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“CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” JOINS PEACOCK’S DAILY SPORTS PROGRAMMING, BEGINNING TOMORROW, TUES. OCT. 27 AT 6 P.M. ET

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New Simms Unbuttoned Episodes Stream Every Tuesday & Thursday at 6 p.m. ET; Re-Airs of Each Episode at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesdays and Fridays

Completes 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET Weekday Block of Sports Programming on Peacock, Joining PFT Live, The Dan Patrick Show, The Rich Eisen Show, Brother From Another, PFT PM, and Safety Blitz

STAMFORD, Conn. and NEW YORK – Oct. 26, 2020 – Chris Simms Unbuttoned, NBC Sports analyst and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms’ podcast and digital series, is joining Peacock’s block of daily sports programming, beginning tomorrow, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. ET.

Chris Simms Unbuttoned will stream on Peacock every Tuesday – Friday at 6 p.m. ET, with new episodes debuting each Tuesday and Thursday. Safety Blitz, featuring Rodney Harrison and Jac Collinsworth, streams at 6 p.m. ET on Peacock each Monday.

Joined by a rotation of NBC Sports hosts Ahmed Fareed, Paul Burmeister, and Liam McHugh, Simms takes an unfiltered look at the NFL, featuring player access, unabashed opinion, X&O film breakdown, and stories from a life in and around football. Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft, played eight NFL seasons following a four-year career at the University of Texas.

The addition of Simms Unbuttoned completes Peacock’s block of daily sports programming, which spans from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET on weekdays.

Following is Peacock’s weekday sports programming:

SHOW TIME (ET)
PFT Live 7 a.m. – 9 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show 9 a.m. – Noon
The Rich Eisen Show Noon – 3 p.m.
Brother From Another 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
PFT PM 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Safety Blitz* 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Chris Simms Unbuttoned** 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
*Monday
**Tuesday-Friday

 

Viewers can sign up for Peacock for free at peacocktv.com. Peacock is currently available on the Roku platform; Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices including Android™, Android TV™ devices, Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; Sony PlayStation4 and PlayStation 4 Pro; and VIZIO SmartCast™ TVs and LG Smart TVs. Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers, as well as eligible Cox Contour customers, enjoy Peacock Premium included with their service at no additional cost.

PATRICK MAHOMES RANKS NO. 1 AND RUSSELL WILSON IS NO. 2 AS CHRIS SIMMS COMPLETES HIS TOP 40 QB COUNTDOWN, NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

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Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson Round Out Numbers 3-5 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown

“There is no weakness to Patrick Mahomes’ game right now…He’s the most creative thrower I’ve ever seen.” – Simms on Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes at No. 1

“Let’s start respecting the greatness of No. 3 up in Seattle…He’s one of the greatest one-man shows in the NFL. He does everything for his football team.” – Simms on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson at No. 2

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 26, 2020 – Chris Simms ranks Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes as his number one quarterback in the NFL, while Seattle’s Russell Wilson ranks number two as Simms’ top 40 quarterback countdown concludes on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and “PFT Live” this week with the QBs ranked 1-5.

“There is no weakness to Patrick Mahomes’ game right now. There is none. There’s literally nothing,” said Simms about ranking Mahomes No. 1. “I’ve never seen anybody like him in my life.”

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, also unveiled his quarterbacks ranked three through five this week: Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers at three, Houston’s Deshaun Watson at four, and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson at five.

Simms’ complete Top 40 QB Countdown:

 

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City 21. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland
2. Russell Wilson, Seattle 22. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay 23. Sam Darnold, New York Jets
4. Deshaun Watson, Houston 24. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore 25. Drew Lock, Denver
6. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia 26. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati
7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta 27. Andy Dalton, Dallas
8. Dak Prescott, Dallas 28. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
9. Matthew Stafford, Detroit 29. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina
10. Cam Newton, Free Agent 30. Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville
11. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee 31. Nick Foles, Chicago
12. Kyler Murray, Arizona 32. Case Keenum, Cleveland
13. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota 33. Jameis Winston, New Orleans
14. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh 34. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers
15. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay 35. Jarrett Stidham, New England
16. Drew Brees, New Orleans 36. Taysom Hill, New Orleans
17. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis 37. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
18. Josh Allen, Buffalo 38. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago
19. Derek Carr, Las Vegas 39. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
20. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 40. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami

 

The rankings will continue next week with numbers 23-30 on “PFT Live” and Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

The following are highlights from Chris Simms’ quarterback rankings:

No. 5: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Simms: “Awesome, exciting, one of the most explosive players in football. Certainly, dangerous in so many different ways. The skillset is vast. The running is electric — it is as good as anyone we have ever seen at the quarterback position other than Michael Vick. The throwing continues to go on an upward arc. He is a natural thrower…Is he a polished passer yet? No…There are still inconsistencies with that…His great running ability is setting up some great passing looks sometimes too, to maybe fool us into thinking he is a little bit better of a thrower than he is…I don’t think he is ready to carry the team with his right arm…That is basically the last piece we need to see from him to where he could be the number one or number two quarterback next year.”

