Welcome to Audacy Sports' countdown of the top-32 quarterbacks for the 2021 NFL season.
Before we get to our countdown, here are a few notes of what went into creating this list:
1.) There was a heavy focus on how these quarterbacks performed in the last two seasons, and trying to form a projection of what that will mean for 2021. How Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger, for example, may have played in 2009 isn't especially relevant here.
2.) This isn't just a ranking of the top-32 quarterbacks likely to be Week 1 starters. Not every team has a quarterback on this countdown. However, Justin Fields or Trey Lance (just examples) are much more likely to play at some point in 2021 than Marcus Mariota or Mitchell Trubisky, and that was factored in.
3.) Given his unresolved legal issues and uncertain future with the Houston Texans, Deshaun Watson was altogether left off of this year's countdown. He would have been somewhere in the top five, but there's a very real possibility that he doesn't play at all this season.
With all that acknowledged, here are the top-32 quarterbacks for 2021:
32.) Taysom Hill - New Orleans Saints
Taysom HillScott Taetsch - Getty ImagesHill won't open the season as the Saints starter, and if Jameis Winston takes his opportunity and runs with it, Hill will be left to fill the jack-of-all-trades role that he did when Drew Brees was leading the offense. However, Hill is at No. 32 over some veteran starters - Andy Dalton, Tyrod Taylor - because if Winston doesn't clean up a turnover problem that plagued him with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hill will be the next man up. He went 3-1 in games that he started a year ago, and while we think the correct decision was made to start Winston, it's not difficult to imagine Hill having success with Sean Payton if he gets an opportunity to start.
31.) Trey Lance - San Francisco 49ers
Trey LanceEzra Shaw - Getty ImagesWe compared Lance to Colin Kaepernick in the pre-draft process, and it's hard not to be intrigued by the possibility of him taking over a Super Bowl-caliber roster at some point this season, like Kaepernick did in 2012. Lance is very raw, but extremely athletically gifted and working under Kyle Shanahan, one of the best offensive minds in the sport. If he gets a chance to take over for Garoppolo in 2021, it would hardly be surprising if he becomes the talk of the NFL late in the season.
30.) Teddy Bridgewater - Denver Broncos
Teddy BridgewaterRon Chenoy - USA TODAY SportsAfter Drew Lock was reckless with the football in 2020, Vic Fangio and the Broncos will turn to Bridgewater to manage a very talented offense. Courtland Sutton is back after tearing his ACL early in the 2020 season, and he'll be part of a stacked group of pass catchers that also includes Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler and Noah Fant. The Broncos will be able to win some games by having Bridgewater take better care of the ball better than Lock did in 2020, when he threw 15 interceptions. However, it's fair to wonder if the Broncos will realistically be able to compete in shootouts with the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
29.) Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins
Tua TagovailoaJon Durr - USA TODAY SportsNot only did Tagovailoa get outplayed by Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow in his rookie season, but probably also by his former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts. The Dolphins have a roster capable of making a deep postseason run, but they need Tagovailoa to take a drastic step forward in 2021, after Pro Football Focus graded him as the 31st quarterback in his rookie season. From a character perspective, Tagovailoa seems off the charts, but if his play doesn't begin to catch up with that, the Dolphins may find themselves looking for his successor next offseason.
28.) Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen HurtsMitchell Leff - Getty ImagesHurts showed enough in four starts last year to intrigue you, but not enough for you to be sure that he'll be a good starting NFL quarterback. While still raw as a passer, Hurts did throw for 338 yards and three touchdowns in a shootout loss at Arizona against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals last December. He also rushed for more than 5.5 yards per-carry in 2020. With Carson Wentz gone, 2021 should be about determining whether Hurts can be the long-term starting quarterback for Nick Sirianni and the Eagles.
27.) Sam Darnold - Carolina Panthers
Sam DarnoldBob Donnan - USA TODAY SportsDarnold was drafted into an untenable situation in New York, but he struggled to stay on the field in three seasons with the Jets, and threw more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (nine) in 2020. The Panthers did pick up Darnold's fifth-year option, though this may very well be a one-year audition for Darnold in Carolina. Darnold wasn't set up for success in New York, but with Joe Brady as his offensive coordinator in Carolina, the former No. 3 overall pick in 2018 should thrive in an offense that includes Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore.
26. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared GoffJunfu Han - Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY SportsLions general manager Brad Holmes said earlier this summer that he doesn't believe that Goff is simply a bridge quarterback brought back as part of the deal for Matthew Stafford. No longer playing under Sean McVay, Goff has his work cut out in convincing the rest of the league that the Lions won't be using a top-five pick on a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft.
25.) Ryan Fitzpatrick - Washington Football Team
Ryan FitzpatrickGeoff Burke - USA TODAY SportsThe Dolphins went 4-3 in games that Fitzpatrick started a year ago, and there were multiple occasions that he came on in relief of Tagovailoa in 2020. Now in Washington, Fitzpatrick won't have to look over his shoulder for a first round pick. Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen remain in the picture, but Fitzpatrick figures to start for the defending NFC East Champions, perhaps for the entirety of the 2021 season.
24.) Daniel Jones - New York Giants
Daniel JonesMike Stobe - Getty ImagesThe Giants added Kenny Golladay in free agency, used their first round pick on Kadarius Toney and will get Saquon Barkley back after he tore his right ACL early in the 2020 season. Quite simply, with the chance that Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson are all available next offseason, Year 3 is a make-or-break season for Jones. The former No. 6 overall pick in 2019 will need to make significant strides in protecting the football in 2021, after leading the league in fumbles in each of his first two seasons.
23.) Mac Jones - New England Patriots
Mac JonesMitchell Leff - Getty ImagesAn impressive preseason - along with Cam Newton's vaccination status - allowed Jones to win the starting quarterback job in New England. The book on Jones was that while he may not have the ceiling as the four other quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he was, perhaps, the most ready to start in his rookie season. We'll quickly learn if that's the case, especially considering Jones will face off with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football in Week 4, a matchup that figures to be the most-watched regular season game in NFL history.
22.) Jimmy Garoppolo - San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy GaroppoloEzra Shaw - Getty ImagesIt's a matter of when, not if, Garoppolo is no longer the starter in San Francisco. Garoppolo will be the Week 1 starter for the 49ers, given Lance will miss about a week of action with a chipped finger on his throwing hand. If he's able to stay on the field - and the 49ers as a whole have better luck with injuries in 2021 - it's not hard to imagine Garoppolo leading Kyle Shanahan's team back to the playoffs and becoming an intriguing trade candidate next offseason.
21.) Zach Wilson - New York Jets
Zach WilsonJeff Hanisch - USA TODAY SportsWilson used a breakout final season at BYU and an electric Pro Day to catapult himself all the way to the No. 2 pick, with some operating under the belief that he'll be as good or even better than Trevor Lawrence. The Jets won't be a playoff team in 2021, though you like what Joe Douglas is building offensively, with Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker likely to protect Wilson for close to a decade.
20.) Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor LawrenceTim Heitman - USA TODAY SportsThe Jaguars made Lawrence the No. 1 overall pick after a storied career at Clemson, and he immediately has become the odds-on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. It goes without saying that the Jaguars aren't a finished product, but Lawrence and Urban Meyer will have James Robinson, D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones Jr. and Laviska Shenault at their disposal. It's probably too much to expect Lawrence to have the Jaguars in the postseason in 2021, but the star rookie should make what's traditionally been one of the more forgettable NFL teams, well, not that.
19.) Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben RoethlisbergerJoe Sargent - Getty ImagesThe Steelers did go 12-3 in games that Roethlisberger started in 2020, but both a 1-3 record in his final three regular season starts and a postseason loss to the Cleveland Browns left you with a bad taste in your mouth. Roethlisberger averaged 6.3 yards per-pass attempt in 2020, the lowest total over a full season in his career. There's not a question of whether the Steelers can still win some games with the 39-year-old at quarterback, but it's fair to wonder if he's capable of going blow-for-blow with some of the AFC's elite quarterbacks at this stage of his career.
