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I promise you, you're not reading that wrong - I'm actually going to rank one hundred and twenty-five quarterbacks right now. Why? Well... why not, right? It's not like I've seen anybody else tackle this kind of project lately. I enjoy the research and the challenge. Now, let's establish some background and ground rules:
My QB Power Ranking Archive
Here are some relatively recent iterations of mine, for context:
1. 2022 NFL Offseason: My top 50 QBs (three total installments)
2. 2021 NFL Season: My top 34 QBs
3. 2020 NFL Season: My top 85 QBs
4. 2019 NFL Season: My top 50 QBs
5. 2018 NFL Season: My top 50 QBs
My Ranking System and Criteria
1. This list can't ONLY be based on 2022 stats and performance. Otherwise, I could just provide you with a link to review the raw numbers on your own time. Let's say the 2022 season gets 65-75% of the weight.
2. The context of the past couple seasons must at least be considered, as well. Really, the whole context of the player unless things have changed quickly and dramatically.
3. All stats are accurate as of Sunday night, November 6, 2022.
4. One sentence per player this time around because, well... who the hell has this kind of time, anyway? All right, let's jump right into this thing...
TIER 11: Free Agents I've Never Actually Heard of Before
Source file here, from Spotrac.
125. Cole Kelley: His best collegiate season at Arkansas featured a 127.5 QB rating, including a 57.6% completion rate.
124. Brandon Peters: His best season at Illinois sported a 128.6 QB rating, including 18 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions.
123. Jarrett Guarantino: His best season at Tennessee topped out at 2,158 yards, including a 144.0 QB rating and 59.1% completion rate.
122. Ryan Willis: His best season at Virginia Tech treated us to 2,716 yards, 24 touchdowns and a 58.5% completion rate.
121. Drew Plitt: His best season at Ball State was smokin' to the tune of 2,918 yards, a 148.2 QB rating and 64.3% completion rate.
120. Dustin Crum: His best season at Kent State kept it poppin' with a 148.9 QB rating and 3,206 yards on 64% completions.
119. D'Eriq King: His best season at "The U" was undeniable: A 152.7 QB rating with 23 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions.
118. Jack Coan: Okay, I lied a little bit here because my father-in-law is a Notre Dame fan, so I've vaguely heard of Coan; 3,150 passing yards, 151.8 QB rating and a 65.5% completion rate.
117. Anthony Gordon: His best season at Washington State almost doesn't seem real - 5,579 yards and 48 passing touchdowns??
116. Levi Lewis: His best season at Louisiana was a thing of beauty: 26 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions on the way to 3,050 yards on 64.3% completions.
TIER 10: Free Agents I've Actually Heard Of
115. Jake Fromm: Ruined his own career with racism - got what he deserved.
114. Carson Strong: Actually made my top 50 prior to this season because he was supposedly one of the top 4-to-7 QB prospects in his draft class.
113. Kurt Benkert: I believe I've seen him listed as an actual backup QB for the Atlanta Falcons in the past.
112. Ben DiNucci: Once started a real game for the Dallas Cowboys, and it was not pretty.
111. Kevin Hogan: When he started for the Cleveland Browns, I specifically remember that he had a dead noodle arm.
110. Jake Luton: He threw a long touchdown in a regular season game for the Jacksonville Jaguars, once.
109. A.J. McCarron: I guess he was a system quarterback at Alabama, huh?
108. Brett Hundley: Not the worst 3rd/4th stringer you could have.
107. Mike Glennon: Relatively respectable career as a backup QB in this league.
106. Tim Boyle: I actually thought he was fairly decent last season - was surprised to see him trashed and discarded on Hard Knocks this offseason.
105. Colin Kaepernick: Was once one of the most electric QBs in the NFL, one who took his Niners all the way to the Super Bowl and a highly-controversial loss.
