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Posted on by Sam Carroll

Now that we’re deep into the offseason, it’s time to take a step back and look at who the best players in the NFL are. So, let’s see who the 15 best quarterbacks in the league are…

15) Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

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We kick our list off with Ryan Tannehill, a player who wouldn’t have got anywhere near a list such as this a couple of years ago. The Texas A&M product showed flashes of promise in his days in Miami, but they never amounted to much. However, since arriving in Tennessee, Tannehill has looked like a completely different quarterback, leading the Titans to two successive playoff trips and an AFC Championship game appearance in 2020. While doubters will still point to the Titans’ notoriously quarterback-friendly Shanahan scheme as a means of explaining his vast leap in performance, and the Pro Bowler filled surrounding cast, Tannehill has still been one of the top passers in the league over the last couple of years.

14) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

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Spoiler alert: Justin Herbert is not on this list, though he would have been placed at number 16. Even though Herbert was the offensive rookie of the year, Burrow just seems like a much more complete quarterback. For a rookie, he was outstandingly impressive, looking like and experienced signal caller until his untimely injury in week 11. Once he comes back from injury, and the Cincinnati Bengals give him some good protection on the offensive line, Burrow will be a star in this league.

13) Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

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Baker Mayfield is the perfect example of how having the right coach can really help a quarterback. Last season with the inexperienced – and clearly out of his depth – Freddie Kitchens sitting in the big chair, Mayfield played very poorly. Now, though, with the much more competent (and coach of the year winner) Kevin Stefanski, Mayfield is starting to realise his potential. The final stretch of games last season was one of the most impressive by any quarterback in the league. Not only that, but he lead the Cleveland Browns to their first playoff win in 26 years and ran the then-reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to the final minute in their own building.

12) Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

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For all his criticism, Kirk Cousins is a very good quarterback. He’s intelligent, polished and has enough raw talent to successfully run pretty much any offence in the league. While he may not offer the upside of a Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson, the Michigan State product operates at a solid baseline and will almost always keep you in games against supposedly superior opponents.

11) Matt Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

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What a haul the Los Angeles Rams gave up for Matt Stafford this offseason. You can’t fault their boldness, exchanging two first round draft picks, a third round pick and Jared Goff for the 12-year veteran. It is an exciting prospect to finally pair the pure talent of Stafford up with an offensive genius in head coach Sean McVay. Stafford will be a significant upgrade at the position for the Rams next season, as he offers much more in the way of arm talent and improvisational skills than Goff ever did. While there are still plenty of consistency issues, Matt Stafford in this offence could put up some huge numbers in 2021.

10) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

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While the Atlanta Falcons have been somewhat irrelevant for the past couple of years, Matt Ryan remains one of the top signal callers in the NFL. The 35-year-old is still putting up considerably impressive numbers. Even after losing star wide receiver Julio Jones for a lot of the season he was able to throw for over 4,500 yards, meaning he’s surpassed passing for over 4,000 yards in each of the last 10 seasons. He is, admittedly, getting towards the tail end of his career, but Matty Ice still has plenty to give.

9) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

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We don’t know if Dak Prescott will ever be the same after his horrific season ending ankle injury in week five against the New York Giants. However, up until that injury, he was one of the best players in the league last season, throwing for over 400 yards in three consecutive games and leading the Dallas Cowboys to an amazing comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in week two. The Cowboys certainly think he will get back to his best, resigning him to a four year, $160million contract. We’ll have to wait and see if the Mississippi State product can live up to that huge salary.

8) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

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I know, I know. How can I say that a man who was unanimously awarded the NFL MVP just last year is only the eighth best quarterback in the league? Well, while Jackson was outstanding in 2019, in 2020 he was less impressive. His inconsistency as a passer will always come back to bite the former Heisman Trophy winner in lists such as these. However, with that said, Jackson is still one of the most dynamic and exciting players to watch in the NFL, and what he can do with the ball in his hands terrifies opposing defences. On top of that, in 2018 he lead the Ravens to their first playoff appearance in four years, and has got them to the postseason every year since.

7) Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

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There’s a reason the Arizona Cardinals took Kyler Murray first overall in 2019, despite having selected Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick just a year earlier. Murray is one of the most physically talented players the NFL has ever seen. He combines jaw-dropping athleticism with outstanding arm talent. While there are still some issues with his height and not being able to see over the middle of the field, the 23-year-old is just too electric to have any lower on this list.

6) Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Last season, Tom Brady built on his already great legacy by winning his seventh Lombardi Trophy with a fine performance in Superbowl 55. At the ripe old age of 43, Brady is not as good as he once was, but he still has the ability and intelligence for the game to be talked about amongst the NFL’s top quarterbacks. In a big moment, there is still no one you want on your team more than Tom Brady, and that’s why he claims the number six spot on this list.

5) Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

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What a year for the third-year quarterback. In his first two years in the NFL, Josh Allen showed flashes of greatness but was held back by awful consistency issues. In 2020, those issues were still there, but were far less prevalent. For the most part, Allen played like an elite quarterback, leading the Buffalo Bills to their first division title since 1995 and their first playoff win since the same year. While there are still some lingering doubts about his consistency, those are far less worrying than they once were. Allen’s arm strength and athleticism make him one of the most dangerous players in the NFL.

4) Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

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How have the Houston Texans got themselves in such a mess? They have managed to destroy their relationship with their star quarterback so much he has demanded a trade away from them. Whoever does cough up the king’s ransom it would take to prise Deshaun Watson away from Houston will be getting a sure-fire game changer for the next ten years. Watson was incredible last year, dragging the Texans to four wins with 4823 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns.

3) Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

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Russell Wilson was the MVP frontrunner for the first half of last season, until he hit a little bump in the road. However, despite this he still finished with outstanding numbers and remains one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. There are reports of a rift between Wilson and Seattle Head Coach, Pete Carroll, but it’s easy to see that being quickly resolved and the chances are the Wisconsin product suits up for the Seahawks again next season.

2) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

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Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers traded up in the draft to select the supposed eventual replacement for Aaron Rodgers in the form of Jordan Love. It seems like the new in-building competition spurred the 37-year-old on and he had his best season since 2014, winning the league MVP and leading the Packers to the NFC Championship game. Rodgers is already a shoe in for the Hall of Fame and still has a good few years of elite level play left.

1) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

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After only three seasons starting in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes has already cemented himself as the clear best quarterback in the league. Winning league MVP in his first year as a starter was just the beginning as since then his outstanding playmaking ability has catapulted the Kansas City Chiefs to two Superbowl appearances and one Superbowl win over the last two years. Still only 25-years-old, Showtime is going to be dominating the NFL for many years to come…

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