After the 2020 NFL Draft and the first round of free agency, several new starters hold spots in the most recent quarterback power rankings.
The 2020 NFL offseason altered the quarterback power rankings dramatically by sending multiple veterans to new teams and introducing a crop of rookie quarterbacks who will win starting jobs by the end of the regular season. Even established veterans could lose their spots to rookies, which will drastically alter future quarterback power rankings.
The best 32 quarterbacks in the NFL aren’t starting. Instead, some members of the top 32 are preparing for seasons as backups, while others remain unsigned. Specifically, Andy Dalton, Cam Newton and Jameis Winston are all better than the bottom eight to ten starting quarterbacks in the league right now.
However, this power ranking is only concerned with the projected starters for each team in Week 1, which means unsigned players like Newton and rookies like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa won’t appear. Even if the rookies take over as starters by Week 4 or 5, they don’t qualify for this article. Only one rookie, Joe Burrow, is projected as a starter in Week 1.
I assembled the current quarterback power rankings under the assumption that all projected starters will be healthy and ready to play in Week 1. That primarily relates to Ben Roethlisberger, who is still rehabbing from season-ending elbow surgery.
This article ranks quarterbacks mostly based on their individual skill, but it does incorporate analysis of the player’s supporting cast as it relates to the player’s future performances. For instance, Tom Brady benefits from playing alongside a cast of Pro Bowlers while Dwayne Haskins suffers from a lack of viable weapons.
As the offseason rolls on, the quarterback power rankings will undoubtedly change, but this is how the 32 projected starting quarterbacks rank heading into the second part of the offseason.
Dwayne Haskins assumed the starting role at Ohio State in 2018 and posted amazing numbers that garnered Heisman votes. During his only collegiate season as a starter, Haskins completed 70.0 percent of his pass attempts for 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The Redskins loved what they saw and selected the New Jersey native with the 15th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
During his rookie season, Haskins battled with Case Keenum for starting time. While Keenum opened the season, Haskins took over as the starter in Week 9. He made seven consecutive starts before an injury forced him from a Week 16 matchup against the New York Giants.
Haskins looked awful when he initially took over the starting job. He didn’t post a game with a passer rating over 100 until Week 15. Haskins also only posted two games where he threw at least one touchdown and no interceptions. He failed to complete at least 60.0 percent of his pass attempts in four consecutive starts as well.
The Ohio State product did show signs of progress before suffering the ankle injury in Week 16. In Week 15, Haskins threw for over 250 yards for the first time, and he finished the game with a 121.3 passer rating. When he exited the New York game in the third quarter, Haskins had a 143.2 passer rating.
However, a few late strides don’t erase weeks of poor play. At times, Haskins couldn’t move the ball through the air. His lack of weapons didn’t help either, and the situation looks just as grim this coming season. If Haskins gets off to another poor start, Ron Rivera could put in Kyle Allen. Alex Smith’s continual rehab and Cam Newton’s free agency add extra dimensions to the equation.
Sometimes, less is more. Compared to Haskins, we have significantly less tape of Jarrett Stidham in the NFL. The Auburn product played fairly well in the 2019 preseason, throwing for 731 yards and finishing with a 102.6 passer rating. However, Stidham only appeared in three regular-season games. He threw four pass attempts, one of which got intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
Not much separates Stidham from Haskins except greater hope remains that he’ll be able to move the ball consistently. Haskins threw worse than Mitchell Trubisky last season, and we haven’t seen enough of Stidham to determine what he brings to the table. However, the Patriots seem fully prepared to start Stidham this coming season. We’re about to find out what the fourth-round pick can accomplish in the NFL.
While some writers toss around the idea of New England signing a veteran to compete with Stidham, that seems highly unlikely. The Patriots drafted a bunch of players this year who won’t make significant impacts until two or three years down the line. This team is planning for the future. If Stidham performs well in 2020, maybe the Patriots will keep him around. If he plays poorly, then New England gets a good draft pick and can complete their quick rebuild.
Unfortunately for Stidham, he’s waking into a tough situation. The second-year quarterback must replace a living legend while performing with one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL. Even with Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels in his corner, Stidham seems set up to fail.
General manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy could get booted out of Chicago at the end of the 2020 season. The duo collaborated to trade up one spot and take Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick in 2017. In the process, Chicago infamously passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
Trubisky went to school at North Carolina, where he made a name for himself as a one-year starter in 2016. He completed 68.0 percent of his pass attempts for 3,748 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Chicago mistakenly lept at the chance to claim his as their franchise quarterback months after the college season ended.
Trubisky is entering his fourth and likely final year with the Bears, considering the team declined his fifth-year rookie option. The move comes as no surprise. Last season, Trubisky went through spurts where he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. When things went wrong, Trubisky asked for the TVs to be turned off at Chicago’s facilities because of the criticism sports analysts continuously made of him at the team.
The TV quote got taken slightly out of context, but it played into the larger narrative of Trubisky getting rattled on and off of the football field. When the spotlight came his way, the former Tar Heel shrank. While Trubisky should start the 2020 season, we could see Nick Foles before Week 4. There’s even a chance the former Super Bowl MVP beats Trubisky in an open quarterback competition in training camp.
