Ranking the QB situations of all 32 NFL teams

Desmond Ridder started four seasons at Cincinnati and four games for the 2022 Falcons, but if Atlanta was on the cusp of paying three first-round picks and change for Deshaun Watson last year, Ridder should not have been a sufficient roadblock to a Lamar Jackson offer sheet. The Falcons did add Taylor Heinicke, who once waged a surprising playoff duel with Tom Brady before two extended regular-season cameos as Washington's starter, but Ridder now has the keys to an offense flush with young skill talent. Marcus Mariota helped stall Kyle Pitts and Drake London's development last season. Can Ridder elevate the top-10 picks?

Were Sean McVay coming with Baker Mayfield to Tampa, this placement would be too low. But Mayfield solo helped lead Matt Rhule out of Charlotte. The former No. 1 pick's 2018 form nearly won him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, and his 2020 performance had the Browns on the cusp of the AFC championship game. His stunning two-days-notice comeback against the Raiders aside, the 6-foot QB has driven his stock downward over the past two years. The Bucs passed on Will Levis and Hendon Hooker, leaving only Kyle Trask to compete with Mayfield. The brash QB has yet another chance to reboot his career, and Mike Evans-Chris Godwin at least brings a solid WR duo.

Indianapolis joins Washington in going into a seventh straight season with a different Week 1 starter; only the Chargers (from 1987-93) and Browns (2013-19) matched that QB turnover rate since 1970. Ex-Nick Sirianni Eagles charge Gardner Minshew is here, but raw No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson gets the keys. Jim Irsay's fingerprints were all over the Colts' 2022 chaos -- a Carson Wentz-Matt Ryan-Sam Ehlinger-Jeff Saturday stew of dysfunction -- and he has since alienated Jonathan Taylor, who would have been Richardson's top skill player. The super-athletic but raw QB is not stepping into a good situation.

Either a smokescreen effort or ownership pressure moved C.J. Stroud to Houston, and with the Texans trading back up to No. 3 to draft the player they had become tied to (Will Anderson Jr.), the Cardinals stand in position to capitalize. Houston has earned a top-three draft slot from 2021-23. Aside from how the Texans landed here, they have their first bona fide QB prospect since Deshaun Watson's scandal torpedoed the team's on-field relevance. Stroud will join Richardson and Bryce Young as a Week 1 starter, moving trade-chip Davis Mills to a backup role. Back in Houston after eight years away, Case Keenum is in place as a mentor.

After Jacoby Brissett looked borderline inept in Miami, he outplayed Deshaun Watson last season in Cleveland. The Commanders may need to turn to the former Andrew Luck emergency fill-in this season, though an unusual level of Sam Howell buzz has led to the one-game starter taking over in an unusual move for a coach on the hot seat. Ron Rivera began singing Howell's praises weeks before the team cut Carson Wentz. Howell was on the first-round radar, but a junior-year decline -- with worse Tar Heel weaponry -- dropped him to Round 5. Should Rivera's unorthodox move work out, Howell's meaningless season-ending start will look more Mahomesian than Rob Johnson-like. 

Packer fans south of about 37 may need to ask relatives what QB mediocrity looks like. After 31 years with two all-time greats at the controls, the Pack will belatedly see if GM Brian Gutekunst made a terrible mistake in trading up for Jordan Love in 2020. The three-year backup has 83 career pass attempts, and while he looked better in a brief cameo in Philly last season and has apparently impressed in practice, the Brett Favre-to-Aaron Rodgers transition is a historically difficult blueprint to replicate. After trading Rodgers, Green Bay will try. Life with substandard QB play would hurt this particular market more than any other. 

On talent, Kyler Murray would rank the Cardinals higher here. But we now have to grade on a partial Murray season or, as the organization climbs into the tank, possibly an awkward midcareer redshirt. Murray is a two-time original-ballot Pro Bowler who has shown more as a passer than Lamar Jackson. But Arizona's dual-threat option arrived under a since-dismissed regime. The Cardinals could have two top-five picks, thanks to the Texans, in 2024. Murray could impede that. As of now, Josh Dobbs -- acquired two weeks before the regular season -- may actually start in Week 1. Fifth-rounder Clayton Tune is in line to back him up. Whoa. 

How much of last year's sophomore slump was Mac Jones actually regressing and how much was his placement within a foolish concept? The team will find out, with Bill O'Brien charged with rescuing Jones -- who once helped teach the coach the Alabama offense on his way out -- and perhaps ensuring Bill Belichick can chase Don Shula's wins record in New England. The Patriots replacing Josh McDaniels with Matt Patricia will go down as one of the worst ideas in modern coaching history. Jones' QBR dropped nearly 15 points from 2021 to 2022. Waiver claim Matt Corral is now ahead of Bailey Zappe (practice squad) on the Pats' depth chart. Is a veteran en route?

