2022-23 NFL Quarterback Ranking

Everybody's favorite thing to talk about. All you ever hear when it comes to the NFL is about the quarterbacks. You'd think they were the only people on field if you didn't know any better. With that in mind, I'm here to tell you who's actually better than who. This list is not solely based of the previous season, I'm keeping their past and a little bit of projection in mind when I do these rankings. I'm also going to break these off into tiers with the individual rankings inside the tiers, so let's get started.

Tier 1: The Elite Quarterbacks- These are the guys who are constantly MVP candidates and who can carry a team no matter the roster or coaching.

1.Patrick Mahomes: The undisputed number 1 in my mind is no other than Mahomes. One of the most talented QBs the league has ever seen, his combination of constantly playing in structure with the threat of him breaking out of the pocket and creating his unmatched. He proved he's deserving of this spot this year by leading the league in basically every passing stat and metric even after losing Tyreek. He's the best in the world and I think he will be for some time.

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2.Josh Allen: He's virtually the sole reason the Bills offense is any good. He has Diggs and some nice weapons along with good coaching, but the rushing value he provides for them is crazy. He's the teams best runner and a physical alien like we've never seen. He led the Bills to the 2nd ranked offense in terms of EPA, and his highs are just as high if not higher than Mahomes's. Where he falls short is consistency. He's bound to go big play hunting too much or throw some stupid red zone picks throughout a game, but even still he's ridiculous.

3.Justin Herbert: This is where projection and past comes into play, and Justin Herbert is every bit as talented as the 2 listed above him but the production isn't the same. I'm here to assure you this has nothing do with Herbert as a QB and has everything to do with what's around him. He has arguably the strongest arm in the league, but Joe Lombardi has a offense designed for 40 year old Drew Brees and thinks it's fit for Herbert. Mike Williams is slow and can't separate, and Keenan Allen is washed whether you want to believe it or not. Get this guy a real OC and a receiver who doesn't run a 5.0 40 time and this will be the consensus ranking I promise. In the 2020-21 season Herbert led the 2nd ranked offense and put up ridiculous counting stats, so he's been this good before and I fully believe he will be back at that level. He's one of the best pocket passers in the league and has a cannon of an arm. He's the entire Chargers team and I think he's deserving of this spot.

4.Joe Burrow: As a former Joe Burrow hater I can truly say I never thought he would be this good. Last year he seemed more like a product of his receivers but this year he's taken that step into the elite tier. The best pure pocket passer in the league with a little bit of escape ability, he had another ridiculous year even with his top 2 targets being out for a long stretch of the season. He's one of the best in the NFL at analyzing defenses and making the correct throw for the coverage. He's not the physical alien like the guys above him but he's just as willing to bomb the ball down the field and create explosive plays. He rarely makes the wrong decision and he's overall a blast to watch.

5.Lamar Jackson: Probably the most hated player in the NFL and I just can't wrap my head around it. In my opinion he's the most fun player in the entire league to watch. He's the best rusher in the NFL (including running backs) along with being a pretty polished passer. Much like Herbert with the Chargers, he's the entire Ravens offense. The o-line sucks, the receivers suck, and the run game outside of him sucks. Mark Andrews is really good tight end but that's all he's got. Sadly this guy will never be able to escape the narratives that surround him, but I don't know how someone can watch him play and come to the conclusion that this guy stinks. He lead the 6th ranked offense until when he got hurt despite the bad play calling and bad roster around him. He was an MVP candidate for a solid portion of the year and I think he deserves his flowers. Outside of football, he's one of the funniest people in the NFL. I just love Lamar Jackson.

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Tier 2: Top 10/franchise guys: These guys are a little more dependent on what's around them but still elevate the team and can take over games.

6.Dak Prescott: I know this is isn't the popular opinion but I don't care. Dak is like Burrow but with a few more mistakes tossed in, in that he's not the most physically gifted guy but is still talented. I think he's very underrated when it comes to dissecting a coverage and understanding defenses. A lot like Lamar, people hate this guy mostly because he plays on the Cowboys which I don't really get. Early in the year you heard the Cooper Rush is better than Dak narrative, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. In weeks where Rush played,the Cowboys offense ranked 20th (by EPA), while they were ranked 6th when Dak played.

