We're finally getting a real handle as to who is a great quarterback and who was blowing smoke earlier this season. Trust us, there is a lot of really bad quarterback play around the league, but some of those former stars who had rough starts seem to have found their way as of late. The greats are the greats, and there is a clear Mendoza Line for the worst of the worst.
This week is an interesting time to do these rankings. Joe Burrow just outdueled Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes is thanking his defense for shutting down Tua Tagovailoa. Kyler Murray returns to the field after watching former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs leading his new team to victory with essentially no practice time.
Then, there's this massive race to declare the worst quarterback in football. Mac Jones took that spot in our last rankings, but miraculously, despite his continued terrible play, he's not at the bottom in these rankings.
32. Tommy DeVito, New York Giants
Previous Ranking: NR
The latest reports from the New York media say that Tommy DeVito is most likely the starting quarterback for the rest of the New York Giants season. Woof. Daniel Jones likely suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team's loss to the Raiders. It was his first start back after a neck injury, so not a great first season after his big contract signing for Jones. Still, it's a serious downgrade going to Tommy DeVito. Offensive line issues aside, DeVito doesn't look like an NFL quarterback. It's sad because DeVito is such a great story. He played his high school football at the famed Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, and now he's starting professional football for the Giants. Well, at least on paper it's professional.
31. Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Previous Ranking: 31
Sports are bad in New York. Outside of hockey and women's basketball, it's hard to get excited about anything in the Big Apple. Zach Wilson has been doing his best to replace Aaron Rodgers, who still claims he's coming back eventually. When we say his best, we use that term lightly. Wilson has been terrible. Only Bryce Young has a worse QBR. Seeing how he played against the Chargers on Monday night showed he doesn't have the chops to succeed. He throws to his outlet far too often. He has great receivers, but he seems afraid to air the ball out. Make any excuse you want. Zach Wilson stinks.
30. Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Previous Rank: 32
There was a possibility that Mac Jones was getting benched the last time the rankings came out. He survived somehow, and that has him moving up the list. Despite the positive outlook, Jones has been disgraceful under center. He can't drive the Patriots offense. He's still throwing inexplicable balls that end up in the hands of the defense. He's bad and it might cost the job of his head coach Bill Belichick.
29. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Previous Rank: 25
Jordan Love was a wait-and-see player during our previous rankings. We waited and we saw, and that's why he's now near the bottom of the rankings. His numbers aren't terrible, with 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions on the season. Still, he just doesn't have the look of an NFL quarterback. His QBR is all over the place. In one game he can be in the 70s and in the next he's literally in the teens. A roller coaster is the one thing you don't want with a quarterback. Be consistent, even if it's consistently bad. At least then the team can bench you.
28. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Previous Rank: 29
Here's another quarterback who is stumbling into a better ranking despite playing terribly. Bryce Young had one of the worst games of the year against the Indianapolis Colts. Just as the announcers were saying Young only had one pick-six in college at Alabama, he threw his second of the game to the same player. So many mistakes here are in the Panthers' face. CJ Stroud was amazing last week, breaking rookie records. They play the Bears this week, the team that owns their first-round pick as they sit here with the worst record in the league. Oh, they traded that pick so they can take Young, who has the league's worst QBR.
27. Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
Previous Rank: NR
This one seems a little unfair as the fourth-round rookie was thrust into the lineup and now has a new head coach in Antonio Pierce. He didn't try to do anything out of the ordinary, and the Raiders played incredibly well in their head coach's first game. Aidan O'Connell is now the starter for the rest of the season, as the Raiders decided to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo in his first season in black and silver. We'll let this one play out a little more.
26. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Previous Rank: NR
Will Levis responded to an incredible first appearance with a pretty loud dud. It seemed like the Titans were holding the playbook back on Sunday, but he still couldn't make anything happen. DeAndre Hopkins did his best to make things interesting, but he only had one heroic performance in him and he used it the week prior. Levis will have some good games and some bad games, but he might eventually prove to be the future in Tennessee. Unfortunately, it's the present, and he's making too many mistakes right now.
25. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Previous Rank: 27
Kenny Pickett is what happens when you make an entire human the shrug emoji and make him the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. We don't know how he keeps his Steelers in games when he does. Yet, he does it on a weekly basis. He has less than 200 yards per game and less than 7 yards per attempt. Diontae Johnson is back, and he looks much better. George Pickens has been a little inconsistent, and he is missing Pat Friermuth, but there's a lot to like weirdly. He still might not be a good QB as far as stats and ability, but he just has this tenacity that's hard to deny.
24. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Previous Rank: 22
The Cleveland Browns are winning games in spite of their quarterback at times. The Deshaun Watson saga has been incredibly strange, which probably would be easy to predict with how he arrived on the scene. He's 23rd in QBR with only five games played. Why did he miss those games? We don't really know! The Browns likely have buyer's remorse for this transaction. Instead of pushing them to Super Bowl contention, Watson might be the reason they fail to win a playoff game (if they even make it).
23. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Previous Rank: 18
This is one of the biggest drops on the list, as Justin Fields' play started to take a turn and then he got hurt. The next Bears game is on Thursday night, as they take on the Carolina Panthers. It's ironic since the Bears got the Panthers' first-round pick this season (which is en route to first overall) after the Bears made a commitment to Fields as their quarterback. Fields hasn't done enough to get that same commitment this offseason, especially with unknown rookie Tyson Bagent having various levels of success in his absence.
22. Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons
Previous Rank: NR
Taylor Heinicke is one of the few players on this list who took over the starting job because of performance and not injury. He has only been named the starter for this week against Arizona, so it could go back to Desmond Ridder next week. Heinicke was pretty good against Minnesota despite the loss. He didn't make a ton of mistakes, although a third-period interception was pretty bad. For now, Heinicke deserves a look. He's creeping up this list, but it could go either way from here.
21. Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts
Previous Rank: 26
Gardner Minshew has played every game for the Indianapolis Colts this season despite being the backup coming into this season. Anthony Richardson kept getting hurt, and he eventually suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The results have been mixed from Minshew so far. On the one hand, he's eight in league QBR. He's done an admirable job avoiding the disastrous plays, and he has two fantastic running backs to supplement the offense. On the other hand, he's clearly not a great quarterback. The offense can't run through him, and he seems to target his first option more often than not. Still, the Colts are lucky they are "stuck" with Minshew this season, who could easily be in the top 20 by the next time we do this list.
20. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Previous Rank: NR
Who knows what we're going to see from Kyler Murray this week? Coming off a torn ACL with a team that leaves much to be desired, Murray might fall flat on his face this week. He could also show that superstar ability that got him that big contract last offseason. Murray is the most volatile player on this list. He could plummet in the rankings if things go terribly. However, he could legitimately jump into the top ten as early as next week.
19. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
Previous Rank: 24
We're still having trouble putting Sam Howell this high, but it's hard to deny what he's doing right now. Sam Howell is doing everything he can. Is he still making mistakes? Sure, but he's overcoming a terrible offensive line to win games. He beat the New England Patriots last week despite his team basically giving up on the season trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat. He's 20th in QBR, so his stats aren't exactly otherworldly. He just needs to be good enough and he'll be the starter next season.
18. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Previous Rank: 20
Derek Carr is the embodiment of the Curb Your Enthusiasm GIF. Is Derek Carr a good quarterback? It's an impossible question to answer. He's 19th in QBR. He's 22nd in yards per attempt. All of the stats are ranked 16th or higher. Still, Carr is leading an interesting offense that seems to have a new best weapon every week. Chris Olave finally woke up last week, but it came at the expense of Michael Thomas. Alvin Kamara is either the best pass-catching running back ever or he's averaging 2.9 yards per rush. It's just a weird team, and strangely, Carr seems to fit their personality perfectly.
17. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Previous Rank: 21
We really want to say that Russell Wilson is having a bad season after what happened in Denver, but it's not really true. After ending a terrible losing streak to the Chiefs two weeks ago, Wilson is enjoying a bye before going into a matchup with the Buffalo Bills. He has 16 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. Are you surprised by those numbers? He has four times as many touchdowns as interceptions. Just a few weeks ago, we were discussing Wilson getting benched. Now, he might stay the answer in Denver as Sean Payton tries to find the right formula moving forward.
16. Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings
Previous Rank: 19
This one is kind of hilarious since the "previous rank" is on a completely different team. The Minnesota Vikings traded for Joshua Dobbs after he had a successful run with the Cardinals. With Murray returning from injury, Dobbs became expendable. The Vikings needed an immediate upgrade after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles, and now it looks like the Vikings have more life than before. Will they make a run at the playoffs with Dobbs? It's too early to tell. Was last week the most fun Vikings fans have had all season? Absolutely.
15. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Previous Rank: 16
Baker Mayfield was one of the hardest players to rank in the previous rankings. Not this time. He's very much in the middle of the pack for starting quarterbacks, but that's not a bad thing. He's right behind some really good QBs in this league. He had a great performance last week, putting up two touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Texans. His team lost, but it was hardly his fault. The Bucs are 3-5, so there's always a chance they go with Kyle Trask later in the season. However, Mayfield doesn't deserve to be benched.
14. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Previous Rank: 13
Maybe this is recency bias, but Geno Smith's ranking tanked after last week. He was pushing for top-ten status, but he might have had his worst game since he was the Jets quarterback last week. It was his first game all season where he had an under 60 percent completion percent, and it was 46.4 percent. He's been quite good for the rest of the season, but it's hard to rank him any higher after what the Ravens made him look like.
13. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Previous Rank: 10
Matthew Stafford missed the last game with an elbow injury, and it became clear why he was a necessary cog if the Rams had any chance at playoff contention. Stafford is expected to return, but guess who's back? The Rams signed Carson Wentz as Stafford's backup this week. They waived Brett Rypien after he started their last game. The QB room in LA is getting wild as they head into their bye week.
12. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Previous Rank: 11
On paper, Dak Prescott should easily be a top-10 quarterback. If you ask most people if Prescott is a top-10 quarterback without context, most would say yes. That is until you ask people to list the top-10 quarterbacks in the league. Then, it becomes very clear Prescott just hasn't played to that standard. Yes, the loss to the Eagles last week was just a few small mistakes away from being a win, but Prescott was responsible for some of those small mistakes. Stepping out of bounds on the two-point conversion put his team in a pickle. After a slow start, Prescott's numbers are getting better (7 touchdowns and 1 interception over the last two games). However, we still can't put him in the top ten.
11. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Previous Rank: 9
This is where the rankings get really hard. Jared Goff has very much played like a top-10 quarterback, but he just misses that ranking here. Goff started off the season red-hot, but he's cooled off over the last few weeks. Now, coming off a bye, he looks to come back refreshed. He's thrown interceptions over the last two weeks. That's not the kind of consistency they are looking for. Goff can easily turn it around starting this week.
10. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Previous Rank: 15
Maybe this is once again recency bias, but C.J. Stroud has been awesome this year (loss to the Panthers aside). He just broke the rookie single-game passing record, throwing for 470 yards and five touchdowns in a miraculous win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. He has one interception this season. One! And 14 touchdowns! This is such an amazing performance. You know who else has one interception this season? Jameis Winston, Mike White, and fellow rookie Will Levis. They have all barely played. Stroud has easily been a top-10 quarterback this season and might realistically push the Texans into the playoffs.
9. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Previous Rank: 8
This one was incredibly hard to peg. Brock Purdy hit a rough spot prior to the bye week. The 49ers went from one of the best teams in the league to losing the division lead to the Seahawks (which they since got back by being off). Purdy's struggles were at the top of the list of factors. Still, Purdy leads the league in QBR. He's had a week to work through his issues, and we're confident in Kyle Shanahan's ability to get that star back we saw in the first month of the season.