Tyrod Taylor entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens. However, he made a name for himself with the Buffalo Bills. In 2015, Taylor took over as Buffalo’s starter and made the Pro Bowl. In his three-year stint at the helm, Taylor led the Bills to a 22-20 record and one playoff bid.
In 2018, the Cleveland Browns traded for Taylor and gave the veteran their starting quarterback job. However, a rookie named Baker Mayfield took the job from Taylor by Week 4. Now, Taylor finds himself in a similar situation. The Chargers recently used the sixth overall pick on Justin Herbert. Teams don’t draft quarterbacks that high to have them ride the bench. Herbert will start at some point in 2020.
Taylor seems destined to turn over the starting quarterback job to Herbert within the first four to six weeks of the 2020 season. While Taylor doesn’t turn the ball over often, he also lacks the high ceiling teams look for. Considering that Herbert threw for 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions at Oregon last season while completing 66.8 percent of his pass attempts, there’s a chance the rookie possesses the ceiling Los Angeles wants.
If Taylor holds onto the starting job in Los Angeles, he’ll never complain about the offense’s supporting cast. The Chargers flaunt two 1,000-yard receivers, a rising star at tight end, one of the best pass-catching backs in football and a retooled offensive line. Los Angeles should battle for a Wild Card spot this coming season.
Everyone’s favorite mustached, jockstrap wearing quarterback comes in at 28th on the quarterback power rankings. The Jaguars took Gardner Minshew in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, with the 178th overall pick. When Nick Foles suddenly suffered a broken collarbone in Week 1, Jacksonville threw Minshew into the fire, and he performed admirably for a rookie.
In 12 games as a starter, Minshew went 6-6. On the season as a whole, Minshew completed 60.6 percent of his pass attempts for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. His play translated to a 91.2 passer rating, which outranked Kyler Murray‘s 87.4 and Daniel Jones‘ 87.7. Minshew was also the only quarterback from the 2019 draft to throw for over 3,000 yards while throwing fewer than ten interceptions.
Despite outperforming other rookie quarterbacks in various facets of the game, Minshew did fumble 13 times. He also suffered some serious lows throughout the season. For instance, Minshew turned the ball over four times during Jacksonville’s loss to the Houston Texans in Week 9. He also completed fewer than 50.0% of his pass attempts on three separate occasions and lost three fumbles in a seven-point loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 5.
Minshew possesses the raw capabilities to play quarterback in the NFL. Unlike the four quarterbacks below him, Minshew proved he can move the football with ease. Unfortunately, the Jaguars are crumbling as a team. With the wheels about to come off, Minshew is stuck in a losing situation.
After leading the New Orleans Saints to a 5-0 record while Drew Brees recovered from an injury early in the 2019 season, Teddy Bridgewater recently signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Panthers. Bridgewater becomes the leader of a team entering total rebuild mode under new head coach Matt Rhule.
During his first two seasons in the league, Bridgewater’s career followed a similar path to Mitchell Trubisky’s. After a disappointing rookie season, Bridgewater made the Pro Bowl because his team won a lot of games, not because of his mediocre statistical production. However, a devastating training camp knee injury in 2016 set Bridgewater’s career back several seasons.
Bridgewater left Minnesota after four seasons and spent the last two years in New Orleans, where he arguably manufactured the best five-game stretch of his career. However, Bridgewater experienced success under an experienced coaching staff and on one of the most talented teams in the NFL. His situation in Carolina is much different.
Carolina’s offense features the best running back in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey and a developing borderline Pro Bowler in D.J. Moore. However, the rest of Carolina’s weapons leave something to be desired. Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel both disappear in tougher games, and the team lacks a notable tight end. The offensive line is also a problem that will impact Bridgewater significantly this coming season.
While Bridgewater thrived in New Orleans this past season, he’ll struggle to get anywhere near that production in 2020.
The former Heisman winner gave Browns fans hope late during the 2018 regular season. After starting the season on the bench, Baker Mayfield took over Cleveland’s offense and brought a confident swagger to game days. As a starter, he went 6-7 and led the Browns to a surprising 7-8-1 record.
Mayfield led the Browns to more wins than analysts expected the team could reach. With an undermanned team, the Oklahoma product flashed star potential. He completed 63.8% of his pass attempts for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns,and 14 interceptions.
Between Mayfield’s rookie and second season, the Browns added more offensive weapons, including Odell Beckham and Kareem Hunt. However, Mayfield and Cleveland failed to meet expectations. The team finished the 2019 regular season with a 6-10 record and fired head coach Freddie Kitchens.
During the disappointing season, Mayfield completed less than 60.0 percent of his pass attempts. He also threw 21 interceptions and only 22 touchdowns. The AFC North could be even more difficult this season, considering Baltimore added more pieces to their defense, Cincinnati drafted their quarterback of the future and Pittsburgh got Ben Roethlisberger back.
