There is no position more important in team sports than the quarterback position. A good quarterback can turn a bad team into a playoff team single-handedly. A great quarterback can lift an offense to the top of the league. An elite quarterback turns any team into a Super Bowl contender.
The league is an interesting place. Last season, 58 quarterbacks started a game. Backup quarterbacks are a necessary evil across the league. It’s not the easiest position in football anymore. More and more backups are thrust into the spotlight. Just last season, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, and Malik Willis helped win games for playoff teams. Other teams went into the tank with three or more starters throughout the season.
Going into OTAs, many teams feel they are in a good spot at the quarterback position. Spoiler alert: most aren’t. Let’s start at the bottom and rank every quarterback situation from starter to backup to “we’re in trouble because (blank) is starting.”
32. New Orleans Saints
Projected Starter: Spencer Rattler
The abrupt retirement of Derek Carr has put the New Orleans Saints' season in a tailspin, and it’s only the week after Memorial Day. The Saints did learn about this in time to draft Tyler Shough in the second round. Shough is an interesting prospect, but we don’t think he’s ready to start games yet. Even though he’s 25 years old, he needs at least a few weeks to understand how to win in the NFL.
This is why we have Spencer Rattler ahead of Shough. Ironically, Rattler is a year younger than Shough, but the Saints have more faith in the current rookie when it comes to the franchise’s future. Rattler was given a few starts last season, and he had mixed results. He had some moments against the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They also have Jake Haener, but that’s not worth talking about. Basically, this roster is built to get the first-overall pick next year. They might be the future home of Arch Manning, which will be the ultimate irony. The Manning name gained notoriety in New Orleans when Archie Manning did his best to lift up a team that had a fan base wearing bags over their heads.
New Orleans has by far the worst quarterback situation in the league. There have been some bad QB situations, but this might be the worst in the last five years. Shough was a reach in the second round, and Rattler has thrown way too many interceptions already. It’s a rough situation, but if it leads to another Manning in New Orleans, it would be worth it.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers
Projected Stater: Mason Rudolph
Let’s just address the elephant in the room right off the bat: Aaron Rodgers is likely coming to Pittsburgh. He’s hinted that the Steelers are his next team, and the Steelers don’t have the right person in place to usurp his arrival. The Steelers added Mason Rudolph and drafted National Champion Will Howard after sending both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields packing. Rodgers changes their situation, although they wouldn’t go much higher on this list.
We’re judging the Steelers quarterback room as it’s currently constructed, and right now it’s in bad shape. We like the possibilities that Will Howard brings to the table, coming into the NFL with a championship pedigree, but he’s a sixth-round pick. Mike Tomlin’s job might be on the line this season. He can’t put his faith in Howard.
Rudolph was a good soldier when he was in Pittsburgh. He made starts, and he had some success. He took that success, and he got a decent contract in Tennessee, but that only lasted one year. He returned to Pittsburgh, and he’s acting like he is where he belongs.
Still, this is all about Rodgers. If the Steelers aren’t ready for Rodgers, or if they decide he isn’t for them, it’s going to be a hard sell for anyone. If Tomlin gets nine wins from Rudolph and Howard, he deserves a lifetime contract from the Rooney family.
30. Indianapolis Colts
Projected Starter: Anthony Richardson
This situation isn’t bad from a talent standpoint. Both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones once had the ability to make them superstar quarterbacks. We’re not even talking general starters here. They had superstar ceilings, which is why the Giants and Colts took them in the top 10 in the NFL Draft (top five for Richardson). However, both have zero chance of hitting it at this point.
What’s crazy about saying that about Anthony Richardson is that he’s just 23 years old. There will be quarterbacks in the draft next season who are older than he is. This is a player who showed glimpses of being an insane player in his rookie season, but he got injured every game before a shoulder ailment ended his campaign. One year later, Richardson was one of the most exciting returning starters in the league.
That went so badly last season. He finished with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That wasn’t even the worst part. The Colts benched him for Joe Flacco, he sat himself down in the middle of an important drive because he was tired, he threw some of the worst interceptions you’ve ever seen, and the Colts saw Richardson flush their season down the toilet.
Daniel Jones was embarrassed by the New York Giants last season. They put him in constant positions to fail, and he did. Then, the Giants let the rumor mill go wild. Right after that, they cut him in the middle of the season. He got a big contract this offseason, so nobody is crying for Mr. $14 million. This situation is talented, but it’s just as messy.