No. 4: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

Simms: “They don’t come more talented, more cool under pressure, than Deshaun Watson…He can maybe be a little bit more of a precise short-ball thrower…If he fixes that stuff, the sky is the limit. Another guy, like Lamar Jackson, where…he could challenge to be the best quarterback in the game. He is an unbelievable deep-ball thrower. He has got unbelievable toughness, and when the play breaks down, you could argue Deshaun Watson is as good as anybody in football to make something happen when nothing is there…The best thing about him is he is arguably one of the best deep-ball throwers in football. That, to me, is where I just think he is special…That is where he really stresses defenses out because we know he can scramble, but then you’ve got to go, ‘We better worry about the other 50 yards behind us, because he can bomb it over us that way too.’”

No. 3: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Simms: “This is the first time since 2010 that I am going into a season where I don’t think Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in football…Why did he fall to three? There are two guys in front him who are really special and in the primes of their careers. Rodgers, he is on that part where it is starting to go downhill, (but he’s) still special…Do I think his skills are declining a little bit? Yes… but it doesn’t matter. It is still a special arm…It is still one of the best arms in the game…His escapability was a little less than what we normally see from him…I think he is too careful with the football. I think that is the biggest reason or the biggest thing about his game that I don’t like right now…Yeah, the window was tight, but you are freaking Aaron Rodgers. Throw it in there…This is the greatest gunslinger we have seen in the history of the sport, (and) who takes care of the football…He will win you a lot of games, and he really doesn’t lose you a lot of games because of that too…He is still arguably the most-gifted thrower, passer in the game. There is no offense, no play, nothing exists other than maybe the Lamar Jackson-offense that Aaron Rodgers couldn’t run. He can make every throw off every platform to a degree that there is only a few people in the history of the league that could do it (how) he does.”

No. 2: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Simms: “Let’s start respecting the greatness of No. 3 up in Seattle…He’s one of the greatest one-man shows in the NFL. He does everything for his football team, let alone he plays quarterback for a team that doesn’t play a quarterback-friendly style of football…(The Seahawks) have to get out of this mold of, ‘We’re still the Legion of Boom in 2013.’ Put the ball in Russell’s hands from start to finish in every game. Put the pressure on teams that way…With an offense that’s not necessarily the most creative passing game in football — it’s very elementary — and Russell Wilson, he makes it happen with pinpoint passing. He might be the best deep-ball thrower in the game, and then, of course, we know his adlibbing and ability to escape the pocket.”

No. 1: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Simms: “Where do you start? There is no weakness to Patrick Mahomes’ game right now. There is none. There’s literally nothing…I’ve never seen anybody like him in my life. Yeah, you’d like it from a quarterback school standpoint of him being a little more strict technique-wise, but it’s what makes him him. And certainly, when his technique is right, I mean, come on. It’s a walk in the park…He’s truly a special, special talent. He’s the most creative thrower I’ve ever seen, and that’s crazy because Aaron Rodgers is really creative, but I’ve never seen a guy who could do it with more different ways…He’s got more delivery points and ability to get it done than anybody I’ve ever seen play quarterback in my entire life…This is another aspect that I love: his deep drop. He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee at quarterback. I don’t even call it a drop. He just floats back there. It’s unlike any other quarterback in football. It’s really, in a lot of ways, brilliant.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

DAK PRESCOTT, CARSON WENTZ, KYLER MURRAY & CAM NEWTON HIGHLIGHT NUMBERS 6-14 ON CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN, NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

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“He’s one of the six quarterbacks in football where you can put the squad on his back and he can carry you no matter who’s out there.” – Simms on Eagles QB Carson Wentz at No. 6

“Dak Prescott has it all. He’s a franchise quarterback. He deserves to be paid in a big way.” – Simms on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott at No. 8

“I am talking about a Top 10 quarterback who has no team. It’s insane…He’s so good and talented and threatening that no team wants to bring Cam Newton in to be the backup.” – Simms on Free Agent QB Cam Newton at No. 10

Top Five QBs to be Revealed This Week, Including Top Two on Thursday, June 25

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 22, 2020 – Chris Simms continues to unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and “PFT Live” with the QBs ranked 6-14.

Beginning May 26 and culminating this Thursday, June 25 with his top two quarterbacks in the league, Simms will release two selections daily every Monday-Thursday on “PFT Live.”

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

Among this week’s rankings is free agent Cam Newton at No. 10.

“I am talking about a Top 10 quarterback who has no team. It’s insane,” Simms said. “He’s so good and talented and threatening that no team wants to bring Cam Newton in to be the backup.”

