The regular season is here! I expect that by the beginning of next season, most of these rankings will be different. For now, let’s finish up the last quarterback rankings: The AFC East.
Tom Brady
The best quarterback in the history of the NFL sits at number one within his division. It’s not an unfamiliar place for Tom Brady to be, after all, as a six-time Super Bowl winner. Brady has dominated the AFC East for a long time now. As with any all-time great, there are plenty who try to downplay what Brady has done with the Patriots. One of the common knocks on him is the ineptitude of the division he is in.
Regardless, the combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady has been nothing short of incredible. In his career, Brady has posted impressive stats. Brady has thrown for over 70,000 yards, 517 touchdowns, and only 171 interceptions. The scary part? He doesn’t look like he’s slowing down any time soon.
Sam Darnold
Although statistically, Darnold didn’t blow anyone away, he looked the part at times. It’s a tossup between him and Josh Allen, but I think Darnold has unlimited potential. He threw for over 2,800 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions last season. Head coach Adam Gase has worked with Peyton Manning in the past, and can now help Darnold make the big jump from year one to two. The Jets spent a pretty penny on both sides of the ball in the offseason. I expect Sam Darnold to take a huge step forward this coming year and retain this second spot heading into next year’s games too. Everyone is talking about Baker Mayfield, rightfully so, but watch out for Sam Darnold this year.
Josh Allen
Coming out of Wyoming, I didn’t expect much from Josh Allen. Allen proved myself and many others wrong by showing himself to be competent and maybe more. Allen threw for over 2,000 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added 600 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. The running aspect is something not many saw coming from Allen. Regardless, I think Bills fans have a glimmer of hope, but entering his sophomore season, will he continue to play well?
Ryan Fitzpatrick
We know what Ryan Fitzpatrick is. A streaky backup quarterback who can get a team through a few games, but isn’t the answer. I’m honestly surprised the Dolphins chose to go with Fitzpatrick. After trading for Josh Rosen, why not see what the kid has? Maybe the idea is to have Ryan Fitzpatrick out there to take the hits and tank the team for a higher draft pick. The Dolphins furthered that notion by trading away Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills away for picks. Either way, the Dolphins will struggle this year, but I think they’re okay with that. I think new head coach Brian Flores is a keeper, but does the organization have the patience to let him fully rebuild a team?
