In last week’s QB Watch, we ranked the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL. So it’s only natural to do the flip side this week — the league’s best starting QBs.
Let’s set out the ground rules. This is not a lifetime achievement award, although the overall body of work for veterans such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers does play a role. It’s also not based exclusively on Week 9 performances. This is based in the here and now. In other words, it’s based mostly on what the quarterbacks have done this season.
With that in mind, here are the seven best starting quarterbacks in the NFL today:
7. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Watson, 24, blossomed last year in his second NFL season. And he has only continued to grow this year. Watson has thrown for 2,432 yards and 18 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. More importantly, the Texans are 6-3 and looking like a team that could do some damage in the postseason.
6. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Brees easily could be No. 1 on this list if he had been playing all season. But he missed five games with a thumb injury, so his numbers are miniscule (781 passing yards and five touchdowns). Brees is healthy again, and his numbers will jump dramatically over the rest of the season as long as he remains healthy. At 40, Brees has plenty of ability left, and the fact that Teddy Bridgewater stepped in and went 5-0 has the Saints and Brees poised for a deep playoff run. People always talk about New England’s Bill Belichick and Tom Brady being the best coach-quarterback combination, and that’s difficult to argue against. But, if you’re talking only about offense, I’ll take Sean Payton and Brees.
5. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
The league’s MVP in 2011 and 2014 is back playing at that level again. A lot of it has to do with the fact he’s got a new coach in Matt LaFleur. It has been well documented that Rodgers and previous coach Mike McCarthy didn’t see eye to eye for the past few years. But Rodgers seems to have bought into LaFleur. Sunday’s 161-yard passing performance in a loss to the Chargers notwithstanding, his numbers on the season (2,485 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions) are impressive no matter how you frame them.
4. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
It’s tough to rank a guy with six Super Bowl rings No. 4 on any list. But remember, this isn’t a lifetime achievement award. Brady, 42, still is an elite quarterback. He’s thrown for 2,536 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He’s still the quarterback I would want if my team was trailing with less than two minutes left. It’s entirely possible he’ll win his seventh Super Bowl this year. Brady isn’t slipping. It’s just that the next generation is catching up to him.
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
In the final minutes of Sunday’s victory against New England, fans at M&T Bank Stadium started chanting “MVP, MVP, MVP’’ It was in reference to Jackson, who is only 22 and in his first full season as a starter. But fans of the Ravens had a valid point.
“That’s our MVP, and that’s the league’s MVP, no doubt about,” Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews said. “A guy like that, you can’t replace. He’s just special.’’
The Ravens won’t be replacing Jackson anytime soon. They hope he’s their quarterback for the next decade or so. The team took a huge leap of faith when it handed Jackson the starting job and let veteran Joe Flacco leave. That move has paid off, and not only because Jackson led the Ravens to victory against previously unbeaten New England — throwing for a touchdown and running for two more. Jackson is the top dual-threat quarterback in the league. On the season, he’s thrown for 12 touchdowns and 1,813 yards while rushing for 637 yards and five touchdowns.
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The reigning MVP sat out the last two games with a knee injury, but is expected to return soon. You can’t penalize a guy too much for missing time with an injury, but Mahomes could jump right to the front of this list with a few good performances once he returns. He already was off to a strong start before the injury, throwing for 2,180 yards and 15 touchdowns with just one interception. If Mahomes keeps playing the way he did last year and earlier this season, he’s going to be a Hall of Famer.
1. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
If the season ended today, Wilson likely would be the Most Valuable Player. He’s having a season for the ages and has been nearly flawless, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 2,505 yards with 22 touchdowns and only one interception. And he’s doing it for a team that coaches say uses a run-first offense. That’s not really true. Wilson is the heart and soul of this team and the main reason the Seahawks are 7-2. While these rankings are not based entirely on the last game, it must be noted that Wilson threw a career-high five touchdowns Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
