Every year, NFL analyst Mike Sando, who now writes for the Athletic after moving on from ESPN, asks a group of league executives and coaches to place every starting quarterback into tiers. The result is a tiered ranking of NFL signal-callers, and it’s a must-read every offseason.
Not only do the execs and coaches rank the quarterbacks, they offer their takes on each guy. Every year we get a bunch of scalding hot takes, and 2019 was no different. You can read the entire ranking over at the Athletic (subscription required) but I’ve gone through it and pulled out the best anonymous quotes…
On Aaron Rodgers
“Rodgers is the only one that can do everything with the least talent,” a different defensive coordinator said. “Brady makes Tier 1 decisions but cannot carry the team in the same way. New England has the system and the running game. Put all the other quarterbacks on that (Packers) team and who do you think would succeed? Not many.”
Fair? It’s hard to say it’s not fair when Rodgers hasn’t quite been himself for the last few years. The talent is still there (obviously) but he’s missing more and more throws as the years go on. Maybe a new system will reinvigorate Rodgers and get him back to playing at an MVP level. But until we see it, it’s fair to question whether Rodgers is still in the “The NFL’s Best QB” conversation.
On Ben Roethlisberger
“He is getting older and cannot carry it like that anymore,” a defensive coordinator said. “They have to have a run game. He is a winner and he can throw the ball and he is great for them, but I just don’t know if you fear him every week because he doesn’t read coverages like the rest of them. Ben can beat you when he’s got help.”
Fair? Somewhat. Roethlisberger is still a quarterback capable of carrying a team but only to a certain extent. He’s not the thrower he once was, and he does make mistakes the other top-flight guys don’t.
On Kirk Cousins
“The world is going to pick Kirk Cousins over Case Keenum, but both are system guys to me,” a GM said. “I get concerned with him when it counts.”
Fair? For the anti-Cousins gang — of which I’m a member — this is hilarious to read, but it’s not really accurate. Look, Cousins is overpaid, but, strictly in terms of ability, he’s miles ahead of Keenum. He’s more accurate, has a better arm and sees the field more clearly. Keenum is better under pressure but that doesn’t make up for the gap in other areas.
On Nick Foles/Carson Wentz
“I respect the s— out of Foles,” one of these coaches said. “I would have rather played Carson Wentz last year. I just felt like Foles didn’t make the mistakes that Wentz made on film. I do not know if that was just Wentz coming off the ACL, but Foles is just confident, and I also thought he spread the ball around better.”
Fair? No. Not at all. Foles has been more mistake-prone throughout his career — as evidenced by a higher career interception percentage — and doesn’t make half the plays Wentz does. It’s clear who the better quarterback is, and this coach is out of his mind if he’d rather play a paint-by-numbers quarterback like Foles.
On Derek Carr
Carr inspired three voters to cite specific plays they had witnessed or heard about that they thought reflected poorly on Carr’s ability to lead the team.
- Voter No. 1: “He throws one against the Chargers — fourth down, he threw the ball away, just gave them the ball. It was the darndest thing I’ve ever seen. I think that drives (Jon) Gruden crazy. And he misses way too many throws.”
- Voter No. 2: “Watch the last 2:30 of their game against Indy. He was just flinching in the pocket. (The Colts) were not even pressuring. It was like he had conceded the game.”
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Voter No. 3: “The Chiefs game, he throws a pick-six and the guy (Jared Cook) isn’t even running the route. It was, ‘What the f—?’”
Fair? Yes. 100%. Anyone who has studied Carr in-depth will tell you the same things. He’s not strong in the pocket and will take the safe option even if it doesn’t improve the team’s chances of winning. The man threw away a pass on fourth down. That tells you everything you need to know.
On Eli Manning
“I have a feeling Eli is going to do better than what people think,” a head coach said. “We can give him a 3 till he proves it, but I think he is more of a 2. Getting rid of that receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.) is a big thing. I think that guy was a (problem), but that is my own feeling.”
Fair? Eli and Dave Gettleman would probably agree, but there is very little evidence supporting this take. Both Manning’s tape and numbers are both subpar and they figure to get even worse without Beckham on the field. The Giants will not be better off without one of the best receivers in the league. This take is pure nonsense.
On Marcus Mariota
“I don’t think he is confident, and he doesn’t make the tight throws,” this coach said. “Against guys like him, I tell my guys, ‘If we make them drive the length of the field, they’ll f— it up. Just make him go the whole way.’”
Fair? Absolutely. Mariota struggles with his accuracy and takes a little longer to see receivers getting open. That leads to drive-killing incompletions and sacks that stall an offense. Barring a big step forward from the fifth-year pro, the Titans will be in the market for a new quarterback next offseason.
On Ryan Fitzpatrick
“Fitzy is — I want to play against Fitz!” a head coach said. “He don’t give a s—. He goes in, tears it up and then just falls off the map. For a Harvard guy, he does some crazy s—.”
Fair? I mean, yeah … we’ve all seen Fitzpatrick play. He went to Harvard, and people typically assume that makes him a “smart QB,” but smart QBs do not make the mistakes Fitzpatrick routinely makes.
On Josh Rosen
“He can throw the ball,” an offensive coach said, “but you watch his games at UCLA, and when there is pressure, there (are) people around him, he really struggles to play quarterback. There are a lot of guys who can make it look pretty in a perfect situation.”
Fair? This one is hard to judge. Yes, statistically, Rosen struggled against pressure, but he was facing pressure almost immediately and his receivers struggled to get opened. It’s hard to properly evaluate quarterbacks who aren’t given a chance to succeed. Another anonymous exec said as much in defense of Rosen.
You can read Sando’s entire QB tiers piece here. It is well worth your time.
