With mini-camps and most of the OTA’s completed, teams have a pretty good idea who is going to be under center for the 2019 season. However, Miami, Washington, and the New York Giants are three teams where there could be some competition for the QB job.
Here is how the starting quarterbacks rank for 2019:
1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: The reigning MVP caught the league by surprise last year, but it will be interesting to see how he performs over 16 games with no Kareem Hunt and possibly no Tyreek Hill. It’s time for Sammy Watkins to step up and be the man in Kansas City to help Mahomes out.
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: The McCarthy-Rodgers offense had gotten stale. New head coach Matt Lafleur will breath new life into the offense and rejuvenate Aaron Rodgers.
3. Russell Wilson, Seahawks: Wilson has always been one of the best quarterbacks in the league at using his legs and his arm to beat you. Don’t expect that to change even with the loss of Doug Baldwin. The expectations will be higher after his $140 million dollar extension this off-season.
4. Tom Brady, Patriots: Of course, Brady is the Greatest Quarterback of All Time. His six Super Bowl rings speak for themselves. Not having Rob Gronkowski will be a bit of an adjustment for Brady this season.
5. Andrew Luck, Colts: If he could stay healthy for an extended period of time, he could be the best quarterback in the league. Playing behind the best offensive line in football this season should help.
6. Drew Brees, Saints: Brees is right there with Brady as one of the all-time greats. To cement it, he the all-time record for most career passing yards. The 40-year0old Brees shows no signs of slowing down and should have another MVP caliber season.
7. Matt Ryan, Falcons: Ryan’s play has been inconsistent in the last few years. He was the MVP in 2016, had a very average season in 2017, but had a good 2018 season. With former Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter is back in Atlanta as the offensive coordinator, look for Ryan to have another MVP caliber season.
8. Baker Mayfield, Browns: Mayfield had a great rookie season and didn’t even start until Week 4. The Browns will now have one of the best receiving corps in the league in Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry. Mayfield will get the Browns back to the playoffs and could be in the mix for MVP.
9. Philip Rivers, Chargers: Can this man do any more for his team? It’s a shame he has not had more talent to work with. The 37-year-old Rivers should have another stellar season to add to his Hall of Fame resume.
10. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: Roethlisberger will be impacted by the loss of Antonio Brown. Has played behind a very poor offensive line for years. He also cannot rely on his size and his athleticism to make plays like he used to. This could be a rough season for Big Ben.
11. Carson Wentz, Eagles: Wentz must stay healthy. He was the MVP front runner in 2017 before his knee injury. With DeSean Jackson back in Philly, Wentz has a lot of playmakers to throw to.
12. Deshaun Watson, Texans: The Texans had the worst offensive line in football last season, as Watson was sacked 65 times. Watson can and will hurt you with his legs and arm. Yet, the Texans did upgrade the tackle position on the offensive line so that should help keep Watson upright in the pocket.
13. Dak Prescott, Cowboys: With the arrival of Amari Cooper last season, Prescott’s game drastically improved. He is in line for a big payday, so he will need to play at a high level this season to get that next contract. His play has been inconsistent since he entered the league in 2016, but could potentially play great this season.
14. Jared Goff, Rams: Goff make some great plays and then some not so great plays. It helps, though, that he has one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Sean McVay as his head coach, and his receiving corps is top five in the league.
15. Mitchell Trubisky, Bears: It is amazing what an offensive minded coach can do for the confidence of a struggling quarterback. Nagy’s offense is perfect for Trubisky, as he will use his legs to beat you, and also has made better decisions with the football.
16. Matthew Stafford, Lions: Stafford has never reached his potential in Detroit. With Matt Patricia as head coach, the Lions are more run-oriented, but that could change with the addition of tight end T.J. Hockenson. Look for another mediocre season from Stafford.
17. Cam Newton, Panthers: Newton took a step back last year as he struggled with some nagging injuries. Newton finished 17th in passer rating and was the 23rd ranked quarterback in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner has his work cut out for him to get Newton back to playing at his 2015 MVP season level.