Due to the injury history that altered multiple 49ers seasons, Jimmy Garoppolo fetched a deal in a bridge-QB tax bracket Geno Smith had recently created. Suffering injuries during the 2018, 2020, '21 and '22 seasons, Garoppolo still fetched $24.25 million per year. While Kyle Shanahan can be credited with much of the handsome QB's success, Garoppolo being back with Josh McDaniels -- his OC for three-plus years in New England -- represents a nice landing spot. The Raiders lost Jarrett Stidham to the Broncos, and given Garoppolo's injury history, the redshirt might need to come off fourth-round rookie Aidan O'Connell.

Kenny Pickett managed just seven touchdown passes in 13 games, but last year's lone first-round QB showed late-season growth. Pickett steered the Steelers to three straight victories to close the season, leading game-winning drives against the Raiders and Ravens. Pittsburgh was not the easiest watch last season, but the Pickett-George Pickens connection did intrigue. The Steelers will run it back with Pickett, OC Matt Canada and, rather than their usual Day 2 wideout draft pick, Allen Robinson alongside a Pickens-Diontae Johnson duo. The Steelers have generated late-summer buzz; how far can Pickett climb in an AFC QB gauntlet this season?

The Eagles bet upgrading the weaponry around a run-oriented quarterback would unleash him, and the Jalen Hurts-led team nearly won Super Bowl LVII. Justin Fields has a long way to go as a passer, and despite attempting just 318 throws, he took an NFL-most 55 sacks. GM Ryan Poles will bet on the Ryan Pace-era pick, and D.J. Moore is now in town to help the cause alongside Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool. Fields also would have likely broken Lamar Jackson's single-season QB rushing record had he played in Week 18. This is a high-variance situation, but the Bears' new regime is betting more Fields leaps are coming.

Moving more aggressively than a team has at QB in years, the Panthers will halt their brigade of post-Cam Newton stopgaps. Since the NFL settled on April for its draft in 1976, no team had acquired a No. 1 overall pick earlier in an offseason. And Carolina will turn into a 5-foot-10 passer who will likely weigh barely 190 pounds (his Combine bulk-up to 204 notwithstanding) in Week 1. But the 2021 Heisman winner brings a high floor to Carolina and carries reasonable upside when compared to Anthony Richardson's risky profile. Coming off a decent season in New Orleans, Andy Dalton represents a quality mentor type. Though, the veteran is unlikely to start barring a Young injury.

Ryan Tannehill is two years removed from piloting an injury-plagued Titans team to the AFC's No. 1 seed. He is four years removed from supplanting Marcus Mariota and averaging 9.6 yards per attempt -- still top 10 for a season all time -- ahead of a Tennessee run to an AFC title game. But the Titans have a new GM now. Ran Carthon tried to trade up in Round 1 and managed to land Will Levis at No. 33. Although Tannehill is 35 and in a contract year, it does not seem Levis or the overmatched Malik Willis are threats to unseat him anytime soon. But the Tennessee backup situation will be worth watching.

The 49ers' Mr. Irrelevant revelation made a swift recovery from UCL surgery. Brock Purdy is ready to continue his underdog story, but the 49ers did add Sam Darnold to a mix that no longer includes Trey Lance. The 49ers giving up on the 2021 No. 3 overall pick, whom the 2018 third pick usurped, represents a value disaster. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch built a roster so strong it has gotten by despite the trade-up debacle. Purdy staying on track could rescue this operation. It also is worth wondering if Darnold, whom Shanahan continually praised this summer, is a viable threat to start if Purdy regresses.

While it might not be book-worthy, Daniel Jones parlaying a 15-touchdown pass season into a $40 million-per-year contract -- with $82M guaranteed -- will warrant at least an oral history or two. Especially if the Giants' investment bombs. But Jones curtailed his turnover habit, leading the NFL in INT percentage, and piloted a Giants offense devoid of above-average receiving talent to the playoffs. The former No. 6 pick played efficiently in Brian Daboll's offense and will have better receivers -- the Giants have plenty of slot receiver-types -- and trade-get Darren Waller to target. Tyrod Taylor remaining at QB2 boosts this group's standing.

The behind-the-curtain numbers on Geno Smith's extension -- initially reported at three years for $105 million -- illustrated more about the Seahawks' faith here; only $27.3M is guaranteed. Still, Smith signed for just $3.5M last year and emerged from nowhere guide the Seahawks to a wild-card spot. While better in the first half of the season, the Comeback Player of the Year will have a chance to disprove fluke notions in 2023. If he does, the Seahawks have him locked into bridge-QB money through 2025. Anthony Richardson being on the board at No. 5 could have changed Seahawks history, but Drew Lock is back to work as Smith's caddy.