Simms’ quarterbacks ranked 6-14:

 

6. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia 24. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta 25. Drew Lock, Denver
8. Dak Prescott, Dallas 26. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati
9. Matthew Stafford, Detroit 27. Andy Dalton, Dallas
10. Cam Newton, Free Agent 28. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
11. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee 29. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina
12. Kyler Murray, Arizona 30. Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville
13. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota 31. Nick Foles, Chicago
14. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh 32. Case Keenum, Cleveland
15. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay 33. Jameis Winston, New Orleans
16. Drew Brees, New Orleans 34. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers
17. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis 35. Jarrett Stidham, New England
18. Josh Allen, Buffalo 36. Taysom Hill, New Orleans
19. Derek Carr, Las Vegas 37. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
20. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 38. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago
21. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland 39. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
22. Daniel Jones, New York Giants 40. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami
23. Sam Darnold, New York Jets    

 

The rankings will continue next week with numbers 23-30 on “PFT Live” and Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

The following are highlights from Chris Simms’ quarterback rankings:

No. 14: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Simms: “He is still a baller…Big Ben is getting to an age where we know it is going to decline, but he’s still big-time in a lot of ways…One of the greatest deep ball throwers in the history of football. I think that’s where it starts…Unlike maybe a (Drew) Brees or a (Tom) Brady, where Big Ben still has an advantage is he’s still fearless in the pocket…He is still one of the best power throwers in football…When nothing is there, Big Ben can still make things happen. Size is a skill…He is one of the best backyard quarterbacks we have ever seen.”

No. 13: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Simms: “Just an unbelievable read-and-react quarterback. I have never seen anyone who can drop back and evaluate the defense and just let it rip as quickly…To play in that kind of offense is not always easy for a quarterback. Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. ‘Oh, Kirk, now can you stand up and throw a 15-yard laser for us in a big moment?’…I think he is a better athlete than he gets credit for.”

No. 12: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Simms: “The guy is special. I’m afraid that at the end of the 2020 season, I’m going to go, ‘Man, I knew I should have put Kyler Murray at five or six.’…You could argue he is the fastest quarterback in football, him or Lamar Jackson. Certainly, one of the best scrambling quarterbacks there is in football. His arm is off-the-charts strong…His release is lightning…There is nothing about his game that said careless rookie…Arizona is Arizona right now because of him…The stars are aligning. The guy is a special talent, and now they put talent around him.”

No. 11: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

Simms: “He was on a football team that finally showed what he has and what you can do to utilize his talents…One of the most pure throwers in the NFL…Amazing deep ball thrower. Amazing, he is one of the best in football…Any intermediate-to-deep throw, he has got every club in the bag. He can drive it with power, throw it with touch. He is amazing that way. He stands in the pocket. He is fearless there, and of course he is a really good athlete…He, to me, takes advantage more of what is there to be had than almost any other quarterback I watched in football this year.”

No. 10: Cam Newton, Free Agent

Simms: “Here I am talking about a Top 10 quarterback who has no team. It’s insane…(Panthers head coach Matt Rhule) wants to make his stamp on the organization…He’s so good and talented and threatening that no team wants to bring Cam Newton in to be the backup. He’s going to threaten almost every quarterback in football except the elite, elite superstars…The guy’s talented, and I know he’s been injured…and he’s 31 years old…He’s going to be fine. It’s not career-ending. He’s got a lot of years ahead of him. He’s going to be able to play to 37, 38, maybe 40…I’m still a huge believer in Cam Newton.”

No. 9: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Simms: “Disrespected throughout his career, it drives me crazy. One of the greatest arms and throwers in the history of the sport. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for that because he’s in the same division with the guy with the greatest arm in the history of the sport, in my opinion, Aaron Rodgers…Stafford, I thought in 2019, adjusted to the new playing style in Detroit with Matt Patricia…In 2019, he was out-of-this-world good in another offense that I would say was not quarterback-friendly and really wanted to run the ball first…From what I saw last year, the throws, the leadership, the decisions…he makes so many plays and throws that change the game. They just don’t always capitalize because they’re not a great team up in Detroit.”

No. 8: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Simms: “Dak Prescott brings it all to the table — leadership, toughness. I love that aspect of him and that’s where — him and Matt Stafford I had really close, but I give Dak Prescott the advantage because of some of that that he brings to the football team. There is somewhat of an edge he brings…This is one of the best deep ball throwers in football, too. I don’t think he quite gets the credit he deserves for making off-schedule plays and throws…To me, Dak Prescott has it all. He’s a franchise quarterback. He deserves to be paid in a big way.”

