NFL regular season action is only days away. The most important position on the football field is the quarterback position. To win games in the NFL, you almost always need an elite quarterback. With that said, ClutchPoints decided to rank every team's starting NFL quarterbacks for the 2023 season.
This ranking takes into account both the player's history in the NFL as well as predictions for how players will improve or regress in 2023.
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32. Joshua Dobbs, Arizona Cardinals
With Kyler Murray hurt, the Arizona Cardinals' quarterback situation is a mess. Colt McCoy was expected to be the starter by many, but he was cut by the team. Then, it was assumed that rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune, would be the guy to take over the job. Instead, Joshua Dobbs, a journeyman who wasn't traded for by the team until late into the preseason, will be the man under center for week one. The starting position in Arizona is expected to be fluid, but regardless of who is starting, expectations are low. The starting position will likely be a revolving door all year until Kyler Murray returns from his ACL injury, and in reality, the team may just be tanking for potential number-one pick Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft.
31. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
It is hard for rookie quarterbacks to find a lot of success in their first year. They are facing stiffer competition than they did in college, and NFL game plans, reads, play calling, etc., all take time to get used to. Rookie NFL quarterbacks simply need reps to get to where their team needs them to get. Anthony Richardson has all of the physical traits in the world, as he tested better than any quarterback ever at the combine, but he is still very raw, making it likely he has a rough first year. While I believe in Richardson long-term, he only had one season in college being the full-time starting quarterback. He will need to improve his accuracy and be better at reading defensive coverages in order to outplay this ranking.
30. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons believe in Desmond Ridder as they had a chance to take a quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft and instead stuck with their second-year passer. The former Cincinnati quarterback was thrown into the fire late in his rookie year. He didn't show much in his four starts, but he at least proved he was worthy of a chance.
29. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
Like Ridder, Howell is a quarterback from the 2022 draft class who wasn't a first-round pick but has enough potential to warrant a shot as the starter. Although Howell was only a fifth-round pick, he has very good traits. Howell has a cannon for an arm and excels throwing the deep ball. He will have to prove to Washington that he is their long-term quarterback, and a good dose of the highlight reel plays that he is capable of may do that. Jacoby Brissett, Howell's backup, is one of the top backup quarterbacks in the game. Brissett has starting experience and could push Howell for the job if the second-year QB struggles.
28. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Finally, after Aaron Rodgers's departure to the New York Jets, Jordan Love is at last getting his shot under center for the Green Bay Packers. Love was the Packers' first-round pick in 2020, meaning he has been learning the ropes under Rodgers' guidance for three seasons. Learning under one of the best before being handed the reigns as the starter is not the worst thing. Just ask Rodgers, who was Brett Favre's backup for three seasons before embarking on his Hall of Fame career.
27. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill is clearly on the downward side of his career. Tannehill is more of a game management style of quarterback at this point in his career. He needs weapons around him to be successful, and while the Tennessee Titans expect a bounce-back year from Derrick Henry and the recently acquired DeAndre Hopkins, both players are out of their primes, and the Titans are still somewhat thin at the skill positions. Still, Tannehill has proved a lot of people wrong and has done plenty of winning since joining the Titans in 2019, leading his teams to the playoffs every season he has been in Tennessee until last year.
26. Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Mac Jones had a highly productive rookie season in New England, but opinions on the quarterback soured during his sophomore campaign. Jones is a cerebral quarterback with good accuracy, but his ceiling may be capped because of his lack of athletic traits. He doesn't have the strongest arm, and he rarely uses the ground game. Still, the Patriots still believe in the quarterback who was in the top 15 in the NFL in passing yards, competitions, and touchdowns during his rookie year, a year in which his rookie peers struggled.
25. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
The number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, expectations are sky-high for Bryce Young. The problem he will face is a lack of help around him in Carolina. The Panthers were picking first for a reason, and it's because the team is lacking in talent. After trading D.J. Moore as a part of the trade to acquire the pick to get Young, the Panthers' top pass catchers in 2023 are an aging Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark. Young was very productive in college. The Heisman winner is a complete player, but he will have to overcome concerns about his stature, in addition to a lack of weapons around him.
24. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If there is one thing we know about Baker Mayfield, it is that he is a competitor. After stints with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, it looked like the former first-overall pick was nearing the end of his career and at risk of being out of the league. But Mayfield fought for and earned the starting position in Tampa Bay, giving the Buccaneers a fiery spark plug that is going to do whatever he can to win ball games. Last season, Mayfield impressed in his Rams debut, leading a 98-yard game-winning drive in less than two minutes.
23. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kenny Pickett lacks the arm strength to be an elite quarterback, but he has a knack for winning football games, and he almost led the Pittsburgh Steelers back to the playoffs at the end of last season. Pickett threw only 7 touchdowns compared to 9 interceptions in his 12 games as a starter last year.
22. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
The number two overall pick in the 2023 draft, Stroud's pure passing ability lands him a little bit higher on this NFL quarterbacks list than Bryce Young. While both lack weapons around them, which will likely lead to rookie-year struggles, Stroud is just so accurate at all three levels of the field that he should find some success in his first year in the NFL.
21. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Danny Dimes had a breakout season last year for the New York Giants. Daniel Jones' 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022 afforded him a new contract with the Giants, but were still relatively unimpressive numbers.
20. Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders
Jimmy Garoppolo-led teams always seem to find success in the win/loss column, but the quarterback always leaves a little to be desired. That is especially true because of his injury history.
19. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers had somewhat of a quarterback battle, but it was the former Mr. Irrelevant who won the starting gig over two former number three overall picks (Sam Darnold and Trey Lance). Purdy looked incredibly calm under center when he was thrown into the fire as San Francisco's starting quarterback, and the Niners looked unstoppable once Brock Purdy took over late last season. The young quarterback still has a lot to prove though.
18. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos gave up an arm and a leg to trade for Russell Wilson. They depleted their chest of assets when they gave up five picks and three players to acquire the former Super Bowl winner. The Broncos assumed they were getting a top 5-10 quarterback in the NFL. Instead, Wilson was a shell of himself in his first season in Denver. New head coach Sean Payton will look to recapture the magic that made Wilson so special with the Seattle Seahawks. Payton has experience making short quarterbacks work (Drew Brees), and the Broncos will need a bounce-back season from Wilson to avoid having the title of one of the worst trades in NFL history. In his prime, Wilson had one of the best deep balls ever and an escapability in the pocket that allowed him to avoid sacks and create big plays multiple times a game. He will also have to tune in on the basics of quarterbacking, as things were ugly in all aspects for Wilson in 2022. This ranking assumes he recaptures a little bit of his old form, but never returns to the player he was in Seattle.
17. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Speaking of Wilson, Geno Smith was the man who replaced him as the starter in Seattle. Smith's season was far superior to Wilson's, and this ranking may be a little bit low if you are only looking at last year. But this ranking is a projection for how players will play in 2023, and having been a backup for six straight seasons before his break 2023 campaign, Smith doesn't have a deep track record of dominance. Perhaps Smith has turned the corner and is now a solidified top-10 QB. His 2023 stats would suggest that. Last year, he threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns. Both numbers – along with his 399 completions at a 69.8% completion rate – were in the top 10 last year.
16. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
A change of scenery may be exactly what Derek Carr needed. Although Las Vegas Raiders fans had turned against him, Carr still did a lot of good things for the franchise. He has the most game-winning drives of any quarterback since 2015. The four-time Pro-Bowler has 35,222 yards and 217 touchdowns in his career, but he will need to prove to the New Orleans Saints that he is their franchise quarterback with a big season.
15. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Justin Fields is already one of the best running NFL quarterbacks ever; now, he will just need to prove he can do it with the arm. Fields ran for 1,143 yards last season, the second-most yards for a quarterback ever. However, he only ranked 27th in passing yards (2,242) and 31st in completion percentage (60.4). If Fields improves as a passer, he can become an elite dual-threat option and skyrocket up this list.
14. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
When the Detroit Lions traded away Mathew Stafford in a move that landed them Jared Goff, the former Los Angeles Rams' quarterback was assumed to be a bridge option until they drafted a new QB. Goff is quickly proving he may be more than that. His 2023 season saw him throw 382 completions, 29 touchdowns, and 4,438 yards, all marks that were top 10 in football, while leading one of the highest-powered offenses in the NFL. The Lions had the fourth most touchdowns in the NFL last year.
13. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
If Kirk Cousin's track record in the big moments was better, he could easily be higher on this list. The quarterback threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. He also has the luxury of having arguably the game's best receiver, Justin Jefferson. Cousins seems like the type of quarterback that you are always thinking about replacing, but you can never truly find a better option.
