QB Tiers - Midway Point

Everyone loves the QB. We know its the most important position in sports. But when you mention the word “quarterback” it just tingles the spine doesn’t it? It’s no secret our ratings go up on the episodes and conversations we discuss the QBs. So we have been doing our QB rankings internally for a couple of weeks now, and we think its time to share it with you - We will be doing this on a quarterly basis. So one for the midway point, one for the end of November, and one for the end of the season. Some of the names on this list and where they are may surprise you. But there is no legacy award winning here. Its based on your play in 2024. Very simple. Rookies top 10? You bet. Hall of Famers in the bottom tier? Of course. Natural discourse on the rankings? Always welcomed.

Tier 1: MVP Front-Runners

1. Josh Allen - Allen has 17 total touchdowns while having a combined 13 sacks taken + lost fumbles this year. Oh, and only one interception. This is what we all wanted from Allen. Protect the football. And he has. And the Bills are 6-2 and firmly in the chair for the AFC East crown yet again. What more does the man need to do?

2. Lamar Jackson - He’s already won two MVPs. He’s coming for a third. The arrival of Derrick Henry has unlocked another gear to Jackson as the quarterback is a nightmare matchup for anyone in the world. Not to mention that in Week 1, the Ravens were an Isaiah Likely foot away from being the Chiefs only L on the season (they are 7-0). Lamar and Allen are neck and neck for the MVP at the moment. If Jackson wins a third MVP this season, he cements himself as a Top 10 QB of all-time? A Super Bowl puts him into Top 5 category.

Tier 2: Living the Dream

3. Jared Goff - The best part about this ranking is that Goff has been flying under the radar this year. The Lions Sonic and Knuckles attack of Montgomery and Gibbs has been all the flare, but Goff is just casually completing 74% of his passes while accumulating 13 touchdowns to four interceptions. With a QB rating of 115.3 and a perfect game on his resume this year, there doesn’t seem to be stopping Jared this year. Oh yeah, and the Lions are currently the best team in the sport.

4. Joe Burrow - After suffering a season ending injury last season, Burrow has come back and the “Joe Cool” moniker is alive and well. Burrow is the last reason the Bengals are 3-5 on the season as he’s thrown for essentially 2k yards already and has 15 TD passes. He’s averaging 250 yards per game and hasn’t skipped a beat in 2024.

5. Jayden Daniels - The Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Commanders are 6-2. They are in first place in the NFC East (told you so) and they look the part with Dan Quinn at the helm. Daniels is the mini me to Lamar Jackson’s Dr. Evil. They are one in the same. Daniels has elite speed that makes him so difficult to take down, and compliments that with a rocket arm and excellent accuracy. He also seems to have that clutch factor gene. From the throw on MNF to the Hail Mary on Sunday, the kid has a flare for the dramatic.

Tier 3: Rounding Out the Top 10

6. Baker Mayfield - Not having Evans and Godwin last week showed, but we aren’t deducting points for Mayfield on that. Baker has been on one this season. The Bucs are in the midst of a playoff race and an NFC South battle with Atlanta, but Mayfield’s passing attack has been one to behold. Gone are the dog days in Cleveland, even after he led them to the playoffs. And the journey to find it again led him to Tampa. People thought his numbers would dip with Canales gone, but he’s shutting everyone up one week at a time. A bonafide top 10 QB.

7. Sam Darnold - Sam is starting to slowly fall down this list. The Vikes are on a two game losing streak and they haven’t looked the same since October. That being said, Darnold is potentially having his best season ever. 14 TDs to 5 INTs. A passer rating of 107.2. Some people had this Minnesota team pegged as the worst team in the NFL going into this year. That might be the biggest lie in the NFL in 2024. Darnold needs to keep it up if he wants to stay in the Top 10.

8. Trevor Lawrence - This might be the first “oh shit” moment of this list. But if you look at the numbers, Trevor is having an extremely productive season. Forget the team (they suck), but him personally. After getting off to a brutal start, he’s somehow amassed 11 TDs and only 4 INTs while throwing for 1,800 yards. Has a passer rating of 93.6.Has ZERO lost fumbles on the season. That was a huge bugaboo for Lawrence last year. The completion rate is a bit low (63%) but he also has been the best in the NFL at downfield passing this year. 20 completions of 20 yards of more this year (no one else has more than 15).

