NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: B
Of all the quarterbacks in the NFL, the one who garners the most hate is Dak Prescott. Prescott is a good quarterback, but his biggest deficiency is that he struggles to stay healthy. With the weapons he has around him like Lamb, Cooks, and Ferguson, it makes him one of the league’s best quarterbacks. That’s when he’s healthy, though. He hasn’t played a full season since 2019.
Philadelphia Eagles: A
The most sure fire quarterback in all of the NFC is undoubtedly Jalen Hurts. While the AFC has Mahomes, Burrow, and Allen, Hurts is running the show in the NFC. He emerged last year as an elite player as he passed for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns while also rushing for 760 yards and 13 scores. Hurts was the reason the Eagles made the leap to get to the Super Bowl and I wouldn’t be shocked if they got back there in 2023-2024.
Washington Commanders: C-
The Commanders are in a weird place. They’re kind of in quarterback limbo. Sam Howell is still young and deserves a shot, but there isn’t a ton of buzz around him as a number one quarterback. Jacoby Brissett is a career backup. Jake Fromm has never really seen the field. There isn’t exactly a great plan in place for the Commanders at the quarterback position this season.
New York Giants: C+
Daniel Jones has definitely grown as a player and shown more poise, but that doesn’t mean he’s the second coming of Eli Manning that Giants fans make him out to be. He has sneaky mobility and likes to push the ball down the field, but he can get sloppy with the ball whether it’s throwing interceptions or simply not completing passes.
NFC North
Minnesota Vikings: B+
KIRK COUS-HIMS. The NFC doesn’t have a lot of great quarterbacks, but one of them is surely Kirk Cousins. He’s durable and also remarkably efficient. The past three seasons, he’s passed for over 4,200 yards and 28 touchdowns. Granted, Cousins has a great receiving core that just got better with Jordan Addison, but someone’s got to get the ball to them and Cousins has helped make Justin Jefferson one of the best players in the game. Cousins is elite, clutch, and one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league.
Green Bay Packers: C
In the case of Green Bay, it’s tough to tell. Losing Aaron Rodgers really hurts, but Jordan Love has been waiting in the wings for his opportunity. He’s only played in 10 games since getting drafted and he’s been average. I think that’s what you can expect from Love. An average first year. I don’t like the Packers, but I’m intrigued to see Love’s development. As of right now, Packers fans should expect an average performance.
Chicago Bears: B-
I hate Chicago, but there’s no denying that Justin Fields is good. He possesses pure, raw talent you can’t teach and Ryan Poles has built a large safety net around him by acquiring DJ Moore, Chase Claypool, Robert Tonyan, Darnell Wright, and Nate Davis. Out of any quarterback in the entire NFL, Fields has the highest ceiling, but the lowest floor. If he protects the ball a little bit better, the Bears could mold into a playoff team.
Detroit Lions: C
There is going to be a legit quarterback battle in Detroit and it has me fired up. There’s Jared Goff in one corner who is fighting for a career resurgence and played well last season. In the other corner is the dynamic rookie Hendon Hooker. I think Goff starts the whole season and could bring Detroit to the playoffs, but in two years, Hooker becomes the number one guy. Goff is good mechanically, but I’m not sure he is the guy to bring them back to prominence.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: C-
There was a quarterback dual in Atlanta last season between Mariota and Ridder, and Ridder eventually became Arthur Smith’s guy. With the signing of Taylor Heinicke, there will be a legit battle for the starting spot and it’s important Smith picks the right guy because the NFC South is ripe for a hostile takeover. Atlanta beefed up this season in their secondary, on their defensive line, and at running back which means they could take over the division and make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
New Orleans Saints: C+
The addition of Derek Carr is an interesting one, but one that confuses me because I have no clue where New Orleans keeps getting money. I’ve tried to study the cap before and every time I think I’m close, I realize I’m off the mark by a mile. My idiocy on the cap isn’t important, though. Carr had a rough go last season and the best thing for him was a fresh start. He’s walking into New Orleans as the clear number one option at quarterback, which takes some pressure off him, and a decent set of pass catchers. I like Carr and would be happy to see him revive his career.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: D+
A lot like the Rams, the Buccaneers went all in for a year or two of success, but they’re now in hell. They might be the worst team in the NFC South and their quarterback situation is poor. Kyle Trask is a huge question mark because we’ve seen very little of him and it feels like Baker Mayfield is Ryan Fitzpatrick reincarnated: a guy who will bounce around the league, add a spark of flare, and then fizzle out again. Tampa Bay is not in a good place right now.
Carolina Panthers: C+
While some reports are saying Andy Dalton will be the Panthers starter, let’s all be adults. Carolina wouldn’t give up a king’s ransom to trade up and let Young sit on the bench. I understand development and preparation, but the Panthers went out and added offensive weapons to win now like Adam Thielen, Hayden Hurst, Miles Sanders, and D.J. Chark. Young will be their starter and he’s going to thrive. He showed tremendous poise at Alabama and felt the most pro-ready of any quarterback in this year’s draft class.
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: B-
The resurrection of Geno Smith was exciting to watch and he’s here to stay in Seattle. Smith passed for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and rushed for 366 yards while getting a ragtag bunch of Seahawks players to the playoffs. Seattle didn’t draft or pursue his successor this offseason and also gave him a massive extension so that means Pete Carrol has a lot of faith in him for the foreseeable future.
San Francisco 49ers: C+
San Franciscos team success for this upcoming season hinders on if Brock Purdy plays. Sam Darnold and Trey Lance have been utter flops in the league and the 49ers guy is Purdy. He plays with a lot of guts and isn’t afraid to take chances to help his team win, but a current elbow injury could potentially hold him out for the entire season. I’m tentatively giving the 49ers a C+, but if Purdy is out, that will change.
Los Angeles Rams: C
At 35 years old, Matt Stafford probably has one or two seasons left in the tank. He played in only nine games last season and threw 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. The Rams also don’t have a deep quarterback room like New England or Philadelphia. Once you get past the nearly decrepit Stafford, it’s Brett Rypien and Stetson Bennett. The Rams went all in for one season and it worked, but now they’re in hell for the foreseeable future.
Arizona Cardinals: C
Let’s face it: Kyler Murray just isn’t that good. He peaked hard as a rookie, but in the past two season he’s been awful. In 2021, he threw 10 interceptions and fumbled 12 times and in 2022, he threw 7 interceptions in 11 games and fumbled 6 times. Maybe adding Jonathan Gannon will help Murray, but he seems too far gone and he’s set to lose Deandre Hopkins.