7.Jalen Hurts: Hurts probably had the 2nd best season out of any of these guys. The Eagles are probably the best team in the league and are the best rushing offense in large part because of Hurts. I do think he's more of a product of his team than the other guys but even still it's pretty clear that this guy's good. He's one of the best rushing threats at the position along with being a fairly accurate passer. He doesn't throw in the middle of field at all but even still put up really good passing numbers. I think he could go up this list in future but for now I think 7 is a good spot.

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8.Trevor Lawrence: Lawrence is probably the biggest riser this year. I've always been a big Lawrence believer so this isn't a huge surprise to me, but I do think how much he's improved is shocking. His rookie year was sabotaged by the worst head coach in NFL history and the three stooges for a receiving group. Even then he hit some very high level throws and showcased some of the best pocket presence in the league. He reminds me a lot of Herbert, they're both massive and calm in the pocket along with being athletic enough to run read-option with. The accuracy and consistency is what holds him back as of now, despite that he still had a great year. He's tied for 6th in passing TDs and 9th in EPA/play, he's cut down on the picks (threw 8 this year), and just led his team to playoff win. I think his ceiling his unbelievably high and I'm excited to see what he can do next year with Ridley and Christian Kirk.

9.Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers may be on washed watch but I still see him as a top 10 guy. He played the year with one of the worst stable of weapons in the NFL and still wasn't awful. He certainly didn't look as good as he did in his back to back MVP years, but I think he's still got some juice left. This could age bad if he continues to play the way he did at times this season. Obviously I doubt he ever reaches MVP levels again, but nonetheless he's still a good QB.

10.Geno Smith: This is a really interesting one since there's virtually no past to base this off of, so this season could very well have been a fluke. Geno wasn't on the stacked team and great system that allows QBs to put up misleading numbers. He broke the Seahawks passing TDs record this year and led a team that before the season many people had as a bottom five team to the playoffs. He's like a slightly discount Burrow or Dak, which means he's a good player. I raise my eyebrow at the idea that he'll continue this for years to come, but for now I think this is fair.

Tier 3: Quality Starters- This is strange group, these are all guys that have in the past been top 10 locks and are maybe on the down slide or are coming off down years.

11.Tom Brady: A lot like Rodgers I think Brady is a little washed. He can't navigate the pocket like he once could, and it's pretty clear that he's 1 million years old and doesn't want to get hit. He's seen everything so no defense you throw at him can fool him and the arm strength is still there somehow, but he is starting to show his age. If I were him I'd just retire, but there's a good chance he doesn't, so it'll be interesting to see if he continues to fall down this list or somehow rejuvenates his career at age 46.

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12.Kyler Murray: I had the most trouble with this group, and Kyler was the toughest player to rank out of all of them. He's a special athlete and he's truly electric. He has those moments where he looks like the best player in the NFL. The big thing with him is his size. He's tiny, and much like every other short quarter back, can't throw over the middle of the field because he can't see over the o-line. He's a great runner and deep ball thrower, but can't rely on the quick game when it's not there. Aside from that, his style of play also invites him to take a lot of hits, and we are already seeing the repercussions of this with him missing considerable time over the last 2 years. He's still young and has a very high ceiling, but I'm unsure if he'll ever be consistent enough to be viewed as one the top end guys in the league.

13.Matthew Stafford: Another really tough guy to rank. In his Super Bowl year he was an MVP candidate and in the following year he looked awful in the few games we saw him. I don't think that's all because of the team around him because he played on some horrible Lions teams and was still pretty solid. He's willing to push the ball down the field and has a very strong arm, and he's kind of a psychopath, which I thinks a good thing. The issue with Stafford is that he has the Carson Wentz gene. He'll make the best throw you've ever seen and then the very next play throw it directly to a linebacker. He's a little old and maybe his best days are behind him but I think he's still a guy you can win games with.

