After three weeks of NFL football, there is finally enough game film to begin the fun task of ranking players. Always remember, this list is based on play from THIS SEASON only. For example, Christian McCaffrey is clearly the best running back in the league, but he will not crack the list this week. As we near the end of the season, the rankings will likely be nearly identical to everyone’s idea of the best players in the league.

We start with QBs.

1. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Stats: 925 YDS, 14 TD, 1 INT, 139.0 RATE

After Seattle’s stubborn commitment to the run game ended their season in 2018 and ‘19, the club finally made the right decision and turned the offense completely over to Russell Wilson. It has paid off. With 14 touchdowns in just three games, Wilson passed Patrick Mahomes and Peyton Manning for the most TDs at this point in the season. Those two went on to become the only 5,000 yard/50 TD passers in NFL history. To truly understand how ridiculous DangeRuss Wilson has been, realize that he is fourth in passing yards and first in TDs… while being 17th in attempts. Let him cook.

2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Stats: 887 YDS, 9 TD, 0 INT, 121.1 RATE

Instead of adding more weapons to their offense, the Packers decided to use their first-round draft selection on a quarterback. Just like Michael Jordan did so many times on The Last Dance, Aaron Rodgers took it personally. He threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns in an opening day shellacking of the rival Vikings before adding five more scores over the next two weeks. Total that up and you have 887 yards and nine passing touchdowns without as much as a single turnover. Green Bay is currently averaging 40.7 (!) PPG.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Stats: 1,038 YDS, 10 TD, 1 INT, 124.8 RATE, 2 RUSH TD

In Josh Allen’s first postseason appearance last year, it was obvious that the Bills would’ve rather done anything than having Allen put the ball in the air. Things have changed. Coming off back-to-back four-touchdown games, Allen is already up to 10 on the season (plus two more rushing scores). His career completion percentage of 58.2 is dwarfed by his ridiculous mark of 71.1 this year. He hasn’t thrown for under 300 yards yet, a streak unheard of in Buffalo. He’s taking full advantage of a wide-open AFC East.

Honorable Mention: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

*All stats are taken from Pro Football Reference

Writer

-By: Micah Jimoh

Every year, the NFL welcomes a brand-new class of rookies, with quarterbacks getting the most attention. This year is no different, as four quarterbacks were taken in the first-round. Of the four, three of them are likely going to be the starters of their teams at some point this season. Let’s analyze how these players are going to translate their game to the NFL.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

If it were not for an unfortunate injury, Tua Tagovailoa would have most likely gone first overall. Instead, he dropped four spots, getting selected by the Miami Dolphins as the first of their three first-round picks. Playing his college ball at SEC powerhouse Alabama, Tua made his mark by coming in halfway through the national championship game of his freshman season and leading his team to victory. He went on to dominate his next two years, leading to his draft selection. Coming into 2020, it is unknown if the rookie quarterback will even be ready to play, but all signs are pointing forward. Tagovailoa may not start anyway, as Miami may go with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, but there is no reason why he should not get the nod at some point this season. Tua has a real chance to be the best out of these three, but his injury history is a concern.

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

The quarterback with the least amount of hype out of the trio is former Oregon standout and now-Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert had unreal numbers at Oregon, even with teams that were somewhat underwhelming. In four seasons, Herbert threw 95 touchdowns and just over 10,000 passing yards. Herbert went right after Tua at sixth overall to Los Angeles, and he has the most help around him out of the three. When Anthony Lynn makes the decision to finally turn to Herbert, he will be in a great situation with skill players like Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, and Austin Ekeler. Herbert is a special talent, but now he just needs to put it all together in the NFL.

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Last, but not least, is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow, who was barely even known before the 2019 college football season, exploded for LSU and won a national championship. In his senior year in 2019, Burrow threw for a whopping 60 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions, plus 5,671 passing yards with a 76.3% completion percentage. It is regarded in many people’s eyes as the greatest college football season ever, and that season got Burrow the opportunity to be the number one overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, Burrow will look to turn around a franchise that is in shambles, but he does have some talent around him. Burrow is going to be able to throw to a receiving corps of Tyler Boyd, A.J. Green, John Ross, and fellow rookie Tee Higgins. The big question is...is Joe Burrow for real? Or is he a one-year wonder? 2020 may not give us the whole answer, but we should be able to get a feel on if Burrow can respond to the pressure.

Stats according to sportsreference.com

-By: Richie Dordas

Writer

Through two seasons, you can argue that Patrick Mahomes has gotten off to the best start in NFL history. In his first season, he won the MVP, and he followed that up with a Super Bowl ring in year two. Now, we find out that Mahomes will almost be a Chief for life, signing a 10-year extension with Kansas City.

Contract Details

As stated earlier, the contract was reported to be a 10-year extension. Since Mahomes has two years left on his rookie deal, making this more of a 12-year deal rather than a 10. This extension has been reported to total $450M with a $140M injury guarantee, the richest contract in sports history.

My Take

My take on this contract is quite simple, it is a slam dunk. This is a deal that had to be done by Kansas City, no matter what the dollar amount was on this deal. Many expected Mahomes to get this record-breaking deal, but the length of the deal is what makes this deal so record-breaking. He is the best player in the NFL and now the highest-paid. The biggest part of this deal is how it is going to be broken down will help Kansas City as a team in the future. Since it is a deal that will be a lesser percentage of the salary cap as the cap goes up, the Chiefs will have more cap space every year. Also, this deal can easily be restructured if Mahomes wants in the future. This is a move that many great players have done to benefit the team, such as Buccaneers QB Tom Brady. As for right now though, Mahomes deserves every penny coming his way, as the Chiefs look to become the next dynasty over the next decade in the NFL.

Contract details via Adam Schefter

Writer

-Richie Dordas