The best NFL quarterbacks in the league today might be better than any grouping of gunslingers in league history. While that's merely a subjective viewpoint without the season even happening yet, with players like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes only likely to get better this season, it's an assumption worth feeling safe in having.
ClutchPoints is going to do its best to rank the 10 best NFL quarterbacks entering the 2020 season. It needs to be noted, however, this isn't an exact science. A quarterback is often reliant upon the talent around him, leaving even the best gunslingers in tough spots entering the season.
Nonetheless, using stats, previous performances, projections, talent around them, and some subconscious bias, here's ClutchPoints' list of the 10 best NFL quarterbacks in the league today, ranked for your pleasure.
10 – Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
2019 stats: QB record: 9-7; Completion percentage: 63.9%; 4,039 passing yards out of 4,878 intended passing yards; 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
There's no polite way to put this. During a stretch of games last season, Carson Wentz was tossing footballs to alleged NFL players like Greg Ward and Mack Hollins. Both guys did fine in their roles, even exceeding expectations, but Wentz wasn't given a chance to maximize his skill set while the players around him continued to find a spot on injured reserve.
It's unfortunate, too, as the regular season was the first time Wentz played all 16 games since the 2016 campaign. The sky was the limit, until injuries riddled the Eagles, then Wentz got hit with the injury bug himself in the playoffs.
The largest question forever swirling around Wentz is if he'll remain healthy enough to matter when it matters most. That's the NFL Playoffs, for those unaware. Whether it be sheer back luck, unfortunate timing, a combination of both or even the dreaded “injury-prone” trope (it's fiction), Carson Wentz will never get much credit for anything until he excels for the entire season, then postseason, without getting injured.
To make matters worse from an optics standpoint, Nick Foles winning the Eagles a Super Bowl in his stay will forever loom over Wentz like a dark cloud.
At the end of last season, with a depleted offensive grouping around him, Wentz finished 20th in DVOA, though 11th in total QBR.
There's room to believe he'll be all the way back this season, especially if everyone around him stays healthy. Him, as well, of course.
9- Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
2019 stats: QB record: 0-2; Completion percentage: 56.5%; 351 passing yards out of 576 intended passing yards; Zero touchdowns to one interception.
Obviously, the aforementioned 2019 stats for Big Bad Ben are misleading if we didn't mention the fact he missed nearly all of last season following major elbow surgery.
Then the offseason happened. Peak Big Ben Is In The Best Shape Of His Life time of the year. Also, we learned he was addicted to booze and porn and maybe not in that order. Nonetheless, according to Roethlisberger himself, he's been in the lab getting into great shape, throwing lasers, and ready to bring the Steelers back to the promise land.
We have to go back to 2018 for the last time Big Ben was healthy, but at the same time, those numbers might also be misleading. The cast of characters are no longer around and he's now two year older. Unlike wine, very few quarterbacks get better with age. Insert all the Tom Brady jokes you want here, and despite Roethlisberger supposedly training like Ivan Drago in Rocky, Ben doesn't have the same history as TB12 in terms of taking care of his body.
At 39, we're unlikely to get the best version of Roethlisberger. The one who carried defenders on his back while holding the ball for too long, then somehow still able to toss a 35-yard bomb to a receiver for a touchdown. We might get flashes of that brilliance, but unlikely on a consistent basis.
Despite all that, maybe because Roethlisberger's athleticism has mattered less and less each new season anyway, it's difficult to bet against him being one of the 10 best NFL quarterbacks entering the 2020 season.
8- Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2019 stats: QB record: 12-4; Completion percentage: 60.8%; 4,057 passing yards out of 4,638 intended passing yards; 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
Yes, naturally, it feels wrong to place Tom Brady outside the top five. But this ain't 2017, pal. Moreover, he's no longer playing for the New England Patriots. Maybe the latter ends up a good thing, with an offense opening up around him, allowing him to increase his yards per attempt (in air), but only time will tell.
Until then, it's time for some caution. At this stage in his career, not only is he heading to a new team with a new coach and new players around him, but he's also a full year older and coming off one of his worst (this is relative to TB12, of course) seasons of his career.
If we want to look at the glass slightly more full, Tom Brady is also moving to a place where he'll no longer have to battle the elements during home games. It's all sunshine and rainbows and long passes in Tampa Bay — presumably.
There's other reasons to be really high on Brady, and it has slightly less to do with him. He's playing for an alleged offensive genius in Bruce Arians, all while having — arguably — the best talent around him in his career. Instead of tossing it to a slew of former college QBs turned NFL receivers in New England, he'll now be chucking it to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, O.J. Howard, and Cameron Brate.
