Ranking the Remaining 8 QBs In the NFL Playoffs

As the NFL playoffs continue this weekend, we're seeing a changing of the guard right in front of our eyes. Tom Brady and Drew Brees were both eliminated during the Wild Card round while the next generation of young QBs are set to battle for a chance in the Super Bowl.

With Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes, the NFL is poised for the next phase of football as we know it. Not only that, but Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are still in the mix and playing at an elite level as they age to the next stages of their career. The future of the QB position in the NFL is stronger than ever right now and the best talent is on full display in the playoffs.

With a full slate of playoff action coming up this weekend, the Complex Sports crew ranked all of the remaining QBs in the playoffs. You'll notice that things are different from our QB rankings from back in August, but hey, everyone makes mistakes. With that in mind, check out the rankings, debate amongst yourselves, and get ready for some NFL playoff action.

Ask Dolphins fans about Tannehill and the answers aren’t going to be pretty. But ask Titans fans about the veteran playing in his seventh season, his first with Tennessee, and they’ll give you rave reviews since he’s unexpectedly been awesome in the 12 games, 10 of them starts. Did you know Tannehill led the league in yards gained per attempt (9.6)? Did you know Tannehill led the league in yards gained per pass completion (13.6)? And did you know Tannehill led the league in quarterback rating (117.5)? I knew Tannehill was playing well down the stretch, but didn’t realize his stats popped like that. Yeah, he’s never really done this over a 16 game season before, but like Cousins, Tannehill is now 31 and maybe we need to put some respect on his name. —AC

Cousins will never be as good as the money he makes (3-year, $84 million deal) since he became the owner of the largest fully guaranteed contract when it was signed in 2018. NFL observers' heads exploded when that news hit, but to be fair to Cousins, he'll never be as bad as he’s largely portrayed to be. You’d still take Cousins over at least 12 other starting QBs, if not a few more than that, and he’s a couple of big games away from potentially crashing the top half of NFL signal callers if we do another list before the start of next season. He probably played the game of his life against the Saints last weekend, but Cousins has always had the arm to make big throws. From my amateur quarterback assessment skills, he’s just never shown us the wisdom and nerve to make a bunch of them in a row or in the big spot. Maybe, at age 31, it’s really starting to come together for Cousins. —AC

Who knows what to expect from Jimmy G in his first playoff start this weekend because the track record of guys making their postseason debut isn’t all the impressive. So I’ll tell you don’t be surprised if the 49ers get picked off by the Vikings. But in terms of skill level and ability, you still have to give Garoppolo the nod over Kirk Cousins, right? Garoppolo has incredible chemistry with George Kittle, isn’t afraid to stay in the pocket when things get chaotic, and racked up the kind of single-season stats this past year that put him in the 49ers record books right behind Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young. From a league-wide perspective, Jimmy G finished in the top 5 among NFL quarterbacks in yards per attempt, completion percentage, and touchdowns. He also authored four-game winning drives in the fourth quarter. That’s something you’d expect from Russell Wilson, not from a guy who’s only started 26 games in his career. —AC

While the four quarterbacks ranked above Deshaun Watson certainly deserve it, the gap between Watson and those guys isn’t that big, if you ask me. Watson is almost as dynamic as Lamar Jackson and practically as shifty in the pocket at Russell Wilson. His arm isn’t the rifle that Patrick Mahomes is and he may never be as savvy as Aaron Rodgers because who is? But Watson is a borderline top 10 QB and if the Texans could block better and keep him upright more often Watson just might be on the verge of earning superstar status. He gets to throw to arguably the best receiver in the NFL (DeAndre Hopkins), has proven to be incredibly rugged, and has a championship pedigree (don’t forget what he did at Clemson). He’s been excellent on the road during his early NFL career so while the Chiefs are big favorites over the Texans this weekend, don't be shocked if Houston knocks off the No. 1 seed behind Watson’s magic. You heard it here first. —AC

Thig might seem low for Aaron Rodgers, but when you look at the QBs in front of him, it makes sense. Yes, Rodgers is still an elite QB in the NFL, but his stats did take a bit of a dip this season. Not only did he post a near career low completion percentage, but there was just something off about Rodgers game all season. Yes, the Packers posted a 13-3 record, but the offense was up and down a lot of the year. Because of all that Rodgers falls at No. 4 on the list going into the divisional round of the playoffs. But hey, maybe Rodgers and the Packers will prove us wrong.

Russell Wilson had an unreal season and has carried the Seattle Seahawks to the divisional round of the playoffs and a matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. While the Packers might have a better team, we're slotting in Russell Wilson as the better QB in this matchup. Just look at the numbers Wilson put up this season. Over 4,000 yards, 31 TDs, and only 5 INTs. Wilson saw the Seahawks lose a number of playmakers throughout the season, but still continued to play at an MVP level. No, he won't win the award because Lamar Jackson also exists, but Wilson is also playing the best football of his career right now.

No, we don't have Lamar Jackson at No. 1 on our list. Yes, he's been incredible this year and will win the MVP. It should even be unanimous. However, we have Jackson coming in at No. 2 on this list, which is already a huge jump from our rankings from before the season. What more can you say about Lamar Jackson's 2019 season? 36 passing TDs. 3,100 yards passing through the air and then another 1,200 on the ground. Oh yeah, and he just turned 23-years-old. The future is Lamar Jackson and anyone who said he should play WR in the NFL should continue to get laughed at.

Patrick Mahomes was No. 1 on our ranking before the season and he remains in that slot as we move into the second round of the NFL playoffs. Mahomes does stuff on a football field that we've never seen before from a QB. His ability to make something out of nothing is just astonishing and it seriously seems like most NFL fans forgot just how good he is. Not only did Mahomes battle back from a knee injury this season, but he's positioned the Chiefs to make some serious noise in the AFC on a potential Super Bowl run. The future of the QB position is in good hands going forward.