Dave Zangaro and I had been speaking previous this week in one in every of our Eagle Eye podcasts, and this query got here up: Who’s the second one absolute best quarterback within the NFC?
We sat quietly for a second or two looking to find the solution.
“Cousin Kirk?” I introduced.
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“Derek Carr?” Dave urged.
“Matt Stafford? Jared Goff? Kyler Murray? Brock Purdy? Dak Prescott???
We threw out a number of names, however the fact is that there is not any transparent quantity 2.
Assuming Aaron Rodgers finally ends up with the Jets, the space between Jalen Hurts and the remainder of the NFC quarterbacks is massive.
He is best 24, he is already been an MVP runner-up, he is already had a record-setting Tremendous Bowl efficiency, and the remainder of the convention is in large part enjoying catch-up in relation to quarterbacks. .
At crucial place at the box, the Eagles are the one staff with a real celebrity.
There are some elite younger quarterbacks within the AFC. Trevor Lawrence is 23, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert are 24, Joe Burrows and Josh Allen are 26, and Patrick Mahomes is simply 27.
However get this: Six of the seven-highest passer rankings amongst quarterbacks 27 or more youthful within the NFL remaining 12 months had been AFC quarterbacks.
Listed here are NFC beginning QBs 27 or more youthful who threw no less than 200 passes remaining 12 months: Hurts, Daniel Jones, Murray, Baker Mayfield and Justin Fields.
There may be some possible there. However there is just one one who is the superstar.
Of the 52 lively quarterbacks who’ve thrown no less than 500 passes, Jones, Murray, Mayfield and Fields rank sixteenth, thirtieth, thirty first and forty sixth in occupation passer rankings. All have occupation dropping data. Best Mayfield has gained a playoff sport and that was once the primary of 4 groups.
Let’s take it a step additional and disregard about age for a minute.
Of the 16 projected NFC beginning quarterbacks in 2023, best 3 have ever performed in a Tremendous Bowl and best two have performed for his or her present staff — Hurts and Stafford with the Rams in 2021. The one different NFC Tremendous Bowl QB in 2018 with the Rams is Jared Goff.
4 former NFC Tremendous Bowl quarterbacks at the moment are within the AFC – Nick Foles with the Colts, Russell Wilson in Denver, Rodgers most likely with the Jets and Jimmy Garoppolo with the Raiders.
Tom Brady is retired, Matt Ryan isn’t these days at the roster, Cam Newton is largely retired and ahead of that you’ve got again Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Kurt Warner and Rex Grossman.
The one AFC Tremendous Bowl QBs nonetheless with a staff they have been to the Tremendous Bowl are Burrows and Mahomes. The one different Tremendous Bowl QB nonetheless lively is Joe Flacco, who isn’t these days at the roster.
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So the secret is: There are best 4 quarterbacks within the NFL who’re with the staff they took to the Tremendous Bowl: Hurts, Mahomes, Stafford and Burrows. And but even so Hurts there is just one 35 within the NFC.
There are best 4 different lively beginning quarterbacks who’ve began within the Tremendous Bowl: Goff, Foles, Wilson, and Rodgers. Of the lively Tremendous Bowl QBs, best Hurts, Mahomes, Burro, and Goff are below 34.
After which there may be this: Of the 16 projected beginning NFC quarterbacks, best Stafford has gained extra playoff video games than Hurts, and he is a 14-year veteran. Best 4 different NFC QBs have gained any playoff video games – Prescott (2–4 in seven years), Goff (2–3 however with a Tremendous Bowl win), Kirk Cousins (1–3 in 11 years) and Mayfield (1 -1).
None of this promises the rest. There are numerous younger quarterbacks within the NFC who may just finally end up subsequent 12 months.
Perhaps Tre Lance blossoms in his 3rd season or most likely his teammate Brock Purdy. Possibly Fields will reside as much as his super possible. Perhaps Jordan Love, Sam Howell or Desmond Ridder may just superstar. Perhaps Murray will in spite of everything put all of it in combination.
However for now, now not best do the Eagles have the most efficient quarterback within the NFC, the variation is massive.
So long as Hurts remains wholesome and Howie Roseman continues to enclose him with ability, the Eagles don’t seem to be going away. They’re going to proceed to give you the chance to be a best staff within the convention, this means that an excellent shot on the Tremendous Bowl.
There is usually a younger QB who may just problem Hurts for NFC quarterback supremacy, however we have not noticed him but.