Brady has only played with two elite playmakers on the outside in his career; Gronkowski and Randy Moss. We know what he used to be able to do when given tremendous weapons. Time will tell if time caught up with Brady, though.
7- Drew Lock, Denver Broncos (The Hot Take)
2019 stats: QB record: 4-1; Completion percentage: 64.1%; 1,020 passing yards out of 1,053 intended passing yards; Seven touchdowns to three interceptions.
Should I run?
This is based almost only off wishful projection. The best possible case scenario. The idea that not only is Drew Lock the real deal, but his teammates around him will elevate his game to an even higher level.
It's unlikely, admittedly, but doing a best NFL quarterbacks in the league today power ranking, then not taking a complete risk, is cowardice. ClutchPoints, my friends, refuses to breed cowards. Rather, it employs a college basketball writer who grew up believing Steve Atwater was the greatest secondary player of his generation, and now spends his free time hoping someone can clone Rod Smith.
So, ugh, this risky pick comes with some bias.
As for how we can justify this take-so-hot-it-would-make-ARod-blush, the Broncos aren't going to ask him to extend himself beyond his capabilities. Denver has a tremendous one-two running back combination behind him, and if Noah Fant can develop even only a little bit, a solid security blanket at tight end — not to mention Courtland Sutton is a good enough blanket himself.
Jerry Jeudy should, in theory, help open up the field as well. That's not to say we should expect Lock tossing deep balls like crazy this season, though he's clearly not afraid to chuck it, but Jeudy's speed should naturally open up the underneath for guys like Sutton, Fant and even less talented route runners like a KJ Hamler.
Couple that with Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay likely to do the real lion's share of the offensive work, but with QBs forever getting all the credit for other people's work, it's the start of the Drew Lock era in earnest in Denver.
Maybe… I think… hope?
6- Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
2019 stats: QB record: 8-3; Completion percentage: 74.3%; 2,979 passing yards out of 2,429 intended passing yards; 27 touchdowns to four interceptions.
We're reaching a point in this ranking quarterbacks deal where one could accuse me of being an ageist. After all, outside of Drew Lock and Carson Wentz, all these guys outside the top five are closing in on life of matinee movies and buffets. Well, maybe Wentz is too.
Drew Brees has had, by all accounts, an offseason he'd like to forget. That said, unless his Donald Trump, back and forth with kneeling opinion, and other happenings will alter his ability to hurl a football at the general direction of humanoids, it shouldn't hurt him all that much (unless it does… in the locker room).
Anywho, to remain consistent, even though he clearly has the most juice left in the bunch, Brees gets knocked down for the same reasons Tom Brady and Big Ben did.
Brees is coming off yet another statistically efficient season, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt; though coming off a relatively minor thumb injury can add some doubters to this group. Don't be a doubter. Not quite yet.
This one isn't complicated. No reason to make it so. If anything, the argument here is that he should be higher.
Nonetheless, Brees is protected by one of the best lines in football, one that just added Cesar Ruiz to the fold for good measure; plays for an offensive genius; and has maybe the most underrated receiver in football in Michael Thomas still trotting about the field for him.
Thomas' naysayers complain about his inability to open up the field with speed, but with few exceptions, Brees isn't looking to go deep, making Thomas his perfect running mate.
Oh, and they added Emmanuel Sanders to the roster because why not?
5- Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
2019 stats: QB record: 10-5; Completion percentage: 67.3%; 3,852 passing yards out of 4,396 intended passing yards; 26 touchdowns to 12 interceptions; 27.5 rushing yards per game.
Outside of Drew Lock, who we're expecting other-worldly development from, Watson lands here based off the idea of linear progression coupled with older quarterbacks' quicker regression.
Obviously, he can run and pass, a nice skill to have though three guys do it much better, which is why he's ranked here in our best NFL quarterbacks ranking.
Anyway, Watson is also hurt by the fact his head coach is his general manager and that same guy is iffy at both jobs, sending the gunslinger's best receiver away in a trade, leaving him with fewer weapons than ever before. Will Fuller, it should be noted, is a pretty good second receiver due to his blazing speed, but he's forever snagged by injures and not exactly the most reliable talent to rely on week in and week out.
To put a shining light on this situation, we have proof Watson can do a lot with not much. Behind an absolutely awful offensive line as a rookie, Watson completed an impressive 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,165 yards. On top of that, he hurled 26 touchdowns to only nine interceptions, creating a 103.1 passer rating
Also, since he had no other choice that season, he rushed for 551 yards and five touchdowns. Watson's rushing yards per game has gone down each season, mostly due to it no longer being a need and a better practice at keeping himself healthy, but fully expect his scrambling to go up once again this season.
