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33.
The NFL season is here. The wait is finally over and football is about to begin. In what the league is calling the “biggest season ever,” there are plenty of storylines worth watching as we all embark on another year of NFL action. From Tom Brady and the Buccaneers looking to repeat to Matthew Stafford taking over for the Rams to what should be an insane battle in the AFC, this really might be one of the biggest seasons in league history. Not to mention, fans will be back in the stadiums. Long story short, it appears that we’re in for a wild season.
With all of that on the horizon, you know we had to get into our rankings game and give you a definitive list of the starting QBs entering the 2021 season. It’s what we do. You surely won’t agree and these lists are never easy. They could go a number of ways and with multiple rookies starting the season, it’s even tougher. As you’ll see, this is a both a projection to where we see these QBs going this season, but also a reflection of this past year. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.
32.Andy Dalton, Chicago Bears
This is a bit of a no-brainer. It’s actually quite shocking that the Chicago Bears are starting Andy Dalton over Justin Fields to start the season. We all know that Fields will be starting shortly, but for now, it’s Dalton, and well, we see him as currently the worst starter in the NFL. Yes, we have rookies over him who haven’t played a game, but if you’ve seen Dalton the past few years, you understand why. It’s not 2015 anymore. At this point in his career, Dalton is a serviceable backup in the league, but he’s far from a QB that can go out and win you games on a consistent basis. It won’t be long before he’s back on the bench in favor of Justin Fields. — ZF
31.Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans
You honestly have to feel for Tyrod Taylor and the position he’s been put in down in Houston. With the Deshaun Watson sexual misconduct situation unfolding, Taylor has been inserted as the starting QB of the Texans. Taylor has bounced around in recent years and will now have the opportunity to prove people wrong in Houston. Taylor has always been one to surprise, most notably with the Bills during their playoff run in 2017. But he has a tall task in front of him down in Houston. Even if you just put aside the distraction of the Watson situation, this just isn’t a great roster. The team is clearly in a rebuilding mode and it probably won’t be fair to peg much of the coming disaster on Taylor’s shoulders. — ZF
30.Mac Jones, New England Patriots
If Bill Belichick believes in you then that’s about the best damn validation the NFL can offer these days. The Patriots surprised football fans when they cut Cam Newton less than two weeks before the season kicked off because New England’s brusque taskmaster felt the rookie QB from Alabama can get the job done just as effectively (and cost efficiently) as the former NFL MVP. I could tell you precisely what Jones brings to the table as a starter, but I’ll spare you a regurgitated scouting report from the NFL Draft. We all know that Jones won a national title with the Crimson Tide last season, throwing to some elite receivers. He was very accurate for a college QB and clearly has elite skills if Belichick chose him with the 15th selection. While Newton wasn’t the Newton of old in New England, give Jones some major kudos for earning the trust of the coaching staff to take over in Week 1 at the expense of a respected veteran. — AC
29.Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Here we go again with the Jets. Forever trying to find their franchise quarterback, New York is yet again all-in on a high draft pick. It’s Zach Wilson’s turn to see if he can fly the Jets toward contention four seasons after the star-crossed organization thought it finally had its man in Sam Darnold. Of course Darnold didn’t pan out as planned so the Jets just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to select with the No. 2 selection Wilson, a product out of BYU whose ability to extend plays with his athleticism and hit targets while strafing is his best skill entering the NFL. Whether you believe in general manager Joe Douglas’s effusive praise and steadfast support in Wilson after the draft—when he could’ve taken Justin Fields or Trey Lance or Mac Jones—or new coach Robert Saleh defending the young QB’s performance through the preseason that exclusively came against backups—“Call it what you want, but he’s still getting good work,” Saleh said—Wilson begins his career right near the bottom of our rankings for all the obvious reasons. He’s undersized, the numbers he put up at BYU often didn’t come against top-tier competition, and the Jets have one of the worst track records in the NFL when it comes to cultivating quarterbacks. — AC
28.Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos
