Every NFL Team's QB Situation Ranked
- Aaron Ussery
- Jun 16, 2022
- 15 min read
Updated: Jun 16, 2023
Every NFL Team's QB Situation Ranked
Written by: Aaron Ussery
Heading into training camp, now is a great time to check in on the state of each team's overall roster. Below I rank all 32 teams' current quarterback situations from the worst to best. Read below to see who finds themselves in rough seas and who can look forward to smooth sailing at the game's most important position.
32. Seattle Seahawks
Depth Chart
1) Geno Smith
2) Drew Lock
3) Jacob Eason
I wavered a bit between Seattle and Carolina for the bottom spot, but in the end I had to go with Pete Carrol and crew. If the year is 2022 and Geno Smith is listed as your starting QB during training camp, then your situation is not great. Lock is younger and certainly has better arm talent, but we've all seen how well that's served him thus far in his career. Eason couldn't hang on with the Colts after being taken as a 4th round pick just two years ago, which certainly isn't a good sign given how desperate Indy has been for a long term franchise QB.
31. Carolina Panthers
Depth Chart
1) Sam Darnold
2) Matt Corral
3) P.J. Walker
Things aren't much better in Charlotte. Darnold remains the favorite to start despite a supremely disappointing 2021 season. Walker is back for year three with the team, despite not having shown much in his opportunities thus far. Corral offers a modicum of hope as an unknown rookie with some enticing talent, which is ultimately what keeps Carolina out of the bottom spot. But this whole situation is still looking pretty grim. Just ask Robbie Anderson...
30. Houston Texans
Depth Chart
1) Davis Mills
2) Kyle Allen
3) Jeff Driskel
Mills is the unquestioned 2022 starter, after showing some nice flashes as a rookie. But those flashes still came with a lot of growing pains, and the team's confidence in him may have more to do with the Texans being under little-to-no pressure to win right now as opposed to how good he actually is as a player. Allen and Driskel are low-rent journeyman players at this point, with each now being on their third team. Whichever one wins the backup job feels irrelevant, as neither one inspires confidence.
29. New York Giants
Depth Chart
1) Daniel Jones
2) Tyrod Taylor
3) Davis Webb
The tea leaves are clear: 2022 is Daniel Jones' last chance to prove himself as the Giants' franchise QB. He'll be running a new (hopefully better) offensive scheme that may help him improve, but his turnover issues are still a huge concern and until I see tangible proof that those are gone I can't have much faith in him. Taylor has had a great career as a low end starter/high end backup, but injuries have been a problem for him lately and you have to wonder if his body will hold up if he's forced to play. Webb is 27 and has still never thrown a single NFL pass.
28. Atlanta Falcons
Depth Chart
1) Marcus Mariota
2) Desmond Ridder
3) Feliepe Franks
Mariota is a great bridge solution, but certainly doesn't elevate this team's chances for success. With his injury history, you also figure that we're going to see Ridder on the field at some point this season. His leadership, arm strength, and mobility are all big positives, but his accuracy problems are very real and unlikely to suddenly disappear in the NFL. Franks was a UDFA last season and is reportedly being groomed for a QB/TE "hybrid role," which is certainly intriguing but does little to raise the ceiling for this position group.
27. Detroit Lions
Depth Chart
1) Jared Goff
2) Tim Boyle
3) David Blough
It's Jared Goff once again in 2022, which isn't terribly exciting but was ultimately the correct decision given where the team is at in its process. He'll at least have some splashier weapons to work with this time around, with the additions of DJ Chark and Jameson Williams. The backup spots remain exactly the same as well, with Boyle and Blough both returning to compete for the job. Consistency at the QB position is nice to have when you are a young, ascending roster, but it's still hard to justify putting this group too much higher than this.
26. San Francisco 49ers
Depth Chart
1) Trey Lance
2) Nate Sudfeld
3) Brock Purdy
This might seem surprisingly low to 49er fans, but you'll note a certain name missing from the depth chart. This ranking was done with the assumption that Jimmy Garoppolo is not a member of this team in 2022, which looks to be how things are trending. If that's the case then... they better hope Trey Lance is good. He's obviously a rare physical talent, but still very unproven. Sudfeld is slated as the likely backup if Jimmy G leaves town, which is an absolutely terrifying thought. The only player besides him is Purdy, who was taken with the final pick of the 2022 Draft and projects to me as a likely practice squad player.
