The top of the list of the best quarterbacks in the NFL has remained relatively unchanged over the last several years. You could argue whether the No. 1 spot should go to Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but the top five didn’t see much movement in general. All that changed in the 2018 season, when a fearless young signal caller with a veritable missile launcher for an arm shook up the QB picture and perhaps the entire league forever.
Here’s our rankings of the top 10 quarterbacks in the league heading into 2019, beginning with a few honorable mentions who just missed the cut.
Honorable mentions
Carson Wentz: Nick Foles may be the fan favorite with the clutch genes, but don’t forget that the last time Wentz was fully healthy he was an MVP candidate. He threw touchdowns on 7.5 percent of his passes during the 2017 season, which was the highest mark in the league. Assuming his knee heals, Wentz should be back in the top 10 soon enough.
Alex Smith: Here’s another solid quarterback whose season was cut short. Smith had his best season by far in 2017, posting career highs in passer rating and adjusted yards gained per pass attempt and throwing interceptions on only one percent of his throws. Hopefully Smith will be able to play again after suffering a gruesome leg injury.
Deshaun Watson: Considering the pass protection he got, it’s almost a miracle that Watson escaped the 2018 season unscathed. Despite getting sacked a league-high 62 times, Watson managed to post 26 touchdowns and a 103.1 passer rating. If the Texans can give Watson the support he needs, he’ll have every opportunity to be an elite QB some day.
Baker Mayfield: Turns out that No. 1 overall draft pick by Cleveland was very well spent. Once Mayfield got his shot, he and the Browns never looked back. With another full season of playing at this level, Mayfield could crack the top 10.
10. Cam Newton
At this point, nobody knows how Cam Newton’s throwing shoulder is going to respond to his recent surgery. We do know that when he’s healthy Newton is unquestionably one of the NFL’s top 10 QBs. Before he began to decline in the middle of the season, Newton was matching many of his numbers from 2015 when he won the MVP award. He remains the league’s most dangerous dual threat quarterback and finally has some promising young wide receivers to work with. If the Panthers can just fix their long-standing issues at left tackle, Newton can definitely carry them back to the playoffs.
9. Ben Roethlisberger
In some ways, Roethsliberger was better than he’s ever been in 2018. He posted career highs in pass attempts (675), completions (452) and yards (5,129). However, 2008 was a long time ago and considering the talent he has around him, Big Ben is overdue to make it back to the Super Bowl. He’s had an excellent offensive line, arguably the league’s best running back and its best wide receiver for several years and yet the Steelers can’t seem to crack the AFC playoff picture. Part of the problem is picks – Roethlisberger’s touchdown to interception ratio has never been pretty compared to other elite QBs and it’s not getting better with time.
8. Andrew Luck
For a while there it seemed like Luck might never be the same quarterback again after getting beaten up behind a bad Colts offensive line for several years. Sitting out the 2017 campaign turned out to be the right move for the organization. Luck returned with a vengeance in 2018 and recaptured the form that made him one of football’s most dynamic passers. He rightfully won the Comeback Player of the Year award after throwing 39 touchdown passes. As long as Indy continues to keep him clean (he was only sacked 18 times) Luck will be a fixture on this list.
7. Philip Rivers
Dan Marino is generally considered to be the greatest QB to never win a Super Bowl ring. While Rivers can’t compare to Marino, he definitely takes that title for this generation of passers. The Chargers have finally given him a solid supporting cast though, and Rivers put it to good use. Rivers was sacked 32 times but he still was able to complete 68.3 percent of his passes – the second best accuracy percentage of his career – and produce 4,308 passing yards. He threw touchdowns on 6.3 percent of his throws, which was the fifth-highest mark in the NFL.
6. Russell Wilson
The Seahawks may have changed their offensive coordinator but they were still a stubborn run-run-pass kind of team, which is a shame. Nevertheless, Wilson had arguably his best year yet in the NFL. Wilson threw a career high 35 touchdown passes to go with just seven interceptions. His 110.9 passer rating was also a career best. He has posted a winning record every season since he was drafted. If Seattle’s conservative coaching staff ever learns to let Wilson off the leash, the rest of the league won’t stand a chance.
5. Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan was perhaps one of the quietest success stories in 2018, being a shining beacon on an otherwise under-performing Falcons team that failed to live up to expectations. The team finished just 7-9 a year after going 10-6. Ryan passed for 4,924 yards on his way to a 35:7 touchdown to interception ratio. His 108.1 passer rating ranked fourth in the league and his 308 yards per game ranked third, well ahead of the majority of the league. The Falcons may have failed to make the playoffs, but it certainly wasn’t on Ryan.
4. Aaron Rodgers
A year after missing nine games with a shoulder injury, Rodgers returned with a vengeance, tearing up the league’s secondaries on the way to an immaculate 25:2 touchdown/interception ratio. But that didn’t stop Green Bay from having an even worse record than the season prior. Like Ryan with the Falcons, Rodgers’ Packers struggled mightily in other facets of the game. The team’s record of 6-9-1 was the worst since the 2008 season, despite another phenomenal year from No. 12. After the ousting of long-time coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers will be led by Matt LaFleur in 2019, as the team attempts to capitalize on the waning stage of Rodgers’ Hall of Fame career.
3. Tom Brady
Even though Tom Brady might finally be starting to show signs of decline, he is still a relentless championship competitor, now six-times over. Statistically, Brady took a dip in nearly every category in 2019, but that didn’t stop him from being one of the best in the league. His reputation as a near-flawless game manager, paired with one of the greatest coaches of all time, will always make him a presence to be feared on the field. Father time is undefeated, but Brady continues to put up a hell of a fight.
2. Drew Brees
Drew Brees might have won the two-man MVP race if he had been able to sustain his hot start in the first half of the season. However, Brees tapered off as the New Orleans offense came back down to Earth. His 29:2 touchdown to interception ratio in Week 12 had him in serious contention for the MVP and his NFL-high completion rate of 74.4 percent and passer rating of 115.7 were both career bests. Brees looks like he can continue playing the position at a high level until he’s 50 years old.
1. Patrick Mahomes
The Kansas City Chiefs definitely won the Alex Smith trade. After allowing Patrick Mahomes to take over the team after shipping Smith to Washington, the 23-year old threw for an absurd 50 touchdowns and over 5,000 yards in his first season as a starter, putting him in territory that only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have been before. His quarterback rating of 113.8 placed second in the league as he effortlessly drove KC’s offense with no-look passes and long balls most QBs wouldn’t even dare to think about throwing. Mahomes and the Chiefs may have fallen short against the Patriots this time, but his unmatched arm talent is guaranteed to give them more chances.