8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Previous Rank: 7
Trevor Lawrence fell slightly in the rankings, but it really isn't his fault. He's been good the past few weeks, and he has the Jaguars sitting at a surprising 6-2. He's tied for eighth in completion percentage, but we hope he stops going for the safe throws. His 7.1 yards per attempt is tied for 15th in the league. Now that Christian Kirk worked through his early-season slump, and Calvin Ridley found a role, we hope he drives the ball down the field now.
7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Previous Rank: 5
Justin Herbert fell out of the top five. He's coming off a very strange game on Monday Night Football against the Jets. He didn't need to do much, but the 136 passing yards and just over 50 percent completion percentage jump off the page. His struggles might be due to his injured middle finger. We'll see if it gets better as the season continues, but he still has an uphill battle to get the Chargers into the playoffs.
6. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Previous Rank: 4
Tua Tagovailoa also falls out of the top five. Defenses have figured out the Miami Dolphins offense over the last few weeks. They still lead the league in points per game, but if you take out their 70-point outburst against the Broncos, they are fifth with 26.8 points per game. Plus, the Bills and Ravens are right there. Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill are still the best connection in the league, but he's struggling to get the same chemistry with any other pass catcher, including Jaylen Waddle.
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Previous Rank: 6
The Baltimore Ravens are very quietly opining for "best-in-the-league" status. They just destroyed the division-leading Seahawks and Lions over the last month. Lamar Jackson looks like the same guy who won the MVP. He's getting everyone involved, including propelling Mark Andrews as a top tight end in the league. With Travis Kelce distracted by Swifties, there might be an opening for Andrews to be the best. Jackson is rushing a little less but scoring a little more. His efficiency is through the roof.
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Previous Rank: 3
For a superstar quarterback, Jalen Hurts is having a strange season. We called him sneaky average in the previous rankings. That hasn't changed. He's seventh in QBR, seventh in yards per attempt, 10th in QB rating, and sixth in completion percentage. This is a really good quarterback, but with his offensive line, don't you wish the numbers were a little better? He also has eight interceptions on the season. Only Josh Allen, Mac Jones, Sam Howell, and Jimmy Garoppolo have more. He's still a top-five guy, but one needs to ask where would he be without the Tush Push?
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Previous Rank: 2
What's going on with Josh Allen? He has all these empty stats with these devastating mistakes. The Buffalo Bills have just been a weird team this season, but the passing game is still driving the winning ability. The coaching staff has an air of desperation around them. That's why it seems like they lean on Allen more than most coaching staffs would. That's why Allen is now leading the league in interceptions with nine. Despite that, he still leads the league in QBR. Allen is still great, but he's no longer fighting for number one.
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Previous Rank: 14
What a difference a month makes. Joe Burrow looked like he was average at best after a rough September. Now, he's the second-best quarterback in the NFL. The Bengals have won four straight games, including back-to-back weeks against the 49ers and Bills. They've looked dominant on offense thanks to Burrow. He has an elite wide receiving group, but some weeks Ja'Marr Chase is the star and other weeks it's Tee Higgins. Burrow is on another level, and he could seriously fight for number one by our next ranking.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Previous Rank: 1
It's still Patrick Mahomes. Despite a wide receiver core that has no big name, a tight end that's getting more headlines than touchdowns, a running back room that has mixed results, and not the best offensive line of the Andy Reid era, Patrick Mahomes is still playing like a superstar. He went to Germany and helped beat the Dolphins (although his defense played a big role). Despite the issues, he's still third in QBR. He's thrown for 17 touchdowns, although we don't really know how that's possible with a depth chart led by Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Justin Watson. Yes, you read that right. Watson is above Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman. Mahomes is the reason this team's offense isn't near the bottom of the league. That's what the best in the world can do.
