Image via Complex Original
33.
The quarterback position is the most important role in sports. The leader. The captain. The QB gets all the blame, but also all the praise. As we move into an era where QB play is more important than ever, we’re blessed with a number of athletes at the position who are changing the game.
We’ve never seen a QB perform like Tom Brady at age 42. We’ve never seen a QB like Patrick Mahomes, who can flick the ball and launch it the length of the field with pinpoint accuracy. Drew Brees is breaking records left and right. You could argue this is the best QB play in NFL history. And, to honest, this list shifted drastically on Saturday night with the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck, who was firmly in the top 10. But even with Luck’s announcement, the QB position in the NFL is stronger than ever.
With the immense talent at the position comes debate. Who is the best? Who is the worst? As the season nears, the Complex Sports team ranked every starting QB in the NFL based on their current standing going into 2019.
32.Eli Manning
I have a theory that Eli Manning didn’t like Odell Beckham Jr., because if he did, the Giants would’ve never traded him. The Manning family also handpicked Daniel Jones to be Eli’s heir, and it looks like their plan is going to backfire, because he might be starting sooner rather than later. Jones has looked great to some, decent to most, and serviceable, to say the very least, especially when you compare him to Eli. I’m a Giants fan, and although I do get ownership’s loyalty to him, we have to pull the plug on this relationship eventually. Trading away one of the biggest playmakers and following that asinine move up with taking Jones at No. 6 when—by all accounts—he would’ve been there later is a sign of incompetence. If Danny Jones turns out to be a franchise guy and helps New York win another Super Bowl, then all will be forgiven. But Gettleman and Shurmur have this season to make some type of strides. Giants fans will run them out of town if they're a sub-.500 team once again. —Angel Diaz
31.Case Keenum
I think most everyone was hoping that Dwayne Haskins would win the Redskins starting QB job, but that wasn’t the case. They’re going to roll with Case Keenum to start the season because it’s safe and because Jay Gruden is on the hot seat. We could debate whether this is the right move, but to think that Keenum will give the Redskins anything more than serviceable production is laughable. Yes, he was very good two years ago in Minnesota, but came back down to earth last season with the Broncos. Seeing that the Redskins’ supporting cast is nothing to write home about, I’m not really assuming that Keenum will hold this job for long. Either Colt McCoy will come back and take over or they’ll just make a move to Haskins, who is a first-round pick and a very promising QB prospect. The Redskins are likely to be very bad this year, so hopefully we see Haskins sooner than later. —Zach Frydenlund
30.Jacoby Brissett
The most unlikely man to be featured on this list is Jacoby Brissett, after the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck, who made the top 10 in our original rankings. While Colts fans are obviously upset about Luck’s retirement, there could be much worse options than Brissett, who in limited playing time in New England and Indianapolis, has shown flashes to impress in this league. Brissett’s low ranking is mostly due to the fact that we just don’t know how good he is yet. Still, he’s shown enough for the Colts to not lose complete hope in their future without Luck. The Colts will remain one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL to watch, but with a strong supporting cast, there seems to be a good chance that Brissett is poised for a solid season. —Zach Frydenlund
29.Joe Flacco
Once upon a time, there were legit arguments over whether Joe Flacco was worthy of being ranked among the “elite” quarterbacks of the league. Seriously, do you remember that? Because it feels like 100 years ago to me. It was a cute debate when Flacco was coming off a Super Bowl XLVII MVP performance and putting up solid numbers with the Ravens, but the comedown since the peak of a respectable career has been swift over the past four seasons. Flacco saw dips in some key quarterback stats and an inability to lead Baltimore to a winning season before losing his job to Lamar Jackson last season. Traded to Denver in the off-season, the 34-year-old Flacco still has a pretty good arm, and he’s been relatively durable during his days under center, but John Elway continues to make questionable calls on quarterbacks and Flacco could be only a handful of bad starts away from holding a clipboard. When you’re on the books for $63 million over the next three seasons, that ain’t a good look. —Adam Caparell
28.Josh Rosen
This is the one starting QB job that still seems up in the air, but we decided to write about Josh Rosen because what else can you say at this point about FitzMagic? We’ve really never seen anything like what happened to Rosen over the past year. A top-10 pick traded after only one season to a new team that doesn’t even really seem to want him to start. Whether or not you agree with the Cardinals giving up on Rosen so soon, there seems to be something going on, because the Dolphins didn’t just hand him the job over Ryan Fitzpatrick. There’s no question that Rosen is a talented QB, but unless he’s eventually able to put it all together, it’s hard to say how many more opportunities he’ll have. The problems that plagued him in Arizona will likely continue with the poor supporting cast around him on the Dolphins, especially with a weak offensive line. Rosen ultimately has all the tools to be a good QB in the NFL, but whether he can put everything together this season will be one of the biggest storylines we’ll be watching. —Zach Frydenlund