Now, Mayfield enters his third NFL season already on his fourth head coach, if you count Gregg Williams’ stint as interim head coach. The Browns recently beefed up their offense again, adding Harrison Bryant, Jack Conklin, Austin Hooper and Jedrick Wills during the offseason.
If Mayfield can’t put together a winning season with his current supporting cast, the Browns should decline his fifth-year option.
The AFC West should be the most entertaining division this coming year. The Kansas City Chiefs are fresh off of a Super Bowl victory while the other three teams all loaded up in free agency and the draft. Kansas City’s biggest challenge to their division throne comes from Drew Lock and the new-look Broncos.
Denver drafted Lock in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Missouri product sat behind Brandon Allen and Joe Flacco on injured reserve before starting the five final games of the season. During that final stretch, Lock led Denver to a 4-1 record, including a win over the Houston Texans.
Lock finished his rookie season with 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions. The small sample size doesn’t help his case, but Lock performed well during his limited snaps. His only bad game came against the Chiefs in snowy Kansas City. Otherwise, Lock kept his cool and brought Denver its most successful stretch of the season.
The Broncos took care of their young quarterback this offseason. The team signed offensive lineman Graham Glasgow and running back Melvin Gordon in free agency. Denver also added wide receivers KJ Hamler and Jerry Judy in the draft. With the defense also adding some new faces, Denver could fight some exciting battles against the Chiefs in 2020.
Sam Darnold‘s raw talent far outstretches his current production. In each of his first two seasons, the USC product couldn’t get in a rhythm. When he settles down, Darnold looks like New York’s best quarterback since Chad Pennington. However, between being bombarded by opposing teams’ defenders and the local media, Darnold can’t settle down.
Darnold missed several games last season with Mononucleosis, something the New York media hounded him for. When he did return to action, Darnold still looked off of his game. Mono can cause an extreme loss of weight in a very short time, and the young quarterback had yet to regain all of his weight when he returned to the field.
Then, in a Week 7 shutout defeat against the New England Patriots, Darnold admitted to “seeing ghosts” while being mic’d up. In the loss, Darnold completed 11 of his 32 pass attempts for 86 yards and four interceptions. He also lost a fumble.
It’s undeniable that Darnold disappointed through his first two seasons in the league, but he also flashed moments of brilliance. For instance, he completed 69.0 percent of his pass attempts for 315 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-3 Week 16 rout of the Raiders. Once the Jets expand Darnold’s supporting cast, he can begin delivering consistent performances.
There’s a good chance the Dolphins start Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1, especially if the fifth overall pick is healthy. However, with teams and players still kept at arm’s length because of the pandemic, we can’t fully say Tagovailoa is ready for game action. If there’s any doubt about his mental or physical preparation, Miami will play Ryan Fitzpatrick in their season opener.
Last season, Fitzpatrick and new head coach Brian Flores led the Dolphins to a 5-11 record. While that’s hardly a noteworthy campaign, analysts expected far worse from Miami. The team also handed losses to several playoff teams, including the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
Miami made three failed attempts to start Josh Rosen early in 2019, but Fitzpatrick took over full-time by Week 7 and led Miami for the remainder of the season. He finished the year with 3,529 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. While the journeyman quarterback had his ups and downs, he put up numbers in some of Miami’s biggest games. Fitzpatrick threw for over 300 yards in Miami’s games against Buffalo, Cincinnati, New England, and Philadelphia.
Assuming Tagovailoa remains healthy, he should start the majority of Miami’s games in 2020. I expect the team will turn to their rookie quarterback by Week 4 or 5, but Fitzpatrick deserves credit for the job he did last season. With DeVante Parker serving as his only reliable weapon, Fitzpatrick got Miami to five wins and led the team in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
After Eli Manning retired following the 2019 season, many fans wondered if Philip Rivers would follow suit. Instead, the 38-year-old decided he wanted one final shot at winning a Super Bowl. Rivers signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the Colts, who still have not recovered from Andrew Luck’s retirement.
Rivers gives Indianapolis a quarterback who can consistently move the football, which is something Jacoby Brissett struggled with during the second half of the 2019 season. Despite throwing 20 interceptions and only 23 touchdowns last season, Rivers did complete 66.0 percent of his pass attempts on his way to throwing for 4,615 yards. In comparison, Brissett’s single-season career-high is 3,098 passing yards.
With a new organization and coaching staff, Rivers could experience a bounce-back season. Of any quarterback ranked this low on the list, Rivers has the greatest chance of jumping into the top 15 quarterbacks by the end of the 2020 season. He’s only a year and a half removed from throwing for 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and leading the Chargers to a 12-4 record.
Rivers joins a team that features one of the best pass-blocking lines in football. After enduring years of physical abuse behind a porous line in San Diego and Los Angeles, Rivers can finally feel secure in the pocket. Indianapolis’ offense also features established veterans like T.Y. Hilton and Marlon Mack and promising rookies in Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor.
If Rivers gets the Colts back to the playoffs this coming season, don’t rule out the potential of him signing another one-year deal with Indy.