No. 7: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Simms: “Matt Ryan has such a great blend of things going on. He’s that precision, dissection passer that Tom Brady and Drew Brees are…It’s not a huge arm, I would say it’s below NFL-average, really, out of the starting quarterbacks…There are a lot of quarterbacks with better arms than Matt Ryan, but between his experience, his ability to dissect defenses like a Brady and a Brees, being able to handle all of that stuff mentally, and then being able to read and react to defenses and make quick decisions with big-time throws is awesome. Where I give him more respect than system or precision passers…is Matt Ryan is scary good running around the pocket and making plays when things break down. Their offensive line has stunk the last few years. I would really say I’m more impressed with the way Matt Ryan has played the last few years than in 2016 when he was the MVP of football.”

No. 6: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Simms: “(The Eagles) are not in the playoffs last year unless they have Carson Wentz at quarterback…I don’t even know where to begin. He’s one of the six quarterbacks in football where you can put the squad on his back and he can carry you no matter who’s out there, what style of game you play, what kind of offense you’re in, it doesn’t matter…It’s like the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James…Awesome arm. Explosive, game-changing arm…In the pocket, he’s as tough as there is in football…I think he’s one of the most talented quarterbacks in football. I think he’s only going upwards.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

TOM BRADY, DREW BREES, PHILIP RIVERS & JIMMY GAROPPOLO HIGHLIGHT NUMBERS 15-22 ON CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN, NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

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 “If Brady was a top five or top 10 quarterback in football still, New England wouldn’t have let him go.” – Simms on Buccaneers QB Tom Brady at No. 15

“The Saints wouldn’t be pushing him out the door for Taysom Hill if he was still a top five quarterback or a top 10 quarterback.” – Simms on Saints QB Drew Brees at No. 16

Top Two QBs to be Revealed on Thursday, June 25

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 12, 2020 – Chris Simms continues to unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and “PFT Live” with the QBs ranked 15-22 this week.

Beginning May 26 and culminating Thursday, June 25 with his top two quarterbacks in the league, Simms will release two selections daily every Monday-Thursday on “PFT Live.”

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

Among this week’s rankings is Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 15 and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints at No. 16.

“If Brady was a top five or top 10 quarterback in football still, New England wouldn’t have let him go,” Simms said. “Team’s don’t let go of top ten quarterbacks in football.”

“The Saints wouldn’t be pushing (Brees) out the door for Taysom Hill if he was still a top five quarterback or a top 10 quarterback,” Simms said.

Simms’ quarterbacks ranked 23-40:

 

15. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay 28. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
16. Drew Brees, New Orleans 29. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina
17. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis 30. Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville
18. Josh Allen, Buffalo 31. Nick Foles, Chicago
19. Derek Carr, Las Vegas 32. Case Keenum, Cleveland
20. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 33. Jameis Winston, New Orleans
21. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland 34. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers
22. Daniel Jones, New York Giants 35. Jarrett Stidham, New England
23. Sam Darnold, New York Jets 36. Taysom Hill, New Orleans
24. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams 37. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
25. Drew Lock, Denver 38. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago
26. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati 39. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
27. Andy Dalton, Dallas 40. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami

The rankings will continue next week with numbers 23-30 on “PFT Live” and Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

The following are highlights from Chris Simms’ quarterback rankings:

No. 22: Daniel Jones, New York Giants

Simms: “Daniel Jones blew me out of the water in his rookie season…We’re talking elite, high-level passer of the football…Pinpoint accuracy, timing, a rhythm thrower who can throw with anticipation. He really has it all…One of his great strengths is his athletic ability. Another great strength is his ability to stand in the pocket and be fearless and make big-time throws. That’s like a gift and a curse because it leads to him also losing sight of what’s around him in the pocket…You take over for a legend at quarterback and then you don’t have necessarily the greatest supporting cast around you…that just tells me how much confidence (the Giants) had in Daniel Jones…What Daniel Jones can do is exciting for Giants fans.”

No. 21: Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Simms: “It certainly wasn’t his best year in 2019…but, man, does he make a lot of game-changing throws…He’s awesome in the pocket. He’s like Manny Pacquiao how he can dance around the pocket and buy time, and has a great knack for seeing down the field as he does it…It’s a big-time arm. It’s in the conversation for one of the 10 best arms in the sport…The positives, I think, still far outweigh the negatives to his game…I do think Baker Mayfield and (Browns head coach) Kevin Stefanski have a chance to be kind of a special marriage here.”

No. 20: Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

Simms: “Incredibly quick release. Love his ability to make accurate throws with cockeyed feet and feet all over the place…(He) has good movement in the pocket to buy time and find a little alley to throw. Very accurate in the intermediate-to-short passes. He can pinpoint it and he can throw the ball from different arm angles too…The 49ers obviously have a little something there as far as they didn’t love Jimmy Garoppolo’s play from last season or they wouldn’t have flirted with the Tom Brady conversation…There are sometimes some head scratching decision-making. There is lack of big-time power throws…The number one detractor, for me, is he’s not a phenomenal athlete as far as he is not going to run for you and get first downs.”

