The quarterback position in the AFC South has been less than desirable since Andrew Luck’s retirement, Deshaun Watson’s fallout with the Houston Texans, and Trevor Lawrence’s disastrous rookie season under Urban Meyer.
For now, the future is bright for the division’s quarterbacks entering the 2023 season. Lawrence is coming off a strong Year 2 for the Jacksonville Jaguars while the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans are hoping they have found their long-term franchise quarterback coming out of this year’s NFL draft.
This will be the first season we could see all 32 teams carry three quarterbacks on their rosters due to the new third QB rule the league has implemented because of what happened to the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Let’s take a look at how the AFC South quarterbacks rank heading into the upcoming season:
12
Nathan Rourke, Jacksonville Jaguars
Nathan Rourke has the most unique path to the NFL for all the quarterbacks in the AFC South. After beginning his college career playing for a community college (Fort Scott), he transferred to Ohio for his final three seasons. He was the first winner of the Jon Cornish Trophy (top Canadian player in NCAA) in 2017 and also won it in 2018. He ended up being selected in the CFL draft in 2020 by the BC Lions. In his final season with the Lions, he set the CFL record for the highest completion percentage (78.7%) for a single season. Rourke will be looking to make his first NFL team and potentially push C.J. Beathard for the backup role with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
11
Sam Ehlinger, Indianapolis Colts
Sam Ehlinger has been a preseason darling for the Indianapolis Colts in his first two seasons in the league. He was able to start three games in the 2022 season and has 573 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions in his young career. He also has 96 rushing yards. Ehlinger is looking to make the Indy 53-man roster for his third season in a row.
10
Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans
Malik Willis is coming off a rocky rookie season after failing to impress in his three starts and seeing the Tennessee Titans electing to start Joshua Dobbs over him in a game they needed to win to make the playoffs. The 2021 third-round selection may have fallen out of grace with the coaching staff but he still has time to get his career back on track. Willis is battling with Will Levis for the backup role to Ryan Tannehill.
9
C.J. Beathard, Jacksonville Jaguars
C.J. Beathard began his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers where he logged 12 starts due to injuries to their starting quarterbacks. During his time in San Fran, he threw for 3,469 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has only been active for six games in the last two seasons. Beathard is currently the backup quarterback to Trevor Lawrence for the Jags.
8
Case Keenum, Houston Texans
Case Keenum is back with the team that he started his career with back in 2013 as the wise old man for the Houston Texans quarterback room. He has only been active for 11 games in the last three seasons but will always have the playoff run that he had with the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 season. Keenum will help C.J. Stroud get the nuances of the NFL game in 2023.
7
Davis Mills, Houston Texans
After starting in 26 games in his first two seasons with the Houston Texans, Davis Mills finds himself set to be in a backup role to help groom C.J. Stroud to be the franchise quarterback of the future. Mills has thrown for 5,782 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions in his young career. The expectation is that Stroud will wind up being the opening-day starter but Mills is technically in a battle for the QB1 spot for the Texans this summer.
6
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
The quarterback of the 2023 NFL draft that has the biggest chip on his shoulder is Will Levis. Not only was he projected to be a first-round pick, some thought he could go inside the top five but he ended up being selected at the top of the second round. With Ryan Tannehill entering the final year of his contract, the Tennessee Titans are hoping that Levis will be the quarterback of the franchise’s future. He is competing with Malik Willis for the QB2 spot on the depth chart.
5
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts
As far as the best backup quarterback in the AFC South, that goes to Gardner Minshew. The veteran perhaps could start the season for the Indianapolis Colts but the expectation is that he will be QB2 at some point in 2023. Minshew is a quality backup that can help win games if his number is called.
4
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
The enigma of the AFC South quarterbacks is Anthony Richardson. The new franchise quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts brings raw talent with him to the league and his ceiling could propel him to the top of this list if he hits it. Indy has seemed to find its long-term solution after going through a quarterback carousel since Andrew Luck’s retirement.
3
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud is coming off a prolific career at Ohio State, leading to him being the second overall selection. The Houston Texans are hoping that their new franchise quarterback will be a catalyst for the organization to climb out of the dweller of the NFL. Stroud can hit the ground running in his rookie season with him in line to be the opening-day starter for the Texans.
2
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
The division’s elder statesman finds himself in the back nine of his career after revitalizing it when he got traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Ryan Tannehill won back-to-back AFC South championships in 2020 and 2021. Last season was marred by injuries which caused him to miss five games. Tannehill will be looking to hold off the younger quarterbacks on the Titans roster and get his team back on track after missing the playoffs in 2022.
1
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
The class of the AFC South quarterbacks is Trevor Lawerence. The Jacksonville Jaguars franchise quarterback led his team to a divisional championship and won a playoff game in his second season. Lawrence is poised to take the next step in Year 3 and place himself in the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
