It’s been a while since I’ve talked about American Football on this website, but with the Regular Season just 2 months away from starting, it’s time for me to rank every team’s Starting Quarterback.
32nd: Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)
Anthony Richardson was selected 4th in this year’s NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts to try and turn this struggling Football team around. Richardson realistically should be the starting QB for the Colts from day 1 (over Gardner Minshew and Sam Ehlinger), but it’s not like Richardson had a particularly stellar College career. Antony Richardson played College Football for the Florida Gators and his starting record as a QB was only 6-7. Richardson’s Passer Rating during College was 133.6 which might sound high, but that’s only because College’s ratings are a lot higher than the NFL.
31st: Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
The Green Bay Packers’ run of having an elite QB is over as Aaron Rodgers has left and Jordan Love must now try to step up in his place. Jordan Love was drafted by the Packers in 2020, but he’s only gone on to start one game since then (a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs). Whilst being backup to Aaron Rodgers isn’t a bad thing, it’s made it very unclear as to what Jordan Love’s ability is. However, he’ll get his chance to show the world this year.
30th: Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Kenny Pickett was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers at Number 20 in last year’s Draft. Pickett then started as the backup behind Mitchell Trubisky before he came in to start in Week 5. Pickett then went on to have a positive 7-5 record as a starter by the end of the season, yet his Passer Rating was only 76.7 and he threw more Interceptions than Touchdowns (9-7). Due to this fact, I have to rate Kenny Pickett as one of the weaker Starting QBs in the NFL. Let’s hope he’s a bit higher up next year.
29th: Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Baker Mayfield went from pretty much being the Cleveland Browns’ starting QB for 4 seasons to 3 teams in the space of a year. Baker spent the first half of last season with the Carolina Panthers before he moved over to the Los Angeles Rams and he now finds himself as Tom Brady’s replacement at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mayfield has a starting record in the NFL of 32-39 with a Career Passer Rating of 86.5. I didn’t think Baker played particularly well at all last season and that’s why he’s dropped from 17th to 29th in my QB Rankings.
28th: Daniel Jones (New York Giants)
I ranked Daniel Jones as the worst starting Quarterback heading into the 2022 NFL Season. However, Jones has risen up the rankings a bit after a much better 2022 Season. Daniel Jones scored his first winning season last year (9-6-1) and it was enough to guide the New York Giants to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. Jones had an average Passer Rating of 92.5 and he only threw 5 interceptions over the course of the Regular Season. However, I’m still not sure as to whether last year was just a one-off or not for Danny Dimes. Jones’ career record as a starting Quarterback is 22-32-1 and his Career Passer Rating drops to 86.5. However, If he matches what he did last season, he’ll definitely be much higher next year.
27th: Sam Howell (Washington Commanders)
Sam Howell was selected by the Washington Commanders in the 5th of the 2022 NFL Draft. Sam Howell had a pretty decent College career where he had a Passer Rating of 164.2, but he was still made to wait for his chance as a starting Quarterback. However, he started in Washington’s final game of the season and he helped his side to a really good 26-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Whilst it’s hard to fully know how good Sam Howell is, I definitely think he’s better than what Washington had last season.
26th: Desmond Ridder (Atlanta Falcons)
Desmond Ridder’s record as a starting Quarterback in College was 42-6, but he was only selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 3rd Round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Ridder was then made to sit on the sidelines as the backup for Marcus Mariota until Week 15. In the 4 games Ridder started last season, his record was 2-2 and he had a Passer Rating of 86.4. However, the more impressive stat for Desmond Ridder is the fact that he didn’t throw a single Interception. It’ll be interesting to see how well the Atlanta Falcons do this year with Desmond Ridder as their starting QB for the entire season.