No. 19: Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

Simms: “I think Derek Carr is poised to open some eyes this year…He has got it all at the quarterback position…Quick release, good arm, can throw it sidearm, never really loses control of the ball, throws perfect spirals…He is smart and a good decision-maker. He is a better athlete than people give him credit for. He is a better athlete than Jimmy Garoppolo and he has got a better arm than Jimmy Garoppolo too…If I was going to talk about a negative of Derek Carr, it’s lack of aggressiveness at times…I wish he would get a little bit more of that playmaking aggressive nature that a Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield have and just let it fly a little bit.”

No. 18: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Simms: “The stats don’t say it all about Josh Allen…(He) puts a lot of pressure on the defense because of all the different things he can do at the quarterback position His skillset is special. I think it’s fair to say he is the second-best running quarterback in football behind Lamar Jackson…He’s an absolute baller throwing on the run…It’s Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers stuff at times…He’s not scared of any throw…He’s still raw and improving…He does still have to improve his accuracy…but I really think Josh Allen has superstar potential.”

No. 17: Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

Simms: “Some crucial mistakes in some big moments last year, no doubt about that, but that’s going to happen sometimes… when the game depends on you making plays. So he had to flirt with danger a lot…You talk about a guy who still is as tough as there is hanging in the pocket…Not afraid to pull the trigger…The negative is being careless with the football…but he can still make a lot of plays and help your team win football games. It’s only two years ago (that) he went 12-4 with the Chargers. He hasn’t lost his way.”

No. 16: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Simms: “That’s amazing that he’s still playing at this level at this age, and certainly playing at a level that you could win a Super Bowl with a team around you, and he can do that. He can lead them to a Super Bowl this year…but for anybody to think he’s still in the top 10 or maybe in the top five…The Saints wouldn’t be pushing him out the door for Taysom Hill if he was still a top five quarterback or a top 10 quarterback. That’s all you need to know…Accuracy is his game. Accuracy, timing, his ability to diagnose a defense and get to the right guy on the offensive side of the ball as fast as anyone we have ever seen in the history of the sport…He can execute that system as good as anybody in the sport…His ability to throw the ball down the field and make those game-changing throws or those field position-type changing throws, it’s going downhill. There is no denying that.”

No. 15: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Simms: “If Brady was a top five or top 10 quarterback in football still, New England wouldn’t have let him go. Teams don’t let go of top 10 quarterbacks…I would like to reiterate like I did with Drew Brees, Tom Brady is still good enough to where he can win a Super Bowl…His arm is still real good. Is it great like it used to be? No, but it is still real good where he can make all the throws everywhere around the field…His ability to dissect and read and react to a defense and make the proper throw, it’s genius. He is like Van Gogh at the quarterback position. He is an artist…His pocket awareness is a little too aware right now. He is a little reluctant to want to stand in there and make throws down the field…He left some yards and plays on the field during the season and that is why he is number 15…If he will stand in there and he is willing to take shots, he can still make big-time game-changing type throws, but I would also say again there is reluctance.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

JOE BURROW, SAM DARNOLD, JARED GOFF & DREW LOCK HIGHLIGHT NUMBERS 23-30 ON CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN, NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

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 “The ceiling is he could be Peyton Manning.” – Simms on Bengals QB Joe Burrow at No. 26

“I saw improvements from year one to year two…He is a master Jedi in the pocket.” – Simms on Jets QB Sam Darnold at No. 23

Top Two QBs to be Revealed on Thursday, June 25

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 5, 2020 – Chris Simms continues to unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and “PFT Live” with the QBs ranked 23-30 this week.

Beginning last week and culminating Thursday, June 25 with his top two quarterbacks in the league, Simms will release two selections daily every Monday-Thursday on “PFT Live.”

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

Among this week’s rankings is 2022 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 26. “The floor for Joe Burrow is he’s going to be a real good NFL quarterback,” Simms said. “the ceiling, to me, is he could be Peyton Manning.”

Simms’ quarterbacks ranked 23-40:

 

23. Sam Darnold, New York Jets 32. Case Keenum, Cleveland
24. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams  33. Jameis Winston, New Orleans
25. Drew Lock, Denver 34. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers
26. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati 35. Jarrett Stidham, New England
27. Andy Dalton, Dallas 36. Taysom Hill, New Orleans
28. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami 37. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
29. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina 38. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago
30. Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville 39. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
31. Nick Foles, Chicago 40. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami

 

The rankings will continue next week with numbers 23-30 on “PFT Live” and Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

The following are highlights from Chris Simms’ quarterback rankings:

No. 30: Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars

Simms: “He’s an exciting football player. He brings something to the team and the organization more than what’s on the field…You see the fan base rallied around him, you can tell the team rallies around him. He’s got an edge…he can make some things happen when there’s nothing there to be had. He is a good athlete and he’s a good thrower…It’s a below NFL starting quarterback average arm, but…his strength (is)…intermediate-type passes…Am I sold that he’s the franchise yet in Jacksonville? No, I’m not. But he has a lot of the traits to be that guy…He’s got some Alex Smith qualities to him.”