Hopefully, though, the designed runs are limited. Houston needs to protect its bread and butter.
4- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
2019 stats: QB record: 8-8; Completion percentage: 65.1%; 4,902 passing yards out of 5,539 intended passing yards; 30 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.
At the start of his career, one could argue Dak Prescott was receiving so much help from a great offensive line and talent around him that he wasn't deserving of all the credit he received. However, the numbers indicate that he, almost no matter what, has been consistently better than competent during his entire career (no matter the situation unfolding around him).
Over the course of his short four-year career, Prescott is completing 65.8 percent of his passes and averaging 3,944.5 passing yards per year. On top of that, his 24.3 touchdown passes and nine interceptions per season places him as a rather consistent gunslinger.
None of those numbers scream greatness, but as mentioned before with presumed regression, coupled with linear development (not a real thing, but ehh), Prescott is in a position to show the Cowboys just why he deserves all the gosh slam money in the world.
It also helps that he'll have even more weapons heading into the season. The regular suspects are all there, and hopefully everyone gets to join the team healthy, plus Dak has a new weapon in the electric CeeDee Lamb.
The sky is the limit for Prescott this season. As for the Cowboys, as the movie Rounders taught us, just pay that man his money.
3- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
2019 stats: QB record: 11-5; Completion percentage: 66.1%; 4,110 passing yards out of 4,836 intended passing yards; 31 touchdowns to five interceptions.
There's absolutely no need to get complicated when talking about Russell Wilson.
The last few seasons, he's basically become the Barry Sanders of quarterbacks. A dynamic talent stuck behind an awful offensive line, with ho-hum skill players surrounding him, Wilson has to run around like he's in Maniac Mansion to just get a pass off — and the son of a gun usually does!
His greatness might not be fully appreciated until he's on his decline or on his way out the door. Still, dude can flat out ball.
Anyway, Wilson has a better grouping of talent around him than usual. D.K. Metcalf, if he can continue to develop, might be the true No. 1 receiver Wilson's never had. If Tyler Lockett remains healthy, that's a heck of a one-two punch.
While no one should bet on it, Phillip Dorsett could help spread the field with his speed. Greg Olsen was also a decent signing, even if the Seahawks don't traditionally rely on on tight ends all that much, it's nice to have someone as talented as Olsen trotting about the field.
2- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
2019 stats: QB record: 13-2; Completion percentage: 66.1%; 3,127 passing yards out of 3,545 intended passing yards; 36 touchdowns to six interceptions; 80.4 rushing yards per game.
Look at the above stats. Look at them I said! He has tremendous passing (counting stats) to go alongside a running back's production numbers on the ground. Let that wash over you like a cold shower after drinking all the Bud Lite Limes.
The argument against Jackson is teams “now have film” on the young man, assuming defensive coordinators didn't watch film on him after a few games last year, I guess? There's always a chance Jackson slumps a bit, and he wouldn't be the first dynamic talent to have a down campaign after an MVP voyage, but let's not fall in this coded trap of believing, just because defenses now have film on him (that they also had last year!), he's going to stink.
You stink!
Wait… what?
There's no arguing just how talented Lamar Jackson is at this point. If anyone is doing this, then you can gently place them in a land with other bad faith takers, a realm of folk who will continue to move the goal posts on Jackson, using only his failures as proof of their righteousness while ignoring the larger sample size of greatness in the name of… everything evil.
If anything, Jackson needs the talent around him to continue to develop. He, himself, is great. His receivers and the like just need to be more consistent, is all.
1- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2019 stats: QB record: 11-3; Completion percentage: 65.9%; 4,031 passing yards out of 4,273 intended passing yards; 26 touchdowns to five interceptions.
Where in the hell is Aaron Rodgers? Well, you see, the Wentz and Lock hot takes could not exist without leaving someone very good off the list. Furthermore, it seems like he's on a semi-decline. For full transparency: It was between Rodgers and Big Ben for who of the aging QBs clearly on a decline would make this list, and it just became a matter of believing the Steelers can put Ben in a better position to succeed then the Packers can Rodgers — even though Rodgers is the actually better gunslinger.
Hedge. Caveat. Hedge. Aaron Rodgers is great.
As for Patrick Mahomes, he's the Aaron Rodgers of his generation. The talent standing way above all the rest. Already this early in his career, if he can remain healthy, people are projecting him to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time.
He plays for a great offensive coach, has all the weapons around him he needs, and also has generational talent to go alongside all those things he can't control.
Mahomes is basically Ric Flair during his peak NWA/WCW days and NFL defenses are the babyfaces he's going to trounce in front of TV audiences each and every week.
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