The NFL season is near, and for football fans like myself, and anyone that’s reading this should be stoked for 2023. Whether it’s winning the Super Bowl, seeing your team plays or even with the fans of s*itty teams have to be interested in seeing progress from one year to the next.

Look at it like the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020 to 2021 or Houston Texans from 2017 to 2018.

Let’s start off with the Top 10 QB rankings, which is the more discussed topic of the NFL season. It’s mostly subjective on who you ask who’s a Top 5 or 10 QB in the league on a year to year basis.

This list will be based on how I see each team’s offense with their QB, along with RB, WR, TE & OL around them. While it’s easier to look at the QB position itself, I think where each QB is and their situation, is more fair since that’s where they are playing in, and it’s not always the story to be on a competitive team, similar to the Kansas City Chiefs, or any of the 2010s Patriots teams for example.

Honorable Mentions for this list are:

– San Francisco 49ers Brock Prudy!
I really want to put in him the Top 10 for 2023 so bad since he really showed last year he can be like a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo for Kyle Shanahan’s offense but I have major questions on his elbow after the NFC Conference Game if he’ll be the same QB.

– Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith!
From having an amazing resurgence that saved his career, the league should be on watch for him now. He has the pieces around him to look good but I’m questioning if he’ll do it again, and maybe make it further in the playoffs with this team.

– Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa!
When healthy, he showed to look like a NFL starting caliber QB with Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle as his starting wide receivers. Again, if he stays healthy in 2023, but I have 0 clue if he’s going to play all 17 games in 2023.

– New York Jets Aaron Rodgers!

Again, I’ve mentioned this in another article on this topic; I can see him looking damn good with the talent around him with his arm, along with field awareness, but I have major questions on that O line if they’ll protect him long enough to get the ball out to his targets, and go through his progressions.

– Dallas Cowboys Dak Prescott!
For the Dallas Haters that came along for the ride, to see him fall short in the Divisional Round, but he’s been consistently good for Dallas despite his playoff performances leading the Cowboys to Top 10 or even 5 scoring offenses when he’s been healthy.

Why I’m dropping him out of the top 10 is Dallas may have a safe offense after he tied for the league lead in Interceptions, and I have little to no clue on what the offense is going to be with OC Kellen Moore leaving for the Chargers, for the same position.

Let’s start with the list!

1. Kansas City Chiefs- Patrick Mahomes!

It’s obvious that he’s number one to anyone, and if he wasn’t the 1st on any list, you’re either a hater, homer, or just want to create controversy. Whether he has a WR1 or not, he can make anything work like he did last year with 5K Passing Yards & 41 Passing TDs, which both led the league, along with winning Regular Season & Super Bowl MVPs. He’s the Pinnacle for NFL QBs with the next QB that has given #15 quite the fight to make those wins sweeter.

2. Cincinnati Bengals- Joe Burrow!

His style may come off as cocky but he mostly backs it up on the field. With his scrambling ability to give the receivers with Chase, Higgins, Boyd or even Mixon to get separation from defenders to get 1st downs or TDs. He plays with confidence, toughness & cool. His resume in the last 2 seasons is nothing but amazing in a short amount of time. The Bengals: a team that has been a mess before he came along, and making them a legit contender in the AFC. It still blows my mind.

3. Philadelphia Eagles- Jalen Hurts!

A dual threat tank like Jalen who can attack you with either his arm or legs. He showed great progression from 2021 to 2022 and while there were factors that benefitted the team with a cakewalk schedule, and playoff run but he did his part whether it was keeping them in games or coming back from deficits. I’m more interested seeing how he does this year with WR AJ Brown in their 2nd year together along with WR Devonta Smith, TE Dallas Goedert, RB D’Andre Swift & RB Kenneth Gainwell.

4. Buffalo Bills- Josh Allen!

I had bashed on the Bills in my very first article on them that they were overdue but that doesn’t mean I think very low on the star Bills QB. He’s everything for the Bills whether it’s throwing with his strong arm, running with his legs or even catching the ball on trick plays. As a Broncos fan, I would give up my own two legs just to have him on my team. However, why he’s #4 is that he’s going on a slight dip in his production after 2020. Not catastrophically bad, but it’s something to look out for.

5. Baltimore Ravens- Lamar Jackson!

I have major questions on him being a Top 5 QB in the league after two seasons with injuries, that ended his season before it was actually over. However, when he is on the field, he’s too damn good to leave off. His legs may get the RB jokes but he does have a good NFL Arm with anyone he throws to like TE Mark Andrews, WR Devin Duvernay, WR Rashod Bateman, TE Isaiah Likely or RB JK Dobbins. Like Josh Allen, his numbers have taken a slight dip but they are more lower than Allen’s are.

6. Los Angeles Chargers- Justin Herbert!

While his career isn’t much to speak on in terms of win-loss records or accomplishments that aren’t pro bowls, he’s a very exceptional QB in this league. He has THE arm that can go any distance to be pinpoint accurate, decent mobility and the thing that showed up last year was being clutch on getting wins late in games. He has a great amount of talent around him with WR Keenan Allen, WR Mike Williams, WR Jalen Guyton, WR Josh Palmer, RB Austin Ekeler (hopefully he stays) & Rookie WR from TCU in Quentin Johnston in the 2023 along with a solid O line around and new OC Kellen Moore from Dallas that has created Top Scoring Offenses in the last few years.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars- Trevor Lawrence!

This was a tough one between putting him at 6 or 7 in the fight with Justin Herbert. Ultimately, I’m having Trevor Lawrence at 7 for that his best season was just this year after a horrendous rookie campaign the year before. Feels a bit too soon to have T-Law any higher. He has a good arm, great mobility & toughness in the pocket. He has great talent around him to make him look great with WR Christian Kirk, WR  Calvin Ridley (hopefully he’s NFL ready), TE Evan Engram (feels weird saying) & RB Travis Etienne.

8. Detroit Lions- Jared Goff!

Inserting him into a list like this feels weird like it’s 2018, all over again, but I have great confidence in him to finally give the Lions a good chance of making the playoffs again, entering in his 3rd season in the Motor City. The best O line around him, a run game that’s been solid since 2021, and receivers should have good chemistry with Goff. He may not be as mobile as the other QBs ahead of him but he still has a decent arm, and can keep his team in games or comeback when they are trailing.

9. Minnesota Vikings- Kirk Cousins!

I’m not that big on Cousins in general with not having a lot of mobility, and an alright arm, but he’s been a very consistent QB overall that has kept the Vikings in games since 2020 looking back on it. Cousins showed he was clutch in Minnesota in 2022 with having guys like WR Justin Jefferson, WR KJ Osborn & TE TJ Hockenson. The O line is alright but I don’t know how I feel about Dalvin Cook not being at RB. I have no clue if RB Alexander Mattison is that guy or anyone behind him.

10. New Orleans Saints- Derek Carr!

I have a hard time with seeing how everyone else is better than Carr in New Orleans. Everyone else in the league is either a one year wonder with not a lot of upside, guys I don’t like based on their team’s situation, or complete unknowns. Sadly, he’s a safe option for me but to make it into a positive. He has a decent O line around him, good pass catchers with WR Chris Olave, healthy WR Michael Thomas, TE Juwan Johnson, and RB Alvin Kamara pending a suspension. Carr is a decent QB with a good arm, can run for first downs, and has been known for his 4th quarter comebacks. The division is more open for anyone to win it, and, after playing in the AFC West in nearly 10 seasons, this is his best shot of winning the division maybe.

What are your thoughts? Let us know on Twitter @WeLikeSportzPC what you think.

– Jonathan Misak

*Photo courtesy of Sporting News*