The 2023 offseason is mostly in the books, and teams are now preparing for minicamp, the NFL schedule release, and training camp in July. With the draft and free agency now in the past, we’re going to take a stab at making an NFL Power Rankings list of every team’s QB situation going into the season.
Of course, this list will be weighed heavily on the team’s projected starter, but in some instances, the whole of the QB room itself will be considered based on the starter’s injury history and the backup’s potential or abilities.
NFL Power Rankings: Every NFL team’s QB situation after the 2023 NFL Draft/offseason
1. Kansas City Chiefs
- Patrick Mahomes
- Blaine Gabbert
There’s simply no debate at this point. Patrick Mahomes is the top quarterback in the NFL and has been for years. He’s not just the best quarterback in the league, he’s the best player in the league period. And his presence makes the Chiefs title contenders. Instead of being backed up by Chad Henne this year, Mahomes will have Blaine Gabbert behind him. Gabbert has been a solid backup QB in the league for a while now after getting picked in the first round by the Jaguars once upon a time.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
- Jalen Hurts
- Marcus Mariota
- Ian Book
- Tanner McKee
Jalen Hurts was so good in the Super Bowl that he could have been named MVP, even in defeat. He did things in the Super Bowl that have never been seen before in terms of his passing and running. I don’t think there’s any question at this point that he’s established as one of the most dynamic and efficient QBs in the league, and the Eagles are an elite offense with him running the operation.
Marcus Mariota is a very good backup option for Philadelphia, a perfect fit stylistically. Ian Book and Tanner McKee round out a really solid overall group.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
- Joe Burrow
- Trevor Siemian
- Jake Browning
Joe Burrow has really established himself as one of the premier weapons in the NFL today. He reminds me quite a bit of Tom Brady in the way he spreads the ball to his different targets and picks apart defenses methodically. Some might take issue with Burrow being listed over Josh Allen because Allen is a better physical specimen but I’m taking Burrow right now.
Trevor Siemian is a quality backup as well who has a lot of experience.
4. Buffalo Bills
- Josh Allen
- Kyle Allen
- Matt Barkley
This should not be seen as a slight to Josh Allen, one of the game’s top MVP candidates right now. Allen is a playmaker with a rocket for an arm and he’s seemingly found ways every year to get better. Can he help the Bills get over that hump in 2023? We’re fixin’ to find out.
I don’t like the backup situation in Buffalo without Case Keenum in place. If Kyle Allen or Matt Barkley have to play, I’d have to think the Bills would be in big trouble.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
- Justin Herbert
- Easton Stick
- Max Duggan
Justin Herbert has become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks rather quickly. Although the Chargers have not been able to really enjoy much team success so far, Herbert helped get them back into the playoffs this past year, at least. What happened in the playoffs, you ask? Well, we won’t bring that up. Not until we talk about Trevor Lawrence, anyway…
Easton Stick and Max Duggan are pretty untested backups but this ranking leans heavily on the Chargers’ QB1, Justin Herbert (as it should).
6. Dallas Cowboys
- Dak Prescott
- Cooper Rush
- Will Grier
The Cowboys have a pretty good thing going at the quarterback position with Dak Prescott as the starter and Cooper Rush as the primary backup. We saw last season just how valuable of a backup Rush can be when he was forced into extended action, and I think we have yet to see the best of what Prescott can be. Considering he’s done pretty well for himself to this point, I think it’s safe to put him this high on a rankings list. Prescott can be streaky at times but he’s one of the top QBs in the NFL.
7. New York Jets
- Aaron Rodgers
- Zach Wilson
- Tim Boyle
- Chris Streveler
The New York Jets won the NFL offseason lottery in a way, didn’t they? Getting a four-time NFL MVP in itself is huge, but getting Aaron Rodgers after what we saw from this team last year has Jets fans rightly out of their minds with excitement.
Rodgers is approaching 40 and he is coming off of a down year, but I think it’s reasonable to assume with the situation he’s got in New York that he’s going to excel in a small window.