The Giants surprised fans last year by taking Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. After the initial backlash, Jones settled in as Eli Manning’s backup. However, he only briefly sat behind the two-time Super Bowl champion. Jones entered the starting lineup in Week 3 and led the Giants to a thrilling 32-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In total, Jones started 12 games for New York this past year. He finished his rookie season with 3,027 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Jones also completed 61.9 percent of his pass attempts and finished with a 3-9 record as a starter.
Unfortunately, fumbling issues marred what was otherwise a respectable rookie season. Jones put the ball on the ground a league-leading 18 times, and opponents recovered 11 of those fumbles. That means Jones committed 23 turnovers. In comparison, Kyler Murray threw 12 interceptions but only lost two fumbles. Even Gardner Minshew only committed 13 combined turnovers.
At least New York’s coaching staff can correct Jones’ fumbling issues. If that’s his worst flaw, then the Giants should feel good about the future of their franchise.
New York should take a small step forward this coming season. Look for Saquon Barkley to rebound and for the offensive line to take another step in the right direction.
A year after taking his team to the Super Bowl, Jared Goff took a serious step back during the 2019 season. The quarterback led the NFL in passing attempts with 626, but he only threw 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. While Goff posted passer ratings over 100.0 in both 2017 and 2018, his rating dipped to 86.5 this past season.
Goff’s game began showing cracks late in the 2018 season, but Todd Gurley’s struggles and a decimated offensive line only emphasized the issues in 2019. With Brandin Cooks heading to Houston and several misplaced contracts wreaking havoc on the salary cap, Los Angeles is trending in the wrong direction.
The Rams recently parted ways with Todd Gurley and added Cam Akers in the draft. Sean McVay’s team wants to re-establish the running game and create a better offensive balance. However, the offensive line’s current state could bring McVay’s high-flying offense crashing back to Earth.
In the most competitive division in football, Los Angeles could take another step backward in 2020. Depending on the impact DeAndre Hopkins makes in Arizona, the Cardinals could overtake the Rams for third in the NFC West.
Goff possesses the traits to play like a top-15 quarterback in the NFL. However, he routinely failed to meet expectations in 2019 and could continue sliding down the quarterback power rankings this coming season.
Kyler Murray didn’t deserve the Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season, but he got in anyway because the NFL loves rewarding quarterbacks. Overall, Murray put together a mediocre rookie season. He deserves credit for winning five games with Arizona’s questionable roster, but he rarely took over games. We should get a better understanding of Murray’s ceiling in his second season in the NFL.
The Cardinals drafted Murray with the first overall pick in 2019. In college, Murray followed in Baker Mayfield’s footsteps by winning the Heisman and finishing with a 12-2 record. In his one year as a starter, Murray completed 69.0% of his pass attempts for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. However, it was never a guarantee he’d even play in the NFL.
The Oakland Athletic’s drafted Murray with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. The team reportedly offered Murray up to $19 million in guaranteed money to play baseball, but that payday pales in comparison to what Murray eventually got from the Cardinals. He chose football over baseball.
As a rookie, Murray completed a respectable 64.4 percent of his pass attempts while throwing 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His numbers are uninspiring at a glance, but he should take a giant step forward in Year 2 now that DeAndre Hopkins is a Cardinal.
Murray established a solid foundation as a rookie, but he didn’t flash as much potential as expected. We’ll see if the Oklahoma product can make a larger impact on the gridiron this coming season.
Allen entered the NFL as an incredibly raw prospect from Wyoming who stumbled through his final year in college. However, scouts fell in love with Josh Allen‘s 6-5, 237-pound build and the rare mobility he brought to the table. Ultimately, the Bills took Allen with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he took over as the starter in Week 2 of his rookie season.
As a rookie, Allen appeared in 12 games and made 11 starts. He finished the year with a terrible 67.9 passer rating and 52.8 completion percentage. He also threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (ten). However, Allen made strides between his rookie and second season in the NFL.
This past year, Allen completed 58.8 percent of his pass attempts and finished with an 85.3 passer rating. He threw for 3,089 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while also rushing for 510 yards and nine more scores. The Bills finished with a 10-6 record and earned a Wild Card bid.
While Allen showed improvement from Year 1 to Year 2, he still lags behind average starting quarterbacks. Despite his incredible arm talent, Allen is a terrible deep-ball passer. He’s inaccurate and makes poor decisions. While Allen did cut his interception total down, he fumbled 14 times during the regular season. Frankly, Allen is the weak link on Buffalo’s team right now.
Allen further displayed his shortcomings in the Wild Card Round against Houston. In the elimination game, he only completed 52.2 percent of his pass attempts and fumbled twice. Allen did not throw or run for a touchdown. Buffalo’s defense held Houston to 22 points in an overtime game, but the Bills lost because their offense fell apart.
Year 3 always marks a significant period of evaluation for young players. Hopefully, Allen takes a step forward, or Buffalo might decide not to pick up his fifth-year option.