No. 29: Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers

Simms: “There is something about his appeal as the leader of your football team…Guys in the locker room follow Teddy Bridgewater. On the field, it’s not always going to blow you away. I wish he was more aggressive…He is smart, he takes care of the football, he is accurate, and once he gets a feel and some comfort level for the game, he will start to take some chances…The story is amazing, it really is. I wasn’t sure he was ever going to play football again and now he’s making $22 million per year in a really good system.”

No. 28: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins

Simms: “You want to talk about gutty, gritty, career-journeyman…When he is hot, he is awesome to watch…He is a very hot-and-cold type quarterback… I think that is what I will always remember Ryan Fitzpatrick as… I wouldn’t be shocked if he has another solid year this year. Maybe (he) gets replaced during the season at some point by Tua [Tagovailoa], but I just wouldn’t be shocked if he is in a similar situation next year with another team if he continues to do this…I don’t think Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to give up that job easily, that is for sure.”

No. 27: Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys

Simms: “He is a backup quarterback that is better than some starters in the NFL…Andy Dalton, to me, is a guy that can be anywhere from No. 20 to No. 32 in a given year…There is no glaring weakness to his game…You give him some support and a little run game and some receivers to throw to, he is going to make good decisions, nice throws, and he knows where to go with the ball.”

No. 26: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Simms: “I am very confident in saying he’s going to be good. I don’t know if he’s going to be great or awesome, but I think everything I studied coming out of the draft makes me believe that he’s going to be great…I saw enough in college to know the guy is going to come in and be able to run an NFL offense and make every throw you need to make…The floor for Joe Burrow is he’s going to be a real good NFL quarterback. The ceiling, to me, is he could be Peyton Manning.”

No. 25: Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

Simms: “Drew Lock really excites me as a football player…I thought he was the second best quarterback in the draft (in 2019) behind Kyler Murray…He’s just a really natural, pure thrower of the football and the ball explodes out of his hands with great ease…He reminds me of Matthew Stafford as far as skillset is concerned…Drew Lock’s arm is special. He is the kind of guy that, I think, we could be sitting here a year or two from now, and if everything goes right, I can go this is a top 10 quarterback in football, this is one of the five best arms in football.”

No. 24: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

Simms: “You can win football games (with Goff)…There is good arm strength there. I am not going to say it is great…Does he make plays from time to time? Yes, he does. Not enough for me to put him in the top 20 or really high…He is not as accurate as sometimes I think he is…He is below average in the pocket…That is why he is where he is. He does not have great feel in the pocket…A good quarterback, you can certainly win with him.”

No. 23: Sam Darnold, New York Jets

Simms: “I saw improvements from year one to year two with Sam Darnold in some areas…He has got a very quick release…He can get it out of his hand as good as about anyone in the NFL not named Aaron Rodgers as far as quickness throwing it…He is phenomenal in the pocket. I mean a master Jedi in the pocket. He has got phenomenal feet. He has got great feel. He is one of those guys that can move around the pocket and it looks like he is looking at the rush the way is he avoiding these guys, but yet he can look down field and still evaluate his receivers and the coverage, and still make throws that way.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

TUA TAGOVAILOA LEADS OFF CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 NFL QUARTERBACK RANKINGS, NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

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Two QBs Revealed Per Day on PFT Live, Culminating with the Top Two on Thursday, June 25; In-Depth Breakdowns for Each Ranking Weekly on Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast

Rookies Tua Tagovailoa (No. 40) & Justin Herbert (No. 37), Dwayne Haskins (No. 39), Mitchell Trubisky (No. 38), and Taysom Hill (No. 36) Ranked #36-40 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown

“He’s the future of the Saints. Taysom Hill is on his way to being the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in 2021.” – Simms

“Do I have my concerns about whether he is going to live up to that worthiness of a top-five pick? Certainly…At the very least, I know he has got the talent to play in the league.” – Simms on Tua Tagovailoa

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 27, 2020 – Over the course of the next month, NBC Sports’ Chris Simms will unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live.”

Beginning this week and culminating Thursday, June 25 with his top two quarterbacks in the league, Simms will release two selections daily every Monday-Thursday on “PFT Live.”

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

“It’s always fun to revisit this,” Simms said. “I really thought 25 to 40 was the toughest part of it for me this year, which is rare. Usually 10 through 20 is tough. This year, I felt like the backend was tough which means there are a lot of good quarterbacks and a lot of guys that are up-and-comers to look out for.”

To kick off the countdown, Simms unveiled his quarterbacks ranked 36-40:

 

36. Taysom Hill, New Orleans
37. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
38. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago
39. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
40. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami

 

The rankings will continue Thursday with numbers 34 and 35 on “PFT Live” and 31-35 on the next episode of “Chris Simms Unbuttoned.”

