Who is better for the Eagles to build around moving forward — Jalen Hurts or Carson Wentz?
That is a question that the franchise and it’s fanbase will spend the next few months debating, especially after another strong showing from Jalen Hurts on Sunday.
To begin answering that question, I decided to rank every quarterbacks in the NFL to see where both Hurts and Wentz stack up compared to the rest of the league. After looking around the league I think the answer for the Eagles on who to stick with is pretty simple.
The rules for ranking the signal callers are simple — if I was starting an NFL team, and I could pick any quarterback to start my team with, who would I pick? That means this list not only takes skill into consideration, but factors in age, contract and injury history as well.
To make the list, I used the 35 qualifying passers on Pro Football Reference based on passing attempts. I took out two obvious ones nobody would pick— Nick Mullens and Ryan Fitzpatrick — and added Hurts in.
Here is my ranking:
1. Patrick Mahomes: This is an easy one. Young, extremely talented and proven playoff success. Mahomes has it all.
2. Justin Herbert: Herbert is a bet on the future while also being good enough to win now with the right pieces around him. He can make all the throws and is athletic enough to scare the opposing defense. Plus, he is on a rookie deal.
3. Russell Wilson: His age (32) is a concern, but when it comes to winning a big game, there aren’t many quarterbacks I’d take ahead of him. I will take a 3-4 year window with Wilson over a bigger window with lesser players.
4. Josh Allen: I can’t believe I have Allen this high, but his play this season has been just that impressive. Allen is the quarterback everyone thought Carson Wentz would turn into. Plus, he is young, cheap (for now) and has no significant injury history.
5. Deshaun Watson: Watson has been a victim of a bad general manager and bad head coach. Put him in a legit franchise and he will prove why he is viewed as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. His injury history and contract are concerning.
6. Dak Prescott: I am not concerned about Prescott’s ankle injury and I don’t think it will impact him as a player once he returns. Having to pay him a big-deal isn’t ideal, but Prescott can make all the throws, is a threat to run, has won big games and it is clear his teammates really like playing with him.
7. Aaron Rodgers: Obviously Rodgers’ age plays into him being this low, as he is a top-two quarterback in the NFL right now. But at 37-years old, he has to fall behind some of the younger, elite quarterback prospects.
8. Joe Burrow: Burrow would be way higher on this list if he didn’t suffer a major knee injury, as I saw first-hand in Philadelphia how a knee injury can impact a player’s career. Burrow, however, is a far-more accurate passer than Wentz, which is reason to think he will rebound better.
9. Lamar Jackson: Jackson’s resumé speaks for itself. I do think the concerns about his ability to throw the ball long-term are fair, but he is so dangerous and so dynamic that he has to be top-10 on this list.
10. Kyler Murray: Murray has all the potential, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous putting him this high. Murray seems reckless with the ball and missed some easy throws on Sunday, but there is no denying the talent is there.
11. Jalen Hurts: Some will say this too high to put Hurts after just two games. I don’t care.
Forget that Hurts was a second-round pick. Trust your eyes. What I know is that everything I have seen of Hurts makes me think he belongs in the same class as the elite, young quarterback prospects in the NFL. He is not an elite quarterback yet, but If Hurts was a top-five pick, and turned in the last two games he just played, nobody would blink an eye at him being No. 11. No quarterback in NFL history has finished his first-two games with 500-plus yards and 150-plus rushing yards like Hurts has. So while it might be only two games, no quarterback has turned in a better first “only two games” in league history.
Hurts is an accurate thrower, is smooth in the pocket and is a legit threat with his legs. His teammates love him and have clearly responded to him taking over, as one of the worst teams in the league has now beaten one of the best (New Orleans) and nearly beat another playoff-caliber team (Arizona). He seems to have that "it" factor a quarterback needs to succeed.
Add in the fact that he is 22-years old and on a rookie deal, and Hurts checks off every-single box you want from a quarterback to build around.
12. Matthew Stafford: Stafford’s inability to turn his team into a consistent winner is worrisome — until you remember it is Detroit. Put Stafford on a legit team and he can be a top-10 quarterback who is capable of making all the throws.
13. Jared Goff: I think a little too much is made at times of Goff only being successful because of Sean McVay. Goff is ninth in the NFL in on-target throws in the league, and any quarterback that is that accurate is worth building around.
14. Kirk Cousins: Cousins is extremely up-and-down, but any quarterback that goes into New Orleans and beats the Saints in a playoff game can be a winning quarterback.
15. Tom Brady: Brady’s age plays into this. All of the young quarterbacks below Brady I am not super crazy about, so I’ll take win-now Brady over the future of the younger prospects.
16. Daniel Jones: I will openly admit I am way higher on Jones than others, and will likely end up being wrong. I just can’t help myself. There is something intriguing about his combination of size, arm and athleticism that interests me more than the quarterbacks below him.
17. Baker Mayfield: Like I am higher on Jones than more, I am lower on Mayfield. His play this season is impressive. I am just not buying in yet.
18. Tua Tagovailoa: Tagovailoa hasn’t shown the kind of potential you would hope to see from a pick that high, but it is early, and he is at least showing he can play for a winning team.
19. Drew Brees: This is a win-now pick as Brees won’t even be in the NFL in 2021, but I don’t think any team can win long-term the quarterbacks below him.
20. Ben Roethlisberger: Roethlisberger might be gone after this season, but is still playing at a high level and is still a very accurate passer.
21. Ryan Tannehill: Tannehill really needs a good supporting cast around him to succeed, and his floor is very low as we saw in Miami. I’d be nervous making him my quarterback.
22. Matt Ryan: Ryan is older, and despite having talent, hasn’t looked great recently.
23. Sam Darnold: Darnold has been dealt one of the toughest hands in all of sports — he has Adam Gase as his head coach. I’m very interested to see what he could be with a better play caller on the sideline.
24. Drew Lock: Lock is young and capable of putting together some good performances, as he has shown this season. The potential is there, and he is on a rookie deal, but I remain skeptical.
25. Jimmy Garoppolo: Garoppolo certainly has his flaws, but when healthy, he throws a very accurate, very catchable ball, which puts him ahead of some of the more inaccurate quarterbacks in the league.
26. Carson Wentz: Wentz holds the worst trifecta a quarterback could hit. He is signed to a big deal. He has suffered two major injuries. He might be really bad. It is hard to come up with any argument to start your franchise with Wentz. There will be a team this offseason that bets on his upside, and perhaps that gamble will payoff. He can still make some throws no other quarterback can make, but those throws are few-and-far between. Wentz’s two biggest issues, even when healthy, however, is that he is wildly inconsistent and among the least accurate quarterbacks in the NFL. That is a recipe for disaster — and for a 35-32-1 career record.
27. Teddy Bridgewater: Bridgewater is tough for me to get a read on. He showed in New Orleans he can win with the right team. Still, I don’t think he can be a difference maker.
28. Derek Carr: Carr is a player that seems to have all the potential, and looks great at times, but has never been able to put it all together.
29. Philip Rivers: Rivers won’t be back in 2021, and isn’t as good as the older quarterbacks above him on this list.
30. Nick Foles: Foles would be a lot high on this list if I knew Doug Pederson was my head coach. Even if Pederson isn’t, I know Foles can win big games with the right pieces around him.
31. Mitchell Trubisky: I have no interest at all in being the team that pays Trubisky this offseason.
32. Gardner Minshew: Minshew has 4-12 written all over him.
33. Alex Smith: Smith is a great story, but I’d have no interest in committing to him as my franchise quarterback.
34. Andy Dalton: Dalton is an elite backup, but that is about it.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!