29. Cleveland Browns
Projected Starter: Kenny Pickett
It figures that the team who had five quarterbacks start in each of the past two seasons starts training camp with five quarterbacks on the roster. And they are legit quarterbacks. Well, none of them are starter worthy, but they are names for sure!
Let’s start with Deshaun Watson. The Browns would hope they could do anything to get him off the roster. The biggest stain to come to Cleveland has haunted this team for years. This season, he’s coming off a torn Achilles tendon, and it’s most likely that he won’t play a game.
Behind Watson is former first-round pick Kenny Pickett and veteran Joe Flacco. Both are decent backup options, but one of them is probably starting. The other might get cut. There are just too many people in the quarterback room, although if the Browns look at this as a rebuilding year, it might make sense to keep all possible quarterbacks. Pickett might start the season, but we might see yet another season with five starters in Cleveland.
The Browns drafted two very different quarterbacks in the draft. They aren’t that different in skill set. They can both probably play the same system, but Shedeur Sanders was once considered the consensus number-one overall pick before Cam Ward took that spot. He fell all the way to the fifth round. Dillon Gabriel is insanely talented, but he’s considered too small for the position. They will fight for the third-string position, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see them both get snaps this season.
28. Las Vegas Raiders
Projected Starter: Geno Smith
This sounds like a condemnation of Geno Smith, but it isn’t. We actually like Geno Smith as a quarterback of this team, but the situation stinks. The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to make moves this season in the AFC West, but who are they better than? Smith doesn’t move the needle that much when the Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos are your competition.
Plus, Smith had a questionable season last year. He threw 15 interceptions against just 21 touchdowns as he tried to make something out of nothing. The offensive line was atrocious in Seattle, but it’s not much better in Las Vegas. He will be running for his life, and he’s too old for that nonsense.
Aidan O’Connell is still hanging on this roster. After a few years where it was clear he wasn’t fit to be a starter, he’s hanging around as the backup. If Smith goes down, which might be a formality with his age and this protection, O’Connell will once again get his chance. We don’t expect it to go any different that what we’ve already seen.
Cam Miller out of North Dakota State is the team’s third stringer as of today. He comes from a school with a decent quarterback pedigree which includes Carson Wentz and Easton Stick. We’ll see what he can show in training camp.
27. Tennessee Titans
Projected Starter: Cam Ward
It seems that everyone has talked themselves into Cam Ward this year. The number-one overall pick had some questions while at Miami. He could throw a beautiful deep ball, and his stats speak for themselves, but there are questions.
The Hurricanes were a house of cards for most of last season. They constantly snuck away with wins, beating Virginia Tech by four, Cal by one, and Louisville by seven. Ward needed epic comebacks against both Va. Tech and Cal (he was down by multiple touchdowns in the fourth quarter of each game), but his luck ran out at the end of the season. He lost two of his final three regular season games, knocking his team out of the College Football Playoff.
Ward has talent that can make up for a lot, and he seems to protect the ball better than Will Levis did (who is still on this roster), but there will be a learning curve. There’s a chance the Titans could be near the top of the draft again next year. Ward can only get them so far.
Will Levis make it on the roster? We’ve seen players humble themselves enough to make that work. Being a backup quarterback in the NFL is still a valuable position. And hey, maybe they’ll keep letting him do those mayonnaise commercials.
26. Minnesota Vikings
Projected Starter: J.J. McCarthy
Are we allowed to say that we are really worried about J.J. McCarthy? The Minnesota Vikings decided to put all their chips in the former 10th-overall pick once year after tearing up his knee. The Vikings had Sam Darnold under center as the backup, and they won 14 games en route to one of the most surprising seasons in the league. The Vikings are stacked at every other position. Can they overcome if McCarthy is average or worse?
Luckily for Vikings fans, McCarthy had almost a whole year to recover from his torn meniscus. He’s coming into training camp with no limitations, and early reports are that he looks really good. These are training camp reports, and some aren’t worth the gigabytes they hold on the internet, but this is the information we have, and it’s pointing in a positive direction.
This is basically a ranking because of the risk involved. If McCarthy doesn’t work out, who is getting Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison the ball? Sam Howell and Brett Rypien are the backups in Minnesota. Howell had some flashes in Washington, but they were often fleeting.
This is up to McCarthy to carry the Vikings to their next level. Even if he’s a decent NFL starting quarterback, the Vikings will likely fall quite a bit off their 14 wins last year. That doesn’t mean they won’t be a contender.