Broncos ownership lured Sean Payton, but the decision to extend Russell Wilson -- at the NFL's second-highest AAV at the time -- before he threw a pass in Denver limits the new coach. It is hard to overstate how disjointed the Broncos offense looked under the overmatched Nathaniel Hackett, who played a lead role in Wilson's shockingly shaky season. Payton has not given Wilson the autonomy Hackett did, and the coach that turned Drew Brees from inconsistent Charger to Saints superstar will likely help Wilson rebound. O-line upgrades and still-untapped receiving potential await, but if the possible Hall of Famer's prime has truly ended, Jarrett Stidham awaits while Payton plots his next move.

Continually refusing to peg Jared Goff as a stopgap, the Lions have given the player they once added reluctantly -- as the throw-in piece in the Matthew Stafford swap -- a quality foundation. Goff, who began his Lions career 0-9-1, finished fifth in QBR last season and has an O-line returning en masse and OC Ben Johnson back as well. This will be a pivotal year for Goff's earning potential, as he tumbled into contract-albatross territory after two strong years under Sean McVay. Detroit may give rehabbing third-rounder Hendon Hooker a true redshirt, as late-summer pickup Teddy Bridgewater comes in for another backup gig.

Derek Carr commanded nearly double the guaranteed money Garoppolo received, and the ex-Raider's health helped convince the Saints to bet on a reliably average -- and occasionally good -- passer going into his 10th season. New Orleans guaranteed Carr $60 million. Certainly not the bargain Andy Dalton was at $3M, Carr will play behind a better O-line in New Orleans. The AFC-tilted quarterback imbalance, at least, helps Carr now as well. But this was a steep payment. Carr did pilot a flawed Raiders team to the 2021 playoffs and is two years removed from back-to-back top-11 QBR finishes. Jameis Winston also sits as a nice backup.

This ranking is not about the contract, which the Browns restructured to help them now (eye-popping cap mid-2020s cap hits be damned). Watson did lead the NFL in passing yards during his last full season as a starter (2020), but so much has changed since then. Although the Browns gave Watson no financial incentive to prove his greatness, via the $230 million guaranteed, the 27-year-old QB needs to rebound after a sluggish start in Cleveland. The Browns still roster a top-five O-line and added Elijah Moore via trade. The team has also seen enough from rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson it unloaded would-be backup Josh Dobbs. That was a bit surprising.

Matthew Stafford proved the missing piece for McVay's perennially all-in team, lifting the Rams to their second Super Bowl title. Stafford earned his $40 million-per-year extension, a slight discount that helped the team give Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp raises. Everything combusted in 2022, and Stafford red flags emerged. The elbow trouble he battled in the offseason preceded a spinal cord contusion during a disastrous Rams slate. Stafford remaining on L.A.'s roster in March locked in $57M in additional guarantees, including his 2024 base salary. The Rams will need to protect their QB better in 2023, as soon-to-be 26-year-old rookie Stetson Bennett is now positioned as the backup.

One of the league's lightning-rod passers, Tua Tagovailoa displayed franchise-caliber talent armed with Tyreek Hill in Mike McDaniel's offense. Tua ranked third in QBR, led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.9) and sported a 25-8 TD-INT ratio despite finishing just 12 games. But the NFL's lone southpaw starter came into the league with injury trouble and has not shaken it. Tagovailoa's two- or three-concussion slate defined his third season, which otherwise went according to plan, and clouds his NFL future. Tua's backup (Mike White) has also been injury-prone, but the ex-Mike LaFleur pupil should translate well into McDaniel's offense.

Accomplishment-wise, the Vikings should not be listed ahead of the Rams. But, as Stafford's durability has waned, Kirk Cousins has continued to suit up. The Vikings starter has not missed a game due to injury during his five-year Minnesota run. Cousins has provided enough evidence he will top out at the "good" level, but the immobile talent keeps putting up numbers for a Vikings team that has been unable to land a better option. The soon-to-be 35-year-old passer did finish with his worst QBR figure as a Viking in 2022, and a failure to outgun Daniel Jones enhanced skeptics' talking points regarding big-stage shortcomings. 

Dak Prescott led the league in INTs last season, despite missing five games, but again quarterbacked the Cowboys to the playoffs -- before slicing up a top-10 Buccaneers defense. Dallas has equipped the former Offensive Rookie of the Year with Brandin Cooks -- to go with CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Tony Pollard -- and brought back Cooper Rush, after the six-year Dak backup kept the team afloat during Prescott's thumb-driven absence. This setup suggests a bounce-back effort is probable. Will the Cowboys regret axing Kellen Moore to install Mike McCarthy as play-caller?