25. Washington Commanders
Depth Chart
1) Carson Wentz
2) Taylor Heinicke
3) Sam Howell
Once again, Washington finds itself bogged down with an uninspiring QB situation. Wentz offers more physical upside than any starter the team has had in years, but his play has been erratic for two straight seasons now. You just can't feel good about a former number two overall pick who now suddenly finds himself on his third team in three years. We've likely seen the litmus of what the team can be with Heinicke at the helm, but it's at least enough to feel comfortable about him as a backup option if Wentz falters again. Howell is a fun wildcard, but coming from the Phil Longo offense in college he will likely need at least a year before he's ready to see the field.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
Depth Chart
1) Mitchell Trubisky
2) Kenny Pickett
3) Mason Rudolph
Trubisky is listed as the current starter, and while it's whimsical to imagine him improving his game outside the context of a Matt Nagy offense, let's not expect the guy to suddenly become Matthew Stafford. The team took Pickett for a reason, having liked him enough to make him this year's only first round QB selection despite some serious issues with his footwork and ball placement. Rudolph has shown what he's shown, and likely will never be considered anything more than a QB3 option for the remainder of his career.
23. Chicago Bears
Depth Chart
1) Justin Fields
2) Trevor Siemian
3) Nathan Peterman
The sentiment is the same virtually everywhere: Justin Fields isn't currently in a good position to succeed with the Bears. It's true that he is still lacking weapons or a decent offensive line, which you worry may stunt his growth as a player. But I still can't bring myself look past his absolutely insane talent. With a different regime calling the shots, Fields could still have less obstacles to success in 2022 despite few improvements being made to the roster around him. Siemian has been around for awhile now, and could definitely serve as a good mentor/backup to Fields. I'm not sure what I can say about Peterman that the internet hasn't already said a million times at this point...
22. New York Jets
Depth Chart
1) Zach Wilson
2) Joe Flacco
3) Mike White
Wilson struggled mightily as a rookie last season, but showed some signs of improvement later in the year after returning from his knee injury. It remains to be seen what another offseason of preparation can do for him, but his mobility and insane arm talent both remain. Flacco is well past his prime at this point, but offers a stable presence behind a young QB. White took NFL Twitter by storm last October when he put on an absolutely out-of-nowhere passing clinic against the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals. He, of course, did not maintain that level of play in subsequent starts -- but he still showed enough to make you feel good about him as the team's QB3.
21. New Orleans Saints
Depth Chart
1) Jameis Winston
2) Andy Dalton
3) Ian Book
Now that the Taysom Hill experiment has mercifully come to an end, Winston steps into his first offseason as the Saints' unquestioned starting QB. He looked good last season prior to his ACL injury, which will be a lingering question throughout the offseason as he works back from it. Dalton showed last year that he can longer be leaned on as a starter, but should still be considered a decent backup option if something happens to Winston again. Book saw some action as a rookie last year. It wasn't pretty.
20. New England Patriots
Depth Chart
1) Mac Jones
2) Brian Hoyer
3) Bailey Zappe
Jones, as we all know, performed the best of every rookie QB last season -- even making his way to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. While he certainly looks to have a solid career ahead of him, we should temper our expectations about what he is. There were times last season where the Patriots clearly did not feel comfortable putting the game in his hands (see: Monday Night against Buffalo). Jones is a fine player, but his ceiling is limited. It's as simple as that. Behind him, Hoyer is a trustworthy mentor, but not someone you feel good about if he has to start. Zappe was a head scratcher as a 4th round pick back in May, but does comes into the league with a track record of outstanding production in college.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
Depth Chart
1) Trevor Lawrence
2) CJ Beathard
3) Jake Luton
Yeah so the first year definitely didn't go as planned for Lawrence and the Jags, but at least now Urban Meyer is nothing more than a deeply unpleasant memory. New coach Doug Pederson comes to Duval County with a strong history of QB development, and should help the talented second year passer take a step forward in 2022. Behind Lawrence, Beathard is the most experienced player but doesn't quite fill the niche as a reliable backup and mentor. Plus, he's already dealing with a groin injury. Luton returns to the team after some brief stints in Miami and Seattle, but his career stat line of 2 touchdowns to 6 interceptions doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
18. Philadelphia Eagles
Depth Chart
1) Jalen Hurts
2) Gardner Minshew
3) Carson Strong
Hurts remains the guy after showing some improvement in 2021. He still has a big step forward that he needs to take if he wants to remain the Eagles QB for the long haul, however. It's hard to forget how utterly unafraid the Buccaneers defense looked to be of his arm during their wildcard round romp over Philly back in January. Behind Hurts is Minshew, who is probably one of the best backup QBs you could currently have. He has tons of starting experience, and has shown serious playmaking ability despite a lack of consistency or high-end traits. Strong was a UDFA out of Nevada, and is a fascinating third option. If he can manage to work through his current knee injuries, the arm talent he possesses could take him far.