25. Miami Dolphins
Projected Starter: Tua Tagovailoa
Here we are again. The Miami Dolphins go into yet another season with question marks surrounding Tua Tagovailoa. However, this year feels different. While there was always optimism about the team around Tua and the coaching staff building him up, that isn’t there this season. Nobody expects much from the Dolphins this year. In fact, the Dolphins have worse odds than the Patriots to win the AFC East.
On top of the turmoil, the Dolphins still might make the roster worse. They are reportedly in trade talks with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and they could move Tyreek Hill or Jonnu Smith.
Back to Tagovailoa. The former Alabama stud had his third career concussion last season, and it was another scary one. He missed more than a month after that. When he came back, the results were mixed. He had games where he looked every bit the superstar the Dolphins need. Then other games, he was an interception machine. There’s no telling which guy the Dolphins are getting this season.
With all the questions surrounding Tagovailoa, the Dolphins need a good backup. checks depth chart. Is that Zach Wilson? Oof… They do have Quinn Ewers out of Texas, who some think could develop into a good quarterback. But to know that if Tagovailoa goes down, it’s Zach Wilson coming in… that’s not a good place to be.
24. New York Giants
Projected Starter: Russell Wilson
The New York Giants’ mantra this season should be “a team with four quarterbacks actually has none.” The Giants went from having just Tommy DeVito on the roster to adding both Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson in free agency and drafting Jaxson Dart in the first round. Wilson had some moments last season, doing well to get the Broncos stink off his career, but some in Pittsburgh thought Justin Fields should have been the starter come playoff time.
Now in New Jersey, Wilson is looking to hold down the fort while Dart develops. Winston signed before Wilson, so he probably thought he’d be the one mentoring a rookie as the man under center, but he’ll have to settle for team motivator.
The Giants are just trying to tread water this season. They have to be realistic with what’s in front of them. Even if Wilson plays as well as he can or Dart takes over and is a decent rookie, the Giants have an insane schedule. They really only have two or three easy games, and this roster is limited.
On top of everything, the pressure comes from the hottest seats in the NFL. No leaders have more pressure on them than head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen. That pressure will distract the entire season, and this isn’t a solid enough room to overcome.
23. New York Jets
Projected Starter: Justin Fields
The New York Jets shocked the football world when they opened their checkbook for Justin Fields. The former top quarterback prospect flamed out in Chicago, but he showed something in Pittsburgh. He’s never going to be Josh Allen, but if he can be a poor man’s Michael Vick, then the Jets might be a decent team.
Can Fields excel with a team that is completely all in on him as their starting quarterback? He always felt like he was playing for his job from the second he became a starter. The criticism was borderline unfair. Now, he just gets to be Justin Fields.
Behind Fields is Tyrod Taylor. That shows the Jets don’t expect to find a replacement quarterback soon. Taylor is a fine backup, and he will be an outstanding mentor to Fields. That is precisely what will be expected of him.
This is very hopeful. The Jets think Fields can bring something special to the lineup. His running ability might be the best in the league. Yes, even better than Lamar Jackson. That changes the offense's dynamic, making the Jets interesting this season. However, Fields is one really bad month from being a career backup.
22. Atlanta Falcons
Projected Starter: Michael Penix Jr.
At the 2024 NFL Draft, the most insane decision felt like when the Atlanta Falcons took Michael Penix eighth overall. It appears to be a much better choice today, with Penix securing the starting job. It still feels insane, but it feels less insane.
As the starter, Penix got the Falcons close, but he couldn’t get them over the top. He lost two overtime games, including one to the Washington Commanders. This season, Penix hopes to take a step forward. With Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and Darnell Mooney running the offense, Penix has as much talent as just about anyone.
Then, there’s this thing about the backup situation. The Falcons have openly tried to trade Kirk Cousins, but his contract is bonkers. Nobody wants to deal with that, and the Falcons don’t want to pay most of it just to make him go away. Cutting him is still on the table, but that would cause the Falcons to have a $40 million dead cap hit.
Once they get rid of Cousins, if that happens, then the next guy up is Easton Stick. That’s not the best contingency plan for Penix, who has had injuries in the past.
21. Seattle Seahawks
Projected Starter: Sam Darnold
The Seattle Seahawks made the moves that show they aren’t satisfied with how the offense has been run. Mike McDonald pushed to end what was the Pete Carrol era. The Seahawks sent Geno Smith packing and signed Sam Darnold.