18. Jameis Winston, Buccaneers: This could be a make or break year for Winston. He is making north of $20 million dollars this season and the Bucs need to decide if they are going to sign him to a second contract. In the past, he has made poor decisions with the football. New head coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich think that can be fixed, though. The Bucs were one of the top offenses last year with no running game. If Winston can fix the turnover issue, the Bucs could surprise some teams this year.
19. Lamar Jackson, Ravens: Once Jackson learns how to throw downfield consistently and not try to use his legs to make a play all the time, he will become a top 10 quarterback in the league. Keep in mind, he did lead the Ravens to a division title and a playoff berth last season.
20. Kirk Cousins, Vikings: Cousins had a very disappointing first season in Minnesota. A poor offensive line, injuries to the receiving corp, and poor decision-making by Cousins are all to blame for the 8-7-1 record. Look for Cousins to have a much better 2019.
21. Marcus Mariota, Titans: Mariota has never really had that breakout season that everyone was expecting. However, he does seem to have a new offensive scheme to learn every season. The offseason additions of wide receivers Adam Humphries and A.J. Brown should help Mariota.
22. Sam Darnold, Jets: Darnold has a new, offensive-minded head coach in Adam Gase and one of the best dual threats in the league in running back Le’Veon Bell. The Jets still have a below average receiving corps in Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, and Jamison Crowder, though. The addition of Bell will help elevate Darnold’s game.
23. Nick Foles, Jaguars: Philadelphia is the only place Foles has had success in the NFL. The Jaguars will rely primarily on the running game with Leonard Fournette, too. After signing the big contract, the pressure will be on Foles to produce.
24. Andy Dalton, Bengals: New head coach Zac Taylor, a Sean McVay-disciple, will be running the offense in Cincinnati. Dalton has been nothing but average his whole career, and the coaching change should only have a minor effect on his performance.
25. Derek Carr, Raiders: Carr has not lived up to the expectations in Oakland. The Raiders brought in a lot of new weapons for Carr though, including receivers Antonio Brown, Hunter Renfrow, and running back Josh Jacobs from Alabama. If Jon Gruden cannot get Carr to play to his potential, nobody can.
26. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers: Garoppolo is the toughest quarterback to rank because he showed lots of potential before the ACL injury, but his body of work is so limited for a veteran. The 49ers will have running back Tevin Coleman, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, and tight end George Kittle as their most impactful receiving threats.
27. Josh Allen, Bills: Allen showed us what kind of quarterback he can be before the injury bug bit. The Bills made investments in all areas of the offense. Let’s see what Allen can do with those new pieces.
28. Ryan Fitzpatrick/Josh Rosen, Dolphins: The Dolphins will likely start with Fitzpatrick, but Rosen will likely finish the season. However, this is a mistake. The Dolphins need to make Rosen the starter and work on his development this season. Rosen, as the starter for the Arizona Cardinals, had the worst offense in the NFL in 2018, but that whole Arizona team was a train wreck last season. Rosen should perform better in a new environment.
29. Joe Flacco, Broncos: As good as John Elway was as a quarterback in Denver, he has been just as bad drafting quarterbacks in Denver. Drew Lock is the latest project and could start later in the season. The Peyton Manning-experiment worked well so why not roll the dice with Joe Flacco. Flacco has lost some arm strength and cannot escape that pocket pressure like he used to, but will start the season as Denver’s quarterback.
30. Eli Manning, Giants: Why Manning is back as the starting quarterback is a mystery. We’ll see how the Giants handle their quarterback situation come midseason and the trade deadline.
31. Kyler Murray, Cardinals: Kliff Kingsbury will let Murray play his game in Arizona. Similar to Lamar Jackson but with a better arm, Murray will have some decent weapons in Larry Fitzgerald, David Johnson and rookie wide receiver Andy Isabella.
32. Dwayne Haskins, Redskins: Haskins is a true Dan Snyder pick. He has the size and physical tools to succeed at the NFL level. He has the ability to get the ball out under pressure but is not a real threat in the run game. We’ll see how impactful he can be in his rookie campaign.