You can only survive for so long on upside in the NFL and time appears to have run out on Drew Lock after the Broncos coach Vic Fangio named Teddy Bridgewater—whom Denver traded for in the offseason—as the team’s Week 1 starter. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Through two seasons, we’ve seen glimpses of Lock, a heralded second-round pick in the 2019 draft, asserting himself—according to Pro Football Focus, Lock had the eighth-best passing grade in the league last season when throwing between 15-20 yards. But the turnovers—he led the league in interceptions last season—have just been debilitating and there are other stats that would point to him arguably being the worst starter in football last season (32nd in Quarterback Rating, 33rd in INT%). Those are just some of the reasons why Denver traded for Bridgewater in the offseason after he became expendable in Carolina. Now he gets to run the Broncos’ offense—the 11th quarterback to do so since Peyton Manning led the organization to its last title. While Bridgewater brings certain things to the table Lock doesn’t (experience, more consistent passer, more of a threat to use his legs) Denver remains an above average starter away from being legit AFC contenders. — AC
27.Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers
It’s all about situation and opportunity in the NFL. For Sam Darnold, this season with the Carolina Pantehrs is likely his last opportunity to prove that he can be a viable starting QB in the NFL. Now, it would be unfair pin all of the issues of the Jets on Darnold, but that also comes with the territory of being a starting QB in the league. However, we must not forget that he had Adam Gase as his head coach and a depleted group of weapons throughout his time in New York. Still, this is now or never for Darnold in Carolina. Flanked with the best weapons of his career in Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson, and more, it’s now on Darnold to show he’s still worthy of his very high draft selection in 2018. — ZF
26.Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts was one of the tougher QBs to figure out their spot on this list. In limited action last season, Hurts showed promise. He looked poised in the pocket and showed an athleticism that is needed from the position in 2021. However, we really didn’t see enough to have him any higher on this list. The Eagles are a tough team to figure out in general, and with plenty of draft picks in future years, Hurts will have to definitively show he’s the guy or the team will surely be taking a QB in the draft next season. For Hurts, he basically just needs to continue to expand what he did in limited action last year. He’s the guy right now, but with a new coach in town and a talented, yet unproven group of weapons, it will be interesting to see how he’s able to fare. We all know Philly fans will let him hear it if he’s not up to the task. — ZF
25.Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
What, precisely, do the Dolphins have with Tua Tagovailoa? Making bold predictions off his rookie season when the heralded southpaw out of Alabama looked like your average first-year quarterback—he was meh, making some nice plays here, bad interceptions there, and you could easily make the argument Miami would’ve been better off just sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick—is something better reserved for the crazies listening to sports talk radio all day long. Tagovailoa’s raw talent is undeniable and the guys who know football a millions times better and deeper than you and I long ago proclaimed Tagovailoa a can’t-miss-prospect. So cut Tua a little slack for that rookie campaign. The stats from last season would indicate he has significant room for improvement (64.1 completion percentage, 11 TD, 5 INT) and clearly warrant us placing him in the third-tier of NFL quarterbacks entering the 2021 season. But I bet if Tagovailoa is as legit as he’s been made out to be by the quarterback gurus and professional pigskin prognosticators he won’t be this low on our list next summer. — AC
24.Daniel Jones, New York Giants
When your nickname is “Dimes,” the expectations will, fittingly, be high. And through his first two seasons with the Giants, Daniel Jones hasn’t lived up to them after New York surprised everyone by selecting him with the sixth pick in the 2019 draft. What’s holding back Jones, like many other quarterbacks, is ball security. Basically, he’s displayed none. The only difference with Danny “Dimes,” of course, is he’s a fumbling machine instead of being someone who suffers from a condition known as Vinny Testaverde Disease (throwing interceptions). Jones has led the league in fumbles the past two seasons and his inability to take care of the football has undoubtedly cost the Giants games and is the biggest reason why the jury’s still out on Jones. That’s the negative. The positive is he’s an incredibly athletic signal caller that just might be a respectable QB if given the right tools to work with. Did the Giants really upgrade their offensive line this offseason? It’s debatable, but it did add a premium target (Kenny Golladay) for Jones. That means it’s time for Dimes to make the Giants serious contenders in a division that’s winnable. If not, he won’t be in New York for much longer. — AC
23.Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts
Carson Wentz’s career to this point has been pretty fascinating. He’s played at an MVP level and also been one of the worst QBs in the NFL. He’s also been hurt a bunch and has a Super Bowl ring after watching Nick Foles fill in for him after an injury. Just a wild career so far. He’s only somehow entering his sixth year in the league and, as we said, coming off a horrific season in which he was benched by the Eagles. Like, it was really bad. Maybe it wasn’t all his fault, but Wentz has to improve with the Colts or he might not be a starting QB for much longer. His decision making needs to get better and he has to stay on the field. You could maybe argue the Colts are putting him in a better situation than the Eagles did, but Indy has been a mess through training camp with a bunch of injuries and Covid issues. All eyes are on Wentz this year and if this goes poorly, it could be the last time we can say that. — ZF