Placing a rookie starter around the midpoint of a quarterback power ranking when the player hasn’t even played a snap yet seems a little ridiculous, but Joe Burrow isn’t an ordinary rookie. If you’re ranking the top quarterback prospects to come out of college in the past decade, Burrow and Andrew Luck stand above the crowd significantly. The LSU product is that kind of special.
From a pure prospect standpoint, Burrow puts previous first overall picks like Mayfield and Murray to shame. NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared the LSU product to Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. Burrow also received a 7.07 prospect grade on NFL Network’s 8.0-scale.
As a senior at LSU, Burrow led the Tigers to a National Championship against Clemson and Trevor Lawrence. During the collegiate season, Burrow completed 76.3 percent of his pass attempts for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions. As you may expect, he broke all kinds of records.
Burrow already possesses an elite football IQ, and his short to intermediate accuracy is ridiculously good. There are some concerns about his arm strength and ability to maintain that pinpoint accuracy on deep balls, but he completed plenty of highlight-reel deep throws in college. He’s got great footwork, anticipation, and he commands the pocket.
Burrow also possesses enough athleticism to extend plays and scramble for first downs, similar to what Patrick Mahomes did at the NFL level last year. However, this athleticism and desire to make something out of nothing can sometimes lead to unnecessary sacks taken. That’s something coaches can easily fix at the next level.
So, while putting Burrow ahead of nearly half the starters in the NFL seems crazy, I don’t feel bad about it.
At his point, Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the NFL. Fans either believe he’s a borderline Pro Bowler who played a large role in getting his franchise to the Super Bowl last year, or they view the 28-year-old as a product of Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system. The reality sits somewhere in the middle.
Garoppolo proved he can win big games last year when he threw for 349 and four touchdowns in a 48-46 shootout against the New Orleans Saints. While he did throw an interception in that game, Garoppolo also completed 74.3 percent of his pass attempts. On the other hand, the 49ers simply muscled their way through several games last season, without need for their quarterback.
For instance, the 49ers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-20 despite Garoppolo turning the ball over three times. San Francisco also fought to a 34-31 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16, despite Garoppolo turning the ball over twice and completing fewer than 60.0 percent of his pass attempts.
Perhaps the most egregious instance of the 49ers proving they didn’t need Garoppolo came in the Divisional Round, where the quarterback only threw the ball eight times for 77 yards. San Francisco still defeated the Green Bay Packers in a one-sided 37-20 affair.
Garoppolo also struggled in the playoffs, throwing three interceptions and only two touchdowns. On a potential game-changing play in the Super Bowl, Garoppolo missed an open Emmanuel Sanders on a deep route that should’ve resulted in a touchdown. In the title game, Garoppolo threw two interceptions.
Overall, Garoppolo is a decent quarterback who can play at a high level sometimes. However, he’s nowhere close to the elite tier of quarterbacks in the NFL.
It’s a shame Jon Gruden seems determined to replace Derek Carr at some point in the near future. The young quarterback made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 through 2017, and he can still perform at that level. However, since Gruden returned to the team, the Raiders have suffered setbacks on their offensive line and traded away Carr’s best supporting pieces on both sides of the ball.
Of course a franchise that trades away Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack will struggle! Of course the team that drafts Damon Arnette and Kolton Miller in the first round can’t put together a winning season! What else do you expect? And despite all of the questionable decisions made by the front office and coaching staff, Carr somehow turns into the scapegoat.
Last season, Carr led the Raiders to a 7-9 record despite his two best wide receivers being Hunter Renfrow and Tyrell Williams. However, Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller helped ease some of Carr’s burden, and the quarterback completed 70.4 percent of his pass attempts during the season for 4,054 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He finished the year with a career-high 100.8 passer rating.
If the Raiders do bench or trade Carr, the franchise won’t find another quarterback with his level of talent for four or five years.
Ben Roethlisberger suffered an elbow injury in the first half of Pittsburgh’s Week 2 loss last season. He needed season-ending surgery, but recently made comments that he’s now throwing without pain for the first time in years. If Big Ben stays healthy and Pittsburgh doesn’t overuse the veteran’s arm, he could easily perform like a top-ten quarterback this coming season.
Football fans often forget how well Roethlisberger played in 2018. That year, he led the NFL in pass attempts (675), completions (452), yards (5,129), and yards per game (320.6). Roethlisberger also led the NFL in interceptions with 16, but that was the first time a quarterback led the league with 16 or fewer interceptions since Joe Ferguson led the NFL with 16 interceptions in the 1982 season, which only ran for nine games because of a strike.
In other words, Roethlisberger carried Pittsburgh’s entire team in 2018 by putting up crazy numbers and setting a single-season personal best with 34 passing touchdowns. He also completed 67.0 percent of his pass attempts. In 2020, the Steelers should limit Big Ben to around 450 pass attempts for health and durability purposes. If Roethlisberger maintains his efficient style of play, he could still put up Pro Bowl numbers on a limited pass count.
While Roethlisberger played an unrefined style of game early in his career, the future Hall of Famer developed into an elite passer in his 30s. With a reliable offensive line and motivated skill players around him, Big Ben will bounce back in 2020.