Darnold was expected to get insane money this offseason, but he completely fell apart with the Vikings at the end of the season. He was a big reason why the Vikings’ season ended early, but he had done enough to show that he deserved to keep his career as a starter going. It’s ironic that Darnold and Smith’s careers have the same trajectory, and now Darnold is looking to make the second half of his career count in Seattle.
Behind Darnold is rookie Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. He is someone analysts believe could be as good as a first-round pick, but he has to be in the perfect situation. It’s hard to say Seattle is that situation, but he does get a chance to develop with Seattle all in on Darnold.
Speaking of the situation, the situation around Darnold is a little scary. The offensive line is not great, DK Metcalf is in Pittsburgh, Tyler Lockett is in Carolina, and the offense is being held together with hopes and dreams. Darnold needs to be his best to overcome the changes to the offense, but he showed last year he could do that.
20. Carolina Panthers
Projected Starter: Bryce Young
If we took a survey about who fans thought would be at the bottom of this list during Week 10 of last season, most would say the Carolina Panthers. Bryce Young was a certified problem. The former first-overall pick was on his way to being one of the worst trades of all time. The Panthers already lost a second first-overall pick in the process. Now, Young was failing to show progression.
Then, out of the Carolina Blue sky, Young seemed to remember how to play quarterback again. He went tit for tat with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, losing that game by just three. Then, the next week, he got barely beaten by the eventual NFC South winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Down the stretch, Young threw for 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
The mistakes were going away, and he was making the safe play. That didn’t lead to wins until later in the season, as Young was trying to overcome a flawed roster.
Behind Young, Andy Dalton is once again keeping his career alive. Whenever the Panthers have needed him, he wins a game or two. He always turns back the clock once or twice a year, just like when he had 319 yards and three touchdowns against the Raiders last season. Dalton is a fine backup.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
Projected Starter: Trevor Lawrence
This is a pick with variance. The Jacksonville Jaguars could literally be anything this season. With all the moves they made, they could be a true contender. The defense is getting there, and Liam Coen might be the best head coach hire outside of Ben Johnson. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers desperately wanted to keep him on the West Coast of Florida, but Jacksonville won out. They could also get another first-overall pick if everything goes wrong again, which would really stink since the Cleveland Browns have that pick.
It all comes down to Trevor Lawrence. The former Clemson superstar was expected to be an Andrew Luck-level prospect, but the NFL has not come easily to Lawrence. He has shown some signs of superstardom, but he’s also shown signs of being a liability.
This season, Lawrence will have the best situation around him. Adding Travis Hunter to this roster gives them two legitimate wide receivers. Brian Thomas Jr. looked like an absolute stud, and while his fantasy implications might take a hit with Hunter there, this one-two punch might be the best in the league. And that will bring the best out of Lawrence, and he could be in the top 10 by the end of the season.
Behind Lawrence is Nick Mullens, a situation we don’t love. The Jaguars should have targeted a better backup. We do expect some good quarterbacks to get cut at the end of the preseason, so Jacksonville can still improve the position. That’s what they did last season when they traded for Mac Jones.
18. Arizona Cardinals
Projected Starter: Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray is the quietest star quarterback in the league. It might be because he’s been in trade rumors for years, or maybe it’s because he plays in Arizona. Murray is still really good and plays like a magician. However, he’s down on this list because of his penchant for getting hurt.
Last year was the first year since 2020 when Murray played a full slate of games, and it was only the third time in his career. Can he repeat that this season? It’s hard to say. The Cardinals have a lot going for them, including another great draft class and year two of Marvin Harrison Jr., but it’s hard to peg where Murray should be ranked.
Where should Murray be ranked in a vacuum? Is he a top 10 quarterback? That’s hard to argue, but saying he’s in the top 15 is a much easier pill to swallow. The Cardinals are hoping to be a surprise team in the NFC West. There are question marks for every team, and Arizona could sneak into the playoffs because of it. Murray needs to step it up a little higher than he has.
The Cardinals signed veteran Jacoby Brissett to be the backup to Murray. He’s a good leader to help Murray keep his mind in the right place. We don’t want him to start games, but he’s a great influence in the locker room. Clayton Tune is there, too.
17. Chicago Bears
Projected Starter: Caleb Williams
Now we’re getting really interesting. Caleb Williams could be the next great quarterback. We didn’t see that last season like we did with his counterparts in the 2024 NFL Draft, but there’s a reason why he was the number-one overall pick in the best QB class in a long time. This kid is as talented as anyone in the league. It just didn’t click last season.
