Best NFL Quarterbacks 2019: Ranking All 32 Starting QBs, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson Top The List

More than half the league used at least two starting quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL season, and six teams started three different signal callers. Eleven players threw for over 4,000 yards and eight quarterbacks threw for more than 25 touchdowns.

Below is a ranking of all the starting quarterbacks from best to worst, based on how they performed in the 2019 season. Only players that ended the year with the most starts for their team were eligible to make the list.

1) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (3,127 Yards, 36 TD, 6 INT, 113.3 Rating)

With the most touchdown passes on the NFL’s best team, Jackson is the easy pick as the league’s top quarterback of 2019. He had two games with a perfect passer rating and three more games with a passer rating north of 134.0. Jackson set a quarterback record with 1,206 rushing yards, adding seven scores on the ground.

2) Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (4,110 Yards, 31 TD, 5 INT, 107.4 Rating)

Wilson was the MVP frontrunner at the midway point of the season until Jackson became virtually unstoppable. He carried Seattle to the playoffs without a ton of help, often creating plays out of nothing with little protection from his offensive line. Wilson is the only quarterback that ranked in the top-six in yards, touchdowns and passer rating.

3) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (4,031 Yards, 26 TD. 5 INT, 105.3 Rating)

The reigning MVP didn’t match the incredible season he had a year ago, but Mahomes is arguably still the best player in football. Missing two and a half games with a knee injury and battling an ankle injury for part of the season, Mahomes was still in the top-10 in yards and touchdowns. Kansas City finished fifth in scoring with the AFC’s No.2 seed.

4) Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans (3,852 Yards, 26 TD, 12 INT, 98.0 Rating)

The Texans overcame a bad defense to win the AFC South because Watson was spectacular on so many occasions. Watson led the team to key victories over both the Chiefs and Patriots, and he almost beat the Saints in New Orleans. He had multiple touchdowns—either rushing or passing—in 10 of his 15 starts.

5) Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (3,603 Yards, 26 TD, 6 INT, 107.4 Rating)

With the exception of two poor performances against Green Bay, Cousins was as good as Minnesota could’ve hoped for in 2019. He was fourth in both completion percentage and passer rating, in spite of an offensive line that had trouble protecting him at times. Cousins even came up big in primetime games against the Redskins, Cowboys and Seahawks.

6) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (4,002 Yards, 26 TD, 4 INT, 95.4 Rating)

Rodgers didn’t have one of his best statistical seasons, throwing for fewer than 245 yards 11 times and failing to finish with a triple-digit passer rating. He’s still one of the best quarterbacks in football, posting the NFL’s second-best touchdown to interception ratio while leading the Packers to the NFC’s No.2 seed.

7) Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (4,039 Yards, 27 TD, 7 INT, 93.1 Rating)

Wentz was rightfully criticized at times throughout the season, but he was as good as any quarterback in the final month of the year when Philadelphia needed him most. He carried the Eagles to an NFC East title with a depleted receiving corps, forced to rely on players that were on the practice squad not long ago. Wentz had 10 touchdown passes and one interception in December, averaging more than 300 yards per game.

8) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (4,902 Yards, 30 TD, 11 INT, 99.7 Rating)

Given the chance to air it out more than any previous season, Prescott finished second in passing yards while leading the NFL’s No.1 offense. The Cowboys scored more than 30 points in all eight of their wins. Prescott would’ve cracked the top-five had he not come up short against the best teams on Dallas’ schedule.

9) Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (2,747 Yards, 22 TD, 6 INT, 117.5 Rating)

Tannehill put up historic numbers after becoming Tennessee's starter in Week 7. He led the NFL with a 117.5 passer rating (No.4 all-time) and 9.6 yards per attempt (No.8 all-time) The Titans went 2-4 with 16.3 points per game when Marcus Mariota was the starting quarterback. Tennessee scored 30.4 points per game and went 7-3 with Tannehill, earning the AFC’s second wild-card berth.

10) Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (2,979 Yards, 27 TD, 4 INT, 116.3 Rating)

It’s a testament to Brees that he made the top-10 after missing five starts and only attempting 65% of the team’s passes because of a thumb injury. He finished second in passer rating and tied for fifth in touchdowns. Brees came one percentage point away from breaking the completion percentage record he set in 2018.

11) Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (3,978 Yards, 27 TD, 13 INT, 102.0 Rating)

Garoppolo has proven that he’s certainly good enough to win a Super Bowl, outdueling the likes of Brees, Rodgers and Wilson on the way to the NFC’s best record. The quarterback was somewhat inconsistent, failing to hit the league-average passer rating (90.4) in seven games. He was third with 8.4 yards per attempt and fifth in both touchdown passes and completion percentage.

12) Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (3,089 Yards, 20 TD, 9 INT, 85.3 Rating)

Allen’s passing numbers won’t blow you away, but his impact on the game goes beyond those statistics. The second-year quarterback had 510 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. Allen had 21 total touchdowns and four turnovers from Week 7 on as the Bills secured a wild-card berth, leading several fourth-quarter comebacks.

13) Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (4,054 Yards, 21 TD, 8 INT, 100.8 Rating)

Carr finished in the top-nine in passer rating, yards and yards per attempt with the second-best completion percentage. He wasn’t as good in the season’s final month when Oakland was fighting for a playoff spot, though the defense played a significant role in keeping the Raiders out of the postseason.

14) Tom Brady, New England Patriots (4,057 Yards, 24 TD, 8 INT, 88.0 Rating)

Brady’s numbers might suggest that he’s among the league’s worst quarterbacks. The six-time champion ranked 27th in both completion percentage and yards per attempt to go along with the No.19 passer rating. But Brady had a worse group of playmakers that most signal callers and can still make big throws when he gets a little help from his receivers.

15) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (4,466 Yards, 26 TD, 14 INT, 92.1 Rating)

Ryan padded his stats during garbage time and later in the season when Atlanta was already out of the playoff race. He was in the top-eight in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage.

16) Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (2,499 Yards, 19 TD, 5 INT, 106.0 Rating)

If a back injury didn’t end his season after eight games, Stafford might have been near the top of this list. He finished second with 312.4 passing yards per game and 8.6 yards per attempt. The Lions went 3-4-1 with Stafford and 0-8 without him.

17) Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5,109 Yards, 33 TD, 30 INT, 84.3 Rating)

Winston was first in passing yards and second in touchdowns. His aggressive style helped give the Buccaneers the league’s No.4 scoring offense. Winston also created the 30-30 club, turning the ball over at an alarming rate and setting a record with seven pick-sixes.

18) Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (3,722 Yards, 20 TD, 12 INT, 87.4 Rating)

The Cardinals have to be happy with what they got from the No.1 overall pick, who showed flashes of becoming a star within the next few seasons. The rookie had 544 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns while ranking 15th in passing yards and completion percentage. Arizona scored 22.6 points per game after ranking last with 14.6 points per game in 2018.

19) Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts (2,942 Yards, 18 TD, 6 INT, 88.0 Rating)

Brissett’s season went off track when he suffered a sprained MCL in Week 9. The quarterback only missed one start, but he wasn’t the same over the final seven weeks. Brissett had just four touchdown passes during that span, never once posting a triple-digit passer rating as the Colts saw their playoff hopes disappear.

20) Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers (4,615 Yards, 23 TD, 20 INT, 88.5 Rating)

The days of Rivers being an above-average quarterback are probably gone. The veteran was one of three quarterbacks with more than 16 interceptions, costing the Chargers several games with bad turnovers. Rivers posted his second-worst passer rating in the last 12 seasons.

21) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins (3,529 Yards, 20 TD, 13 INT, 85.5 Rating)

Fitzpatrick was awful in the first two months when it looked like the Dolphins might be one of the worst teams in NFL history. The veteran worked his magic in the second half of the year, throwing 13 touchdown passes and six interceptions as Miami won five of its last nine games.

22) Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (4,683 Yards, 22 TD, 16 INT, 86.5 Rating)

The Rams likely regret giving Goff a $134 million contract in September. The offensive line wasn’t nearly as good as the unit that helped L.A. get to last year’s Super Bowl, and Goff was no different. He was bad in some key losses that kept the Rams out of the playoffs, recording more turnovers than touchdowns in six games.

23) Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars (3,271 Yards, 21 TD, 6 INT, 91.2 Rating)

The sixth-round draft pick went 4-3 in his first seven starts with 11 touchdown passes and one interception. Minshew proved to be a better option than Nick Foles, but his inaccuracy raised questions about his ability to be a good NFL starter. The rookie completed fewer than 60% of his passes in eight of his last 11 games. He also lost seven fumbles.

24) Sam Darnold, New York Jets (3,024 Yards, 19 TD, 13 TD, 84.3 Rating)

Darnold still hasn’t shown that he can be a good NFL starter with any consistency. He had an above-average passer rating and more than 230 passing yards in just three of his 13 starts. Darnold did finish with a winning record, going 7-5 after returning from his bout with mononucleosis.

25) Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears (3,138 Yards, 17 TD, 10 INT, 83.0 Rating)

Trubisky took a step back in his third NFL season, likely proving that he’s never going to be a very good starter. He had 250 passing yards and a passer rating north of 86.3 in the same game just once. Trubisky only ran for more than 29 yards in one game.

26) Daniel Jones, New York Giants (3,027 Yards, 24 TD, 12 INT, 87.7 Rating)

There were times when Jones made the Giants look brilliant for taking him sixth overall. The rookie totaled at least four touchdowns in four of his 12 starts. Jones also lost 11 fumbles, which contributed to his 3-9 record.

27) Case Keenum, Washington Redskins (1,707 Yards, 11 TD, 5 INT, 91.3 Rating)

The Redskins went 1-7 with Keenum as the starter, eventually benching him for rookie Dwayne Haskins. The veteran put up good numbers in his first two games, but Washington averaged 10 points per game in his last six starts. Keenum ranked last with 170.7 passing yards per game.

28) Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (3,827 Yards, 22 TD, 21 INT, 78.8 Rating)

The former No.1 overall pick took a step back after an impressive rookie campaign, despite the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. Mayfield finished second in interceptions. He was 31st in both completion percentage and passer rating.

29) Joe Flacco, Denver Broncos (1,822 Yards, 6 TD, 5 INT, 85.1 Rating)

Flacco went 2-6 before an injury ended his season, throwing one or no touchdown passes in all but one start. The Broncos averaged 15.6 points per game with Flacco under center. Denver went 4-1 in December with Drew Lock as the quarterback, scoring 21.4 points per contest.

30) Kyle Allen, Carolina Panthers (3,222 Yards, 17 TD, 16 INT. 80.0 Rating)

The wheels completely fell off after Carolina won Allen’s first four starts. The quarterback had 22 turnovers in 12 starts, posting a sub-90.0 passer rating nine times. Allen had at least two more turnovers than passing touchdowns in four games.

31) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (3,494 Yards, 16 TD, 14 INT, 78.3 Rating)

No Week 1 starting quarterback had a worse 2019 than Dalton. He had the league’s worst passer rating, a 2-11 record and was temporarily benched for Ryan Finley.

32) Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers (1,765 Yards, 13 TD, 9 INT, 82.0 Rating)

Rudolph was so bad that he couldn’t even keep Devlin Hodges from taking his starting job. He never threw for more than 251 yards. The Steelers scored exactly one offensive touchdown in each of his last three starts. Rudolph was 31st in yards per attempt and yards per game.