12. Mathew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
While 2022 was a down year for Mathew Stafford, I'm expecting a bounce-back year from the gun-slinger. We are only a year removed from Stafford leading the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory. Stafford still has a big arm, and while the Rams have gotten worse around him, he is still talented enough to carry an offense. Not to mention, Cooper Kupp is sure to bounce back as well. The chemistry between the two allowed Kupp to have the second-most single-season receiving yards in NFL history (1,947) in 2021, a year in which Kupp also won the receiving triple-crown.
11. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Before Deshaun Watson missed parts of two seasons, he looked like a fringe top-five quarterback in the league. While he didn't display that in six games with the Cleveland Browns last year, he is still only 27 years old. His 58.2 completion percentage last year was the worst of his career, and 12 points lower than what he threw in his previous season as a starter. There was clearly some rust in Watson's game, and as one of the most physically gifted ball throwers in the league, expect Watson to get back on track and crack the top 10 this season.
10. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tau Tagovailoa has all of the weapons around him to succeed; he just needs to stay healthy. Last year, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the outside, Tagovailoa found lots of success. Not known for his arm strength, the addition of the two speed demons made Tagovailoa much more potent in the deep passing game. He has missed time in each of his three seasons in Miami, and he will have to stay on the field for the Dolphins to reach their full potential.
9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott is a streaky player with high highs and low lows. Heavily scrutinized because of where he plays, Prescott is a good, not great starting quarterback. Prescott came onto the scene strong, earning a Pro Bowl bid as a rookie, but he hasn't made it back to the Pro Bowl since 2018.
8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson is a former league MVP and one of the best weapons in the NFL. A highlight waiting to happen: Jackson is arguably the greatest running quarterback in league history. Still, this is a big season for Jackson. He has had back-to-back seasons fighting injuries, and he now has to learn a new offensive system. Jackson has proved critics wrong before; there is no reason to think he won't to it again.
7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence was pinned as the most sure-thing pass-thrower as a draft prospect since Andrew Luck. While he didn't live up to those expectations as a rookie, Lawrence really turned a corner in year two. He ranked in the top 10 in completions (387), (yards 4,113), and touchdowns (25). Lawrence turned the Jaguars from a laughing stock to legitimate threats in the AFC. He's one of the top-10 NFL quarterbacks.
6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts burst onto the scene in 2022, putting up an MVP-caliber season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Hurts led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, and while they fell 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs, it wasn't because of Hurts' performance. He had 304 passing yards, a passing touchdown, and three rushing touchdowns in the game.
5. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
The new New York Jets starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, enjoyed a Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers. He has 59,055 yards and 475 touchdowns in his career. No active players come close to those numbers. While last season saw Rodgers regress some, he is only a year removed from being the back-to-back MVP winner. He still has great arm strength and can throw from a variety of arm slots and angles, something you don't normally see from 39-year-olds.
4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers added another weapon for the quarterback when they drafted Quentin Johnston in the first round. Paired with Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen, there is no excuses for Herbert not to have his best year in 2023. Herbert has broken all sorts of records in his first three seasons, but this year, he needs to take that next step. I expect he will.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen's physical gifts may be the best in the NFL. At 6-foot 5-inches, 230 pounds, Allen runs over defensive players like a fullback. He has arguably the best arm strength in the league, and he can fire the ball into tight windows for big plays. Allen has the talent to rank even higher on this list, but he will need to start winning in the biggest moments in the postseason.
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Some people believed that if Joe Burrow had beaten the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game last year, Burrow would have been worthy of being crowned the best quarterback in the NFL over Patrick Mahomes. While Mahomes and the Chiefs won that game, and I believe Mahomes to have a leg up on Burrow regardless, the Cincinnati Bengals' passer still has a ton of accolades in his young career and is worthy of being named the second-best quarterback in the NFL. Burrow was injured during his rookie campaign, but during his two healthy seasons, he has made it to the Super Bowl and the AFC Championship game. He was also second in the NFL with 35 passing touchdowns last year.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
With Peyton Manning and Tom Brady out of the NFL, Patrick Mahomes is the face of the new era and the the top of this NFL quarterbacks list. Far and away the most talented player in the league, Mahomes easily clinches the title of the best quarterback in the league for 2023. Fresh off both his second Super Bowl win and his second regular-season MVP, Mahomes is once again the odds-on favorite for both of those honors in 2023. No one can do what Patrick Mahomes can do with the football in his hands. He has incredible touch, a strong arm, and a unique ability to make things happen. He led the league in passing yards (5,250) and passing touchdowns (41) in 2022.
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