18.) Kirk Cousins - Minnesota Vikings
Kirk CousinsJamie Squire - Getty ImagesCousins has limitations, but he's thrown for 91 touchdown passes in three seasons with the Vikings. You could do a lot worse. The Vikings selection of Kellen Mond in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft suggests they think winning one postseason game with Cousins in the 2019 season may have been their ceiling, and that's perhaps accurate. Still, as long as Cousins has Justin Jefferson and Adam Theilen at his disposal, he's going to rack up yards and touchdown passes. The biggest concern with Cousins in 2021 is that he's unvaccinated, which puts him at risk of missing time if he tests positive for COVID-19 or is even a close contact with someone who does so.
17.) Carson Wentz - Indianapolis Colts
Carson WentzKelly Wilkinson - The Indianapolis Star via USA TODAY SportsMake no mistake, Wentz's final season with the Eagles was an unmitigated disaster. There's blame for the team's offensive line, wide receiving corps and former head coach Doug Pederson. But Wentz - who was intercepted 15 times and fumbled 10 more in just 12 games - cannot be absolved. Reunited with former offensive coordinator Frank Reich, you hope that Wentz is able to reset in 2021, no longer chasing the ghost of Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. If he can, the Colts will be Super Bowl contenders in 2021. That, of course, assumes that Wentz being unvaccinated doesn't plague the Colts this season.
16.) Jameis Winston - New Orleans Saints
Jameis WinstonScott Taetsch - Getty ImagesYou can bet on one thing: Winston won't be at 16 next year. If he turns the ball over at a clip like he did in Tampa Bay, he won't be on this list in 2022 - or employed by the Saints. But if Sean Payton is able to reign in Winston, this is a player with MVP potential. The first step was for Winston to win the starting job in New Orleans over Hill, which he's done. Payton's ability to revive Winston's career would be one of the most interesting storylines of the 2021 season.
15.) Derek Carr - Las Vegas Raiders
Derek CarrRon Chenoy - USA TODAY SportsTruth be told, Carr has a case to be higher than this. In fact, Pro Football Focus says that he was the 10th-best quarterback in the NFL a season ago. But the Raiders have three new starters on their offensive line, and lost Nelson Agholor, their top wide receiver from a season ago. Carr figures to remain productive under Jon Gruden, though it may be hard for him to stand out in the sport's most loaded division.
14.) Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons
Matt RyanJason Getz - USA TODAY SportsGone is Julio Jones, but Ryan threw for over 4,500 yards in 2020, relying heavily on Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage. The Falcons may not be a legitimate contender as a team in 2021, but under new head coach Arthur Smith, Ryan's march towards Canton should continue.
13.) Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals
Joe BurrowJoseph Maiorana - USA TODAY SportsIf not for a torn ACL, Burrow would have challenged Justin Herbert for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Instead, a disastrous offensive line finally caught up to him in late November. The Bengals did sign Riley Reiff, but chose to reunite Burrow with Ja'Marr Chase at the No. 5 pick, rather than adding a potential offensive line stalwart like Penei Sewell. You felt Burrow begin to shift the culture in Cincinnati before his injury last year, and that figures to continue in 2021, assuming the Bengals can keep him healthy.
12.) Baker Mayfield - Cleveland Browns
Baker MayfieldDale Zanine - USA TODAY SportsMayfield bounced back after a disappointing second season and guided the Browns to their most successful season in at least a generation. Mayfield tossed 26 touchdowns in his first season in Kevin Stefanski's offense, aided by the tremendous one-two punch of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt on the ground. In theory, the Browns should emerge as a Super Bowl contender as Odell Beckham Jr. returns to the stable of weapons at Mayfield's disposal.
11.) Ryan Tannehill - Tennessee Titans
Ryan TannehillGeorge Walker IV - The Tennessean via USA TODAY SportsIn two seasons with the Titans, Tannehill has 55 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, having thrived alongside Derrick Henry. Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith did leave to become the head coach of the Falcons, while Corey Davis turned a career-best year into a lucrative deal with the Jets. Still, the Titans have become a team that you're confident can go toe-to-toe with pretty much anyone in the league, and Tannehill is a big part of that. Adding Julio Jones into the mix, assuming health, almost doesn't feel fair.