This year, the learning curve is short, and Williams has to perform. And he has everything he needs to make it work. The offense around him is even more talented, adding Luther Burden to the wide receiver room will come off as an underrated move, but he really rounds out the top three receivers. The offensive line is getting better, and Williams now gets to play with a real playbook.
And that’s why we have this type of faith in Williams’ growth. He is now playing for Ben Johnson, known as one of the best offensive minds in the league. Johnson is going to put together an incredible plan to make Williams one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Right now, Tyson Bagent is still listed as the backup. He had a few moments with Chicago already. He’s just fine as a backup. Case Keenum is also there.
16. Dallas Cowboys
Projected Starter: Dak Prescott
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the biggest question marks in the NFL. Many come into the season thinking this is going to be another down year for the Cowboys. Everything went wrong for Big D last season, and they missed the playoffs. Worse, they watched their rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, win another Super Bowl.
However, Dak Prescott is still the Cowboys' starting quarterback. When he’s healthy and everything is clicking, he’s undoubtedly a top-10 guy. That’s hard to come by for him lately, but the Cowboys did something this offseason for Prescott. They added George Pickens, giving the Cowboys someone legit behind CeeDee Lamb.
They made an interesting move to back up Prescott. The Cowboys sent a fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for Joe Milton III. He looked incredible in a nothing game against the Buffalo Bills backups, but the talent was clearly there. It’s strange the Patriots let him go for such a small price, but they have their own good things going on there.
With Prescott and Milton, plus a great wide receiver room, Dallas has a chance to be very good on offense. We do need to see it, which is why they are ranked right in the middle of the league.
15. Denver Broncos
Projected Starter: Bo Nix
We will admit we thought it was nuts to draft Bo Nix as high as the Denver Broncos did, but Sean Payton had a vision, and it fell right into his lap. Nix struggled to start the year, and all the criticism of the pick was bubbling over. When Nix threw for just 60 yards against the New York Jets, many thought this pick was cooked.
Something changed in him that game. Maybe there was a come-to-faith moment for Nix, but he was a much better player after that. Nix went on to throw for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Four of those interceptions were in his first two career games.
Nix down the stretch was amazing. He helped the Broncos make the postseason when nobody expected that of them in 2024. A rookie quarterback outplaying two former highly-touted prospects in Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, and doing so well that his team makes the playoffs is playing well above his expectations. Now that he has expectations, how will he play? That’s the only question that could hurt him.
His backup is still Stidham, which is fine. He’s played well based on the expectations, and he should be a backup for a long time in this league. Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger is on this roster, as well.
14. San Francisco 49ers
Projected Starter: Brock Purdy
Now this one is a spicy meatball. The San Francisco 49ers made headlines last week when they finally gave Brock Purdy his mega deal. The former last pick in the NFL Draft signed for five years and $265 million. It’s not like quarterbacks haven’t always been the highest-paid players, but the difference in economy of a middle-of-the-pack starting quarterback and a superstar wide receiver is startling.
Either way, Purdy is a good quarterback. With the right pieces around him, he can take a team to the Super Bowl. That’s more than words like with most quarterbacks in the league. Purdy has already taken the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, Purdy's situation is not the same. Christian McCaffrey is coming off another injury-riddled season with doubts about his future effectiveness. Deebo Samuel, who has been in San Fran for Purdy’s entire career, is now coming up with fun plays for Jayden Daniels. Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a major knee injury, and Jauan Jennings needs to repeat his surprise success to help the 49ers.
The least surprising signing of the offseason was Mac Jones going to play for Kyle Shanahan. Jones was reportedly the guy Shanahan wanted when San Francisco drafted Trey Lance. The situation probably wouldn’t have worked out much better, but Jones showed more last year in Jacksonville than he did the year prior in New England.
13. Houston Texans
Projected Starter: C.J. Stroud
There are sophomore slumps that we can attribute to the league getting tape on a rookie, and then there’s what happened to C.J. Stroud last season. He wasn’t terrible, and he lifted the Houston Texans to the postseason despite injuries to Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Stefon Diggs. Yet, we still feel like his performance left much to be desired.
And now, as training camp is just getting started, Stroud is already dealing with a shoulder issue. He is missing the start of camp because of tightness in his shoulder, which the Texans are calling minor, but we’ve heard this story before. No injury is serious at this point in the offseason because there’s time to rectify the situation. However, if Stroud is already dealing with tightness, we’re at least a little worried.
