The key to success in today’s NFL for any team looking to bring home a Lombardi Trophy is constant excellence and efficiency at the quarterback position. Teams that are able to find that gem at signal-caller are usually the squad that has extended seasons deep into January.
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar revealed his top-11 signal-callers in the NFL and the Eagles all-world quarterback Carson Wentz made the list, landing at No. 11.
In early June, the Eagles signed Wentz to a four-year, $128 million contract extension with over $107 million in guarantees that will ostensibly keep him with the team through 2014. Based on performance, there’s nothing wrong with that—with Wentz, the issue has been more about availability. He suffered season-ending injuries in both 2017 and 2018, but when on the field, he’s had more than enough franchise-defining moments to make the deal a must for general manager Howie Roseman and his staff.
Wentz placement on the list is unquestioned but there’s sure to be some debate to him coming in at No. 11 behind Brown’s second-year signal-caller, Baker Mayfield. As a rookie, Mayfield was dynamic and make the Browns relevant up until the final week of the regular season. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Mayfield completed 63.8% of his passes as a rookie and will now have Odell Beckham Jr. at his disposal.
The fandom for Mayfield is deserved, but he’s not better than Carson Wentz, who passed for 3,074 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 11 games before being sidelined with a fracture in his back. As Farrar reported, Wentz is tied for fifth in NFL history in combined passer rating behind Russell Wilson, Dan Marino, Dak Prescott, and Jared Goff after his first three seasons.
Wentz will enter the 2019 season as a favorite to win NFL MVP and there are two are three other signal callers on the list who Wentz who have been ranked ahead.
