Pre-Season Quarterback Rankings
With pre-season finished and Week 1 around the corner, Jonathan’s pre-season quarterback power rankings. This list will consider the projected starting quarterback for each team heading into the 2022 NFL season.
32: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith has beat out Drew Lock for the starting quarterback job for the Seattle Seahawks after the team had traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for a King’s ransom of players and draft picks. The Seahawks are currently rebuilding and don’t expect Smith (or Lock) to be the answer long term. Drew Lock could eventually take over the starting job and the Seahawks will be looking to find their new quarterback of the future next offseason.
31: Davis Mills, Houston Texans
If this list ranked the longest necks of NFL quarterbacks, Davis Mills would easily be at the top. Unfortunately, this list considers talent at the position, something Davis Mills does not have a lot of. The Texans seem to be committed to Mills as the starter, but he will need to prove he can function in this league to keep his job. Playing for arguable the worst and most dysfunctional team in the NFL will not help his case.
30: Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons
After riding the bench for nearly 2 seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, Marcus Mariota finds himself the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. The falcons boast one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL, even after drafting Drake London (USC) 8th overall. Will Mariota prove he has anything left in the tank, or will rookie Desmond Ridder take the reigns as the starter at some point this season?
29: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Will Jared Goff take his talent to a new level with the Detroit Lions after seeing his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, win Superbowl LV? Probably not. Goff is simply a placeholder at this point of his career with the Detroit Lions until they find their quarterback of the future. The Lions have the weapons on offense and a great offensive line, but don’t expect Goff to do much with it this season.
28: Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
This one is tricky since Jimmy Garoppolo has re-negotiated his contract to stay with the 49ers on a 1 year deal. Trey Lance has been hyped to be the starter all off-season, but this move could actually see Garoppolo as the starter in some capacity this season. Assuming Trey Lance is the Week 1 starter, it’s time for him to prove why this is his team. Lance didn’t get much experience at the position last year, but he’s big, athletic, and a dynamic runner. He needs to stretch the ball down the field if he wants to keep his job as the starting quarterback.
27: Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Daniel Jones had another lackluster season in 2021 and has not shown any improvement since his rookie year when he took over the reins at quarterback from future Hall of Famer Eli Manning. The giants are full of playmakers so if guys like Kadarius Toney and Saquon Barkley can stay healthy, Jones may finally take a step in the right direction. If not, the Giants may be looking elsewhere at Quarterback by 2023.
26: Mitch Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers
I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Trubisky as a Chicago Bears Fan. He took a season off with some much-needed rest as backup to Bill’s Josh Allen and finds himself slated to be the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 1st round rookie Kenny Pickett is likely the future of this franchise, but if Trubisky can find a way to get the ball to Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Najee Harris early and often, Mike Tomlin will find it hard to take him off the field.
25: Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders
Journeyman Carson Wentz finds himself on his 3rd team in 3 years after the Indianapolis Colts traded him to the Washington Commanders this offseason. Wentz hasn’t been the same since his 2nd team All-Pro season in 2017 after multiple injuries have led to his decline. Can someone just get Terry McLaurin a good quarterback please?
24: Zack Wilson, New York Jets
Zack Wilson still has lots of room for improvement at the quarterback position. He did not have a very good rookie season but showed flashes of potential when he wasn’t being benched for Mike White. Look for Wilson to have an impact on his team early if the Jets want to finally get themselves out of quarterback limbo.
23: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
One of the many blockbuster trades of the NFL offseason saw Tyreek Hill traded to the Miami Dolphins. Tua is in one of the best positions in the NFL to succeed but will be on a very short leash as the Dolphins appear to be ready to make a push to the postseason this year. If Tua can’t get it done, the dolphins may look to make a change at the quarterback position by next offseason.