9. Jordan Love - Love has missed some time. But the time he’s been available he’s been downright good. If we are going in terms of Packers QBs here - he has been more Favre than Rodgers. Love is a gunslinger at heart. His INT rate is high, but Love has a huge clutch factor that can’t be understated. He is a wizard in the pocket and has one of the best feels in the game. The Pack are 6-2 and have a monster matchup at home vs. Detroit Sunday.

10. Kyler. Murray - Very quietly, Murray has been a very, very good QB this season. He hasn’t had as many flashy plays as we’ve come accustomed to seeing. But he’s playing winning football. Has rarely turned the ball over. Throwing touchdowns at opportune times. He’s just been solid all around. And as a result, the Cardinals are in the think of it in the NFC West.

Tier 4: Doing Enough

11. Justin Fields - Yes he’s not playing anymore. And that was the RIGHT move. But we still have to grade him (Russ DNQ as he’s only played two games so far.) Fields did his job and then some when he was playing. The offense wasn’t electric by any means, but he wasn’t turning the football over and the team was winning. If Fields did anything this year, its that he made sure he should have a starting job in 2025 somewhere.

12. CJ Stroud - This is low for Stroud based off last season. Last night’s loss included - he hasn’t been overly impressive. Yes, Nico and Diggs are now missing. But CJ didn’t have Diggs last year. And he has Joe Mixon now. So what’s the issue? His numbers look fine if you want to go there. But at this stage of our rankings, you need to look a little deeper. He doesn’t look comfortable. At all. Being at 12 is a testament to how good he is even when we know he’s not at his best. Watching Stroud is one of my top things in the second half of the season.

13. Brock Purdy - The Niners are kind’ve floating by right now. They are an underwhelming 4-4. Purdy has done his part - mostly, this season. The game that sticks out is the Rams game in which they lost. But then you watch him against Dallas on SNF and he looks like the Purdy from last season. We all know its a long season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Purdy in the Top 10 by the end of the year.

14. Kirk Cousins - Kirk is Kirk. That’s really all there is to say. He’s throwing for a ton of yards (2,106) and a high rate of TDs to INTs (14:7). That’s who Cousins is. And that’s fine. The Falcons offense is lightyears ahead of what it was last year, and they currently lead the NFC South. No one is surprised about anything in this paragraph. And that’s ok with everyone.

15. Joe Flacco - All this man wants to do is retire. Yet again, he’s been thrust into a starting role because of inept QB play. This time in Indianapolis. It was eye popping how much better the Colts O was better with Flacco under center than Richardson. Now with Flacco presumably the starter for the rest of the year, the magic of Joe Joe Flacco from 2023 is back.

Tier 5: Ups and Downs

16. Jalen Hurts - Hurst started on a high, then went down super super low, and now is coming back again. His performance in Cincinnati Sunday was quiet easily his best of the season. I was criticizing Hurts in September due to him potentially never regaining his 2022 form (Which I still believe) but the guys is an extremely capable QB when he has his weapons. If you look at his numbers, they are pedestrian. He has a 2:1 TD to INT ratio this season, and while he’s rushed for seven touchdowns, he’s only averaging 3.5 YPC. That’s not the Hurts he know. He’s on the up now. The peaks and valleys are driving Eagles fans crazy this year.

17. Caleb Williams - Caleb has been slowly improving - but one thing that Caleb has done extremely well in his rookie season is not turn the football over. He hasn’t been a highlight machine like Daniels, but he’s playing acceptable rookie football. His numbers aren’t eye popping by any stretch. But he’s making throws when he needs to. And that’s the most important thing.

18. Justin Herbert - I feel like we haven’t heard from Herbert all season. The Chargers are 4-3 and playing good defensive football and complimentary offensive football. Herberts numbers aren’t going to wow anyone, but he’s still making some throws that are just absurd. The one of the sidelines last week was one. We need to get the guy a playmaker!