25th: Trey Lance (San Francisco 49ers)
It’s not at all clear who’s going to be the starting Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers at the start of the 2023 NFL Season. What’s even less clear is the ability of Trey Lance. Trey Lance went unbeaten in College (17-0) and had a Career Passer Rating of 173.8 which was enough for the 49ers to trade all the way up to Number 3 to get him in the 2021 NFL Draft. Trey spent his first season as the backup and almost protégé to Jimmy Garoppolo before he became San Fran’s Number 1 QB for the 2022 Season. However, Lance got injured during Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks and that was enough for him to be ruled out for the rest of the season. It’s fair to say that Lance is pretty hard to judge and that’s why he’s dropped down 4 places from last year.
24th: Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
“With the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select Bryce Young, Quarterback from Alabama”. Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 and had a record of 23-4 as a starting Quarterback for Alabama. Young’s Passer Rating during his College career was 165.0 and that was enough for Young to become this year’s Number 1 Overall Draft Pick! There’s a lot of pressure on this young man and the Carolina Panthers will hope he’s able to deliver.
23rd: C. J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
C. J. Stroud was taken as the Number 2 Pick in this year’s NFL Draft by the Houston Texans and it’s not really surprising when you look at his College Football stats. C. J. had a 21-4 record as a starting QB in College with a Passer Rating of 187.2! Whilst not every good College prospect delivers in the National Football League, C. J. Stroud definitely looks like he has a lot of potential.
22nd: Justin Fields (Chicago Bears)
Justin Fields is hoping that his third year in the NFL is by far his best. Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but Fields has a pretty negative record as a starting Quarterback of just 5-20. Fields also has a 4:3 Touchdown to Interceptions ratio (24-21) and his Career Passer Rating so far is just 79.7. Justin Fields has dropped 3 places from my 2022 QB rankings, but it’s worth mentioning that I don’t care much about Quarterbacks' abilities to run. If you are someone who cares about that, Fields probably will be higher.
21st: Mac Jones (New England Patriots)
I was very impressed with Mac Jones during his first season with the New England Patriots and I definitely thought he was the best-performing Rookie out of all of the QBs. However, Jones struggled more last year and that’s why he’s dropped down 5 places in my rankings compared to last year. Jones has a record of 16-16 as a starting Quarterback in the NFL and his Career Passer Rating is currently 89.0. I feel like this is just as big of a year for Mac Jones as it is for the New England Patriots.
20th: Matthew Stafford (LA Rams)
Matthew Stafford enters 2023 off the back of an injury disrupted 2022 Season. Matthew Stafford has played in nearly 200 NFL Games and his record as a starting Quarterback is 93-104-1. Stafford’s Career Passer Rating is 90.9 and he became a Super Bowl Champion in his first year in Los Angeles in the 2021 NFL Season. However, he struggled a bit last season with injuries and his record as a starting Quarterback in the 2022 NFL Season was only 3-6. That’s why Stafford’s dropped down a massive 8 places in my rankings.
19th: Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)
Jared Goff was a Quarterback that I didn’t think was very good for a long time. However, Goff has climbed up 8 places in my rankings from last year after a really successful 2022 Season. Jared Goff’s record as a starting Quarterback is 56-48-1 and his Career Passer Rating is 92.8. However, Goff’s Passer Rating for last season was 99.3 as he guided the Detroit Lions to their first positive record season since 2017. Let’s see if Mr. Goff’s able to keep it up this year.
18th: Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints)
After 9 years of playing in a Raiders jersey, it’s now time for Derek Carr to lead the New Orleans Saints. 2023 will be Derek Carr’s 10th season in the National Football League and he has a 63-80 record as a starting Quarterback with a Career Passer Rating of 91.8. However, Carr had his worst season since his Rookie year last season and that along with other factors resulted in Derek getting released by the Las Vegas Raiders. Even though Carr now finds himself as starting Quarterback for the Saints, he’s dropped 10 places in my rankings as a result.
17th: Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
Wow, what a difference a year makes for Geno Smith! Geno was never a particularly good Quarterback when he played in New York and his Career Passer Rating of only 84.8 reflects that. However, Smith has been absolutely excellent since he joined the Seattle Seahawks and his Passer Rating has been over 100 for the last two seasons as a result (Geno also had the highest completion percentage last year). When you take that into consideration, it makes total sense why he’s moved up 14 places from my 2022 rankings.