22.Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence is the highest rated rookie on this year’s list and for good reason. He enters his first season as one of the most hyped QB prospects in recent memory, and though he’s coming into an uncertain situation in Jacksonville, I’m honestly not sure that Lawrence can be a bust. His ceiling is really high and his floor seems even higher. Even in preseason, he just seemed so in control of the offense and what he wanted to do. Sure, there will be bumps along the way and losing Travis Etienne for the season is a big blow, but Lawrence appears to be the real deal. In my mind, the biggest question for him and the Jaguars is how Urban Meyer handles being an NFL head coach. There’s already been some things that have raised eyebrows about Meyer’s transition to the pros (Tim Tebow auditioning as a tight end) and if he struggles, that could surely impact Lawrence’s devlopment. — ZF
21.Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Can you believe that just two years ago Jimmy Garoppolo was playing in the Super Bowl for the 49ers? That right there shows you how quickly things can change in the NFL. And while Jimmy G is still the starting QB for the 49ers, it’s clear that Trey Lance is right on his heels in Kyle Shannahan’s mind. Hell, it would be shocking if Lance doesn’t still get snaps even if Jimmy G is starting games. The 49ers have big aspirations this year and to go where they want, they’ll need the best version of Jimmy G, which we saw in 2018. Still, even in that year, Jimmy G only threw 27 TDs and 13 INTs. That’s really not good enough in this league, no matter how much talent is around you. We don’t think it would shock anyone if this ends up being Jimmy’s last run in the Bay Area. — ZF
20.Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Will Jared Goff ever be worth the big money—four years and $134 million—the Rams handed him a few seasons ago, only to trade him this past offseason for Matthew Stafford? Most would wager on no since Goff’s monster season with the Rams in 2018 is largely credited to the genius of Sean McVay and the ultra-talented weapons he had at his disposal. However, the Lions’ new quarterback isn’t a lost cause, not at age 27, and not with the opportunity to restart his career in a new city with an organization that’s trying to build a strong foundation (i.e. drafting Penei Sewell) around him. Give him a steady dose of play-action opportunities and, like most quarterbacks, he’ll be fine. Just don’t ask Goff to be a gunslinger. He’s perfectly capable of being a competent quarterback that should keep his squad in most games if he isn’t required to make difference-making plays with his arm. Have those back-breaking interceptions been flushed out of Goff’s system yet? — AC
19.Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Every year it feels like Derek Carr is on the verge of being written off as the Raiders’ quarterback and yet he’s entering his eighth season under center for the silver and black. Some might consider this too low of a ranking for Carr since there are analytics that would point to him being worthy of second-tier status amongst the league’s 32 QBs. He forever has a big arm and Pro Football Focus graded him as its eighth-best passer last season. But Carr isn’t elite and isn’t going to crack the elite conversation anytime soon when he lacks the athleticism of other high-level signal callers and is still far too careless with the turnovers. Along with Daniel Jones, Carr had a league-high 11 lost fumbles last season and he similarly led the league in that category in 2018. Listen, he’ll do some very nice things from time-to-time, like orchestrating that upset win over the Chiefs last season and that walk-off TD throw against the Jets (thanks to Gregg Williams’s egregious blitz call). But we have yet to really see him raise the Raiders to the level of contender and for that we can’t justify putting Carr any higher. — AC
18.Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints
This is an interesting one because Jameis Winston wasn’t a starter last year and the last time he started a full season, he threw for 30 INTs. However, when looking at a projection of how a QB will do this season, it’s hard not to be excited for what Winston and the Saints might do. Jameis pretty easily won the starting QB job over Taysom Hill and will be in a good position to prove that he’s worthy of being a starting QB in the NFL. If you watched him in the preseason, you’ll know that he still has that gunslinger mentality, and though he might throw some picks, he’s going to make plays. The Saints have a great defense and plenty of weapons on offense, which makes you think that this is a prime opportunity for Winston to become the starter for many years to come. While it won’t be easy to replace Drew Brees, it looks like Jameis is ready to take the torch. And if nothing else, we know he’ll make us laugh while doing it. — ZF
17.Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
