With future Hall of Famers hanging up their cleats each season, it seems as though the NFL is losing a handful of generational QBs as the years go by. But, the future is bright in the QB spot as new signal-callers enter the league and build quite a line-up of young quarterbacks ready to take on the mantle for the years to come.
The quarterback is such an important role to any football team and it's definitely exciting for NFL fans to witness the rise of these QB successors that have modernized and continue to redefine the position. That said, let's take a look at the top five QBs under the age of 25.
Young NFL Guns:
5. Justin Herbert
Oregon-native Justin Herbert makes the cut as one of the best QBs under the age of 25. The Los Angeles Chargers snagged the rookie at the 6th spot in the 2020 NFL Draft and were planning to slowly bring him in under their QB1 Tyrod Taylor. But, the opportunity came knocking as Taylor was sidelined early in the season and Herbert didn't shy away from the spotlight.
The 22-year-old has shown poise in his debut stint for the Chargers and has launched a ton of rockets to help LA compete in the tough AFC West division. In 15 starts under head coach Anthony Lynn, Herbert threw 4,336 yards for a total of 31 touchdowns to break the NFL record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie. He was also just the fourth rookie to throw over 4,000 yards and was the rightful recipient of the NFL's 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
4. Joe Burrow
All eyes were on Joe Burrow as the Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller entered the league as the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. And, for the most part, Burrow did not disappoint. After an incredible stint for the LSU Tigers, the 24-year-old brought his passing prowess to Cincinnati and has thrived as an under-control passer in the pocket.
Obviously, the Bengals don't have the best of lineups but still, Burrow has managed to win a few games before he tore both his ACL and MCL in his left knee in NFL Week 11 against the Washington Football Team and was eventually ruled out of his rookie season.
3. Josh Allen
One of the biggest surprises in the 2020 NFL season was the rise of Buffalo Bills playmaker Josh Allen. After two lowly seasons as the head of the Bills' offense, the 24-year-old came out of his shell and became one of the best QBs in the entire league last season. Allen threw a total of 5,163 yards in his first two seasons in Buffalo which he almost matched last season with a total of 4,544.
He scored 37 TDs in 16 games last season which was seven more than his first 18 NFL games for the Bills. And, along with his massive improvement also came the rise of Buffalo's success as they charged all the way to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1993.
The California-native made it to his first Pro Bowl selection and was named to the NFL's Second-team All-Pro after quite an impressive 2020 campaign. He was also named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week four times and became the first player in Buffalo franchise history to win the award at least thrice in one season. Thanks to his cannon of an arm, Allen has become one of the most exciting young QBs to watch in the league and all the individual accolades he raked in in his third season in Buffalo was a testament to that.
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2. Kyler Murray
The Arizona Cardinals' first overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft has made a positive imprint.
Murray has risen to become one of the best young signal-callers in today's NFL. Kyler Murray was one of the main reasons why the Cardinals became a must-watch team last season. Though they ultimately fell short of a post-season stint last season, Murray's quick evolution has put him in the conversation of the cream of the crop in terms of all the quarterbacks in the league at the young age of 23.
After winning the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, Murray outdid himself and threw 3,971 yards last season for 26 touchdowns. Alongside DeAndre Hopkins, these two became one of the most formidable offensive duos in the league in 2020. Aside from his unbelievable throws, Murray has rushed more in his sophomore season which made him even more dangerous. He ran for 819 yards which put him at the second spot next to the league's best rushing QB in Lamar Jackson who ended up with 1,005 yards.
It's a good thing for Cardinals fans and NFL watchers that Murray opted out of his professional baseball career.
1. Lamar Jackson
Speaking of Jackson, he rounds out this list as the most promising QB under the age of 25. As the only MVP among these five QBs, it's hard not to put LJ at the top. Yes, there have been a few criticisms of Lamar Jackson and his inability to succeed in the post-season but slowly, Baltimore Ravens fans are seeing him blossom into one of the best young leaders in the NFL today.
In just three seasons in the league, Jackson has become a household name in terms of elite QBs in the league. The 2019 NFL MVP has had a terrific career after taking over the starting nod from QB Joe Flacco who now plays for the New York Jets. Since being propelled to the starting line-up in 2018, Jackson has put this team on his broad shoulders and has brought the Ravens to great heights.
Though he couldn't follow up his incredible NFL MVP season in 2019, the 24-year-old still produced one heck of a 2020 campaign. He threw for 2,757 yards and scored 26 touchdowns and led the league in rush attempts (159) and rushing yards (1,005). Jackson's running game continues to redefine the QB spot and the scary part is, he's just getting started.
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