The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:

No. 40: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Simms: “There is talent there. Whether I thought he was a top five or top 10 pick (in the Draft)…doesn’t matter. I still thought he was a first-round pick and certainly one of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL right now…He is a natural at the position in a lot of ways and he brings other things to the table which I take into account…He does have a presence on the field, and we saw that at Alabama. He can give a team belief because of that charisma…Do I have my concerns about whether he is going to live up to that worthiness of a top-five pick and be a guy that can carry a football team on his shoulders, and make plays when nothing has happened and all those things? Yes, I do. I am concerned about that, but at the very least, I know he has got the talent to play in the league.”

No. 39: Dwayne Haskins, Washington Redskins

Simms: “I don’t know what to make of his first year. I am not sure what he is…There are other proven commodities right now in front of him…. They are better quarterbacks than he is at this point. Do I see potential in Dwayne Haskins? Certainly. I know he has got a big-time arm, good size, and he is a decent athlete…I don’t think Dwayne Haskins gave the Washington Redskins organization the confidence maybe Drew Lock or Daniel Jones gave their teams last year.”

No. 38: Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

Simms: “What can you love about Mitchell Trubisky’s game right now when you really look at it? First off, it’s below-average NFL throwing of the football…Way too many slam dunk NFL completions missed, let alone the decision-making is questionable at times…If you’re not going to scramble and make plays that way, then you need to be a good thrower, good decision-maker, and accurate.”

No. 37: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Simms: “Justin Herbert has played a lot of college football at a really high level. Four-year starter (at Oregon), lots of reps in a non-quarterback friendly offense where he really got a lot done and made a lot of plays. When there’s nothing there to be had, an awesome quarterback makes sure there’s something there to be had, and he can do that…I think he has superstar capabilities. You put him in the Bears offense, I think they’d have better results than they would with Mitchell Trubisky. I’m very bullish on Justin Herbert…I wouldn’t be shocked if we’re sitting here next year, two years from now, and he’s in the top 10. That’s what kind of guy he is.”

No. 36: Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Simms: “He’s the future of the Saints. Taysom Hill is on his way to being the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in 2021…He’s been coached by Sean Payton the last few years. I’ve seen a progression every year…He’s got big-time talent. He’s got a huge arm. He can throw missiles all over the field and he can throw it deep with great ease. He’s learned how to go through reads and play within the pocket…He’s got a skillset that’s special and that you’re going to be able to do some different things with a guy like Taysom Hill that you can’t do with a lot of other quarterbacks…He has superstar ability. There’s a reason you hear Sean Payton say Steve Young and things like that. It’s special that way…If I saw 100 more reps, he’d probably be way up the list from where he is, but right now he a little bit of an unknown commodity.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

CHRIS SIMMS RELEASES HIS 2020 NFL DRAFT WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS ON NBC SPORTS’ “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” PODCAST

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Simms’ Top Five Prospects: Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb (#1), LSU’s Justin Jefferson (#2), Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III (#3), Penn State’s KJ Hamler (#4), and Clemson’s Tee Higgins (#5)

“This is the #1 position in the Draft. It’s so deep, it’s never-ending.” – Simms

“CeeDee Lamb is the best wide receiver in the draft…He’s almost like DeAndre Hopkins in size, but Jarvis Landry with the ball in his hands.” – Simms

“One of my favorite players in the draft. I don’t understand why he’s not getting more hype.” – Simms on Justin Jefferson

“This is a guy like Tyreek Hill…You can’t look at him as a traditional wide receiver. He is a weapon.” – Simms on Henry Ruggs III

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 1, 2020 – NBC Sports’ Chris Simms unveiled his wide receiver draft rankings, discussing this year’s top prospects heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. In the episode, Simms ranks and breaks down the best prospects in this year’s premier position, including Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, LSU’s Justin Jefferson, Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy, Penn State’s KJ Hamler, Clemson’s Tee Higgins, and more.

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, is joined by NBC Sports’ Paul Burmeister on the podcast. The two offer in-depth breakdowns, potential draft sleepers, and NFL comparisons for this year’s top wide receiver prospects.

“This is the number one position in the draft,” Simms said about this year’s wide receiver draft class. “It’s so deep, it’s never-ending. There’s a receiver for everything. If you need a size receiver, they got plenty of them. If you need a jitterbug slot receiver, they got plenty of them. You need explosive, gamechanger type guys? There’s plenty of those to go around too.”

