked like a franchise quarterback. Then he looked like a career backup. However, the veteran had a productive 2022 season, throwing for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns, the second most of his career. Furthermore, he had a 4.1-1 touchdown to interception ratio last season, the best of his career.
18) Tua Tagovailoa – Miami Dolphins
Unfortunately, Tagovailoa struggled with concussions last year, forcing him to miss four games. Meanwhile, the former first-round pick was inconsistent on the field. He averaged 1.9 passing touchdowns per game last season but threw 60% of them in four games. By comparison, Tagovailoa averaged only 1.1 passing touchdowns per game in the other nine contests.
19) Daniel Jones – New York Giants
Many considered Jones a bust after the first three years of his career. However, head coach Brian Daboll got the best out of the young quarterback last season. Jones had a career-low five interceptions in 2022. Meanwhile, Daboll took advantage of the quarterback’s rushing ability. Jones had a career-high 708 rushing yards and seven touchdowns last year.
20) Jimmy Garoppolo – Las Vegas Raiders
Garoppolo has been a solid veteran quarterback over the past few years. He did his job in San Francisco and managed the offense. Yet, he was productive last year after Trey Lance got hurt. The veteran had 2,437 passing yards and 16 touchdowns compared to only four interceptions. After spending five years with the 49ers, Garoppolo will replace Carr in Las Vegas with significant expectations hanging over his head.
21) Ryan Tannehill – Tennessee Titans
While Tannehill has never been an elite quarterback, the veteran has been solid for the Titans. The best year of his career was in 2020 when the former first-round pick had 33 passing touchdowns and a 4.7-1 touchdown to interception ratio, both career highs. However, Tennessee drafted Will Levis this year, and it’s only a matter of time until the rookie takes over as the starter.
22) Geno Smith – Seattle Seahawks
After spending most of his career as a backup quarterback, Smith had a career year in 2022. The veteran had 4,282 passing yards and 30 touchdowns last season, both career highs. Furthermore, he led the NFL with a 69.8% completion rate and was fourth in passing touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Seahawks put their faith in Smith, signing him to a long-term deal this offseason instead of drafting a rookie quarterback. Will they regret that decision in six months?
The Unknown Young Pups
23) Bryce Young – Carolina Panthers
Despite reports that Andy Dalton could begin the season under center, Young will be the Week 1 starter. The No. 1 overall pick had an excellent career at Alabama, throwing for 8,200 yards and 79 touchdowns over the past two years. While he lacks an elite wide receiver in Carolina, Young should still become a star quarterback.
24) C.J. Stroud – Houston Texans
Houston finally invested in the quarterback position after trading away Watson last offseason. Stroud had an outstanding career at Ohio State, completing 69.3% of his pass attempts for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns. While he doesn’t have a superstar No. 1 wide receiver, the rookie quarterback has a solid mix of reliable veterans and young guys with upside.
25) Anthony Richardson – Indianapolis Colts
While he was the third rookie quarterback drafted this year, Richardson has more upside than Young, Stroud, or Levis. The former Gator has a cannon for an arm and can run like a track star despite his bigger frame. Last year 29.2% of his rushing attempts went for 10 or more yards. Furthermore, the rookie quarterback finished second on the team with nine rushing touchdowns last season.
26) Mac Jones – New England Patriots
The New England quarterback played well as a rookie, throwing for 223.6 yards and 1.3 touchdowns per game. Furthermore, he finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award race. Unfortunately, Jones struggled last season, averaging only 214.1 passing yards and one touchdown per game. However, he should be better with Bill O’Brien calling the plays this year.
27) Kenny Pickett – Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickett was the only first-round quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the rookie didn’t have impressive numbers, throwing only seven touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. However, he played better to end the year, throwing four touchdowns and only one interception over the final five games. Hopefully, Pickett can take a step forward in his development in his second year in the league.
28) Brock Purdy – San Francisco 49ers
Some believe the 49ers found the steal of the draft last year with Purdy. The last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft had 13 passing touchdowns and only four interceptions. Furthermore, he finished third in the Offensive Rookie of the Year award race. However, an elbow injury has put his starting job at risk. Meanwhile, the 49ers have Trey Lance and Sam Darnold on the roster. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has praised all three quarterbacks this offseason.
29) Desmond Ridder – Atlanta Falcons
Unfortunately, Arthur Smith kept Ridder on the bench for most of his rookie season despite Marcus Mariota’s poor play. However, the former Bearcat star played well in his four starts. Ridder completed 63.5% of his pass attempts and didn’t have an interception. While the rookie only had two passing touchdowns, Ridder should be much better this season with a healthy Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson on the roster.
30) Jordan Love – Green Bay Packers
While Love is heading into his fourth NFL season, the Packers have gotten only one start from him. The former first-round pick started the Week 9 matchup in 2021 against the Chiefs, throwing for 190 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. However, Love will take over as the full-time starter in 2023. Meanwhile, Green Bay has spent eight draft picks over the past two years on wide receivers and tight ends, giving the young quarterback plenty of weapons.
31) Sam Howell – Washington Commanders
Washington has been looking for a franchise quarterback since they let Cousins leave in 2018. Howell should be the starter this year, but the team did sign Jacoby Brissett to a healthy one-year deal this offseason. Last year the rookie quarterback only played in one contest. Yet, Howell had 169 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception against the Cowboys. Furthermore, he had 35 rushing yards and a touchdown in the contest.
32) Kyle Trask – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers signed Baker Mayfield this offseason to compete with Trask for the starting role. The veteran is the better quarterback, but the team likely won’t give him too many starts this season. Tampa Bay spent a second-round pick on Trask in 2021, but he has barely played in the NFL. The Buccaneers need to see what they have in the former Gator. Trask will either surprise everyone and play well or be so bad that the team will have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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