The crazy thing about Ben Roethlisberger’s 2020 season is that if you just looked at his stats, you wouldn’t know that the Steelers completely collapsed at the end of the season. Throwing for 3,803 yards, 33 TD, and only 10 INT, those are elite numbers. But if you actually watched it all play out, you know that there are plenty of questions about Roethlisberger going into 2021. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even be the Steelers starter right now if he didn’t rework his deal over the summer and gave back money. So with all that said, what can we expect from Big Ben in 2021? Well, he reportedly got into better shape, which should help him make it through a full season, but there are still questions about his arm strength. Playing in one of the toughest divisions in football probably won’t help things. The Steelers haven’t finished with a losing record since 2003, but if Big Ben is truly washed then that streak could be coming to an abrupt end. — ZF
16.Ryan Fitzpatrick, Washington Football Team
From dead last in the 2020 rankings all the way up to No. 16 for Ryan Fitzpatrick. What a rise for the most interesting QB in the NFL, who is now taking over a pretty good Washington Football Team that actually has pretty high expectations this season. And yes, FitzMagic is the ultimate NFL journyman QB, but he was actually quite good last season and should be just as good or better with solid weapons around him in Washington. We’ve all seen the Fitz cycle meme on Twitter, but this Washington team is so solid, especially on defense, that they just need him to limit his mistakes and they could be really good. Of course, we also all know that Fitz is the ultimate gunslinger, so limiting mistakes might be a tall ask. But still, Washington fans should be excited for the version of FitzMagic that they’re about to get. — ZF
15.Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
We think pretty highly of Joe Burrow, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, to have him ranked here after only appearing in 10 games last season thanks to a torn ACL suffered in November. Here’s why: He connected on 65.3 percent of his passes as a rookie (Tom Brady and Ryan Tannehill posted very similar percentages) while starting every game for the talent deficient Bengals. It just sucks his debut season ended way too abruptly. Cincinnati needs to do all it can to protect Burrow going forward by bolstering that offensive line, but at least he gets to throw to some supreme talent at receiver this season after the Bengals used this year’s first-round selection on Burrow’s former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow ended 2020 with the fifth-best passing grade on throws 10-19 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus, and looking back on those impressive showings against the Eagles, Browns, and Titans reinforced our belief that firmly placing him near the top of the second-tier of NFL quarterbacks isn’t a bunch of bull. The Bengals just might have a bonafide future star under center. — AC
14.Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Being a very good, but not great quarterback will keep you employed (and handsomely compensated) for a long time. And that’s what Kirk Cousins is. He’s better than a lot of other options out there, but he never ends up lifting his squad to levels it might ultimately be capable of—only once in his six seasons as a starter has he won double-digit games and in three years in Minnesota he has one playoff victory. Obviously, wins and losses are not always solely the responsibility of the quarterback, but records are often a reflection of them and, we all know, that’s just how it works in the NFL. The Vikings have done a good job of stacking talent around Cousins, who now becomes the second-best QB in the NFC North thanks to the departure of Matthew Stafford. So the excuses not to carry the Vikings on a more sustained run of success are gone for the anti-vaxxer, who seemingly will continue to be a distraction and put his team at a distinct disadvantage every week this season while he refuses to get a shot. You like that, Vikings fans? — AC
13.Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
He’s probably not going to be Atlanta’s quarterback for too much longer, even though at age 36 Matt Ryan is still a competent and capable thrower of the football who, I’ll be honest, we’re probably underrating a little here. While Atlanta needs to start seriously looking at acquiring his successor, Ryan still has plenty of juice left—he led the league in completions the past two seasons—and given the right talent around him can make the Falcons an extremely tough team to keep out of the endzone. We’ll see what kind of offense Atlanta ends up featuring with new head coach Arthur Smith taking over, but Ryan remains a very good QB when you give him time to operate in the pocket, something the Falcons haven’t done a great job of the past three seasons—Ryan was sacked 131 times, putting him amongst the NFL leaders in the category who typically are way more fleet of foot. While his MVP season of 2016 feels like two lifetimes ago in NFL years, I’d still pick Ryan, entering his 14th season in Atlanta, over a few QBs ahead of him on our list if I needed someone to make a big throw in a pressure-packed situation. — AC
12.Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield is one of the most polarzing players in the NFL. If you stumble onto NFL Twitter, chances are you’ll see a debate about how good Baker is. Well, if you look at his complete body of work, he’s been pretty damn good in his career, minus a horrible 2019 season that was doomed for a variety of reasons. A slow start to last season had many worried that Baker was on his way to bust status, but he completely turned things around and led the Browns to the playoffs. The debates will surely rage on, but point is, Baker was one of the most efficient QBs in the NFL during the second half of last season and really took off down the stretch. Mayfield will have to continue that trajectory if he wants to keep climbing this list, but it currently looks like he’s on the right path forward. — ZF