27.Josh Allen
Is Josh Allen a good QB? That seems to still be a big question heading into his second year with the Buffalo Bills. There’s no doubt that Allen has elite arm strength, but the issues surrounding his accuracy will be a big topic. Allen was one of the least accurate QBs in the NFL last season, though he made up for it a bit with his ability to scramble better than most knew he could. Allen feels like a true love-or-hate-type QB in the NFL. You either love his game or you completely hate it. The Bills will be an interesting team this season, with a good defense and improved weapons around Allen, but it will all really come down to how good he is for them to be successful in the AFC East. I’m of the belief that he can be a good NFL QB, but we need to see a lot more strides from the young gunslinger this season. —Zach Frydenlund
26.Kyler Murray
Were you shocked when the Arizona Cardinals took Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft? Because I wasn’t—at all. As soon as the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury as their head coach, it seemed pretty obvious they were going to draft Murray, despite what they said publicly. Now they have Kingsbury and Murray in tow and are ready to bring the “Air Raid” offense to the NFL. Will this work? Who the hell knows? But it should be a fun thing to watch, either way. As for Murray’s ranking here, he’s one of the most fascinating QB prospects we’ve ever seen. He looks tiny on the field but has a rocket for an arm and can escape any situation with his feet. The question shifts to whether Murray is just too small for the NFL or if defenses will be too fast for Kingsbury’s system. If Murray is as good as everyone thinks, he should thrive within the system and be one of the most exciting players in the NFL. And, well, if not, there’s always baseball. —Zach Frydenlund
25.Andy Dalton
We all know the deal with Andy Dalton, even though he might deserve a little more respect than he gets, considering he’s 18 games over .500 for his career playing in a really tough division. But entering his ninth season as the Bengals’ quarterback with zero playoff wins (one TD and six interceptions in four starts) and zero memorable moments, Dalton deserves to be ranked among the bottom third of signal-callers today. All that said, he’s $67 million richer than me, with another $33.5 million due over the next two seasons, so that’s something. With the Bengals looking to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, it will be interesting to see if this is Dalton’s last run in Cincy. Lord knows things won’t be easy without A.J. Green to start the season. —Adam Caparell
24.Jameis Winston
This is it for Jameis. He has this year to finally prove that he’s worth all the trouble he gets himself into. He and new head coach Bruce Arians go back a decade, to when Winston attended Arians’ football camp, once upon a time. Winston has the personality to be a star, but his NFL career has been mid so far. He is slowly playing himself into backup QB status for the rest of it, or even out of the league. We already know how much harder it is in this league for Black quarterbacks. The Bucs should be better this season, but will rely on Winston proving he’s ready to step it up. —Angel Diaz
23.Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins is a fine, generally accurate quarterback who can win your squad some games, but is he elevating any team from playoff contender to legit Super Bowl threat? Hell no. Cousins has carved out a nice career, and shocked a lot of football fans when he signed a staggering three-year, $84 million deal that is FULLY GUARANTEED. No squad of his has ever gone better than 9-7, and Cousins has just one playoff start in seven seasons. He is definitely a better option than some of the other guys NFL teams will cart out there this season, but your standards should be high under center. And if the Vikings had had better options last year, when they were shopping for a new starter, we all know Cousins wouldn’t be wearing purple. —Adam Caparell
22.Sam Darnold
Forgive my Jets fandom for one second when I write that it’s positively electrifying that Sam Darnold looks like he’s going to live up to the hype and be Gang Green’s first franchise quarterback since (essentially) Joe Namath. Darnold is deceptively more athletic than you think, and his coaches were raving during training camp that the arm strength of the 22-year-old has ticked up a few notches since last season. Entering his second year, the USC product still has a lot to improve upon, but you see the glimpses of potential greatness and a pretty crazy ability to let the bad times and bullshit roll off his back like it’s nothing—and that’s incredibly important, since, you know, he plays for the Jets. Imagining the damage Darnold could one day inflict on the league if the Jets ever got him a top-10 receiver is enough to make members of the long-suffering fanbase shake like a pre-schooler freebasing Pixy Stix. —Adam Caparell