The backup situation in New York is nothing to write home about at this point, even with the presence of Zach Wilson. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him traded in the near future.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Trevor Lawrence
- CJ Beathard
- Nathan Rourke
I think Trevor Lawrence emerged last year as a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, although I’ve seen recently that some people are putting him on the same tier as guys like Kenny Pickett.
If only they were paid to watch football?
Lawrence, under the guidance of Doug Pederson, emerged last season as the guy everyone thought he could be coming out of Clemson. He and the Jaguars were sensational in the second half of last season and took the Chiefs to the wire in the playoffs. If it weren’t for a fumble by Jamal Agnew, we might have been talking about Lawrence and the Jags making it to the AFC Championship game…
9. Los Angeles Rams
- Matthew Stafford
- Stetson Bennett
- Brett Rypien
A lot of this depends on the health of Matthew Stafford, but let’s not forget that it was barely a calendar year ago when Stafford and the Rams emerged victorious as Super Bowl champions. And Stafford was considered an MVP candidate along the way.
Unless he’s so badly hurt that he simply can’t play at a high level anymore physically, I don’t think that guy has disappeared. Recency bias would have the Rams lower on this list but I still believe in Matthew Stafford under Sean McVay.
I also think the Rams raised the “floor” of this room by adding Brett Rypien and Stetson Bennett in the offseason.
10. Baltimore Ravens
- Lamar Jackson
- Tyler Huntley
- Anthony Brown
Say what you want about Lamar Jackson, but when he’s healthy, few guys are as dangerous with the ball in their hands. I think you’d be crazy not to have him as a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, even with the context of all that has gone on the last couple of years. I’m willing to bet that Jackson racks up at least 40 total touchdowns in 2023, re-establishing himself as an MVP candidate now that he’s got the big bag.
Tyler Huntley managed to make the Pro Bowl in Jackson’s absence last year.
11. Miami Dolphins
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Mike White
- Skylar Thompson
So much of this situation depends on Tua Tagovailoa’s health, but we finally saw him take a huge leap forward in 2022 under Mike McDaniel. Tagovailoa was being included in some MVP talk early on in the season but obviously that all hit a wall as he dealt with some scary injuries.
And that’s really the ceiling here.
I think the Dolphins overpaid for Mike White as their backup and I’m not sure the long-term prospects of Skylar Thompson, but I think this is one of the better situations in the league overall if Tua is healthy.
12. Minnesota Vikings
- Kirk Cousins
- Nick Mullens
- Jaren Hall
We’ve entered into the “good but not great” category of quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins and the Vikings finally had a record last year that reflected the big numbers Cousins usually puts up, but I can’t help but wonder if they were pretenders…
Is Kirk Cousins going to be able to get the Vikings over the hump in the playoffs like they’ve paid him to? The stats are great. The highlights with Justin Jefferson are fun. But the Vikings have paid Cousins over $155 million in five years to be Super Bowl contenders, not just occasionally good.
13. Detroit Lions
- Jared Goff
- Hendon Hooker
- Nate Sudfeld
Including Jared Goff in the top half of this kind of list was unexpected as of a year ago. I liked what I saw down the stretch in 2021 from Goff in his first year with the Lions, but I don’t think many expected the kind of resurgence we saw from Goff in 2022. The Lions emerged as one of the best offenses in the league overall, and Goff was obviously at the center of it.
Detroit liked what they saw enough to pass on QBs in the 2023 NFL Draft until they couldn’t pass on Hendon Hooker any longer.
14. New Orleans Saints
- Derek Carr
- Jameis Winston
- Jake Haener
I think a lot of people overrate Derek Carr, perhaps myself included. I think there was more going on in Las Vegas last year than meets the eye and while Carr has struggled to consistently play at the level of a top-flight quarterback, his best is better than most guys in the league, even if his lows are maddeningly disappointing.
Jameis Winston is a high-quality backup and I also liked the Saints’ dart throw in the NFL Draft of Jake Haener.
15. Seattle Seahawks
- Geno Smith
- Drew Lock
Seahawks fans are probably going to be furious about this but I did make it a point to include Geno Smith in the top half of the league after his amazing season in 2022. This is not meant to disrespect Smith, but I want to see him repeat the type of play we saw from him in 2022 before crowning him. And the second half of the season for the Seahawks left a bitter taste in my mouth.
