Watch Colin Cowherd count down his rankings of the top 10 quarterbacks in the AFC after the Jets finalized their trade with the Packers for Aaron Rodgers.
1. Patrick Mahomes
“He's got the smartest offensive coach in football, the best tight end in football, an above average offensive line, and they are rolling. That's a locker room with confidence in him playing from a lead or from behind. Nobody plays from behind better in the NFL than Mahomes. He is the best quarterback in football.”
2. Joe Burrow
“He is the only other quarterback in the AFC that situationally I feel can go toe-to-toe with Mahomes. He's not quite as talented but they have an offensive coach, that matters, an elite star number one receiver, and a very highly productive number two receiver and running back. They also added Orlando Brown at left tackle.”
3. Josh Allen
“Say all you want, the kid is wildly productive. Thirty-five touchdowns and he's running for almost 1,000 yards a season. Aaron Rodgers has stopped running. He's 6’6”, he's 250, he leaps over linebackers , and he's done it with a bad o-line and no run-game. He is still wildly productive with the best arm, along with Mahomes, in the NFL.”
4. Justin Herbert
“I've said I think this is the pop year for Herbert. They get Rashawn Slater the elite left tackle back. Good weapons, Kellen Moore— offensive coordinator, and by the way, Herbert, with a lot of stuff to deal with— most passing yards and total touchdowns by any player in league history, including Mahomes with Andy Reid, through three years. This year he pops.”
5. Trevor Lawrence
“They are no longer a rebuilding team. The best acquisition nobody's talking about is Calvin Ridley. They added Calvin Ridley to this team after the gambling issue. Lawrence was 7-2 over his last nine games. They are no longer a rebuilding franchise. Most of their money is on the offensive side."
6. Aaron Rodgers
“Defensive head coach, incredibly young offensive weapons— Breece Hall ,Garrett Wilson, Mecole Hardman, so I do think there's potholes. I also think he's not as committed in the off-season as the previous five quarterbacks, and he's older. I think he's out of his athletic prime, he doesn't run anymore.”
7. Russell Wilson
“With Sean Payton. They have upgraded the offensive line. They've already had good tight ends, star young running back, Sean Payton next to Andy Reid is the sharpest offensive guy in football. I think Russell goes back to doing some basketball on grass and moving better.”
8. Tua Tagovailoa
“Is he going to be healthy? I don't know but when he is he's got a brilliant young offensive coach, and the best speed weapons in the NFL with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Offensive line is okay. I don't know, if you tell me he plays 15-16 games I think they make the playoffs. He probably plays 11 and they don't but I'd put him eight.”
9. Deshaun Watson
“They've got a very good offensive line, an offensive coach, and veteran weapons. Deshaun wasn't terrible last year but he was rusty. He won't be rusty again. They add Elijah Moore but he's not really ‘the guy.’ This team has a veteran wide receiver group and a better o-line than Aaron Rodgers does.”
10. Jimmy Garoppolo
“I don't have Lamar Jackson in it because I have no idea what Lamar Jackson is. Garoppolo is 40-17 with a 68% completion percentage. Jimmy's confident, played in big games, great in the locker room, not terribly durable but I would put him over a Mac Jones, barely. I don't know what to do with Lamar Jackson so I left him out of the list.”
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