Tier 4: Fine Starters: These are all game managers that you can win with and keep your offense on pace, but they don't really elevate it.

14.Kirk Cousins: Kirk Cousins is indestructible. He can't play a normal game to save his life and has more Shaqtinafool moments than anyone in league. With that being said, he's pretty solid. He doesn't do anything too too special but he can lead a fairly good offense. He's definitely more of a system QB than the others and throws games away more than you'd like to see but I value him as a quality starter. He's not someone I'd want to pay a whole load of money to, but he can keep a team afloat.

15.Tua Tagovailoa: Tua is just so average to me, and yet he is smart, accurate, and has good feel in pocket. He was probably the most overrated player in the entire NFL at one point but that's calmed down a lot. At the end of the day he is a product of what's around him. Not saying it's his fault, but how many starting level QBs would look bad with Reek and Waddle while McDaniel's calling plays? The arm strength is an issue, and honestly I'm worried if he'll ever play again with the concussions. He's a good QB who got overhyped due to him playing at Bama and how high he was drafted, but all in all 15 seems like a good spot.

pc: AP Photot/Doug Murray

16.Jared Goff: Very very similar to our dear friend Kirk Cousins. I believe he's more of a scheme and team merchant and we've seen this with the Rams and even the Lions this year. He can hit an open guy and do what you tell him to do but that's about it. He can't really move and if you throw cover 2 at this guy he kind of turns into a pumpkin. He played pretty well this year, nothing to write home about, but still somehow managed to become overrated by some. I do think the Lions need to move on and draft someone, but that doesn't mean he isn't a fine QB.

17.Derek Carr: If you haven't figured this out I am a Chiefs fan so I despise the Raiders and all of their players, especially this guy. I'll try to leave the bias aside with this, but Derek Carr is not nearly as good as some people think. He's kinda just average to below average at everything, which is why I have him here. He played this year with arguably the best weapons in all of the NFL and still had a mediocre season. The amount of top 10 takes I saw last year blew my mind, I don't think he's awful but I agree with Raiders decision to move on from him.

Tier 5: Averageish starters: Most of this group have nothing in common, some are young and on the rise, others the opposite, and others may be stuck here permanently.

18.Justin Fields: He really shocked me this year. The first few weeks of the season he looked AWFUL, the Bears would barley let him throw ball. Somewhere along the way he really showed some flashes. He had 1,200 rushing yards as QB, and while he still struggles with quick game passing he was pretty good on throws down the field. The team around him is also god-awful, but if you give him a reliable receiver and make him calm it down and not big play hunt as much, he could have a Jalen Hurts-esque rise next year. The rushing ability is right up there with Lamar and he has a similar level of arm talent as him. I think it's unlikely he reaches Lamar's level but he can be a real game changer.

19.Daniel Jones: This is Ryan Tannehill's long lost son, they're so similar it's crazy. Danny Dimes doesn't really throw dimes but he can manage an offense fairly well. He's shockingly athletic and breaks of some explosive runs, in the playoff game against the Vikings he showed off his legs and played really good. I don't think he'll ever be someone who can tear you apart through the air but he can be Ryan Tannehill and put up some good numbers behind a good team.

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20.Mac Jones: The issue with Mac coming out of the draft was always his ceiling, it's just not very high. He played ok his rookie year and didn't play too too bad this year. He really reminds me a lot of another Bama QB, Tua. They have similar strengths but I do think Tua is a little better. I can't really see him getting much higher on this list. After his time with the Pats he'll probably bounce around on mediocre teams and be mediocre and have a career filled with mediocrity, better than most NFL quarterbacks can say though.

21.Ryan Tannehill: Everything I said about Daniel Jones is exactly how I feel about Tannehill, he's just older. He showed his true colors this year without AJ Brown and a bad o-line. I don't know about him going forward. It would be smart for the Titans to blow it up in my opinion and draft a replacement (Malik Willis isn't good) but I don't know where Tannehill would end up. He's had an ok career and will probably be a coach somewhere some day.