They won three games in the final nine opportunities they had last year. That included two wins over the Rams and a win over the hapless Jets. Geno got off to a hot start but I need to see more from him in 2023 before anointing him a top 10 player at this position in the league.
16. Denver Broncos
- Russell Wilson
- Jarrett Stidham
- Jarrett Guarantano
Russell Wilson is coming off of the worst year of his NFL career, by far. And when you look at the factors at play, you might be able to discover a few reasons why.
Wilson came to the Denver Broncos dealing with some injury issues the year prior in Seattle (a gross finger injury among them). He has been dealing with a knee issue that caused him to get an arthroscopic procedure done this offseason. He suffered a torn lat early in the season and played through it. He suffered a torn hamstring and played through it. Wilson also had a concussion against the Chiefs late last season and was playing for a head coach who was in over his head.
The presence of Sean Payton in Denver leads me to believe we should see a resurgence for Russ in 2023, not to mention Wilson is healthy.
Jarrett Stidham has proven he’s got some chops and could be a high-end backup/future starter.
17. Carolina Panthers
- Bryce Young
- Andy Dalton
- Matt Corral
- Jacob Eason
I can’t say enough how much I love what the Panthers have done. I think they’ve done such a good job this offseason that they’ve set themselves up to be on the peripheral of having one of the top QB situations in the entire league.
I anticipate Bryce Young will be able to come in and play well pretty much right away, and the presence of Andy Dalton gives the Panthers a pretty strong fail-safe at the position. Young is stepping into a situation in Carolina where the coaching is going to be absolutely outstanding, led by Frank Reich, Jim Caldwell, Thomas Brown, and Josh McCown.
18. Cleveland Browns
- Deshaun Watson
- Joshua Dobbs
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- Kellen Mond
I remain a skeptic of Deshaun Watson, especially after what we saw last year. He’s got better weapons this year in Cleveland, including the arrival of guys like rookie Cedric Tillman and trade acquisition Elijah Moore. Can Watson return to the form we once saw from him in Houston?
That’s a tall order. At his peak, Watson was up there among peers like Patrick Mahomes as one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. That’s why the Browns made the deal to get him like they did in the first place. He knocked off the rust last year, we’ll see what he’s got in 2023 with less media attention, at least compared to this time a year ago.
19. San Francisco 49ers
- Brock Purdy
- Trey Lance
- Sam Darnold
I wanted to put the 49ers much higher than this because I think what Brock Purdy did last year was tremendous, but injuries have this 49ers QB situation firmly outside of the top half of the league, even with Kyle Shanahan’s exceptional coaching.
Brock Purdy earned the right to be penciled in as QB1 this year, but he narrowly avoided needing Tommy John surgery, a procedure typically done on MLB athletes that keeps them out for a year at least. Will Purdy be the same guy in 2023?
What’s to become of Trey Lance after his complicated ankle injuries? As talented as Trey Lance is, the guy hasn’t played a long stretch of meaningful football since 2019 at North Dakota State.
I love the pickup of Sam Darnold in San Francisco but the thing is, are the 49ers hoping they don’t have to use him? He might legitimately be the best option they’ve got that’s actually healthy.
20. Houston Texans
- CJ Stroud
- Davis Mills
- Case Keenum
I think the Houston Texans have effectively reshaped this room to the point that I’m confident in saying I like it better than most of the QB situations around the league. Looking at it in a one-year vacuum? Sure, it’s not in the top-half of the league until CJ Stroud proves otherwise, but even just projecting slightly, I love the makeup of this QB room.
Davis Mills will likely be a future trade candidate, but he showed some nice things in his first two NFL seasons and Case Keenum is still a high-end backup.
The question will be — how quickly can Stroud acclimate to the NFL? The Texans are obviously banking on it happening rather quickly.
21. Arizona Cardinals
- Kyler Murray
- Colt McCoy
- David Blough
- Jeff Driskel
- Clayton Tune
I toyed with the idea of putting the Cardinals 32nd on this list, but that’s a bit too hot of a take. If Kyler Murray plays at all in 2023, the Cardinals simply don’t have the “worst” QB situation in the league right now. But with his recovery from a major knee injury ongoing, I think you could temporarily slot the Cardinals as the worst QB situation in the league.
