Ranking Every Starting QB in the NFL
Ranking Every Starting QB in the NFL
This list will rank every starting quarterback from 32 to 1 based off potential, past success, and current success.
32. Joe Flacco, DEN
Flacco comes in as the stinker of the group. With very little athletic ability and recent regressions in the past few seasons, Flacco is mediocre at best. His arm talent is still very good and will look to bounce back with Denver in 2019.
31. Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA
Coming in as nothing more than a placeholder, Fitzpatrick’s stint with Miami should only be for a year or two. His inconsistent career continued last year where he threw 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Fitzpatrick just is not a reliable starting quarterback at this point in his career.
30. Lamar Jackson, BAL
Coming off a season where he led the Baltimore Ravens to a division title, Lamar Jackson is still a huge question mark in 2019. His throwing ability is a liability and his play style is just not sustainable at the pro level. It will be interesting to see how Jackson responds in 2019 and if he can have the same success, he had last year.
29. Josh Allen, BUF
Even though Allen is coming off a subpar year, the future is still bright for the young quarterback. Allen’s arm talent is historic and with a year of experience, Allen can only get better. What hurts Allen is his team. With not a lot of talent around him, Allen will have to try to go the extra mile if Buffalo wants to contend.
28. Eli Manning, NYG
The Giants have been nothing but a mess the last few seasons, and a lot of the blame revolves around veteran quarterback Eli Manning. While not all his fault, Eli has not been particularly good. Without Saquon Barkley, Eli has no one and is not athletic enough to create plays with his feet or throw a ball like he used to. Eli’s glory days are over and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was it for Eli.
27. Case Keenum, WSH
This is Keenum’s third team in three years and Washington should not have high expectations going into this season. Keenum had 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and led his team to a 6-10 record. Like Fitzpatrick, Keenum is nothing more than a placeholder for Washington. Whether Alex Smith coming back or a quarterback through the draft, this quarterback will likely be better than Case Keenum.
26. Josh Rosen, ARI
While on this list, Rosen may not be a starter in 2019 unless traded with the likelihood of Kyler Murray getting drafted number one overall. It will be interesting to see how Rosen reacts because his potential is through the roof and could help turn a franchise around in 2019.
25. Marcus Mariota, TEN
Another year has gone by for Marcus Mariota, and he has still not lived up to expectations. With a career record of 27-28, Mariota’s career just screams average to this point. Mariota still has time to prove the haters wrong and his athletic ability can help him overcome this. I wouldn’t expect much from Mariota this year, but you never know.
24. Derek Carr, OAK
After coming out of the gate with a house of fire, the hype around Derek Carr has drastically cooled down. It has been tough for Carr to rebound since his injury in 2016 but the upside is still there. With an all-world talent in Antonio Brown on the outside now, look for Carr to have a much better year than the last.
23. Andy Dalton, CIN
Andy Dalton has had a decent career so far. The last few years have been rough, but his regular season numbers have been solid. His kryptonite is the playoffs though. He is 0-4 in the playoffs and has not performed up to expectations. Dalton has settled into his career and is going to be nothing special for the rest of it.
22. Cam Newton, CAR
The former number one overall pick has been to a Super Bowl and won an MVP. Besides this season, Cam has not been as good as the Panthers want him to be. After a down year in 2018 resulted in an injury, Cam’s future does not look as bright as many people believed it would be.
21. Jameis Winston, TB
Coming into the league with high expectations like Carr, Winston has not lived up to them. His arm talent and ability to throw the ball with speed and distance is top tier. The problem is that more often than not the ball ends up in the other team’s hands. Winston is still young and has a world of talent and athletic ability and can break out at any moment.
20. Kirk Cousins, MIN
Kirk Cousins signed a monster deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. Expectations were sky high going into the season and Cousins failed to live up to them. Even though he threw 30 touchdowns, the Vikings did not make the playoffs. In Week 17, Minnesota was in the driver’s seat to clinch. Kirk and crew could not get the job done though, so the Eagles got in instead. Look for Cousins to bounce back this year. If not, the contract looks worse and worse.
19. Mitchell Trubisky, CHI
Even though Mitchell Trubisky isn’t the most glamorous quarterback, he found a way to win. In 2018, the UNC product threw 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. No, the numbers are not great, but the key factor is that the Bears finished the season with a 12-4 record and the NFC North Crown. There are still some concerns surrounding Trubisky. Can he lead the team? Does the defense carry him? These questions should be answered in 2019, and it will be interesting to see.
18. Matthew Stafford, DET
Matthew Stafford is similar to Andy Dalton. Solid quarterback but cannot get it done in the big game. Stafford threw for 21 touchdowns last year in a down year. Expect Stafford to put up his usual numbers as the Lions continue to lose.