The Falcons battled to a 7-9 record last season. The offense’s lack of balance and Matt Ryan‘s struggles hurt the team. The former MVP led the NFL in sacks taken with 48, and he faced a constant onslaught from opposing defenses. Now, with Todd Gurley, Hayden Hurst and a healthy offensive line, Ryan should rebound in 2020.
Despite facing an uphill battle in 2019, Ryan still led the NFL with 408 completions and averaged 297.7 passing yards per game. He also dragged Atlanta to seven wins, despite the team’s below-average defense. Fortunately, the Falcons addressed their defensive struggles in free agency and the draft, adding Dante Fowler and A.J. Terrell. The team also gets former Pro Bowl safety Keanu Neal back from injury.
With the Falcons adding vital pieces on both sides of the ball, Ryan should return to his 2018 form this coming season. That year, Ryan completed 69.4 percent of his pass attempts for 4,924 yards, 35 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He posted a 108.1 passer rating. That’s one of the most underrated seasons by a quarterback in recent history, and Ryan can replicate that performance this fall.
Because he struggled in 2019, Ryan sits outside this ranking’s top 10 quarterbacks. However, he could climb into the top seven if he gets enough protection from Atlanta’s offensive line this coming season.
When the former Dolphin signed with Tennessee last offseason, it seemed inevitable that he’d take over for Marcus Mariota eventually. The opportunity came in Week 6, and Ryan Tannehill seized it, replacing Mariota mid-game and completing over 80.0 percent of his pass attempts. Tannehill became the full-time starter in Week 7 and eventually led Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game.
During his 12 appearances and ten starts, Tannehill completed 70.3 percent of his pass attempts for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He led the NFL in passer rating (117.5.), yards per pass attempt (9.6), and yards per completion (13.6) as well. Tannehill authored the most efficient performance by any quarterback in 2019.
Tannehill falls in a similar class as Garoppolo. Both players are starting-caliber quarterbacks, but neither will be the reason a team wins the Super Bowl. They need strong coaching, schemes, and offensive pieces around them.
If you think I’m talking nonsense, consider the following. Tannehill threw the ball 29 times between the Wild Card and Divisional rounds combined, completing 15 of his attempts. He accounted for 160 passing yards in the two wins. Meanwhile, Derrick Henry ran the ball 64 times for 377 yards in those early playoff games.
When Tennessee lost to Kansas City in the AFC Championship, Tannehill threw the ball 31 times for 209 yards. Henry only ran the ball 19 times for 69 yards. Henry’s play determined whether the Titans succeeded or not. Tennessee only needed Tannehill to avoid making mistakes and the team could win games regardless of his contributions.
Tannehill earns his rank on this list based on how efficiently he played last season. However, he seems like a prime candidate to drop several spots this year.
Matthew Stafford‘s season ended after eight games because of fractured bones in his back. However, he put together an incredible eight-game stretch worthy of MVP consideration at the time he went down. If Stafford replicates his 2019 numbers this coming season, he’ll jump into the top seven quarterbacks in a matter of weeks.
In his eight-game season, Stafford completed 64.3 percent of his pass attempts for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. Over a 16-game season, that translates to 4,998 yards, 38 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Even though he didn’t finish the season, 2019 is arguably the best year of Stafford’s career statistically, even topping his 5,000-yard performance in 2011.
Stafford finished last season with a 106.0 quarterback rating, which is by far a career-best. The Georgia product had never even produced another season with a rating of 100.0 or higher. Stafford also set single-season career-highs in yards per attempt (8.6) and yards per completion (13.4). It’s just a shame he couldn’t finish the year.
The Lions could surprise fans in 2020. The addition of D’Andre Swift solves Detroit’s ongoing issues at running back, and the wide receiver corps stuck together this offseason. If Matt Patricia can get the defense to put up even some token resistance, the Lions could jump the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.
Kirk Cousins gets trashed by fans for not showing up in big games, but sometimes fans overlook how well the former backup has played in recent history. In 2019, Cousins led the Vikings to a 10-6 record and finished the year with a single-season career-high 107.4 passer rating. Only Drew Brees, Lamar Jackson and Ryan Tannehill posted better passer ratings last season.
There is some truth to the sentiment than Cousins shrinks in the spotlight. While the former Redskin completed 69.1 percent of his pass attempts during the overall season, he completed fewer than 60.0% in both games against the Green Bay Packers and in matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. Cousins did rise to the challenge against Dallas and Philadelphia, but neither of those teams crossed the ten-win threshold.
Unless Cousins begins performing better against elite competition, he’ll always hover between the tenth and fifteenth places on this list. In other words, he’ll always be one of the better starters in the NFL, but he’ll never be considered elite. It’s unfortunate because a quarterback with Cousins’ offensive weapons should perform at an elite level.
Even if Minnesota’s defense takes a step back this season, Cousins and the offense should haul the team to at least eight wins. However, the franchise’s best days under Mike Zimmer are likely over.