Colt McCoy? David Blough? Jeff Driskel?
This is bad.
The Cardinals are bad. Their roster is bad. Kyler Murray better get back to playing sooner than later, for the sake of the team. Unless they really want Caleb Williams and a lot of dead cap money next year.
22. Chicago Bears
- Justin Fields
- PJ Walker
- Nathan Peterman
The Bears were the worst team in the league last year record-wise, but Justin Fields took some necessary steps forward. I’m still slightly skeptical of him as a pure passer going forward, but Fields wasn’t the reason the Bears lost 14 games a season ago. He put them in position to probably be at least a 6-7 win team and anyone who watched a lot of Chicago’s games knows that.
The two years of growing pains are done, however. This year is the year when Justin Fields needs to go out and prove he’s a top-10-15 QB in the NFL.
23. Las Vegas Raiders
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Brian Hoyer
- Aidan O’Connell
I am a big Jimmy Garoppolo fan. How will he do outside of the Kyle Shanahan offense? That remains to be seen. Josh McDaniels obviously really liked him in their time together with the Patriots, but the Pats had to let Garoppolo spread his wings when they traded him to the Niners back in 2017.
Now, McDaniels is reunited with his former padawan and Tom Brady’s former backup, and Jimmy G. is frankly one of the more accomplished QBs in the league right now. He helped get the 49ers to three NFC Championship games, even if Brock Purdy was the “late innings” guy last year. Garoppolo stabilized what appeared to be a bit of a shaky San Fran offense.
We’ll see how he can do with McDaniels but my guess is he will be solid.
Neither Brian Hoyer nor Aidan O’Connell inspires much confidence if Garoppolo can’t play the full 17 games, and he’s only played a full season once in his entire career.
24. New York Giants
- Daniel Jones
- Tyrod Taylor
I remain a major skeptic of Daniel Jones. I hate to say it. I just think the Giants really overachieved last year and if he goes out there and has a marvelous 2023 season after signing that shiny new contract extension with the Giants, I will happily eat crow.
I just think, while Jones has talent, he needs the perfect set of circumstances to really excel like we saw last year. I just don’t know that you’re going to get that every year. I don’t know that he’s going to help lead the Giants to more playoff wins ranking 26th in the NFL in passing.
It was great to see Jones limit the turnovers last year under Brian Daboll, but again, I am a skeptic here.
25. Tennessee Titans
- Ryan Tannehill
- Will Levis
- Malik Willis
The Tennessee Titans have one of the most well-coached teams in the league and we saw them nearly find a way to win the AFC South with Josh Dobbs playing a high-stakes game last season. That’s a testament to Mike Vrabel and his staff.
I think looking more long-term, I could see Will Levis becoming something for the Titans. But I also think they have one of the biggest “boom or bust” QB rooms in the league. And at this point, Ryan Tannehill just doesn’t have the type of ceiling to put a huge vote of confidence in this position group.
I think the you-know-what is soon to hit the fan in Tennessee at the QB position. Major changes will need to be made, but is Will Levis really the guy? The Titans didn’t like him enough to take him with their first-round pick, so even their own expectations are tempered.
26. New England Patriots
- Mac Jones
- Bailey Zappe
- Trace McSorley
The addition of Bill O’Brien to the Patriots’ offensive staff is likely going to make that side of the ball feel like a night-and-day difference in 2023. I could see Mac Jones jumping back into the “very relevant’ conversation, but the current state of things is that Jones has fallen out of favor with the Pats and fans were clamoring for Bailey Zappe last year.
It’s not great.
I think BOB’s presence is going to significantly help Mac Jones, but even if Jones goes out and has a great season, are the Patriots any better than 3rd-best in the AFC East? It’s going to be tough for this team to climb up the AFC East standings.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kenny Pickett
- Mitchell Trubisky
We need to see big year-two growth from Kenny Pickett, that’s all there is to it. The Steelers are bought into Pickett and I get it. He was the most talented QB in the 2022 NFL Draft class, but that isn’t really saying much at this point, is it?