22: Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers
I still believe in Baker and think the Browns made a mistake trading for Deshaun Watson and sending Mayfield to Carolina. Having said that, Baker’s play has not got any better since he was pronounced the savior of the Browns franchise in his rookie season. If Christian McCaffery stay healthy and Baker can find a way to get the ball to DJ Moore and Robby Anderson, he will be able to find success in this league and prove he is still a starting caliber quarterback.
21: Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints
Jameis Winston lit up the Green Bay Packers Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season but since then was more of a game manager until his torn ACL brought his 2021 season to a close.s. The Saints decided to gamble on Winston again by resigning him even after the departure of head coach Sean Payton. Winston has always had a problem with interceptions but must stretch the field for his receivers if he wants to remain a starter in this league.
20: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill took a step back this past season after a disappointing first round exit to the Cincinnati Bengals. This team is still Tannehill’s team to lose, but he may find himself not handing the ball off to workhorse Derrick Henry anymore if 3rd round rookie Malik Willis has anything to say about it.
19: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence disappointed in his rookie season, but that was mainly due to the overall disfunction of the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise and former head coach Urban Meyer. Doug Pederson will look to bring stability to the organization and mentor Lawrence to his full potential. Crowned the best prospect since Andrew Luck, look for Lawrence to make significant strides in Year 2.
18: Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Mac Jones showed great play and decision making during his rookie season and even helped lead the Patriots back to the postseason. The AFC is loaded with talent this year so Jones will need to build on his rookie year and show off his deep ball if he wants to prove that he is the quarterback of the future for the Patriots. Following up Tom Brady’s legacy is no easy task for any quarterback.
17: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins is right where he always has been and always will be, right in the middle of the pack. There’s nothing wrong with being an average quarterback, especially if you have Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to throw the ball to. However, the Vikings have moved on from head coach Mike Zimmer and could move on from Kirk Cousins this season if he doesn’t improve and take the Vikings back to the postseason.
16: Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Many people are going to think that Fields is ranked too high on this list. He showed flashes of pure greatness his rookie year and has proven he is the leader of this team. Fields great play last season was simply overshadowed by poor coaching and even poorer management. He is going to need to make a significant jump this season if the Bears want to be competitive under new head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles. The Bears below average offensive line and lackluster receiving core will need Fields to be MVP caliber if the Bears have any hope to make the postseason.
15: Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are on to their 5th starting quarterback in as many seasons, but Matt Ryan will be the best one they have had since Andrew Luck. Ryan appears to be on a slight decline in his career but should still have plenty left in the tank. The Colts are one of the most complete teams in the league and just need the right quarterback to take them to the next level. It’s been a long time since Matt Ryan’s MVP season when the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead in Superbowl LI. Lets see if he can lead the Colts to Superbowl LVII instead.
14: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Everyone had their doubts about Jalen Hurts going into last season, but he helped lead the Eagles back to the playoffs after taking over the starting quarterback position from Carson Wentz. Hurts is a threat on the ground but needs to air out the ball more if he wants to be taken seriously as a starting quarterback in this league. Look for him to build even more on his Year 3 season.
13: Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders are easily in the toughest division in football, but have made their fair share of offseason moves, especially after acquiring Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers. Carr aired out the football more than he ever has in his career last season and look for him to keep doing that if the Raiders want to make it back to the playoffs.
12: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Fresh off a new 5-year, $230 million deal, Kyler Murray is ready to prove he can be back to MVP form this season. The Cardinals were the hottest team in football last year for the first half of the season but fizzled out again and finished off with a brutally one-sided loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the playoffs. No one really thinks Kliff Kingsbury is the right guy to coach the Cardinals, but with Kyler Murray, anything is possible.
11: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
As everyone obviously knows, Russell Wilson has escaped Seattle and is the new face of the Denver Broncos. Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Javonte Williams rejoice! Russ has shown that he can be the MVP of the league, but Russ needs to cook for a full season and bring the Broncos to the playoffs for that to happen. He is in a great position for him and the Broncos organization to succeed.