The disrespect Dak Prescott gets is mostly unwarranted. Between playing for one of the most disliked franchises in the league and the ongoing contract situation with Dallas, he’s not a very popular guy right now. Nevertheless, Prescott’s current situation shouldn’t overshadow the tremendous growth he’s gone through during his first four seasons in the NFL.
The Cowboys initially took Prescott with the 135th overall pick in 2016, but Prescott started all 16 games for Dallas as a rookie. Since taking over for Tony Romo, Prescott has gone 40-24 and expanded his capabilities as a quarterback.
After averaging 3,625 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns in his first three seasons, Prescott exploded for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2019. He finished the season with a 99.7 passer rating, but the Cowboys only went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
Dallas added more weapons for Prescott this offseason. Notably, the team drafted Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb in the first round. Arguably the best and most well-rounded receiver in the entire draft class, Lamb joins Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup in Dallas’ expanding arsenal. It’s a good thing the offense is so loaded too because the defense could crumble this coming season.
While Prescott put up good overall statistics in 2019, his production didn’t translate to winning. The Cowboys might focus on returning to the run game in 2020, instead of relying so much on their quarterback.
Last season, Carson Wentz put the Eagles on his back and carried Philadelphia to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth. Unfortunately, Wentz suffered an injury on a questionable hit by Jadeveon Clowney during the Wild Card Round. Philadelphia lost to Seattle 9-17.
Philadelphia’s receiving corps dealt with injuries throughout 2019. At the end of the year, Alshon Jeffery led the team’s wide receivers with 43 receptions, 490 yards, and four touchdowns. Luckily, Philadelphia’s tight ends and Miles Sanders stepped up to fill the void in production left by all of the team’s injured receivers.
However, even the team’s tight ends occasionally dealt with issues, and sometimes Greg Ward served as Philadelphia’s top receiving option. Ward played quarterback at Houston in college, but he converted to wide receiver when he entered the NFL. With all of the injuries to his supporting cast, Wentz still threw for 4,039 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Wentz played a massive role in Philadelphia’s greatest wins last season. In Week 4, against the Green Bay Packers, he threw three touchdowns and recorded a 113.2 passer rating. Then, in a battle for the division against Dallas in Week 16, Wentz completed 77.5 percent of his pass attempts for 319 yards and a touchdown.
The biggest knock on Wentz, which could prevent him from ever entering the NFL’s elite quarterback group, is that he can’t stay healthy for a full 16-game season plus the playoffs. Hopefully, Wentz plays the entire 2020 season.
Deshaun Watson still needs to work on performing at a borderline elite level consistently, but he’s already one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Despite playing behind a poor offensive line, Watson is 21-10 since the start of the 2018 season. He’s also made the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons.
The Clemson product won a National Championship in his final collegiate season. Watson is a proven winner who knows how to handle big games. Unfortunately, he’s also constantly facing pressure from opposing pass rushers. Besides Laremy Tunsil, Houston’s offensive line can’t keep defenders off of Watson.
In 2018, Watson took a league-leading 62 sacks, which cost the Texans 384 yards. Watson’s mobility often covers for his offensive line, similar to how Russell Wilson extends plays in Seattle. Watson’s athletic heroics led Houston to an overtime win against the Bills in the Wild Card Round this past season.
Watson faces the greatest challenge of his young professional career in 2020. General manager and head coach Bill O’Brien traded away Watson’s favorite target, DeAndre Hopkins, for draft picks and a declining running back. While Houston did recently acquire Brandin Cooks, the former first-round pick dealt with injuries last season, leaving Texans fans fearing they only added a better version of Will Fuller.
While the consensus among NFL fans seems to be that Aaron Rodgers took a step back last season, he still led the Packers to a 13-3 record without much help from his skill position players. Davante Adams, Green Bay’s only notable wide receiver, missed four games last season. Aside from Adams, no player on the team recorded over 500 receiving yards.
Of course, Rodgers didn’t receive any help from Green Bay’s front office during the 2020 NFL Draft. Instead of taking one of the many extremely talented wide receiver prospects, the Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round. Rodgers should be infuriated. It’s nothing personal against Love, but Rodgers wants to win now, and the Packers didn’t get him any help in the draft.
We’ll see how Rodgers responds to the franchise drafting his supposed eventual replacement. He could come out and try to stick it to Green Bay’s front office and general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Rodgers didn’t play at an MVP level last season, but he still hauled Green Bay to a 13-3 record and the playoffs. The future Hall of Fame quarterback threw for 4,002 yards, 26 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Defensive backs intercepted fewer than one percent of Rodgers’ pass attempts in 2019.
A lot of Rodgers’ statistical trouble in 2019 came from not playing with enough talented pass-catchers. If he faces the same issues this coming season, the front office deserves most of the blame.
Despite missing five games, Drew Brees cracks the top-five on my quarterback power rankings. Even if age has sapped some of his arm strength, Brees remains one of the most efficient quarterbacks in history. The former Super Bowl champion made his thirteenth career Pro Bowl last season and nearly shattered his own single-season completion percentage record. Brees also set a new single-season career-high with a 116.3 passer rating.
