DALLAS — When you think back to the glorious days of early March, Dak Prescott was soaring in the rankings of NFC quarterbacks. Tom Brady was retired, MVP Aaron Rodgers was pondering all aspects of life, Kyler Murray was disconnecting from Arizona and Russell Wilson suddenly found himself in the land of Broncos.
You might have argued the Cowboys had the best quarterback situation in the entire conference, given that the AFC that has cornered the market on young passing talent. I would have gone as high as No. 2 for Dak because I’m not going to dismiss what Matthew Stafford achieved in 2021.
A few announcements later, Dak has to be ranked fifth. And that’s in the conference that isn’t so special, the one that doesn’t encourage debate between Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Wilson, Justin Herbert, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson and Derek Carr for its top eight spots. When you get down to the 6-7-8 range in the NFC, you’re arguing (or at least I am) Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jared Goff.
AFC and NFC. What a difference one letter makes.
But the AFC is not the Cowboys’ concern. At least not until, well, you know the sad story. A full 26 seasons have come and gone since Dallas ended its season against an AFC squad on a neutral field. As free agency slowly unwinds its course and the draft remains more than a month away, now is a fine time to rank the NFC quarterbacks as they prepare for the 2022 season.
Top 10 NFC quarterbacks:
1. Tom Brady, Bucs
What, you thought I was going to pick someone else? I stopped looking up Brady’s age years ago. Tampa Bay wasn’t nearly as solid across the board in 2021 as it was when Brady led the Bucs to their second Super Bowl win, and yet they still won a playoff game. Chris Godwin may not be ready at the start of the season, but I gave up on predicting Brady’s or his team’s demise after years of mistakes.
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Rodgers came back but Davante Adams is a Raider. No team has to do more rebuilding of its wide receiver corps in the draft than the Packers. That doesn’t keep the four-time MVP from deserving this spot. Is anyone else coming off of a 37-4 touchdowns-to-interceptions season? No, they are not.
3. Matthew Stafford, Rams
His doubters (me included) remained in place when he suffered some pick-six troubles last season, but Stafford erased all of us in the playoffs. He’s healthy, his confidence is soaring and Allen Robinson has been added to the receiving group. Indeed, who really needs draft picks?
4. Kyler Murray, Cardinals
You might be thinking I didn’t watch Arizona’s 34-11 playoff loss to the Rams? I did. Murray was terrible. His decline at the end of the season means you could rank him 6-7 on this list, and I wouldn’t argue. But before DeAndre Hopkins disappeared, Arizona had the best record in the league and Allen’s finest was high on the MVP list. Murray led the Cards past Dallas in AT&T Stadium and finished the season with a better QBR than Dak, even with Dak overdosing on touchdowns against Washington and undermanned Philly late in the season. Murray has gone from five wins to eight to 11. He deserves another chance with a decent receiving corps (remember what Dak looked like without one in 2018?) before I drop him.
5. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Although he was never a big runner, Prescott could use his legs to get first downs (and touchdowns) before the knee injury of 2020. That aspect is diminished. He threw 37 touchdown passes last year, but isn’t likely to close in on that number with Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson gone and with at least one rookie or unproven player on the offensive line.
Dak’s decision making or Kellen Moore’s play-calling? It was a constant debate even for a team with a top-ranked offense. Will 2022 be different? Will it even be as good?
“A lot of the roster is yet to come,” Dak said at a public appearance Monday.
A quarterback is a product of his surroundings more than most great athletes. He can only hope for bigger upgrades than seem likely right now.
6. Kirk Cousins, Vikings
The quarterback who fails the eye test but produces the numbers. No one really wants him as their guy. And yet look at what Justin Jefferson has done with him in his first two years, so much more effective than CeeDee Lamb (and not just with more targets). Cousins seems like a joke but there is no punch line. He’s not great but he’s not bad.
7. Jared Goff, Lions
Reaching here? Perhaps. But we are low on Super Bowl-experienced quarterbacks to choose from. Goff was much better at the end of last season and the Lions, with a better receiving corps, will win a lot more than two games next fall.
8. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers
Hardest player to rank. Has been to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship Games in the last three years, but can you say that he has “led” them to those games? Or is he just the fortunate soul who has been handed the keys to the Shanahan offense and lets Deebo Samuel and George Kittle do the work? He could be on another roster any day now.
9. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
The jury is not just out, it’s been locked up in that room for awhile now. But let’s see what the Eagles do with those three first-round picks before Dallas gets on the board, how much Philly closes the talent gap and what Hurts manages in early 2022 before we kick him out of the top 10.
10. Carson Wentz, Commanders
I’m serious here. What are my choices? Jameis Winston in New Orleans? Drew Lock in Seattle? Danny Dimes in New York? Marcus Mariota with an Atlanta team that is carrying a $40 million in dead cap for Matt Ryan? No, thank you.
Justin Fields in Chicago? Not yet. Quarterback to be Named Later in Carolina? He’s all yours.
Wentz really wasn’t bad through 15 weeks last season. He fell apart against Jacksonville to cost the Colts the playoffs. Can he resurrect anything of his career in Washington? I’ll be surprised if he ever makes it back into MVP discussions like 2017, but in the NFC where just being competent gets you on this list, he’s worthy of one more look.