10.) Tom Brady - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom BradyTroy Taormina - USA TODAY SportsWhat's left to say about Brady at this point? There were trials and tribulations during his first regular season in Tampa Bay, but he ultimately rallied the troops in the postseason and led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title in his first season in the organization. This may not be peak Brady anymore, but the 44-year-old still has tremendous arm strength and is capable of playing at an elite level even at this advanced stage of his career.
9.) Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
Dak PrescottJuan Carlo - Ventura County Star via USA TODAY Sports2020 was a lost season for Prescott, who played in just five games before suffering a season-ending compound fracture and dislocation to his right ankle. 2020 may have been a lost season for the Cowboys regardless of Prescott's status because of defensive problems, but the quarterback had thrown for over 450 yards in three-consecutive games before his injury. Assuming health, Prescott should have success in his second season under Mike McCarthy. Whether the Cowboys are able to become a legitimate NFC playoff contender is less clear.
8.) Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
Lamar JacksonMitch Stringer - USA TODAY SportsJackson is one of the most explosive weapons in NFL history, having rushed for over 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. That much he's proven. 2021 will be about both Jackson and the Ravens, as a whole, proving that they can hang with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in games where they're required to throw the ball 30 or more times.
7.) Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams
Matthew StaffordC. Morgan Engel - USA TODAY SportsWe've always been firm believers in Stafford's talents, and are especially excited to see him get a chance to play anywhere but Detroit. Sean McVay - one of the NFL's best offensive minds - seems smitten with Stafford. It wouldn't shock us if Stafford is one of the five-best quarterbacks in the league in his first season with the Rams.
6.) Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
Justin HerbertKirby Lee - USA TODAY SportsHerbert is the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, having tossed 31 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in his rookie season, while racking up 4,336 passing yards in his first season. You worry a bit when there's a coaching change after a season like that - though it made sense when you looked at the team as a whole - but former Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi should be a good fit with Herbert. At least Drew Brees thinks so.
5.) Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals
Kyler MurrayJoe Camporeale - USA TODAY SportsYear 3 of Murray's career is a big one for the organization, head coach Kliff Kingsbury specifically. However, there's no debating Murray's place among the game's most gifted quarterbacks - he's the type of player that could lead your team to a Super Bowl. The former No. 1 overall pick in 2019 has tossed 26 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons, and added 819 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in 2020.
4.) Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks
Russell WilsonOrlando Ramirez - USA TODAY SportsThough we're a bit concerned that Pete Carroll may revert back to not letting Russ cook, Wilson is a future Hall of Famer that is at the height of his powers currently. If the Seahawks aren't able to put a plan together to take advantage of that and make a deep playoff run, perhaps this will be Wilson's final year in Seattle.
3.) Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
Josh AllenRich Barnes - USA TODAY SportsAllen exploded in his third year, tossing 37 touchdowns, rushing for another eight and even reeling one in for a receiving score. Amazingly, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll didn't get a head coaching job, and so much of last year's band that reached the AFC Championship Game is coming back. After signing his massive six-year contract extension nearly a month ago, Allen should cement himself as one of the league's elite quarterbacks in 2021.
2.) Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers`Samantha Madar - USA TODAY SportsIn, what seems likely to be, Rodgers' farewell tour in Green Bay, there's no reason that he shouldn't continue to thrive in 2021. He's the reigning NFL MVP, and if he continues to play at that type of level, the Packers will be Super Bowl contenders.
1.) Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick MahomesDenny Medley - USA TODAY SportsIf Rodgers isn't the most talented quarterback in NFL history, Mahomes probably is. Every season that he's been the starting quarterback, the Chiefs have at least reached the AFC Championship Game. He's thrown 114 touchdowns to just 24 picks in three seasons, the most dominant start to a career that a quarterback has ever had. For Mahomes, it's just a matter of trying to challenge Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback of all-time, which is a pretty amazing thing to say about someone that's only a few years into their career.
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