When Brees returned from his five-game absence, the veteran looked refreshed. In 11 starts, he totaled 2,979 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions. However, based on his questionable play in the playoffs, concerns began arising about Brees’ ability to play an entire 16-game season at a high level.
New Orleans claimed the NFC South division title for the third consecutive time this past season, but the Saints can’t get over the hump in the playoffs. Three years ago, New Orleans lost to Minnesota during the Divisional Round because of the Minneapolis Miracle.
Two years ago, they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game because of a missed pass interference call. New Orleans’ most recent heartbreaking playoff outcome came in an overtime loss to the Vikings.
With Brees entering the first year of a two-year deal, which is likely his final NFL contract, the Saints need to exorcise their playoff demons.
At the end of last season, Tom Brady saw his positioning among the top quarterbacks in the league drop significantly. However, as he neared the bottom of the top ten, the future Hall of Famer signed with the Buccaneers. The move instantly made Tampa Bay a contender and elevated Brady’s stature within the NFL.
Brady joins a team that already features Mike Evans and Chris Godwin at wide receiver. Last season, Evans averaged 89.0 receiving yards per game while Godwin averaged 95.2. The wide receiver corps also added Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers also featured two quality tight ends last year. Cameron Brate routinely produces solid numbers and is worth his weight in gold in the red zone. O.J. Howard, a first-round pick from 2017, hasn’t lived up to his potential yet, but playing with Brady could finally elevate the Alabama product’s play. Did I mention that Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to play with Brady again?
Skeptics claim Brady looked old in 2019. While his production did slip, he played with one of the worst supporting casts in the league. Now, he’s playing with a group of future All-Pros. I expect the 42-year-old quarterback will silence his doubters yet again this coming season.
Lamar Jackson cracked open the record books last season, becoming the second quarterback in NFL history to run for over 1,000 yards. He decimated opponents on the ground, rushing for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging a league-leading 6.9 yards per carry. Jackson finished the season with the sixth-most rushing yards in the entire league.
The former Heisman winner aired it out too. He completed 66.1% of his pass attempts for 3,127 yards, a league-leading 36 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. Jackson finished his second season with a 113.3 passer rating and won the regular-season league MVP award.
Unfortunately, Jackson’s regular-season success didn’t translate to the playoffs. Despite leading the Ravens to a 14-2 record and the top seed in the AFC, Jackson did not win a playoff game in 2019. Baltimore lost 12-28 to the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round.
In the loss, Jackson ran for 143 yards and threw for 365 more. He scored one total touchdown. However, Jackson only completed 52.5 percent of his pass attempts, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. He’s 0-2 in the playoffs during his career.
The Ravens added even more pieces to their offense and defense during the offseason. Baltimore and Jackson should come storming back in 2020.
A perennial Pro Bowler and MVP candidate at this point, Russell Wilson carried the Seahawks to an 11-5 record. The 31-year-old quarterback completed 66.1 percent of his pass attempts for 4,110 yards, 31 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He led the Seahawks to the Divisional Round before the Green Bay Packers eliminated Seattle.
Wilson finished the 2019 season with a 106.3 passer rating despite taking a league-leading 48 sacks. Seattle rarely prioritizes the offensive line. Outside of Duane Brown, the entire unit performs at a sub-par level in pass protection. However, Wilson uses his athleticism to escape and extend plays for large chunks of yardage. He’s also skilled enough to fit throws into tight windows despite throwing on the run.
Wilson also led five game-winning drives this past season, the most of any quarterback in the NFL. He’s a clutch, efficient, and elite quarterback who instantly makes any team a contender. Only one quarterback in NFL history, Aaron Rodgers, has a better career passer rating than Wilson.
While the Seahawks didn’t make it to the NFC Championship game, Wilson played well in both of the team’s playoff games. In total, he threw for 602 yards, two touchdowns and finished the postseason with a 107.4 passer rating.
This selection should come as a surprise to no one. In his first two seasons as a full-time starter, Patrick Mahomes rewrote record books, won a regular-season MVP, captured a Super Bowl title and won the Super Bowl MVP. No other quarterback in recent history started their career with that level of success, and Mahomes should only get better as he enters his fourth season.
Mahomes missed two games last season, which sunk his campaign for back-to-back MVPs. However, he still achieved an 11-3 record as a starter and led Kansas City to a 12-4 overall record. During the regular season, he completed 65.9 percent of his pass attempts for 4,031 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. However, he arguably performed better in the playoffs.
Mahomes and the Chiefs battled back from poor starts in their first two playoff games, eliminating the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans. Mahomes did not turn the ball over in either of those performances and only took two sacks.
He completed 23 of his 35 pass attempts in both contests and totaled 615 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns. Mahomes also ran for 106 yards and another score.
While he posted passer ratings over 120 in his first two playoff games, Mahomes did struggle in the Super Bowl. He took four sacks and threw two interceptions but returned to form when Kansas City needed him most. The Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years.
Now, Mahomes begins chasing the legacies left by recent all-time greats like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.