10: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
The ruling has been made and after an appeal by Commissioner Roger Goodell to increase Watsons 6 game suspension to 11 games this season (Week 12, Browns vs Texans, get your popcorn ready). The Browns are clearly ready to win now and made a big splash by trading for a top QB in years past. Watson hasn’t played since he led the league in passing yards in the 2020 NFL season, so let’s see if he picks up right where he left off. Newly acquired WR1 Amari Cooper should help him get there, but the Browns will need to win at least five or six games without Watson if they want a chance to make the playoffs again.
9: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott is a good quarterback with lots of potential to be great. He plays for the biggest market in the entire NFL and has spectacular receivers (even after trading Amari Cooper) and a dynamic running back (Tony Pollard) to help elevate his game. Mike McCarthy is clearly not the right man for the head coaching job in Dallas and Kellen Moore is too smart for his own good sometimes. Look for Dak to keep things simple this season and get the ball to Michael Gallup and Ceedee Lamb to get the Cowboys past round 1 of the playoffs.
8: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yea, Tom Brady is back at his age 45 season. Everyone in the NFL had about 40 days to rejoice while Tom Brady was temporarily retired, but apparently the GOAT has some “unfinished business”, even after 7 championships. Age is but a number, but it is slowly catching up to Brady so look for him to decline slightly in performance this season. The Bucs are still one of the best teams in football and will look to avenge their thrilling loss to the Rams from the divisional round of the playoffs last year.
7: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
The 2019 MVP has proven he is so much more than a running back in the NFL. The Ravens haven’t done him any favours by trading his favourite target Hollywood Brown and refusing to get an extend Lamar as he enters his 5th year option. Lamar could be in line for another MVP season this year, should he decide to play and not hold out for a new deal.
6: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The Lions finally did right by Stafford by trading him to the Rams last season where he won his first Superbowl, then signing a 4 year, $160 million extension. There has been some issues reported with his throwing shoulder, which could see him airing the ball out less than accostomed to throughout is career. As long as Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald are healthy, the Rams could easily be back in the Superbowl, even after losing Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr in the offseason.
5: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers bled the Packers for every dollar they had in his new $50 million per year extension, which ultimately ended up in him losing his favourite target in Davante Adams. As much as I don’t like Aaron Rodgers, the truth is he doesn’t need Adams to be a top QB in the league and will find a new favourite target. Rodgers is still playing at an elite level, he just needs to hope that the Packers don’t end up meeting the 49ers again in the playoffs.
4: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is a pure winner in every sense of the game with great receivers, a solid run game, and an improved offensive line. Everyone counted out Burrow and the Bengals after he tore his ACL during his rookie season, but against all odds, the Bengals made it all the way to the Superbowl last year. Look for Burrow and the Bengals to be back and for Burrow to air the ball out too Tee Higgins and Ja’marr Chase yet again this season.
3: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is a special talent who has lit up the league in his first two seasons. Unfortunately, neither of those two seasons led to a playoff appearance, and the AFC West is now more loaded than ever. I expect Herbert to elevate his game even further, and push for the Chargers to overthrow Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as the big dogs in the AFC this year.
2: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes lost his top weapon Tyreek Hill this offseason, but still has the best tight end in football. Mahomes and the Chiefs lost a heartbreaking game to the Bengals, even after holding an 18-point first half lead. That loss will only add fuel to the fire for Mahomes, so look for the former 2018 MVP to bring the Chiefs back to make another deep postseason run this year.
1: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is currently the best quarterback in football, I don’t care who says otherwise. He goes out and makes plays that no other quarterback can make. Allen and the Bills ultimately lost the best game of football I have ever seen against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs last season because Patrick Mahomes got the ball first in overtime. A heartbreaking way to finish the season, but I would put money on Josh Allen being the MVP and the Bills winning the Superbowl this year.
The best quarterback of the pre season is the plastic surgeon who did Tom Brady’s new chin