11.Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford taking over as the new QB for the Rams is easily one of the biggest stories in football. The Rams made the splash trade this past offseason and ever since it went down we’ve all been wondering what Stafford will look like in Sean McVay’s offense. Spoiler: expect him to look really, really good. Point is, Stafford has always been very good. He’s consistently put up numbers but has always been on pretty mediocre teams in Detroit. That’s no longer the case in Los Angeles, and though they play in the brutal NFC West, everyone expects this team to be very, very good. Hell, McVay took Jared Goff to a Super Bowl. We can only imagine what he’s going to be able to do with Stafford, who will hopefully get of the long overdue respect that he’s earned over his career. — ZF
10.Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray is probably the No. 1 QB in fantasy football going into this season, but this isn’t fantasy football, so he comes in at No. 10 on the list. Still, that is a very good rise for Murray, who some doubted would be able to play in the NFL when he was drafted because of his size. Not only has Murray proved he can play, he’s shown that he can do very well in making defenses look silly. The big question for Murray and the Cardinals entering this season is if they can put it all together. They’ve had some success with Kyler and Kliff Kingsbury, but have failed to take the next step and make the playoffs. While Murray seems cemented in place for the Cardinals, another season of missing the playoffs could mean the end of Kingsbury in the desert. — ZF
9.Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
I know he’s been great since he arrived in Tennessee, but it’s still kind of nuts thinking about Ryan Tannehill’s out-of-nowhere ascension from a quarterback who was largely an afterthought in Miami three seasons ago to one of the NFL’s better signal callers. Then again, Adam Gase’s credentials working with quarterbacks (not named Peyton Manning) has proven to be sketchier than Bishop Sycamore’s. But back to Tannehill. His breakout 2019 season—when he led the league in yards per attempt and quarterback rating—was not a fluke as he backed it up in 2020 with another very good campaign. Of course he’s helped by an awesome Tennessee rushing attack led by Derrick Henry and Tannehill predictably kills it when the Titans run play-action. But control what you can control. Tannehill’s done that to become a reliable thrower who has lowered his interception rate from his Miami days, led the league in fourth quarter comebacks last season, and racked up 18 wins in 26 starts the past two campaigns in Nashville. He’s absolutely worthy of top 10 status. — AC
8.Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
There’s no much to say about Lamar Jackson at this point in his career. He’s been really good and will continue to be very good. Even with all of the talk about the league “figuring him out,” Jackson is such a dynamic playmaker with his feet that he’ll always keep defenses on their toes. Now, as we head into this season, we’re all still looking for Jackson and this Ravens passing attack to take the next step through the air. It’s sort of the same story as last year, though you can’t put it all on Jackson. The Ravens never really invested that much in their WR group before this season, and are now dealing with a bunch of injuries to their playmakers. Jackson will surely continue to put up huge numbers and if that passing game does take off, watch out. — ZF
7.Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
This ranking might be the biggest reach on our list. Justin Herbert was fantastic last year as a rookie and looks like the real deal. However, it is risky anointing a QB so early in their career, even when they look really good. Josh Allen didn’t really take off until Year 3 and a guy like Baker Mayfield really struggled in his second season. So, you never really know, but we’re betting that Herbert is even better this year for the Chargers. And that won’t be easy to do since he threw for 31 TD and only 10 INT last season. But Herbert looks like he has all the skills to be an elite NFL QB. His decision making was sharp last season and should only get better as he learns the NFL. The sky appears to be the limit for Justin Herbert. — ZF
6.Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Good for Dak that he finally got paid by the Cowboys. Prescott and Dallas had been playing hardball with each other over a massive (and controversial) contract extension the past few years, but owner Jerry Jones ponied up a huge amount of money ($160 million) in March to make him the Cowboys’ QB of the present and immediate future. We all know Prescott was lost do to a horrific lower leg injury suffered in Week 5 last fall, just don’t forget that he looked like he was on his way to setting career highs across the board and authoring another impressive season under center for America’s Team. While some might find minute reasons to shade Prescott, he undoubtedly belongs in the top-tier since he’s one of the best big play quarterbacks in the game and finished in the top 10 of QBR in all but one qualifying season since 2016. Entering his age 28 campaign, and with a shoulder issue that seemingly shouldn’t hold him back entering Week 1, there’s no reason not to expect Prescott to pick up right where he left off against the Giants last October thanks to all the weapons Dallas has paired with him. — AC
