There are few better ways to canvas the National Football League than to examine its quarterbacks. It is the most important position in the sport and it shows. Having a great quarterback means having a fun team to watch every Sunday. Hence why signal callers like Brett Rypien of the Broncos and Sam Darnold of the Jets appear low on this list. How do I come up with these lists, you may ask? Well, first off it’s purely opinion as all passer rankings are. I look at various NFL stats advanced analytics and finally consider what my eyes see on gamepass every week. Then I break down the divisions and based on how a QB ranks in the division, and I plug them into the master list. I also like tiers though and so here are quarterback rankings, broken down through week four and some analysis to see where teams stand at the quarter pole of the NFL season.

1. Russel Wilson
2. Patrick Mahomes
3. Aaron Rodgers

We currently live in the golden age of passing. That is headlined by these three masters under center. Russell Wilson has had one of the best starts in NFL history period. With 16 touchdowns, he is well on pace to break Peyton Manning’s 2013 records. Wilson owns the prettiest deep ball in the NFL and for the first time in his career is being featured in a pass-first offense. Pair that with elite wideouts Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf and the Seahawks are the cream of the crop of offenses in the NFC. Followed closely behind the Packers being led by revitalized Aaron Rodgers. To watch Rodgers play quarterback at the height of his power is to listen to a skilled Jazz musician. No one improvises and puts their own spin on the game more than Rodgers. He is doing it with practically no one as well as Allen Lazard his number two receiver is currently injured. Patrick Mahomes meanwhile remains the class of the AFC and could be number one on this list. I would not be angry if I saw a list with any one of these three passers at the top. We are living in the golden age of passing and these three are fearlessly leading the charge.

4. Lamar Jackson
5. Dak Prescott
6. Josh Allen
7. Cam Newton

The knock on Lamar Jackson is the knock on the Ravens, as neither are sufficiently equipped to play from behind. That said, they hardly ever will be. Jackson has progressed as a passer this season and that can be seen in his pinpoint accuracy while tearing apart the Cleveland Browns defense in week one. Next, Dak Prescott is on pace to set the all-time passing record for yards in a season. That will have to be the case, seeing as the Cowboys boast arguably the worst defense in the entire NFL. Dak has the weapons to put up huge numbers, and he is such a skilled passer that he does it every week. Now, Josh Allen has taken a leap. A leap unlike we have ever seen. Every single weakness in his game has been fixed, like his accuracy. He currently has one of the highest completion-above-expected rates in the NFL. Touch, Allen’s deep ball is superb and last year he simply didn’t have it missing players by 15 yards on a weekly basis. Allen is a raging man and he cannot be stopped. In week two, he trucked a Dolphins defensive lineman and puts together miracle plays on a weekly basis. The Bills are an offensive team being lead by one of the better passers in the league right now.

8. Matt Ryan
9. Tom Brady
10. Ryan Tannehill
11. Ben Roethlisberger
12. Jared Goff

Tom Brady looked old in his first three weeks. Week four against the Chargers, his deep ball returned, and he put up a performance the likes of which have not been seen since the 2018 AFC Championship game. Tampa Bays offense is improving every week and with a dominant defense being led by the likes of rookie stand out Antoine Winfield Jr. and veteran LaVonte David. It is hard to call the Buccaneers anything but contenders at this point. Ryan Tannehill has returned, and it seems Adam Gase was his main problem because without him, he consistently puts up good performances on a weekly basis and hardly ever has a bad game, the sign of a franchise passer.

13. Deshaun Watson
14. Kirk Cousins
15. Matthew Stafford
16. Justin Herbert
17. Gardner Minshew

This group makes up the good passers on bad teams list. Former Oregon QB Justin Herbert had an accuracy knock on him coming out of college, but with the Chargers I would say his greatest strength hands down has been his accuracy. He’s making the offense hum with one of the most depleted supporting casts in the league. Tyrod Taylor’s injury is tragic and enraging. His lung was punctured by a team doctor, but Herbert has been the bright spot in a bad situation.

18. Kyler Murray
19. Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow is hands down the best rookie I have ever seen play football. The guy is not rattled by anything, despite having one of the worst offensive lines in the league. The Bengals for the first time in ten years are must-watch football. They may lose, but they never get blown out and all credit on that goes to Burrow, who single-handedly keeps them in every game. Meanwhile, Kyler Murray has had one of the more puzzling seasons amongst signal-callers. His feet have been spectacular, but the golden arm he showed off to the end last year has basically entirely disappeared. He made poor decisions against Detroit in week three and missed throws against the San Francisco 49ers in the opener. There is cause for eyebrow-raising towards Arizona.

20. Phillip Rivers
21. Teddy Bridgewater
22. Baker Mayfield
23. Derek Carr
24. Drew Brees
25. Ryan Fitzpatrick

I would call this group the game managers. Really, if your QB falls above Derek Carr, you are probably ok. Drew Brees has been this way for a while, unable to throw the deep ball or move the offense outside of point-guarding skills. Brees is a net negative for the Saints, who are off to an extremely slow start in a year that is Super Bowl or bust. However, I am giving some love to Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater is third in the league in expected completion percentage. He has also helped the Panthers put up 20-points in three of four games, including two 30-point outings. Bridgewater is an excellent pocket passer that rarely makes mistakes and gets the job done. He is no long-term answer, but he makes the Panthers frisky.

26. Daniel Jones
27. Nick Foles
28. Dwayne Haskins
29. Carson Wentz
30. Nick Mullens
31. Sam Darnold
32. Brett Rypien

These are the bad quarterbacks, the passers that mean you are in trouble. Carson Wentz is the most notable name here. A signal-caller who has wildly regressed after being considered a top ten passer in the last few years. Wentz’s mechanics look entirely broken, but it doesn’t help that he has some of the worst surrounding offensive talent and coaching in the NFL right now. The NFC East is a dumpster fire, so the Eagles still have a chance, but the rest of these teams are dead in the water. Expect Dwayne Haskins to be benched soon, Sam Darnold to miss time with an injury, Nick Mullens to be benched and Brett Rypien to hopefully lose his job once a healthy Drew Lock returns.

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@Eric18utah