19. Matthew Stafford - Amazing what happens when your two all-pro receivers play huh! But seriously, Stafford has kept it afloat the past couple of weeks. And that’s commendable. I think missing Kupp and Nacua told me that he’s a product of the offense at this stage of his career, and he will have some ups and downs.

20. Aaron Rodgers - Bumped up a couple spots due to the TNF game last night. That was Rodgers best game of the season….by far. He was in command, accurate, and took some necessary deep shots. As for the rest of the season….been something. And not the good kind of something. Rodgers has been having trouble moving around and its showing. So much of his game is predicated on the run, and father time may finally be catching up.

21. Geno Smith - Geno was leading the league in passing before last week. Smith has been ok. The Seahawks have been ok. They are stuck in the perverbial doldrums of mediocrity. And Smith is the modicum of that. Some weeks he will be great, and others (like last Sunday) will be horrible. You get what you pay for.

22. Dak Prescott - This is probably the worst Prescott has looked since he took over for Dallas as their QB. Is that a product of the fact that the Cowboys made essentially no moves to improve their offense this year. Possibly. But Dak is getting paid to mask those problems. And he’s not doing it.

23. Patrick Mahomes - get it together.

Tier 6: The Good Play is There

24. Tua Tagovailoa - Tua qualified for this by playing on Sunday. Not a large sample size - but he wasn’t great in Week 1 and wasn’t lighting the world on fire in Week 2 before he got hurt. Then he comes back Sunday and loses to Arizona at home. Need to be better.

25. Bo Nix - The good news? The Broncos are 5-3. And Nix has been a piece of that. The bad news? There are games where Nix is unwatchable. These are the trials and tribulations of a rookie QB. But last week against Carolina was a good one for the young signal caller. Lets see if he can build off that.

Tier 7: Woof

26. Daniel Jones - I mean, what’s left to say? Jones has a good game once a month, and then reminds you why his tenure has been so tumultuous. Firmly believe he will not be a Giant next year, and may not have a starting job in 2025.

27. Andy Dalton - He’s doing his best. Leave the guy alone.

28. Derek Carr - the first two weeks seem like that was 1977. What has transpired since them has been nothing short of brutal. We may be seeing an overhaul in NOLA when the season ends.

Tier 8: Uncontrollable Vomiting

29. Mason Rudolph - I don’t even think he wants to play.

30. Will Levis - So bad he got benched and got D-Hop shipped out. Are we seeing the last of Levis in Tennessee?

31. Gardner Minshew - He dressed up as Lt. Dan for Halloween. He has also been playing as Lt. Dan this season. Cruel joke. The Uncle Rico days are gone.

32. Bryce Young - Kid comes back - Carolina gets waxed again. If the confidence could be below zero, it would be.

33. DeShaun Watson - the injury was a mercy killing. The question has to be asked - Will Watson ever play in the NFL again?

34. Jacoby Brissett - Anyone ever see the movie Small Soldiers? Like we are watching the toys in real time but when they zoom out they are moving in the slowest motion ever. That’s the Pats offense with Jacoby Brissett. But Hey!!!!!! They beat the Jets.

35. Anthony Richardson - What a colossal, colossal disaster. I’ve been seeing all the comps to other QBs in their first ten starts. None of those guys were benched. He shouldn’t have been either. But the Colts clearly thought that he would be a step up from where he actually is. His completion percentage is below 50%. In today’s NFL that’s unheard of. It just has been a disaster of a campaign for AR15.

