Ranking the AFC East Quarterbacks

Taking stock of every roster in the AFC East to see where each team stands at the end of the offseason program.

Three of the four starting quarterbacks in the division are expected to be the same as they were last season, with only the New York Jets making a move away from Aaron Rodgers.

Let's examine each team's situation before we proceed with our AFC East ranking of the quarterback position.

BUFFALO BILLS

On the roster: Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, Mike White, Shane Buechele

Offseason moves: Signed Allen to a contract extension ... re-signed Buechele to a one-year contract ...

Projected opening-day starter: Josh Allen

2021 stats: Allen — 63.6 completion percentage, 3731 yards, 28 TD, 6 INT, 531 rushing yards, 12 TD, 101.4 passer rating

Outlook: Allen earned NFL MVP honors last season and it was well deserved, even if some observers thought Lamar Jackson should have gotten the award. Either way, Allen was brilliant in carrying an offense with a nondescript wide receiver corps and tight ends battling injuries. There's little reason to think he won't still be among the best in the game in 2025. As backups go, Trubisky is solid and has starting experience from his time in Chicago and Pittsburgh. The Bills signed White, the former Dolphins backup, from their practice squad toward the end of last season.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

On the roster: Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson, Quinn Ewers, Brett Gabbert

Offseason moves: Signed Wilson as an unrestricted free agent from the Denver Broncos ... selected Ewers in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft ... signed Gabbert as an undrafted free agent ... declined to sign Skylar Thompson to a new contract off the practice squad

Projected opening-day starter: Tua Tagovailoa

2021 stats: Tagovailoa — 72.9 completion percentage, 2867 yards, 19 TD, 7 INT, 49 rushing yards, 0 TD, 101.3 rating

Outlook: Tagovailoa added completion percentage to his list of categories where he left the NFL during a season — after passer rating in 2022 and passing yards in 2023 — but his season will be remembered for the six missed starts because of his concussion and his hip injury. Wilson is a big question mark as the new backup because the hope is he's different from the struggling Jets version after one year in Denver, though he never played a down in the regular season.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

On the roster: Drake Maye, Joshua Dobbs, Ben Wooldridge

Offseason moves: Traded Joe Milton III to the Dallas Cowboys ... signed Wooldridge as an undrafted rookie free agent ... signed Dobbs as an unrestricted free agent from the San Francisco 49ers

Projected opening-day starter: Drake Maye

2021 stats: Maye — 66.6 completion percentage, 2276 yards, 15 TD, 10 INT, 421 rushing yards, 2 TD, 88.1 rating

Outlook: While Maye's performance as a rookie was a bit uneven, particularly early after he took over for veteran Jacoby Brissett, it was good enough to be a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Patriots because it provided reason for optimism that they have their franchise quarterback. Dobbs should be an upgrade over Brissett as a backup simply because he's got mobility to avoid the pass rush unlike the former Dolphins QB.

NEW YORK JETS

On the roster: Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez, Brady Cook

Offseason moves: Placed Jordan Travis on the Reserve/Retired list ... signed Fields as an unrestricted free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers ... released Aaron Rodgers ... signed Martinez to a futures contract ... signed Cook as an undrafted free agent

Projected opening-day starter: Justin Fields

2021 stats: Fields (with Pittsburgh) — 65.8 completion percentage, 1106 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT, 289 rushing yards, 5 TD, 93.3 rating

Outlook: The Jets are starting over with Aaron Glenn as their new head coach and they're hoping that Fields can live up to his draft status as former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears. He has shown flashes at times — he was great against the Dolphins in 2022, for example — but mostly with his running ability. He helped the Steelers get off to a fast start last season, but was throwing mostly underneath and head coach Mike Tomlin switched to Russell Wilson once the latter's training camp injury healed. Taylor has been around 14 seasons and probably has to rank among the most reliable backup quarterbacks around.

RANKING THE AFC EAST QB SITUATIONS

The AFC East has belonged to the Bills since Tom Brady left New England, and the top reason — and maybe the next five as well — is Josh Allen. Until shown otherwise, he's the gold standard for quarterbacks in the division.

It's also pretty clear that Fields has to come in last among the starters, and at this time Tagovailoa has to land behind Allen. But Maye's upside as both a passer and a running threat, makes the gap between the second and third QBs in the division smaller than Tagovailoa's impressive stats might suggest.

We also have to factor in the backup situations, and the Jets have the advantage here with no clear-cut second-place team there.

The call: 1. Buffalo; 2. Miami; 3. New England; 4. N.Y. Jets

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