With some downtime before training camp, we will be ranking each positional group in the AFC West entering the 2019 season to gear you up for the upcoming campaign.
To kick things off, we rank the five best quarterbacks in the division.
No. 5, Tyrod Taylor, Chargers
The biggest scare among the majority of the Chargers’ supporters was seeing Philip Rivers go down with an injury only to see an unproven quarterback enter the game.
The signing of Taylor this offseason provides Los Angeles with arguably the best backup that the team has ever had, as he is a player that has experience and the production to go with it between his time with the Bills and the Browns.
Taylor has started 46 games in his professional career, completing 835 of 1,356 attempts for 9,529 yards, 53 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He’s also proven on the ground, rushing for 1,836 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
No. 4, Joe Flacco, Broncos
One of the biggest needs for the Broncos was the quarterback, which is why they traded for the Flacco earlier this offseason. Denver also drafted former Missouri quarterback Drew Lock in the second-round of the 2019 NFL draft, but Flacco will likely start for them to open up the season.
In the 11 seasons with the Ravens, he helped lead Baltimore to seven postseason appearances, which includes a win in Super Bowl XLVII where Flacco was named the MVP. But beyond that, it was all downhill for the Delaware product. His stats took a significant dip and he has dealt with a back and hip injury.
It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see some early season woes from Flacco, which would then lead to the rookie quarterback taking over midway through the year.
No. 3, Derek Carr, Raiders
Headed into 2018, one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Raiders was how Carr would do in Year 1 operating coach Jon Gruden’s offense. It’s safe to say that it was a bit rocky the first half of the season for the former Fresno State product, as he threw eight interceptions in the first eight games.
Carr improved significantly the second half of the season, throwing only two interceptions in the final eight games and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. His 4,049 passing yards were a career high, as was his 68.9 completion percentage.
Even though he has appeared to regress, Carr will have a couple new additional weapons to help his case this upcoming season in Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams. We can likely expect a good stat sheet from him at the end of 2019.
No. 2, Philip Rivers, Chargers
Rivers, who was 36 years old during the most of the 2018 season, showed no signs of aging as he posted one of his best campaigns in his professional career. It marked the sixth consecutive year that he passed for over 4,000 yards. He added 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and a 105.5 passer rating.
Rivers will get several playmakers back on offense, including wide receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and tight end Hunter Henry, who’s returning from a knee injury. The Bolts also have running backs Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, who also serve as viable pass-catchers for Rivers.
Even though he isn’t the most athletic quarterback among the group, Rivers is arguably the most competitive. The fact that he played in one of the biggest games of his career with a torn ACL speaks for itself. Rivers looks to continue making his Hall of Fame statement in Year 16.
No. 1, Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Mahomes is only entering his third season as a professional and is already proving himself to be one of the best. He set the league on fire last season, taking home MVP honors with over 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdown passes.
Those numbers were amassed with his prolific playmaking ability. Mahomes showed that he could beat you with his legs, his big arm and his notorious no-look passes. Even though the Chiefs don’t possess a plethora of playmakers like they did last year with Kareem Hunt gone and possible absence of Tyreek Hill, expect Mahomes to make big things happen.