16th: Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans)
Ryan Tannehill is looking to have a far-less injury-disrupted season this time around. Ryan Tannehill has a career starting record of 80-68 and his Career Passer Rating is 91.9. However, Tannehill has dropped off a little bit the last couple of seasons and that, plus his injuries, cost Tennessee a spot in the Playoffs last season. That’s why Tannehill’s dropped 3 places in my rankings from last year.
15th: Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
Deshaun Watson is definitely the hardest Quarterback to judge heading into the 2023 Season. Deshaun Watson has a career starting record of 32-30 with an amazing Career Passer Rating of 102.3. However, Watson missed the entire 2021 NFL Season as well as the first 11 games in the 2022 Season due to “behavioral issues” which makes it really hard to know if he’s still the same player he once was. You then have to downgrade him slightly because he really didn’t play that well in his six games with the Cleveland Browns last season (his Passer Rating was only 79.1). I’m definitely intrigued to see how Watson and the Browns get on this season.
14th: Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
I’ve always been impressed with Kyler Murray’s ability and the same has to be said for the Arizona Cardinals who drafted him with the Number 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Murray’s Career Passer Rating is 92.5, but his starting record is only 25-32-1. Kyler also had his weakest year of his NFL career in 2022 which was also disrupted by an ACL injury. Whilst I do like Murray, I feel like he’s one of those QBs who relies on his legs too much and that’s why he’s dropped down 4 places from my 2022 rankings.
13th: Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings)
Kirk Cousins is about to enter his 12th year in the National Football League and Cousins’ has a starting record of 73-66-2 with a really good Career Passer Rating of 97.8. Kirk has always been one of those Quarterbacks who I think goes under the radar in terms of his actual ability. Cousins has always been a reliable QB and even though last year was his weakest season in a long time, Kirk’s still gone up a place in my rankings.
12th: Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
The former Number 1 pick in the Draft Trevor Lawrence is looking to build from a positive second season in the National Football League. Trevor Lawrence was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and whilst he really, really struggled in his first year, Lawrence more than made up for it in his second year as he took the Jaguars back to the Playoffs for the first time since 2017. Whilst Trevor’s starting record in the league might only be 13-23 and his Career Passer Rating is only 83.4, Lawrence showed enough quality last season to move up 6 places in my QB rankings.
11th: Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
Dak Prescott is about to enter his 8th season with the Dallas Cowboys and it feels like a big one for him. Dak has a career starting record of 63-41 and his Career Passer Rating is at a pretty good 97.8. However, Prescott had one of the weakest seasons of his entire NFL career last year and he also led the league with 15 Interceptions which is not at all good considering he only featured in 12 of the Cowboys’ 17 games in the Regular Season (he missed the early part of the season due to injury). Because of this, I can’t put Dak any higher so he stays where he was for my rankings last year.
10th: Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
Lamar Jackson has always been someone that I’ve never really understood as a player. Jackson has a starting record in the NFL of 46-19 (which is great) and a Career Passer Rating of 96.7 which is also pretty good. However, that rating is so high because of his incredible 2019 MVP Season, and considering that was 3 years ago, I think it’s time people should start focusing on what he’s currently doing. What Lamar is doing currently is playing solid, but not amazingly. Most of Jackson’s work comes from his legs and as I’ve said before, I don’t care too much about how good a Quarterback is at running with the ball. Finally, Jackson has a terrible record in the Playoffs and when you combine all of what I’ve said together, he has to drop a place in my rankings.
9th: Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
The 2022 NFL Season will always be the campaign that Jalen Hurts really made his name in the NFL. Jalen Hurts did alright in his first two seasons in the NFL, but he was particularly special last year as his Passer Rating was 101.5 and he guided the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl 57. Hurts’ overall career record as a starting QB is 25-13 and his Career Passer Rating is 92.2. My expectations for Hurts are definitely a lot higher than they were last year and that’s why he’s moved up 6 places from my 2022 rankings.