17. Miami Dolphins
Depth Chart
1) Tua Tagovailoa
2) Teddy Bridgewater
3) Skyler Thompson
The team has made this offseason all about supporting Tagovailoa, from the head coaching hire to the offseason acquisitions of All Pro players like Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead. The third year QB remains a question mark, but the new offense he'll be running coupled with the improvements around him have the vibes in Miami currently feeling very positive. Bridgewater is a perfect backup for Tua, but the terrifying concussion he suffered at the end of last season raises some concerns about whether or not he should even continue playing. The team also apparently has liked what they've seen so far from Thompson, enough to apparently make them feel comfortable cutting veteran Chris Streveler following rookie minicamps.
16. Tennessee Titans
Depth Chart
1) Ryan Tannehill
2) Malik Willis
3) Logan Woodside
Tannehill regressed demonstrably last season, and now faces the prospect of carrying on without his favorite weapon in AJ Brown. The arrow is definitely trending down for him, but he's still shown enough as a starter to make the team feel good about being able to win with him for at least another season. Willis is an exciting project, but is at least a year away from being ready to see NFL action. Woodside has never thrown a single NFL pass.
15. Cleveland Browns
Depth Chart
1) Kirk Cousins
2) Sean Mannion
3) Kellen Mond
Cousins continues to flit around the "above average" tier of QB play. He's been a much better player in recent seasons than what he gets credit for, but the team just hasn't won enough games. A new offense led by coach Kevin O'Connell may be the shake up Cousins and the Vikings need. Beyond Cousins, things are grim. Mannion has been in the league since 2015, and has only thrown a single touchdown pass (to two interceptions). Mond didn't seem to impress much last season either, as former coach Mike Zimmer made blatantly apparent.
14. Cleveland Browns
Depth Chart
1) Deshaun Watson
2) Jacoby Brissett
3) Joshua Dobbs
This is obviously a difficult one to discuss. I'll be honest, part of me wanted to put the Browns dead last in the rankings. I'll leave them here for now, but the entire situation with Watson is an atrocious mess and I have absolutely no clue how it will play out. If he plays, then the Browns have a good QB. If he doesn't, then they'll need to rely on Jacoby Brissett, as Baker Mayfield is most certainly not going to play for them ever again. Dobbs is fine as far as third string options go, but hasn't thrown an NFL pass since the 2020 season.
13. Las Vegas Raiders
Depth Chart
1) Derek Carr
2) Nick Mullens
3) Jarrett Stidham
Derek Carr remains the definition of good, not great. Much will be expected from him in 2022 with Davante Adams now in the fold alongside Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. Behind him is Nick Mullens, who the team should remember well after having been on the receiving end of his jaw-dropping debut back in 2018. Of course, Mullens has never matched that success since but has at least shown enough to be counted on as a backup. Stidham follows new coach Josh McDaniels over from New England, where he posted a passer rating of just 46.4 in eight games over three years.
12. Los Angeles Rams
Depth Chart
1) Matthew Stafford
2) John Wolford
3) Bryce Perkins
Stafford made people forget all about a very up-and-down 2021 regular season with a string of solid playoff performances en-route to a Super Bowl victory. He remains a very, very good player but you'd figure Sean McVay and company are hoping to see a bit more consistency out of him this season. Wolford has the team's trust as their primary backup, for better or for worse. He's got a few starts to his name, but leaving him there as the main emergency QB still feels like playing with fire to me.
11. Dallas Cowboys
Depth Chart
1) Dak Prescott
2) Cooper Rush
3) Will Grier/Ben DiNucci
Prescott has struggled with injury in recent seasons, but remains one of the best QBs in the NFL. And right now, with the exception of probably just Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, there may not be a better QB before the snap. Another offseason removed from his gruesome 2020 leg injury should help him get further back on track. Behind him is Rush, who actually performed quite well in a spot start last season against the Vikings. Grier was claimed off waivers last fall, and will battle it out with DiNucci for the QB3 job. Doesn't really matter who wins that one, to be honest.
10. Indianapolis Colts
Depth Chart
1) Matt Ryan
2) Nick Foles
3) Sam Ehlinger
Ryan will be the fourth new QB for the Colts in the four years since Andrew Luck's retirement back in 2019. He stands a good chance of being the best one they've had thus far, as he remained a very effective player all the way through to his final season in Atlanta last year. Foles being brought in to back him up creates a very experienced and accomplished duo at the helm of what is an otherwise very young, but still very talented team. Sam Ehlinger is also here.
9. Arizona Cardinals
Depth Chart
1) Kyler Murray
2) Colt McCoy
3) Trace McSorley
It hasn't been a smooth offseason for Murray and the Cardinals, beset by contract frustration and trade rumors. You figure that they'll get something done in the end. Murray has largely been a dynamic player when on the field, but staying healthy has been a difficult task for him so far. Given his small stature and how much mobility matters for his game, you do have to wonder about his longevity. Speaking of longevity, Colt McCoy is somehow back for his 12th season in the NFL. He's been one of the most reliable backup QBs in the league for some time now, and was very affective for Arizona when forced into action last season.