As no team wanted to follow the Browns in giving a quarterback a Watson-like guarantee, Jackson "settled" for a traditional extension after Jalen Hurts' deal laid the groundwork. The Ravens also have given the former MVP the best receiving corps of his career, adding Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers to the mix. Injury questions engulf Baltimore's offense; Jackson's health is front and center. Jackson has missed 11 games over the past two seasons. Jackson's 727 carries are in another stratosphere compared to other QBs through five years, and his skillset will almost definitely lead to a shorter career compared to his superstar peers. But the Ravens are pot-committed now. 

Aaron Rodgers is entering the AFC at one of its highest peaks for quarterback talent. The step Trevor Lawrence made in 2022, after an Urban Meyer-restrained nightmare of a rookie season, could soon propel him onto the Joe Burrow-Josh Allen tier. Lawrence threw 12 TD passes as a rookie -- during a season in which his 17 INTs led the NFL -- and tossed 25 last season, a campaign that included three fourth-quarter comebacks. Those came ahead of the third-greatest playoff rally ever. Lawrence (feat. come-with guy C.J. Beathard) will also have Calvin Ridley to target next season, adding to a talented pass-catcher stable. Ingredients are here for another leap.

Patrick Mahomes would not have been a runaway MVP had Jalen Hurts plays all 17 games. The voters docked the Eagles QB for missed time just as they did Carson Wentz in 2017. Hurts, however, outplayed the face of the NFL in Super Bowl LVII to punctuate his breakthrough season. And, four years after the Eagles extended Wentz, they rewarded his replacement with a monster contract. Hurts' skillset has created nine-yard first-down scenarios for the Eagles, whose rugby sneak remains legal, but the progression he made as a passer with A.J. Brown on the roster represents a more important development. Mariota's skillset resembles Hurts' more closely than Minshew's. How much with the Eagles miss Shane Steichen?

The Jets and Packers closed a complex Aaron Rodgers trade process, producing an eerily similar ending compared to 2008. The Jets gave up far more for Rodgers than they did for Brett Favre, who cost only a third-round pick, but they have their coveted QB upgrade. Rodgers' vendetta spree and thin-skinned reputation will be tabloid gold, but the Jets employ a four-time MVP at a discount compared to what a trade would have cost in 2021 or '22. With the aid of HBO, Rodgers has done his best to change the narrative after his antics overshadowed his play from 2021-22. Baggage aside, going from the Zach Wilson-Mike White-Joe Flacco platter to an all-time great will be transformative for the Jets. 

As Rodgers becomes part of the equation, AFC teams without top-caliber QBs will struggle to gain divisional-round access. The Chargers have one of the best and have given Justin Herbert a record-setting extension, though his rookie contract period did not produce success as his conference peers' early-career spurts did. Hindered by a rib injury last season, Herbert still checks every box. He will now work with Kellen Moore, who will hope the Bolts can keep Keenan Allen and Mike Williams healthy for extended stretches. Another jump from Herbert, the AFC's Pro Bowl starter when last fully healthy, could shake up the conference's ruling class. 

The Bengals' O-line injuries last season likely denied the team a repeat Super Bowl berth. Burrow played behind one of the worst O-lines in Super Bowl history in 2021 and had his team on the doorstep of winning a title on the road. The Bengals maintaining success without Ja'Marr Chase for a period last year and coming within a late hit of overtime at Arrowhead -- despite missing three O-line starters -- made a sufficient argument the team has found a franchise-changing piece. Burrow has a winning record against Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen and should have better protection in 2023, thanks to ex-Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. changing sides.

Undoubtedly affected by the elbow injury that moved him off the MVP perch in October, Allen still fired at least 35 TD passes for a third straight season and eclipsed 5,000 total yards. In a tiebreaker of sorts, Allen's $43 million-per-year contract will be team-friendlier than Burrow's next deal, and the sixth-year do-it-all talent has eclipsed 1,500 rushing yards over the past two seasons. The Bills went 17 seasons without a playoff berth this century; with Allen, they have stampeded to three straight AFC East titles. The team is too reliant on Allen in the run game, but the 6-foot-5 superstar's athleticism is an incredible weapon in tight spots. 

Roster-wise, the 2022 Chiefs did not match the Eagles or 49ers; the Bengals and Bills probably had the eventual champions outflanked as well. Kansas City's plan would have unraveled without Travis Kelce, but the team trading Tyreek Hill and still winning it all creates separation between Patrick Mahomes and his rivals. The two-time MVP has vaulted onto his own tier during one of the QB position's zeniths, and with Andy Reid running this operation, the Chiefs' roster does not have to stack up evenly with the competition. This is one of the best QB-HC combos in NFL history. Blaine Gabbert, a Missouri alum whom Chad Henne once replaced in Jacksonville, will now be on standby if Mahomes needs another short hiatus.