21.Lamar Jackson
I’m a Lamar Jackson fan. Sorry, but not sorry. I want him to shut down all the running back jokes and prove people wrong. The Ravens’ 2018 system wasn’t sustainable, but like Baker Mayfield said, you have to factor in winning. He won games. Joe Flacco didn’t. Obviously, Jackson has a long way to go in terms of growth. If we’re being real for a moment, he wasn’t feared for what he could do with his arm, so we can’t really rank him highly, based on winning. This is strictly a quarterback ranking, but I think he’s one of the most impactful players on here because of what he can do on the ground. This is the first time Lamar Jackson will have the keys from the start. Let’s see what he can do. —Zion Olojede
20.Derek Carr
This season feels like a make-or-break year for Derek Carr and the Raiders in general. When Carr came into the league in 2014, he looked like a true franchise QB ready to lead the Raiders to the promised land. Since then, Carr has been shaky at best as he’s dealt with injuries and constant turmoil with the team. I’m going to assume that Antonio Brown will be ready to play once the season starts, and that will be a huge boost for Carr, but the pressure will still be on the Fresno State QB to put it together. Carr is set to make almost $20 million this year from the Raiders. That’s franchise QB money. He has to show that he’s ready to lead this team from the gutter. —Zach Frydenlund
19.Jimmy Garoppolo
What else can we say about Jimmy G? He’s one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL despite having proven very little. Pressure is on the 49ers to win, and soon, but they won’t be able to do so unless Jimmy G is the real deal. In limited action throughout his NFL career, Garoppolo has shown flashes of brilliance while also struggling at times before tearing his ACL early last season. Now that he’s healthy, and with a retooled cast, all eyes will be fixated on whether Jimmy G can actually turn the 49ers into a winner. Making things even more stressful for Garoppolo is the fact that the 49ers have an out on his deal after this season, which means they could cut bait and move on if they don’t think he’s the right guy for the job. Going to be an interesting year in the Bay. —Zach Frydenlund
18.Marcus Mariota
The second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, but it’s not like Mariota has been a massive disappointment. While he drastically improved his completion percentage last season, he has largely been inconsistent, and there are durability issues since he hasn’t completed a full season in his four years with the Titans. His ranking here owes in large part to his ceiling, which you would think is a lot higher than what we’ve seen from the 25-year-old native of Hawaii. But there’s a reason the Titans exercised the option on Mariota’s rookie contract for the 2019 season instead of giving him a massive extension that would lock him up until his 30s. If a team believes in you, there’s no way they let their QB play out his deal and then figure things out later. Mariota could easily author a great season and secure a long-term deal, or he could be playing somewhere else next year. —Adam Caparell
17.Nick Foles
Big Dick Nick is what they call him! It’s crazy that the Eagles went ahead and let their best quarterback leave, who helped them win a chip for the first time since 1960 (football was played before the Super Bowl, folks). Foles will get the Jaguars back into the playoffs, and don’t be surprised if they play in the AFC Championship once again. With the sudden Andrew Luck retirement, the AFC South is now even more wide open, with Foles primed to be right in the hunt. He’s clutch, doesn’t make mistakes, and, more importantly, stays healthy. Big Dick Nick gets it done. —Angel Diaz
16.Mitch Trubisky
Mitch Trubisky is a system QB. Luckily, the Bears have an awesome system under Matt Nagy that plays perfectly into Trubisky’s strengths as a QB that can play well outside the pocket. And I’m not saying that Trubsiky won’t improve, but as it stands now, he’s in a perfect system to succeed and has an amazing defense backing him up. The Bears should be one of the best teams in the NFL this season, but the fact that Trubisky is fielding the most bets for MVP in Vegas is pretty insane. He’s a good player—great, at times—but he’s nowhere near MVP level. The good news for the Bears? That’s all they need for him to win, with the weapons around him and that stellar defense. Don’t overcomplicate things. —Zach Frydenlund
15.Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott is a winner. Since coming into the NFL, that's basically all he's done. But let's get really real, Dak Prescott ain’t worth $40 million, which is the rumored amount he's looking for in a new contract. Dak benefits heavily behind the help of Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys’ offensive line, but you can't deny the fact that he comes through when the team needs him most. He's a gamer and you have to give him credit there, but can he win those games without Zeke? We’ll see soon if Zeke doesn’t get paid. —Zion Olojede