104. Garrett Gilbert: Did a nice job filling in for Dak Prescott during the major injury year.
103. Matt Barkley: One of the most underrated and underappreciated backup QBs of his generation, IMO.
102. Cam Newton: I think you know who he is, at this point.
101. Ryan Fitzpatrick: Retired, but... ya never know?
TIER 9: Best (Possible) Practice Squad Guys
Source file from NFL.com, here. It's hard to find an up-to-date practice squad tracker, honestly.
100. Chase Garbers, possibly Raiders practice squad: Out of the listed practice squad guys, I have the least faith in the Raiders' talent evaluators right now.
99. Danny Etling, possibly Packers practice squad: Same idea - second-least faith in Matt LaFleur and the Packers' putrid evaluators.
98. E.J. Perry, possibly Jaguars practice squad: I dunno, man... am I really taking the time to rank E.J. Perry right now?
97. Jake Browning, possibly Bengals practice squad: Well they seemed to know what they were doing with Joe Burrow, right? (Same initials here.)
96. Chris Oladokun, possibly Chiefs practice squad: Anyone good enough for Andy Reid and Eric Bienemy is good enough for me.
95. Anthony Brown, possibly Ravens practice squad: They have one of the best QB tandems in the game with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.
94. Reid Sinnett, possibly Eagles practice squad: Anything the Eagles touch turns to gold right now.
93. Josh Rosen, possibly Browns practice squad: I thought he was as good or better than Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield in their particular draft class.
92. Davis Webb, possibly Giants practice squad: Always finds a way to get a job, so he must be well-liked along with a good mind for the position.
91. Sean Mannion, possibly Seahawks practice squad: Probably not much worse than Drew Lock on his own team.
90. Ryan Griffin, possibly Bucs practice squad: Feels like he's been directly associated with the Bucs' organization for 20+ years now.
89. Jacob Eason, possibly Panthers practice squad: I feel like he was a seriously-taken backup for the Colts last season, but I could also be making that up.
88. Nathan Peterman, possibly Bears practice squad: Got some opportunities with the Bills and Raiders.
87. Jeff Driskel, possibly Texans practice squad: A pretty good backup QB at this level, IMO.
86. Josh Johnson, possibly Broncos practice squad: Is definitely better than teammate Brett Rypien and is probably even better than Russell Wilson at this point too, lol.
TIER 8: Actively on NFL Rosters
Source file from ESPN, here.
85. Kellen Mond, Browns: He's their third-stringer right now, but is really No. 4 when you consider Deshaun Watson.
84. Feleipe Franks, Falcons: Never even heard of him before typing his name just now.
83. Brock Purdy, 49ers: Has actually taken some snaps for the Niners this season, and they haven't been "Purdy," if ya know what I mean.
82. Joshua Dobbs, Browns: Always seems to find work, somehow.
81. Bryce Perkins, Rams: I'd like to think Sean McVay knows at least a little something about quarterbacks.
80. Ian Book, Eagles: Like I said earlier... anything the Eagles touch turns to gold right now.
79. Sam Howell, Commanders: Maybe he's better than Carson Wentz; who knows?
78. Easton Stick, Chargers: He's like the better version of Davis Webb; maintains a job with a bit more talent.
77. Will Grier, Cowboys: We saw some of his explosive athleticism with the Panthers.
76. Shane Buechele, Chiefs: If you haven't noticed by now, I'm just assuming guys like Andy Reid, Eric Bienemy, Sean McVay, Bill Belichick, Nick Sirianni and Sean McDermott know a lot more than I do about NFL talent evaluation.
75. Logan Woodside, Titans: Is probably better than Malik Willis right now, but he simply isn't getting the opportunities from Tennessee.
TIER 7: A little better or more promising than the last group
74. Trevor Siemian, Bears: Personally, I think he stinks - but he's made a very nice NFL career for himself, all things considered.
73. Malik Willis, Titans: Looks like the worst QB in the league right now, but he's supposedly one of the top two in his draft class.