Five years later and Davis Mills is still the backup quarterback in Houston. He’s a fine player, but the Texans definitely don’t want to fall back to him under center. Even after the years of experience, nobody would expect good things from the Texans with Mills as the starter.
If Stroud’s shoulder injury truly is nothing, he probably moves slightly up the list. Just a few weeks into the season, Stroud could be in the top 10 again. For right now, we have some questions that need answers.
12. New England Patriots
Projected Starter: Drake Maye
The hype train for Drake Maye is steamrolling this offseason. Maye had a decent rookie year, but he looked really good. His numbers won’t get anyone out of their seat (2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions), but the way he looked with the putrid offense they built around him has Patriots fans excited. In year two, everything is different.
The Patriots hired a new head coach in Mike Vrabel, giving them a much better shot at being competitive. They revamped the wide receiver room, adding Stefon Diggs and drafting Kyle Williams. Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, the hopeful rookies from last season, are now the seventh and eighth listed wide receivers on the depth chart. They drafted TreVeyon Henderson to pair with Rhamondre Stevenson, so we expect the fumbling issue to stop one way or another.
Meanwhile, the Patriots signed Joshua Dobbs to a decent contract to back up Maye. He showed some signs of being a decent player in his few starts, and he could be dynamic if the Patriots were ever forced to go to him. We don’t love that they traded away Joe Milton III for pennies so they could sign Dobbs, but the NFL is a strange business.
Maye has the looks of a superstar, but those looks need to be followed by action this season. He can only get by on vibes for so long. It’s not a make-or-break season for Maye, but if he wants to stay in the top 15 of the league, he has to contribute to the stat sheet.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projected Starter: Baker Mayfield
Nobody thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be here when they originally signed Baker Mayfield to replace Tom Brady, who finally retired in the summer of 2023. Mayfield wasn’t even a lock to win the job, fighting tooth and nail with Kyle Trask. Now, Mayfield is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, and Trask is solidified as his long-term backup.
We forget that Mayfield is only 30 years old. He likely has a lot of football left in him. After the Buccaneers only committed three years to him, they might have to up the ante on their next contract. Mayfield has been great in Tampa, helping the Bucs win the NFC South in both years as a starter. Last season, he threw for 41 touchdowns. And that was with Chris Godwin out with an injury.
With Godwin re-signed, Mike Evans back again, and Emeka Egbuka ready to hit the ground running as a rookie, this might be the best offense Mayfield has ever had. Bucky Irving is also ready to take a ton off of Mayfield’s plate.
We’re not sure what to make of Trask, who hasn’t done much since the Bucs drafted him in the second round out of the University of Florida. He’s the first Bucs quarterback in two decades to sign a second contract with the team after he was drafted. So, that’s something.
10. Detroit Lions
Projected Starter: Jared Goff
We’ve made it to the prestigious top 10 quarterback situations in the league, and we’re starting with a controversial choice. The Detroit Lions had the best offense in football last year. Jared Goff was directing that offense. They have most of their pieces back. What could possibly land Goff at 10?
Ben Johnson is in Chicago. We don’t know what Jared Goff looks like without Ben Johnson. Actually, we do know what he looks like, and that’s what scares us. He thrives under Johnson, and this offense was unlike any we’ve seen in the league. Johnson waited for the right opportunity to leave Goff and the Lions, and he chose their division rival.
Is that as impactful as the players who are still there? Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and David Montgomery are secured in place. Goff has targets galore. However, the game plan is changing. We have faith, but we’re cautious.
The Lions drafted Hendon Hooker a few years ago, knowing they had to wait for him to be fully healthy. That time has come, and we’d be interested to see what he could do when given the chance. Kyle Allen is the third string, and all Lions fans hope they never have to hear his name.
9. Los Angeles Rams
Projected Starter: Matthew Stafford
The Los Angeles Rams are going for this one more time. Matthew Stafford was in trade rumors all offseason, with the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers inquiring about his availability. As most could have guessed, Stafford wasn’t actually available. The Rams don’t have a contingency plan, and they have a competitive roster in a questionable division.
Stafford gave the champion Philadelphia Eagles their biggest scare in the playoffs. Stafford had the Rams on the 13-yard line with 1:14 left in the game and down by six. Of course, they didn’t get the ball into the endzone, but this was so close. Stafford showed in that game alone that he could still drive a team to a Super Bowl.