8th: Jimmy Garoppolo (Las Vegas Raiders)
After six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo is now the starting Quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. Jimmy G has a stellar career record of 44-19 as a starting Quarterback and his Career Passer Rating is at a very impressive 99.6. Garoppolo has always been someone that I’ve rated highly and his Passer Rating of 103.0 in the 2022 NFL Season backs that up. Let’s see what Jimmy G can do in Las Vegas.
7th: Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos)
Russell Wilson is highly regarded as one of the best Quarterbacks to play in the NFL in the last 10 years. Russell had a stellar career at the Seattle Seahawks which resulted in a Super Bowl Ring, has a career starting record of 117-71-1, and has a Career Passer Rating of 100.2! However, I can’t ignore the fact that Wilson had a tough first year (to say the least) with the Denver Broncos and it’s hurt his stock a bit which is why he’s dropped down 3 places from my 2022 rankings.
6th: Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
Tua Tagovailoa has a record of 21-13 as a starting Quarterback in the NFL and he also has a Passer Rating of 95.0. I always thought Tua was a decent QB, but he rose up in everyone’s estimations during the 2022 NFL Season as he had the highest Passer Rating in the league with a massive 105.5! You also have to think that without the injuries he suffered last year, the Miami Dolphins could’ve been a serious threat in the Playoffs. Because of his brilliant 2022 campaign, Tua Tagovailoa is my most improved Quarterback as he’s risen up 17 places from last year!
5th: Justin Herbert (LA Chargers)
After just missing out on my top 5 last year, Justin Herbert makes it into my top 5 Quarterbacks heading into the 2023 Season. Justin Herbert’s record as a starter is only 25-25 which surprised me, but his Career Passer Rating is 96.2. The impressive thing with Herbert is his consistency as even though he’s not had an MVP-caliber year, he’s not come close to having a bad season either. However, I do feel like it’s quite important that Justin Herbert plays like an MVP this year to really propel himself into the elite QBs of the NFL right now.
4th: Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
Josh Allen will be hoping that this is the year that he finally becomes a Super Bowl Champion. Josh Allen has been in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills for 5 seasons now and his record as a starting Quarterback is 56-28. Rather surprisingly, Allen’s Career Passer Rating is only 92.2, but that’s majorly affected by his rather awful Rookie season (his Passer Rating in 2018 was 67.9). Over the last few years, Allen’s shown his quality, but I still feel he needs a massive season to move into the top 3 for next year (he moved up 1 place this year).
3rd: Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
Joe Burrow has proved over the last couple of years that he truly is the real deal. Joe Burrow was selected Number 1 in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and whilst he had a solid first year with the team, he’s really stepped up over the last two seasons and that’s why his Career Passer Rating is 100.4. Burrow’s record as a starter is 29-19-1 and he’s managed to take his Bengals to both the AFC Championship game (twice) and the Super Bowl in the last two years. That’s why he’s moved up 4 places in my QB rankings.
2nd: Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)
After nearly 20 years with the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers is now the main man at the New York Jets! Aaron Rodgers’ record as a starting QB in the NFL is at an amazing 158-85-1 and his Career Passer Rating is at a massive 103.6! Rodgers is also a 4-time NFL MVP and he also won the Super Bowl in 2010. Even though last year was one of his weakest seasons, it was still good relatively speaking and you can’t deny Aaron Rodgers’ consistency and reliability which is why he’s moved up 1 place from last year.
1st: Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
After just missing out on being my Number 1 Quarterback heading into the 2022 NFL Season, Patrick Mahomes takes his rightful step as the Number 1 Quarterback in my rankings. Mahomes’ career record as a starter is at an amazing 75-19 and his Career Passer Rating up to this date is a ridiculous 105.7! Mahomes is a 2-time NFL MVP and he’s also won the Super Bowl twice. However, the most impressive thing about Patrick Mahomes is he plays even better in the Playoffs and since he became the Chiefs established starting Quarterback in 2018, Mahomes has never not played in an AFC Championship game. Simply the best right now!
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