Tier 6: Below Average: Exactly as the title suggest, some bad QBs mixed in with some young ones who could turn it around.

22.Russell Wilson: I don't even know. I think he sucks, but he used to be good so I don't know. He's more than likely washed and won't recover. His play style has always been boom or bust and this year it was all bust. I can't say I feel bad for the Broncos because they deserve to never win a game again, but they're screwed for the foreseeable future. They're stuck with a QB who is very bad and they traded multiple first round picks and signed him to a huge contract to get him. The only hope for him to turn it around is maybe they sign a new coach that can fix him, but Russ doesn't really play in systems, he only throws out breaking routes and can't access the middle of the field. They let Russ cook and he burnt down the house.

pc: Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports

23.Brock Purdy: Purdy has been very good for being the last pick in the draft, but I don't think that's enough. Like any late round rookie that's immune to criticism and subject to being overrated, Purdy is no different. He reminds me so much of Taylor Heinicke, both kind of small with weak arms that are wildly confident and throw it down the field. The 49ers roster is truly ridiculous and I'm 95% sure that is why Purdy is putting up the numbers he is, the same thing happened with Jimmy G. He's been good for where he was drafted, but now it's time to win a Super Bowl and I just don't think he's the guy. I'd keep him a back up and start Trey Lance next year.

24.Taylor Heinicke: He's just not a real starter, I love watching him play and always cheer for him. He's so clutch it's unreal, the arm strength is nonexistent but much like Purdy he's willing to take deep shots and just throw it up to Terry McLaurin, which is more than some are willing to do.

25. Kenny Pickett: I didn't love any of the rookie QBs, but Ridder and Pickett were my favorites. He's showed some flashes but it's been mostly bad. I have some faith in him being ok, he's a great value Joe Burrow to me; they both had a similar come up with similar strengths. I don't love the odds of him working out but I wouldn't give up on him.

26.Jacoby Brissett: I chose him over Watson mostly because I forgot and he played most of the year (Watson would be 12ish). Another back up caliber QB not really much to say, he'll bounce around until he retires and eventually fade into obscurity.

Tier 7:Time to learn Chinese buddy: All of these guys stink and need a new profession. I'll give them a career recommendation in their review.

27. Andy Dalton: He used to be alright but now he stinks. No clue what the Saints plan is at QB and I'm glad I don't have to make the decision. For Andy I'd recommend him to coach some D2 football, or if he's lucky, weasel his way into a job at Fox or ESPN.

28.Matt Ryan: His falloff being this drastic was a little shocking, but it's time for Matty Ice to hang em up. He's got a shot at the Hall of Fame with his MVP, and is the best Falcons QB ever. I actually think he could be a commentator/analyst if he wanted to be, so I'd suggest that.

29.Marcus Mariota: Went with him instead of Ridder mostly because they only let Ridder play like two games. Mariota has been bad his whole career and this is no different, he looks to me like a cars salesman but he's already made enough money to not do that, maybe he can go be a coach or something at Oregon.

30.Baker Mayfield: What a fall from grace this was, only three years ago he tricked the league into thinking he was good. Much like Mariota, another former Heisman winner, Baker stinks and there's not much more to say. I think he could have a career as an actor, his commercials are pretty good.

31.Davis Mills: He has already lost his job. The Texans are taking a QB at 2 I can almost assure you. He was decent in the past but he looked awful this year. Davis was a science major at Stanford so maybe he can be Dr. Doofenshmirtz lookalike or something. A giraffe impersonator would also be a good choice due to his physical features.

32.Zach Wilson: I could have told you this guy sucked before he took a snap in the NFL but he's a whole new level of bad. One of the biggest busts in draft history, he tricked the world with his pro day and I can happily say I wasn't a part of those he tricked. He just screams lawyer to me, he did a good job convincing people he was good a football, so maybe he can convince a judge his client is innocent.

pc: AP Photo/Don Wright