17. Jimmy Garoppolo, SF
Unfortunately, Jimmy Garoppolo’s season got cut short due to a torn ACL. Before the injury, Jimmy G was off to a solid start. With a revamped 49ers roster and the emergence of George Kittle, watch for the 49ers to sneak up on some teams.
16. Sam Darnold, NYJ
After a slow start in his rookie campaign, Sam Darnold rose to the occasion and ended the season strong last year. One game that comes to mind is against Green Bay, where he stood toe-to-toe with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. With the acquisition of Bell, Darnold should be poised to take off next year.
15. Nick Foles, JAX
After taking over the starting job twice in two years due to a Carson Wentz injury, Foles won the Super Bowl and a playoff game in the following year. Now, it is on to Jacksonville for Foles. Can he turn the Jags around, or will he fall into mediocrity with the change?
14. Dak Prescott, DAL
In his first three seasons, Dak has led the Dallas Cowboys to a winning record with two division titles. Dak still has a lot to prove with his inconsistent accuracy and his fumbling issues are a concern. If Prescott can put it together and consistently make his throws, Dallas can contend for a Super Bowl and prove to be a very dangerous team.
13. Deshaun Watson, HOU
In his first two seasons, Deshaun Watson has been hard to read. After a roaring start to his career, an injury put a stop to it. In his sophomore season, Watson was solid but got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. If the Texans can revamp their offensive line, can Watson finally break out?
12. Baker Mayfield, CLE
After a historic rookie campaign, the potential is through the roof for Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. Mayfield broke Peyton Manning’s record for touchdowns by a rookie in a single season. With the additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt, Baker will have more options to throw to and will look to continue his success.
11. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
After a down year for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh decided to move on from Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. The one constant: Ben Roethlisberger. Through all the controversy last year brought, Big Ben still threw for over 5,000 yards and still proved to be productive. It should be interesting to see if Big Ben can sustain his success without his top two options.
10. Matt Ryan, ATL
Through his career, Matt Ryan has never been able to get over the top. Often regarded as overrated, Ryan has still been productive. In 2018, Ryan threw for 4,924 yards with 35 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions with an injury-plagued Atlanta Falcons roster. If Ryan and crew can stay healthy in 2019, they should be able to hang around for a playoff spot.
9. Carson Wentz, PHI
The theme of Carson Wentz’s career has been simple. A lot of injuries. After almost winning MVP, Wentz tore his ACL in his second season and had back problems in 2018. It is still up in the air if how good Wentz can be and will have to prove that he can stay healthy for an entire season.
8. Jared Goff, LAR
After a great year in 2018, Jared Goff still has some questions to answer. The talent is there but there are concerns after the Super Bowl loss. Can Goff lead a team? Or does he need Todd Gurley to be successful? With the health concerns of Todd Gurley, Jared Goff is going to have to step it up this year if the Rams want to get back to the Super Bowl.
7. Russell Wilson, SEA
To start his career, Russell Wilson has had nothing but success and proved that he can lead a team without the Legion of Boom in 2018. There have been talks that Russell Wilson wants an extension, and Seattle would be crazy not to sign him. Seattle is an underrated team and could expect to make a run at the playoffs in 2019 again.
6. Philip Rivers, LAC
Philip Rivers has had a Hall of Fame caliber regular season career. His biggest problem is coming up clutch. The Chargers have one of the best rosters in football to boast around Rivers. Can he challenge Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West title?
5. Andrew Luck, IND
Andrew Luck looks injury free to me. In 2018, he threw for 39 touchdowns and turned his team around from a 1-5 start to a playoff berth. With a few added pieces and another year like that from Luck, the Colts can be division favorites.
4. Drew Brees, NO
If you want a guy to pick your defense apart and march down the field, then you signed up for Drew Brees. Brees’ unreal decision making, and precision led the Saints to the NFC Championship game this year. Expect Brees to come out with a house of fire in 2019 with a hungry Saints team.
3. Aaron Rodgers, GB
Aaron Rodgers is one of the most gifted, talented quarterbacks of all-time. His ability to throw on the run, come up clutch, and make passes with such velocity and precision is unteachable and no one does it better than him. With that being said, Rodgers has had some locker room issues and it can affect team chemistry. If Rodgers wins one or two more titles, is he in “GOAT” consideration?
2. Tom Brady, NE
People try to tear him down every year and he continues to produce. Arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time, Tom Brady won his sixth super bowl this year. Brady’s options have always been a revolving door and yet he still dominates the league every year. Expect more from the “GOAT” in 2019, as he goes for number seven.
1. Patrick Mahomes, KC
Coming in at number one, Patrick Mahomes. In his first full year starting, Mahomes dominated football. Last year, he threw 50 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He won 2018 NFL MVP, 1st Team All-Pro, and Offensive Player of the Year. It was a storied season for Mahomes and there is so much potential for him to dominate again next year.
-By: Richie Dordas