72. Brett Rypien, Broncos: See my comment about Siemian, but we could probably just leave it at the "stinks" part.
71. Chris Streveler, Jets: Arguably the best player in the entire NFL this preseason.
70. Trace McSorley, Cardinals: Whenever he got sparing opportunities as a Raven, I thought he was good enough to be a serviceable backup.
69. Blaine Gabbert, Bucs: Respected as a yearly backup in this league.
68. Nate Sudfeld, Lions: Detroit definitely seemed to like him a lot more than both Tim Boyle and Dave Blough.
67. Brian Hoyer, Patriots: In the Blaine Gabbert category, basically.
66. Matt Corral, Panthers: Went down with a devastating injury early on, but I suppose he has the potential to become the best QB in his draft class (because none of them seem very good).
TIER 6: Potential down the line or somewhat respectable
65. Skylar Thompson, Dolphins: I don't think he expected to be thrust into action with Tua and Bridgewater ahead of him, but I thought he at least flashed some good physical tools.
64. Nick Mullens, Vikings: Was definitely one of the elite backups in the entire league when he was with San Francisco.
63. C.J. Beathard, Jaguars: Same sentence I just wrote about Nick Mullens.
62. John Wolford, Rams: Showed some decent things in his one start for the Rams back in '20.
61. Brandon Allen, Bengals: Being the primary backup to Joe Burrow is a nice honor in itself.
60. Chase Daniel, Chargers: A nicely-paid backup who always gets a job and does well for himself.
59. Mason Rudolph, Steelers: With Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky ahead of him in Pittsburgh, Rudolph did garner some trade interest around the league this offseason.
58. Desmond Ridder, Falcons: Flashed some explosive scrambling in the preseason for Atlanta.
57. Nick Foles, Colts: These aren't the "Philly Special" days, trust me - he's coming toward the end.
56. Drew Lock, Seahawks: Remember when people were saying he should start over Geno Smith?
55. Jarrett Stidham, Raiders: If Belichick liked him at one point, I'm cool with him too.
54. Chad Henne, Chiefs: Secured that playoff victory over the Browns a couple years ago when Mahomes went down.
53. Colt McCoy, Cardinals: Always one of the best and most reliable backups in the game.
52. Jordan Love, Packers: Green Bay should move Aaron Rodgers this offseason, open up cap space and give Love his window of opportunity.
51. Sam Ehlinger, Colts: This is probably gonna get real ugly for Sam with Jeff Saturday as head coach.
50. Tyrod Taylor, Giants: A pro's pro in terms of seasoned backups.
49. Trey Lance, 49ers: Had a 55.0 QB rating pre-injury.
48. Kenny Pickett, Steelers: Somewhat overmatched, thus far.
47. Mike White, Jets: Some people really do believe he's a better all-around quarterback than Zach Wilson.
TIER 5: Good backups
46. Sam Darnold, Panthers: I was right that he'd never be a great starting QB in the NFL, but I do like him as a backup with a good arm for intermediate throws.
45. Case Keenum, Bills: We'll be seeing him out there very soon, but I simply don't think he's the same player he was in Minnesota.
44. Kyle Allen, Texans: Was playing quite well was a starter for Washington, pre-injury.
43. Joe Flacco, Jets: Played very well when he got rid of the rock quickly; unfortunately, he is very stubborn and stuck in his ways.
42. Teddy Bridgewater, Dolphins: Not as good as he used to be, IMO.
41. Taysom Hill, Saints: Certainly not a pure passer, but I still think he has potential as an all-purpose athleticism QB.
40. P.J. Walker, Panthers: It's been an up-and-down ride for this scrappy QB with a big heart.
TIER 4: The best backups and worst starters
39. Mitch Trubisky, Steelers: Had his shot earlier this season, but he looked slightly below average as always.
38. Carson Wentz, Commanders: Yuck.
37. Matt Ryan, Colts: I guess he's injured, but at full strength he's significantly better than Sam Ehlinger.
36. Jameis Winston, Saints: I think this back injury is career-threatening.
35. Baker Mayfield, Panthers: He's like a slightly better Darnold or Trubisky.
34. Tyler Huntley, Ravens: I really like what I saw from him, filling in for Lamar Jackson the second half of last season.