And the Rams made some interesting moves to build around him for one season. They added Davante Adams to replace Cooper Kupp. Puka Nacua is now a bona fide superstar. The Rams' offense is clicking, and they should be one of the better offenses in the league with Stafford at the helm.
Jimmy Garoppolo is the perfect backup quarterback. He could be decent if called upon and keep the offense going, but he’s not the guy who needs to be the starter. He can literally sit on the sidelines and look pretty, and that keeps everyone happy. The Rams have a really good situation under center.
8. Los Angeles Chargers
Projected Starter: Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert did better than most thought in his first year under Jim Harbaugh. Most thought he’d be a borderline afterthought as Harbaugh looked to win with a staunch offensive line and great running game. He did do some of that, but he let Herbert air it out when it was necessary. Herbert finished the season with 3,800 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 3 (!!!) interceptions.
Herbert was the safest quarterback in the league, and that’s what Harbaugh wants. He’d rather have a guy who didn’t take chances, and Herbert didn’t know what chances he could take because his wide receiver room had been cleared out. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were no longer there.
So, Herbert found amazing chemistry with Ladd McConkey. They could be a formidable pairing for the next 10 years. There’s something about their connection that seems to be long lasting. The Chargers added Williams back this offseason, and they drafted Tre Harris. All of a sudden, wide receiver isn’t their weakness.
Taylor Heinicke is the backup, and former third-overall pick Trey Lance is behind him. It’s a decent QB room behind Herbert, which is necessary with his injury history.
7. Green Bay Packers
Projected Starter: Jordan Love
Jordan Love is a top-10 quarterback, but there is something he has to prove this season. He had a slow start that included an injury, but he was incredible down the stretch. He finished the season with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Love threw his 11th interception on November 11th. He threw no interceptions over the final seven weeks of the season.
Then, in the playoffs, he was horrendous. He threw three interceptions against the vaunted Eagles secondary, but even with that much talent, his game was dreadful. The Packers obviously need more. He showed no ability to get the team back in the game, and he was making mistake after mistake.
How will Love look coming off that game? He’s had five months to think about those interceptions. Will they continue to bother him? If we were forced to pick someone in the top 10 who won’t be there by Week 8, it’s Love.
Behind him is Malik Willis. He was fine when he came in last season, changing how offenses run and keeping the Packers afloat. He didn’t throw much, but Matt LaFleur had the game plan to get him over the finish line.
6. Washington Commanders
Projected Starter: Jayden Daniels
A dynamic rookie taken second overall in the NFL Draft grabs the rocket in Washington D.C. and takes a downtrodden franchise to the playoffs. He looks amazing in the moment, doing it with a rocket arm and with his flashy feet. He makes the most out of the offense, and he has some of the best comebacks we’ve ever seen. Time is a flat circle for the Washington Commanders, but this isn’t the Robert Griffin III story.
Jayden Daniels is the type of talent that lasts. He did take a few too many hits last season, but he always got up. The former Heisman Trophy winner dominated defenses when it mattered. He was clutch when the moment called for it. He hit receivers in stride and put the ball where only his receivers could get it.
Is there a possibility that Daniels can face a sophomore slump? Sure, but it doesn’t seem very likely. What he was doing is repeatable, at least from a skill set. We don’t think he can keep throwing Hail Marys to win games.
Behind Daniels is Marcus Mariota. Another fellow former second-overall pick, Mariota is a good foil for this offense. He can do a few things, even at his advanced age.
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Projected Starter: Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl champion. Despite the turmoil, the rumors that he fights with his head coach, the detractors saying he isn’t a star, and that his offense inflates his numbers, or that he’s a Tush Push merchant, Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl champion. It’s a honor that nobody can take away from him for any reason. He did exactly what he needed to win that game and the game preceding it.
Still, we can’t put Hurts higher than fifth. This is exactly where he should be. Fifth is amazing. Hurts is a fantastic quarterback, but the top four is set in stone, and only an injury could possibly change it.
Hurts finished last season with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. He didn’t even get a Pro Bowl nod. None of that matters. He’s a Super Bowl champion. We’ll keep repeating it until it sticks. And now, he’s a top-five quarterback. There is an interesting aspect here of how he’ll react to the departure of Kellen Moore, who took the head coaching job in New Orleans, but this appears to be a well-oiled machine in Philadelphia.