36. Snoop Huntley - He will be alternate 36 at this rate for the pro bowl….and probably make it.

DNQ (Did Not Qualify)

Russell Wilson

Drake Maye

Spencer Rattler

Malik Willis

Rookie Report Card - Quarterbacks

We are about to enter into Week 6. And every year, we have guys under center who are new to this called the NFL. And it's job and judgement to decide if they will make it or not after their first handful of games. Screw the Peyton Mannings of the world and the Trevor Lawrence’s - their first year struggles don’t count. Sarcasm, for anyone who can’t read between the lines. We don’t know how these guys are going to perform. However, what we can do is talk about what we’ve seen so far and how they have seemed to progressed. The future is young and bright for the three guys we are about to discuss - no matter the record, TD:INT ratio, or the amount of turnovers they’ve committed. These kids are learning on the fly - something the old heads would’ve never done. But in 2023, it’s a “what have you done for me lately” kind of world. Let’s check in on the three QBs…

Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers

63% COM, 750 PaYds, 5 TDs, 4 INTs

Grade: Incomplete

I truly struggled with Bryce. He’s already missed some time with an ankle injury, but also the team around him is seriously struggling. That isn't to say Bryce isnt struggling himself. One of the first things i noticed is that he has struggled with the pace of the NFL; When at Alabama, he ran a very uptempo spread offense. The antithesis has occurred for him so far in the NFL, which is perfectly warranted by a Rookie QB. I went and reviewed some game tape from the game against the Lions and another blaring issue is something that a fellow Alabama alumni in Tua Tagovailoa had - looking for wideouts that are NFL open and not Alabama open. You can see him go through his progressions, but it almost seems like he’s a little too afraid to throw the ball when it should be thrown. Instead he waits and ends up having to throw it away. This is something that has consistently gone on since Week 1. He definitely needs to improve on his quick decisions, which he should due to his high football IQ. One thing that also may factor into this is his time to throw, or lack thereof. He’s getting killed out there behind his offensive line, so maybe a little bit of happy feet has lead to indecisiveness when it comes to ball placement. When Young does connect with his WRs, I will say it’s always an accurate, nice ball for the most part. I do belive in time alot of this will be sorted out but because of the situation around him in Carolina, I need to give him an incomplete 

CJ Stroud - Houston Texans

61% COM, 1,461 PaYds, 7 TDs, 0 INTs

Grade: A-

What can be said about Stroud that hasn't already been said? Hes off to one of the greatest starts by a rookie QB ever, and he’s way farther ahead than most people including myself thought he’d be at this point. One thing I've noticed in his first games as a rookie QB is that he sees the field incredibly well; way better then he did in college. He’s constantly making the right play and actually has the opposite issue that Young has. He is already seeing guys that are NFL open and isn't afraid to throw them the football. This is big, because one of our biggest questions back in April was could he adjust to playing with lesser talent then what he did at Ohio State? Nico Collins is turning out to become a true WR1, but he had some dawgs over there in Buckeye Nation. He’s really elevated the play of the guys around him and that says a lot. The boys at Perfect Spiral actually have an early comp for him of Matt Ryan with more mobility. But just the way he sits in the pocket and delivers the ball shows early comparisons. One thing I definitely think he needs to clean up on is ball security; He’s done a great job of not throwing interceptions but he’s lost 3 fumbles on sacks so that needs to be cleaned up.

Anthony Richardson - Indianapolis Colts

59% COM, 577 PaYDs, 3 TDs, 1 INT

25 Rushes, 136 RuYds, 4 TDs

Grade: C

It really sucks to see Richardson’s season cut short as he’s been placed on IR with a Grade 3 AC Joint sprain. It’s uncertain if he will return this season, but he is eligible to come off during Week 10. He’s already missed time with a concussion and possibly, if surgery is needed - the rest of his rookie season. When he did play, we definitely got some highlights. He’s everything we thought he would be - in both the good and bad department. Lets start with the good; Shane Stehien has done a really good job of trying to incoporate what Richardson does well. He took a little bit of what made Hurts successful in Philadelphia early on and has applied it here. Richardson has been a force with his legs. When he gets going, it’s pretty hard to stop him. He has done well on deep ball passing and immedietly felt like he built a rapport with the players around him. With all the amazing praise though comes the criticism, and that’s been the accuracy issues that plagued him at Florida. He’s sailed easy balls over his receivers heads on short routes time after time and that really needs to be cleaned up. The big…big…big issue is that he needs to learn to protect himself and SLIDE!!! Two serious injuries in five weeks isn’t a great look and one of them could have been avoided if he just knew when to give up on the play.