14.Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford is a dependable QB who will put up big numbers and turn the ball over too much. He hasn’t won much in his career but has been very good at times while playing for mostly bad teams. Stafford’s legacy will be tricky because his numbers are that good, but the game overall has shifted in favor of offenses so much the past 10 years. It’s hard to see the Lions winning much this season, but maybe Stafford still has some gas in the tank to turn things around and get Detroit back to the playoffs for one more swing at it. —Zach Frydenlund
13.Jared Goff
At 24 years old, Jared Goff already has a Super Bowl appearance under his belt. He outperformed Pat Mahomes in an all-time classic, but he’s still got some room to grow. We joke that Tom Brady is a system quarterback, but Goff is actually a system quarterback until further notice. Goff was really impressive to start the year but got worse as the season progressed and defenses adjusted. That Super Bowl performance was awful, and that’s the taste that he left NFL fans with. It’s hard for them to remember the positives from last season because he was so terrible in the end. Look at his Week 15 against the Bears: 20 for 44 for 180 yards, four picks with zero touchdowns. As a playoff QB, that can’t happen. Not to mention, Robert Woods was a beast, and he was playing with a stacked defense and an elite running back in Todd Gurley. We’ll move Goff up when he can be more consistent. —Zion Olojede
12.Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben lost Le’Veon Bell in 2018 and Antonio Brown in 2019. Let’s see what he has left in the tank, because this is the least talent he’s been surrounded by in years. That’s no disrespect to Juju Smith-Schuster and James Conner, but they were never in the No. 1 talk at their positions. Not yet, at least. You might debate that, based on 2018, Big Ben should still be the top quarterback in his division, but with the loss of AB, and with Baker getting Odell, I think it’s fair for Roethlisberger to give that title up at this point in his career. Would I be surprised if Big Ben were still effective? Not really—he’s a two-time Super Bowl champ (and not the Eli Manning kind). But am I expecting him to be as effective as he was with AB? Nope. —Zion Olojede
11.Cam Newton
While he’s probably recognized more for getting off some wild and crazy fits post-game, Cam Newton is still one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and if you believe otherwise, then you’re way overestimating a lot of the trash masquerading as starting quarterbacks these days. Newton may never be a top-10-caliber quarterback again, not with all the wear and tear on his body, but he’s still only four seasons removed from being the league MVP. If his shoulder is no longer a problem, and he completed nearly 68 percent of his passes last season, maybe we’re on the verge of officially witnessing a 30-year-old Newton transform from the swashbuckling Superman we’ve kind of been used to seeing every Sunday to a more efficient and effective quarterback that should be among the better signal-callers in the league for years to come. —Adam Caparell
10.Baker Mayfield
Is there any QB with more pressure on them this season than Baker Mayfield? I’d answer no, but then again, I am a Browns fan who feels the weight of the continous losing this franchise has faced over the past 30 years. By all accounts, Mayfield is primed for a breakout season in 2019, but the expectations on the Browns will bring stress on him, and the doubters will loudly come for him if they slip at any point. On the field, the Browns are stacked on offense, and Mayfield will be throwing to one of the best WR groups in the NFL, with Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, and Rashard Higgins. Add in Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and David Njoku, and Mayfield will have plenty of ways to run it up for the Browns this season. —Zach Frydenlund
9.Deshaun Watson
I’m rooting for all the black quarterbacks to defy the odds and labels put on them. Deshaun Watson has a bright future ahead of him, and he’s much more than a mobile quarterback. He had one of the best completion percentages in the NFL last year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were firmly in the MVP race this season, but I’m just going to throw that out there. He’s ready to take that next step. Having DeAndre Hopkins as a target certainly makes it easier, but the Texans have no run game or offensive line, so if Watson does top last season and the Texans continue to win, you have to throw him in the conversation. Watson is mobile, but he’d still be a respectable quarterback if he weren’t as mobile as the stereotypical Black quarterback. After his second full season as a starting quarterback, and with some playoff experience under his belt, Watson is ready to take things to the next level. —Zion Olojede
8.Carson Wentz
I’ve been critical of Carson Wentz, but there’s no denying the talent he has as a QB. The biggest issue with Wentz is always health and whether he can make it through an entire season. If he can, he should be in the MVP discussion this season, and is poised to be a top-10 QB. The Eagles have a stacked roster and Wentz should take full advantage of all the weapons in front of him, but, again, if he can’t stay healthy, all of this is moot. When available, Wentz has the accuarcy, mobility, and arm to win you a Super Bowl. It might just be the Eagles’ year. —Zach Frydenlund
7.Matt Ryan