The Eagles did a little redecorating to the quarterback room. They traded Kenny Pickett for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and elevated Tanner McKee to backup. McKee had a good game when he was thrust into the lineup when Hurts was resting at the end of the season, but we don’t want to overreact to a Week 18 game.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Projected Starter: Patrick Mahomes
Our gut says that the Kansas City Chiefs should just be at the top of the list at all times, but that’s not how it works with Patrick Mahomes anymore. He isn’t the automatic top quarterback in the league. He’s no longer throwing for 40 or 50 touchdowns in a season. His offense isn’t at the top of the league. He does just enough to win, but that means he’s putting himself in those positions by being inconsistent for the first 50 minutes of a game.
Mahomes is still one of the best quarterbacks in the sport. Heck, he’s ahead of the guy who whooped on him in the Super Bowl. Mahomes still does so much well, but there are cracks in his game that we can’t ignore anymore. He’s not lifting up receivers like he once did. He seems to really miss Tyreek Hill.
This season, most expect Xavier Worthy to take a leap. Rashee Rice is healthy and not dealing with a truckload of offseason drama. They re-signed Juju Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown. Travis Kelce decided against retirement to give this football thing one more go around. The band is back together after their push for a three-peat was thwarted.
The Chiefs added Gardner Minshew this offseason to backup Mahomes. That’s such an interesting signing after multiple teams tried to make Minshew work. This might be the best thing to happen to Minshew after a few years in Vegas.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Projected Starter: Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson came in second for the league MVP, but truly, what more could he have done? He threw for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. This was definitely voter fatigue for Jackson, or maybe the league was trying to “give Josh Allen his due.” Still, Jackson proved some things last year when he won a game in the playoffs.
Jackson went shot-for-shot with Allen, an interesting dichotomy after they went head-to-head for the MVP. The whole game came down to one play. The Ravens scored a touchdown to go down just two points with seconds remaining in the game. They just needed to hit on the two-point conversion to tie this game and essentially send it to overtime. Jackson threw a ball into the bread basket of Mark Andrews, and he dropped it.
It was a disappointing end to an incredible season. Still, Jackson has more to prove.
The Ravens are going with Cooper Rush as Jackson’s backup. It’s interesting they aren’t going for one of the backups who can at least play the Jackson playbook. We thought Josh Dobbs would have made sense in Baltimore, but they went in a different direction.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
Projected Starter: Joe Burrow
The Cincinnati Bengals have possibly the top offense in the league after this offseason. Joe Burrow is back and better than ever. Both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins returned with brand new contracts that pay them the GDP of a small island nation. Everything is sunshine in Cincy.
Well, everything on offense. The defense is still a mess, but this is a quarterback list. And the Bengals are going to ask Burrow to put up insane quarterback stats to make up for this defense. He will be throwing the ball more than 40 times on multiple occasions, and he has the supporting cast to make it worthwhile.
Burrow is a tippity top quarterback in this league now. He’s grown every season, and his penchant for insane throws is not lost on the rankings. Our only concern is an injury. He gets hit too much, and he’s missed time in the past. If he’s on the field, Burrow is going to dominate.
The Bengals have a sneaky good backup in Jake Browning. We’re surprised no other team is going after him, but the league is quickly getting a good influx of quarterbacks to fill spots. Have you seen this list? Browning would only start on a handful of teams, and that’s great news for the Bengals who have a legitimate backup plan.
1. Buffalo Bills
Projected Starter: Josh Allen
There is no surprise who is at the top of the list. As much as we loved Lamar Jackson’s season, it’s hard to take anything away from what Allen did for the Buffalo Bills last season. Do you remember how everyone expected the Bills to take a step back last year? Their salary cap situation came to a head, and they had to cut so many players. Plus, they traded Stefon Diggs for basically peanuts.
All Allen did was throw for 3,731 yards and 26 touchdowns. They aren’t insane numbers compared to Jackson and Mayfield, but they were exactly what Buffalo needed. Allen showed himself to be the best quarterback in the league.
Now, Allen just has to get to a Super Bowl. The Chiefs are vulnerable after finally losing a playoff game last season. The monster can be defeated. It’s time Allen gets that one big win. Mahomes has been to a Super Bowl. Burrow has been to a Super Bowl. Those are the only two AFC QBs who have been to the Big Game since Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were dominating the conference. Allen has to get there, and he should try to do it this year to preserve his legacy.
One of Mitch Trubisky or Mike White can be a legit backup. Neither can be Josh Allen, but one will keep the team afloat in a worst-case scenario.