An elite quarterback may not be the only ingredient in a championship recipe, but it certainly does the trick. Just ask the last two Super Bowl contenders from the Chiefs and Eagles, who dueled the MVP (Patrick Mahomes) and MVP runner-up (Jalen Hurts) after each other star signal callers like Josh Allen and Buffalo from the Feld had been beaten by Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow in the playoffs.
Football will always be a team sport, meaning it’s still possible to make a run with a supporting team that highlights the QB, rather than the other way around. It’s just that much harder to win this way, let alone maintain success.
With that in mind, we decided to reevaluate this the best of the best NFL QBs heading into the 2023 season. Not all of them would necessarily qualify as “elite” in our sense of the word, and yet they are among the top ten in their position as the new year begins:
Cousins’ inclusion on a list of “top QBs” inevitably draws some ridicule, largely given his paltry record at big games (he’s only won a single postseason appearance in eight years as a full-time starter). Possibly beginning his final season with the Vikings, which reflects his solid but unspectacular resume. And yet he was consistently durable and accurate in a league fraught with volatility, while also proving to be an underrated big-stakes pitcher. The athletic advantage is non-existent, and if his bag isn’t comfortable, the mistakes can snowball. But his script efficiency will draw you in year after year.
If his old rival in the NFC East, Kirk Cousins, can be beaten due to crucial period hiccups, so can Prescott, who has a 2-4 postseason record in seven years with a highly dynamic offense typical of the Cowboys has set up. As PFF argues, few QBs were more sensitive to changes in their supporting cast; He has performed at MVP level but also had some serious intercepts depending on the elite line health and the weapons around him. His own health is also in question – he has missed a total of 17 games since 2020. When erect, however, he does all the little things well, with a vision to match the best shot after shot.
A consummate athlete with a stellar track record, Jackson is under more pressure here than most after securing Baltimore’s big signing. His effortless arm hasn’t produced an efficient, above-average passing performance in at least three years, and back-to-back seasons of ongoing injuries call its durability into question. However, when active, he’s a real and resilient game changer, especially with his slippery, fast climbing. Now he has the support of a new coordinator, a stronger reception corps and more freedom to control his game calls some of the tools for a playoff jump in the sixth year.
Of the top 10 QBs here, Lawrence benefits the most from projection. But while he went from being overwhelmed and unsupported as a rookie to decisive and aggressive as a sophomore, the former No. 1 overall winner is now poised to move into MVP territory under Doug Pederson and alongside new No. 1 wideout Calvin Ridley sniff out. Lawrence isn’t afraid of throwing the ball into tight windows, which can get him in trouble, but he has one of the league’s nimble arms and put in a veteran-level fight in his historic comeback in a playoff debut. At just 23 years old, he has plenty of room to grow and all the physical attributes of an elite gunslinger in pocket size.
Remember when Tom Brady neared the end of his 20-year tenure with the Patriots and many respected voices wondered if he’d finally lost his magic, only to watch him reach new heights amid new landscapes? It’s the kind of story the Jets are hoping for with Rodgers, who appeared to have settled a little with the Packers’ makeshift lineup in a disappointing 2022 that followed two straight MVP seasons. At 39 years old, A-Rod is probably past its heyday. But he’s freshly motivated, he still has precise touch and with his strong armament and defensive support in New York he has what it takes to make a real title push.
Is it wrong to slam Herbert for making just one unsuccessful playoff appearance in just three seasons? Sure, but when your level is this high in the regular season, the natural expectation is for big games to follow. Herbert wasn’t perfect and lapsed into a conservative approach in the 2022 season, averaging just 6.8 yards per attempt (well below starter averages). But it’s no coincidence that before the age of 25 you’re throwing 94 touchdowns and 35 interceptions; That’s the sixth-best TD:INT ratio in NFL history to this point. And you just can’t teach him his elite build (6-6, 236) and laser arm.
4. Josh Allen (Bills)
Despite being both durable and victorious, posting a 47-18 record in his four seasons as a year-round starter, the oversized Allen poses more danger than most, not only as a frequent power runner, but also as an avid passer. His turnover tendencies are also underestimated; As of 2019, he’s averaged 11 fumbles and 12 picks a year. And yet, with risk comes great reward. No one comes close to Patrick Mahomes as the big-play artist through the air, threatening his opponents to the last second with an arm built for crunch-time bombs. He was also an excellent performer in eight postseason applications with 17 touchdowns and only four picks.
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3. Jalen Hurts (Eagles)
No QB has made a bigger leap in 2022, but Hurts has also gotten better at basically every year since he began his collegiate career. He’s a lot more compact (6-1, 223) than Josh Allen but just as physical as a regular ball carrier, making his durability a question over the long run. And yet he lives up to the dual threat, significantly improving his vision and ball touch, supplying Mahomes to both AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith en route to an MVP-level Super Bowl shootout. The X factor here is his leadership – a stoic, unwavering attitude that stabilizes the Eagles organization from top to bottom.
2. Joe Burrow (Bengals)
The former number 1 pick doesn’t have nearly the athleticism of most of his peers here. But that should speak volumes for his mastery of the game – his instincts, his vision, his reliable precision passing. He’s so good at just being one quarterback – that he owns the bag and gets the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there – that his well-documented swagger on and off the pitch is just a bonus. He’s not immune to the occasional pick frenzy and his damage is almost entirely through the air, but few field generals are better, as evidenced by his two bids for the AFC title in three years.
1. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
Mahomes is by far the easiest QB to rank and the definition of a true cheat code in the sport. His freestyle offers opponents a chance to steal the ball, but more often than not his greatest danger seems to be that he can get bored with his own dominance. With a whopping 64-16 as the star point guard of Andy Reid’s movement-heavy attack, without an 11-3 playoff record that includes two Super Bowl titles and already makes him a virtual Hall of Famer hit at 27 , Mahomes is a sneaky scrambler . But his video game successes are largely based on his signature acrobatic arm angles and an inherent big-play mentality that thrives when the lights are brightest and the stage is biggest. Regardless of whether you are a Chiefs fan or not, he is a real eye-catcher and has already won.
Award
A quick word on some of the notable names that didn’t quite make it: Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) showed elite confidence in his debut under Mike McDaniel but has yet to play a full NFL season due to injuries. Justin Fields (Bears) certainly has top 10 qualities, particularly as a runner, but has some way to go as a decision maker in the air; This time he should benefit from a competent supporting cast. Deshaun Watson (Browns) was once a skilled pocket passer, but he hasn’t had a full, above-average season in three years. Daniel Jones (giants) and Geno Smith (Seahawks) must prove their breakthroughs in 2022 were no accident. Derek Carr (Saints) is brave and personable, and Jared Goff (Lions) is accurate and underrated, but neither has proven particularly adept at improving teams without dynamic help. Brock Purdy (49ers) showed veteran-level demeanor on his halftime debut but is recovering from a serious elbow injury. And Matthew Stafford (Rams) is another durability issue in rebuilding Los Angeles. Russell Wilson (Broncos) may still have playoff-level game action footage, but Sean Payton has to prove he can get him up to speed first.