33. Cooper Rush, Cowboys: Did a fantastic job filling in for Dak Prescott this season.
32. Gardner Minshew, Eagles: Arguably the best backup in the entire league.
31. Mac Jones, Patriots: Belichick can only coach so much out of a physically-limited quarterback.
30. Davis Mills, Texans: Needs a better head coach and offensive coordinator to deliver on his talent.
29. Russell Wilson, Broncos: Over-the-hill on the field and acting weird off it.
28. Taylor Heinicke, Commanders: Good moxie with average talent.
27. Zach Wilson, Jets: Looking at the entirety of this list, Wilson has the potential to be as high as No. 18 if he simply commits to getting the ball out quickly.
26. Bailey Zappe, Patriots: His QB rating would be in the top 6 if he had enough attempts to qualify.
25. Jacoby Brissett, Browns: I honestly think he's played quite well for the Browns this season.
TIER 3: Rising up or falling off
24. Andy Dalton, Saints: Still has one of the quickest release times in the entire NFL.
23. Deshaun Watson, Browns: What if he comes back very rusty, gets suspended again or has future incidents which take him away from the field and his team?
22. Justin Fields, Bears: Looks like the most dynamic rushing QB in the game right now, and his timing is improving in the passing game.
21. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: Still looks like the best QB in his draft class, but certainly not by much.
20. Marcus Mariota, Falcons: Consistently one of the most underappreciated QBs in the league.
19. Daniel Jones, Giants: Is a back-end MVP candidate for me, but I believe he's playing a bit over his head, all things considered.
18. Jared Goff, Lions: Is 11th in QB rating and his Lions are in the top 7 overall in offense.
17. Derek Carr, Raiders: People loved him this offseason, now they hate him and say he's terrible.
TIER 2: Consistent or close to elite
16. Matthew Stafford, Rams: The Rams stink and Stafford simply isn't the same player this year with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.
15. Kyler Murray, Cardinals: The offseason losses of Christian Kirk and Chase Edmonds hurt, but he's playing better since DeAndre Hopkins returned from suspension.
14. Ryan Tannehill, Titans: You can clearly see how bad the Titans' offense is without him under center.
13. Kirk Cousins, Vikings: Minnesota's fans tell me he isn't playing as well as last year, but at least the Vikes are 7-1 with Cousins calling the shots.
12. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: If things continue to look as bad as they did this week, he'll be forced out of my top 15 sometime soon.
11. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers: 6th in the NFL in QB rating and no one cares, as usual.
10. Geno Smith, Seahawks: If we're only talking MVP, I have him in the top 3 - top 10 isn't effusive enough.
9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys: I have no doubts about him in the regular season, I just worry about postseason performance.
8. Justin Herbert, Chargers: Hasn't quite been the same after the rib injury, and it's not so easy without Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
7. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: Leading the league in QB rating by a landslide; getting the ball out quickly and efficiently to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill.
TIER 1: The Best of the Best
6. Tom Brady, Bucs: That epic late-game comeback over the Rams kept him in Tier 1 for the time being.
5. Lamar Jackson
4. Jalen Hurts
3. Josh Allen
These 3 are extremely close right now; normally I would have Allen in the top 2, but he looked completely overmatched vs. my Jets and now he has a potentially-serious injury.
2. Joe Burrow, Bengals: Quickly took the Bengals from a laughingstock to a Super Bowl appearance; has the confidence, talent, timing and ball placement to outplay anybody in the world at the quarterback position.
1. Pat Mahomes, Chiefs: Still the safest bet atop my list, for now.
I hope you enjoyed this! Bring on the heated debates @LegendSports7 on Twitter!
John Frascella is a published sports author and Fantasy Football Writer for Razzball. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 for all things football throughout another action-packed season!
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