Hate it or love it, the guy has an MVP under his belt, so you can't really argue with that. Matt Ryan followed up his MVP season with a flop season in 2017 but recovered nicely last season. His numbers were nearly identical to those of his MVP year, but the big difference was his team was pretty sorry, so he didn’t get the credit he deserves. I’m still not running to the television to watch Ryan and the Falcons, but he’s a good QB. You have to give him his flowers and move on. —Zion Olojede
6.Philip Rivers
If you don’t think Philip Rivers is a Hall of Famer take a nap, because the Chargers QB is going to finish with some prolific numbers when he finally hangs ’em up. And he ain’t close to being done. While he might have almost as many children (nine) as career playoff starts (11), the Chargers should be among the better teams in the AFC this year, giving Rivers another shot to reach that elusive Super Bowl. Yeah, he’ll turn 38 this season, and yeah, he’s achingly immobile entering Year 15 in the league, but Rivers has guile, an arm that it kind of feels like most football fans sleep on, and an overall skill set that 80 percent of NFL teams would gladly take over that of their current quarterback in 2019. —Adam Caparell
5.Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is a Hall of Famer the moment he retires, yet somehow feels a little underrated when we talk best QBs. He should have two rings under his belt, but we all remember why that’s not the case. Wilson has done what he’s done in the league without an elite WR, and even Doug Baldwin (the best receiver he’s ever played with) is underrated in his own regard, too. Wilson runs for his life half the time and has still never thrown more than 11 interceptions in a season. His decision-making is top notch, his arm is elite, and his wheels make him a headache for defenses. Let’s see if Russ can put Seattle on his back once again this season. —Angel Diaz
4.Drew Brees
When is this man going to start declining? They say Father Time is undefeated, but Brees and Brady are here, old as dust, surgically picking apart defenses like it’s 2009. There are kids nowadays who don’t know that Brees played for the Chargers with LaDainian Tomlinson. Reggie Bush was Brees’ running back 10 years ago. Ten years. Brees had his best passer rating and completion percentage last season. Obviously the weapons he has on offense ease the workload, but it’s no less impressive to be that dominant at this age. If only he could get over the hump in the playoffs. He has a ring already, but for the number of times he’s been in the playoffs in recent years, he should’ve at least been back to the Super Bowl by now. That should’ve been last year, of course, but you know… the refs happened. - Zion Olojede
3.Tom Brady
He may not be the No. 1 QB on our list, but he’s forever the GOAT, and, until further notice, you’re still picking Tom Brady to win you a big game over any other signal-caller in the NFL. At some point, Tommy, entering his age 42 season, is going to show significant signs of decline. But whatever deal he (and Bill Belichick) made with the devil that has led him to six Super Bowl victories and four Super Bowl MVPs doesn’t appear to be expiring anytime soon. Brady still makes big throws and deciphers defenses better than just about anybody. While he’s painfully unathletic these days, since he’s old, he still somehow manages to avoid getting pummeled because he gets rid of the ball so incredibly fast—that, or his ultra-restrictive dietary regimen, which includes avocado ice cream and strictly forbids strawberries, is actually the fountain of youth. —Adam Caparell
2.Aaron Rodgers
My guy has been the most talented all-around quarterback in the league (when healthy) since 2011, when he threw for 45 touchdowns. Not to discredit all that Tom Brady has done, or all the records Drew Brees owns, but Rodgers is just downright a better quarterback than those guys. It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t consistently had some of the weapons, defenses, or O-lines that some of those guys have had over their careers. To be clear, Brady has had Gronk, Belichick, and good defenses for a good chunk of his career! Aaron has missed time due to injuries—which have derailed some magical seasons, I might add—but he also played under Mike McCarthy’s predictable system for like 20 years. My guy Rodgers has to at least get to another championship game or Super Bowl to keep his standing, though. The clock is most definitely ticking, and his legacy stands in the balance. —Angel Diaz
1.Patrick Mahomes
Does this really need any explanation? Patrick Mahomes is the reigning league MVP, untouchable to the point that he was throwing no-look passes during games. He became the third player in NFL history to throw for 50 or more touchdowns in a season and took home Offensive Player of the Year honors, as well. It was one season, yes, but the scariest thing about Mahomes is that he’s still only 23 years old. Although his game is mature, he lacks experience, so there’s a lot more room for him to grow. It’s terrifying to think that there’s another level he can reach. If it weren’t for Dee Ford’s temporary lack of awareness, Mahomes would’ve been playing in the Super Bowl last season, giving him a shot to complete arguably the greatest season for an NFL quarterback ever. Drew Brees and Tom Brady are elite quarterbacks in their 40s right now. If Mahomes has that longevity in him, he’ll be in that GOAT conversation when it’s all said and done. —Zion Olojede