8. Denver Broncos
Depth Chart
1) Russell Wilson
2) Brett Rypien
3) Josh Johnson
Wilson's arrival obvious raises the Broncos' overall ceiling as a team. He should still be considered one of the league's best QBs, despite dealing with injury and bouts of inconsistency over the past few seasons. Things aren't great behind him, however. Rypien is the likely QB2 and has one just start to his name, a middling output back in 2020 against the Jets on Thursday night football. Johnson has a ton of experience, but at 36 years old he isn't someone you want seeing any game action at this point. On the plus side, he's played for basically every team in the NFL.
7. Green Bay Packers
Depth Chart
1) Aaron Rodgers
2) Jordan Love
3) Kurt Benkert
Rodgers has, as we know, won back-to-back MVP awards the past two seasons. That timeline also overlaps with Love's tenure with the team. So obviously, these two have a great thing going with each other. In all seriousness, Rodgers is still great but some regression does feel inevitable when you consider his age and the fact that Davante Adams just left town. Love didn't show very much in his one start last season, but the reports from OTAs so far indicate there may be some improvement. Benkert was a practice squad player last season, and will likely be the same in 2022.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
Depth Chart
1) Joe Burrow
2) Brandon Allen
3) Jake Browning
Burrow cemented himself as one of the best QBs in the league last season, coming back from a torn ACL and leading the Bengals to the very cusp of a Super Bowl victory. It'll be difficult to get back there in 2022, but he certainly has the confidence and the playmaking instinct to give the team a fighting chance. Allen has been with the team as Burrow's backup since 2020, during which time he's thrown 10 TDs to 6 interceptions for a decent 77.6 passer rating. Browning has never seen any game action in the NFL since entering the league in 2019.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
Depth Chart
1) Justin Herbert
2) Chase Daniel
3) Easton Stick
Herbert has taken the league by storm since his rookie season in 2020, showcasing incredible arm talent and poise from the second he stepped onto the field. With another season learning OC Joe Lombardi's offense, the expectations are incredibly high for him in 2022. Daniel is back for another season as the team's backup QB, a role that he has utterly perfected. Stick has attempted exactly one pass so far in his NFL career, but the team likes him and will probably keep him on the active roster throughout the season once again.
4. Baltimore Ravens
Depth Chart
1) Lamar Jackson
2) Tyler Huntley
3) Brett Hundley
Jackson recently reported to Ravens camp in the midst of his contract negotiations with the team. While injuries -- not just to him but to nearly the entire offense -- set him back a bit in 2021, he remains the NFL's most dangerous dual threat QB. Behind him is Tyler Huntley, who played so well in relief of Jackson last season that many fans are already making a case for him as a potential starter once he hits free agency next offseason. Hundley (with a "d") is the team's QB3 for now. He comes with eight years of NFL experience, but hasn't thrown a pass in a game since 2019.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Depth Chart
1) Tom Brady
2) Blaine Gabbert
3) Kyle Trask
After a brief retirement, Brady is back for one more go 'round the Tampa Bay sun. His decision to return means that the best QB of all time will be steering the ship once more, which is enough to put Tampa in the top three. Gabbert obviously isn't a starting caliber player, but the team trusts him as the backup and he's got a decade plus of experience. The two veterans sit in front of 2021 second round pick Kyle Trask, who will get another year of grooming.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
Depth Chart
1) Patrick Mahomes
2) Chad Henne
3) Shane Buechele
Guys like Josh Allen and Justin Herbert are nipping at his heels, but Mahomes still has to be considered the best QB in the NFL right now. The offense may look a bit different this year with no Tyreek Hill in the picture, but I don't expect the sixth year vet's play to tail off as a result. And be honest, neither do you. Dude's good. If, gods forbid, something happens to him then Chad Henne will have to take the reins. That's not exactly ideal when you consider that Henne is going to be 37 this season and has thrown less than 60 NFL passes over the last seven years. Buechele is an unknown, but did see some time on the active roster last season after getting elevated off the practice squad. There's a chance he can develop into Mahomes primary backup over the coming years.
1. Buffalo Bills
Depth Chart
1) Josh Allen
2) Case Keenum
3) Matt Barkley
While I do still lean towards Mahomes, a compelling case can be made for Allen as the game's best QB right now as well. There's certainly nothing Mahomes can do from a physical standpoint that Allen can't, but it's tough to argue with the former's list of accomplishments. Allen will get there, but it's still a bit too early for me. With that said, the Bills still have the superior QB room as a whole. The addition of Keenum plays a big part in that. With him in the fold, the Bills have a backup QB who has proven he can win meaningful games with a talented roster around him. He'll certainly have that in Buffalo, so even if something were to happen to Allen the Bills may still have a decent chance at a playoff birth. Barkley has settled in as the team's QB3 mainly due to his mentorship of Allen, but the value that provides should not be discounted.
Comments