5.Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Does Josh Allen have the biggest arm in the NFL? Who cares, honestly. But the Bills undoubtedly have one of the best young quarterbacks that is getting serious MVP consideration heading into the 2021 season. And it’s easy to see why when Allen made huge strides last year breaking just about every Bills single-season franchise record a QB can break (TD, passing yards, completions, completion percentage, and 300-yard games). According to Pro Football Focus, the Wyoming product, who was the seventh pick in the 2018 draft, “finished with a 79.1 percent adjusted completion rate—the sixth-best mark in the league—after ranking in the 30s [in 2019].” We also know he’s dangerous on his feet, averaging 4.1 yards per attempt. Defenses have their hands full gameplanning against Allen who has markedly increased his completion percentage in each of his three seasons in Buffalo and makes the loaded Bills serious contenders in the AFC. The dynamic Allen was the third QB taken in his draft, behind the way more heralded Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, and he’s looking like the cream of that quarterback crop. That’s why Buffalo gave him a staggering six-year, $258 contract extension in August, $150 million of which is guaranteed. That’s the most in NFL history. — AC
4.Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Can you believe that Tom Brady is still on this list? Not only that, but he’s still in the top 5. It doesn’t make any sense, really. And yet, Tom Brady is still here and still winning Super Bowls. How do you not make Tampa Bay the favorite this year, by the way? They literally returned every single starter on both sides of the ball. Wild. If you watched Brady last year, you may have thought at points that he was slowing down a bit (he did forget what down it was), but in reality all he was doing was pacing himself for the stretch run. He’s the GOAT and there’s not much to say about him at this point. We have three QBs ranked ahead of him on this list, but would you take any of them over Brady if you just had to win one game? You’re a liar if you say yes. — ZF
3.Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson is back at QB for the Seahawks, which during the offseason didn’t seem like a sure thing. Of course, Wilson and the Seahawks worked it out and everyone is happy again. That is at least until Seattle starts running the ball more than they should and don’t let Russ cook. Honestly, that seems to be the only thing that can slow Russ down. Even so, conservative offense and all, Wilson remains one of the best in the game and is an MVP candidate every single year. Is 2021 the year that he actually wins the award? We wouldn’t bet against it, but knowing Russ, all he wants is another Super Bowl trophy. — ZF
2.Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
With a fastball still humming at a level quarterbacks 10 years his junior wish they possessed, Aaron Rodgers remains an elite amongst the elite coming off an MVP campaign last season. What Rodgers is still able to do at age 37 is astounding, but we should have long ago stopped being surprised and amazed at the magic he unfurls every Sunday. He’s a three-time MVP (only Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Brett Favre have done that). Three times he’s been named All-Pro. He owns the two highest single-season passer-ratings in league history. He’s crazily efficient as a passer who just happens to have three-of-the-top-four single-season marks in league history for TD/INT ratio. I could keep going on with staggering stats and awesome Rodgers’ accolades, but our space is limited. He’s an all time great who still has awesome years ahead of him and, stupidly, it appears like the Packers have driven the best quarterback the franchise has ever had—which is saying something given its history—mad. The assumption is Rodgers will be playing for another squad next season, barring relations between him and the Green Bay front office magically defrosting. All that drama aside, just enjoy watching him still operate at peak level in those timeless uniforms this late in his career because he’s a generational talent with skills that even Brady and Patrick Mahomes wish they possessed. — AC
1.Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
I don’t have to sell this one, right? He’s already a legend that every NFL GM would give up a two-to-three drafts worth of selections to acquire. At only 25, Mahomes has won an MVP, put up crazy numbers through his first three full seasons as a starter, displayed dazzlingly incredible arm strength (when he’s not throwing no-look sidearm passes), extends plays with the best of them, secured the biggest contract in NFL history, and nearly led the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Bowls titles this past February. He’s the gold standard at quarterback that all other future QBs entering the league will (unfairly) be compared to. Now that Kansas City addressed its offensive line issues—or at the very least, added some necessary depth this past offseason to better protect Mahomes—don’t be surprised if the motivated signal caller, still smarting from losing the big game to Tom Brady and the Bucs, puts up some staggering numbers this season.— AC