Whether or not you agreed with it, it did happen. The San Francisco 49ers made their franchise quarterback, Brock Purdy, a fabulously wealthy man. Last week, he agreed to a five-year deal worth $256 million. He will be bringing in $53 million in average annual value once his new deal kicks in ahead of the 2025 NFL season. San Francisco had to pay him, but there is a chance it was an overpay.
What is important to not is Purdy now has a great opportunity to put his mouth where his money is, or better yet his arm where his mouth and money are... Purdy told KNBR "I think for sure I'm a top-10 quarterback. I'll leave it at that." Since coming out of Iowa State, Purdy has played with a quiet confidence that has resonated with his 49ers teammates, one that has been hard to truly quantify.
So what I want to do to today is a week removed from Purdy getting his mega extension is to see where he stacks up among the very best quarterbacks in the NFL. Is he a top-five quarterback? Get out of town! But as far as him being in the top-10 range, that is a much more worthwhile discussion to be had. Purdy is coming off a down season, but his first two in the league were utterly sensational.
No matter how you slice it, Purdy has a target placed on his back as a result of his big bump in pay.
So let's now unpack the 10 best quarterbacks in the NFL today, as we enter Memorial Day Weekend.
10. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy
For the sake of argument, I am going to have Purdy slotted in at No. 10, just to prove a point. One could argue that other quarterbacks I do not have listed such as Justin Herbert, Jordan Love and C.J. Stroud all have a claim to be included over him. What separates and elevates Purdy from them in my eyes is a combination of productivity, team success and being able to get the most out of his talent.
When it comes to Stroud, I need to see just a little bit more. That was the hardest quarterback for me to keep outside of the top 10. Love has a strong argument as well, but he has been in the league a little bit longer, but does not have as much success as Purdy does. As for Herbert, I have not so quietly run out of patience with him. At some point, he has to make it happen, but will he ever do it?
Purdy is a borderline top-10 NFL quarterback, not lower than top-16, but no higher than top-eight.
9. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford
Right ahead of Purdy I have the ageless Matthew Stafford. The Los Angeles Rams starter is my Dawg from his days dating back to Georgia. While his time with the Detroit Lions has been eclipsed by that of his predecessor Jared Goff, he has done the same thing since coming over to Los Angeles. The Rams have a Super Bowl because of Stafford's great play in crunch time and powerful right arm.
Admittedly, I am very down on the Rams' future going forward. Last year may have been their last best shot win another Super Bowl. Right now, I think they could repeat as NFC West champions, but I may have an affinity for the up-and-coming Arizona Cardinals. As long as Stafford stays healthy and can distribute the ball well around the gridiron, it is hard for me to downtick him playing for Sean McVay.
The Super Bowl ring, the longevity and better overall physical traits has Stafford just ahead of Purdy.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield
One of my favorite players in the league just so happens to quarterback one of my favorite team's biggest rivals. Baker Mayfield has been a revelation since coming over to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Replacing Tom Brady is next to impossible, but Mayfield seems to be doing just that in Gulf Coast Florida. No matter who his offensive coordinator is, Mayfield seems right at home with this franchise.
Admittedly, Mayfield and Purdy have similar traits, ones that allowed them to thrive in the Big 12 at Oklahoma and Iowa State, respectively, but still not enough to impress everyone in the NFL. Mayfield is cockier than Purdy, but I think he plays with a bit more of an edge than him as well. It is not by much, but I doubt Purdy would be this good playing in Tampa Bay. Mayfield would thrive with San Francisco.
One guy won the Heisman Trophy to become a No. 1 overall pick, while the other was Mr. Irrelevant...
7. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels
Where you land matters. Then again, maybe it did not matter when it came to a player of Jayden Daniels' caliber? Like Baker Mayfield, Daniels won the Heisman Trophy during his final season of college football. The former LSU star marveled in his first season with the Washington Commanders. This is a team that was dead to rights before he arrived. Daniels had them playing for an NFC title.
Their skill sets are completely different. Daniels is every bit the dual-threat, while Purdy is more likely to pick you apart from inside a clean pocket. While Purdy may play within himself a bit more frequently, there are few players in the game today I trust more to ad-lib in a big spot than Daniels. To me, he is the best quarterback of a loaded draft class. Washington has found its bona fide superstar.
The next step for Daniels to become more consistent, win the NFC East and play for a Super Bowl.
6. Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff
We have arrived at arguably the most underrated quarterback in the NFL today. Jared Goff continues to show us all that he was deserving of being the No. 1 overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams a decade ago. He may not have gotten the love he deserved playing in Los Angeles, but now that he is with the Detroit Lions, it is all love, baby. It took a while, but he has such a great feel for the game now.
He always threw a beautiful spiral, dating back to this starring for Sonny Dykes at Cal. Obviously, the game had to slow down for him, but I always admired his mental toughness. He has not always played for the best and most glamorous teams. It is why he has become such a likable guy to root for from afar. While I am not sure if he ever wins a Super Bowl, I hope he gets back to be in one a second time.
Goff has radically raised his floor since coming out of Cal, constantly working on his craft every year.
5. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts is the first of five quarterbacks you simply cannot argue being worse than Purdy right now. Hurts has been to two Super Bowls, won one and is well on his way toward Canton enshrinement as a Super Bowl MVP. Dating back to his days at Alabama and Oklahoma, the guy is still arguably in rarified air as a player. Everybody in college loved him. I would argue that most root for him in the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles are an easy team to hate, but you never find yourself doing that with Hurts. He is the ultimate galvanizer, one who wants to set up his teammates for success more so than even himself. I have said it before with a few of these high-end quarterbacks, but I marvel at the command of the huddle Hurts has running the Eagles offense. I do not think he is done winning Super Bowls.
A lot of what Hurts can do Purdy can do as well, but so far, Hurts has simply done it better for longer.
4. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen
Josh Allen may be the reigning NFL MVP, but I am afraid he is going to be his generation's version of Dan Marino. He does not have the same impeccable release, but postseason success has just always found a way to avoid him. It is not his fault in most instances, but rather how the team is constructed. They look to him to do everything, but fail to realize that this giant ox of a man is only a human being.
I think you could argue the top four quarterbacks I have to be put in any order and you probably would not be that wrong. At the end of the day, Allen may not have the clutch gene of others when it matters most. I would love for him to prove me wrong one day, but with the way the Buffalo Bills ride him, I am so concerned that he is going to break down physically like Cam Newton and Ben Roethlisberger did.
Regardless, Allen is a superstar in the NFL and one of the strongest pillars the league can build on.
3. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
I do not know if my bias is showing, but Joe Burrow is my favorite quarterback in the league who has never played for one of my teams. I have been a massive fan of his since his unbelievable 2019 Heisman Trophy-winning season at LSU. We are watching the next Joe Montana in real time. The only problem is he does not play for the San Francisco 49ers, but rather those cheap Cincinnati Bengals.
Where you land matters, but it is very rare for a player to overcome all organizational odds to be this successful. Whenever Burrow is healthy, he is a perennial MVP candidate. The Bengals did not win playoff games prior to his arrival. In two years, he had them playing in a Super Bowl. While Cincinnati needs to make the playoffs this year, Burrow's game continues to evolve, just like I hoped it would.
He plays the position like a point guard, just like Montana did when he was coming out of Notre Dame.
2. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
I never thought we would see another Michael Vick. Now I need to tell myself that we will never see another Lamar Jackson. What he did at Louisville was otherworldly. His game not only translated well to the NFL, but he is quickly on his way to challenging Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden as the greatest players in Baltimore Ravens history. All he needs to do now is to get to a Super Bowl and then win one.
Jackson is often compared to his NFL Draft classmate Josh Allen for several reasons. They are the two best quarterbacks in that draft class, but not everyone believed that they would be successes. Regular season accolades are plenty for them, but they just so happen to play in the AFC at the same time as the Kansas City Chiefs' dynastic run over the NFL. Eventually, Jackson has to win it all, right?
Between Allen, Burrow and Jackson, if only one of them ever wins a Super Bowl, I think it is Jackson.
1. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Who are we kidding? Until proven otherwise, Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league. For that to happen, someone like Allen, Burrow and Jackson need to win back-to-back Super Bowls. I hate to say it, but Jalen Hurts would have to three-peat leading the Eagles to eclipse Mahomes. What he has done since taking over the Kansas City Chiefs can only be compared to what Tom Brady did.
At this point, Mahomes is unquestionably a top-five quarterback in the history of the NFL. I think he is better than John Elway. We are talking about him in the same breath as Otto Graham and Johnny Unitas, trying to get past Joe Montana and approach Brady. Mahomes can retire right now and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame six summers from now as a first-ballot guy going away.
Mahomes has won three Super Bowls, but I think he might have another two or three in the tank...