Pickett was slinging the ball all around the yard at Pitt but he understandably had plenty of rookie struggles. He needs to be much better in year two if the Steelers are going to be any level of competitive the loaded AFC North.
I think we’ll see progression but is Pickett going to prove himself to be “the guy” for the Steelers? Or will they be in range for Caleb Williams/Drake Maye a year from now?
28. Atlanta Falcons
- Desmond Ridder
- Taylor Heinicke
- Logan Woodside
I don’t love what the Falcons are doing, but I also don’t hate it. Arthur Smith has proof of concept that his offense can work for a consistent period of time even without star power at the QB position. He did it in Tennessee with Ryan Tannehill (which landed him the Falcons gig) and he did it last year with Marcus Mariota.
There were times when the Falcons had a top-10 scoring offense in the league and now buying into Desmond Ridder, we’ll see where this wild card takes them. I think Taylor Heinicke raises the floor of the room a considerable amount and I liked Ridder a lot coming out of Cincinnati.
I still think he’s a major question mark going into the season but won’t be surprised to see him do well, either.
29. Washington Commanders
- Sam Howell
- Jacoby Brissett
- Jake Fromm
The Washington Commanders are buying into the “way-too-early 2022 mock draft” version of Sam Howell. Remember that? Howell was projected for a while as the number one overall pick before, in reality, he fell to the fifth round.
He played one game last year, and all the Commanders did was bring in Jacoby Brissett at the position? Now, Eric Bieniemy is coming over from the Chiefs to call the shots. How much of a difference can he make in terms of Howell’s development?
How long is Howell’s leash going to be? I think Brissett is a solid option to turn to if need be, but the real question mark here is Howell. He’s enough of a dual threat that I think Washington might surprise some people in 2023, but the jury is still very much out.
30. Green Bay Packers
- Jordan Love
- Sean Clifford
- Danny Etling
The trade of Aaron Rodgers has left the Green Bay Packers in a pretty dire situation. We still know very little about Jordan Love at this point. Looking back at my 2020 NFL Draft notes, I think there were some who felt Love could be a playmaker at the position but he’s thrown 83 regular season passes in three years.
Who knows? Maybe Love will go out there in his first year as the full-time starter and carry on the Packers’ tradition at the quarterback position. They have simply not struggled at QB for as long as I’ve been alive, at least that I can remember (born 1989). The Packers have been waiting for this moment for a long time and now Jordan Love will get the chance to prove he can be the next to carry the mantle.
Behind Love, though? Yikes.
31. Indianapolis Colts
- Anthony Richardson
- Gardner Minshew
- Sam Ehlinger
The Indianapolis Colts hired the QB whisperer — Shane Steichen — to be their head coach this offseason. Steichen worked with Justin Herbert in his rookie season and he helped craft an offense that has made Jalen Hurts into an MVP candidate and big-money player rather quickly.
What kind of magic can he now work with the ultra-talented physical marvel that is Anthony Richardson?
The Colts have one of the most physically dynamic QBs in the league, but also one of the most raw. Richardson is going to need to be afforded the chance to fail forward and, for his sake, hopefully the Colts don’t lose too many games to be in position to replace him right away with someone like Caleb Williams. I, for one, am excited to see how quickly Richardson can get it figured out.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Baker Mayfield
- Kyle Trask
- John Wolford
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t have the worst team in the NFL, but they do have the worst QB situation. If you were to strictly project the 2024 NFL Draft order based on 2023 QB situations around the NFL, the Bucs would undoubtedly be picking first overall. It may end up being that way, but I don’t know that it’s going to be bad enough in Tampa to get that far.
If it’s up to the QBs, though…
Baker Mayfield is on his 100th team in five seasons. Yes, he’s a former top draft pick, but he seems to be a shell of the guy that set the rookie passing TD record back in 2018.
Kyle Trask? I can’t believe the Bucs used a second-round pick on him. Trask lacked the athleticism and arm talent to even get a draftable grade if you ask me, but the Bucs picked him at the end of round two last year. I just don’t see this situation going well, and the Bucs could be big trade deadline sellers in the 2023 NFL season.