Simms’ Top Five WR prospects:

 

1. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
2. Justin Jefferson, LSU
3. Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
4. KJ Hamler, Penn State
5. Tee Higgins, Clemson

 

The following are highlights from Simms’ QB draft rankings:

No. 5: Tee Higgins, Clemson

Simms: “He’s a giant. I would say this is Plaxico Burress almost. He can be that type of player. He’s got great, ‘long’ speed, he’s got very good strength, he runs through arm tackles…But the biggest thing more than anything is – yes, I see room for improvement in terms of route running – but the size and ability to catch 50-50 balls is as good as anybody in the class…If he has a chance to get his hands on it, he’s going to catch the ball and that’s where I really like Tee Higgins’ value. I think his game is really going to translate to the NFL in that way.”

No. 4: KJ Hamler, Penn State

Simms: “He’s a guy that I was probably the most pleasantly surprised to watch at the wide receiver position so far…The speed jumps out right away…The negatives are he’s small…I was a little worried about that too. But the one thing that (Ravens wide receiver) Hollywood Brown showed me this year is that that’s another thing in this day in the NFL that’s a little overanalyzed at times. You can find ways to get these smaller guys clean releases…So the size factor is not as big anymore as compared to all the different things…a guy like KJ Hamler can do. The speed is real.”

No. 3: Henry Ruggs III, Alabama

Simms: “The value of these types of guys – the stats don’t really say it. One, what they can do on special teams. Two, what they can do after the catch. I mean this is a guy like Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman – I think he was better than Hardman was coming out (of college) – where he can catch a slant and go 70 yards for a touchdown. He can do the same thing in the kick return/punt return game…You can’t look at him as a traditional wide receiver. He is a weapon…He’s a gamechanger in how defenses have to approach your offense.”

No. 2: Justin Jefferson, LSU

Simms: “One of my favorite players in the Draft. I just look at Justin Jefferson and I go, ‘What’s not to like about the guy?’ I don’t understand why he’s not getting more hype…To me, it’s off the charts. Great route runner, can separate from people, fearless over the middle, snatches the ball out of the air…He’s not the most explosive receiver in the draft, but he really understands how to play the game. He has great hands, he’s a great route runner and…in the NFL where offenses are moving guys around again, I think his value is more in the inside of the field just like a Michael Thomas.”

No. 1: CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Simms: “CeeDee Lamb is the best wide receiver in the draft for my money. I just think everything we just talked about with all of these receivers, CeeDee Lamb has it all…He’s the best in the draft with the ball in his hands. The first guy never makes the tackle when CeeDee Lamb catches the ball. He always makes the first guy miss, and then he gets up the field, he can break arm tackles, he can break your ankles in space…I just think he has a little of everything, let alone when the lights come on, he seems to play his best. I just look at him with no weaknesses to his game really, and I think he is a superstar in the NFL…To me, he’s got the body of DeAndre Hopkins, except he’s better with the ball in his hands than Hopkins ever was. He’s almost like DeAndre Hopkins in size, but Jarvis Landry with the ball in his hands.”

Highlights of Honorable Mentions: Jerry Jeudy, Alabama, Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State, Denzel Mims, Baylor, and Chase Claypool, Notre Dame

Simms on why Jeudy wasn’t in his Top-Five: “Everybody thinks Jeudy is going in the first round, but I will say with some of my close friends and the conversations I’ve had with them, Jeudy I don’t think is as loved by the whole NFL as everybody thinks he is…I really like Jerry Jeudy. If he gets drafted in the first round, I’m not going to sit here and say that’s a stupid pick…I just don’t know if there’s any elite traits.”

To hear the full episode with full prospect breakdowns, click here.

The Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast is available for download on all major podcast platforms including: NBCSports.com/podcasts, NBC Sports’ Scores app, Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart.

-NBC SPORTS-

CHRIS SIMMS RELEASES HIS 2020 NFL DRAFT QUARTERBACK RANKINGS ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” PODCAST

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Simms’ Top Five Prospects: Joe Burrow (#1), Justin Herbert (#2), Jordan Love (#3), Tua Tagovailoa (#4), and Jacob Eason (#5)

“It’s the cleanest film I’ve ever seen from a college quarterback.” – Simms on Joe Burrow

“Being in the Top 10, it would scare me with Tua.” – Simms on teams looking to draft Tua Tagovailoa

“I think he’s got the best arm of any of these quarterbacks in this draft.” – Simms on Justin Herbert

 “They can be superstar physical talents who I think can take over games.” – Simms on Herbert and Jordan Love

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 25, 2020 – NBC Sports’ Chris Simms unveiled his quarterback draft rankings, discussing this year’s top QB prospects heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. In the episode, Simms ranks and breaks down LSU’s Joe Burrow, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Utah State’s Jordan Love, and more.

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, is joined by NBC Sports’ Ahmed Fareed on the podcast. The two offer in-depth breakdowns, potential draft sleepers, and NFL comparisons for this year’s top quarterback prospects.

“To me, there’s a top-four that kind of stand alone,” Simms said about this year’s quarterback draft class. “There are some other guys that are on my radar that as I watch more of them down the line, I’m not so sure they can’t challenge to be in that fifth spot in the conversation. We’ve got a little bit of everything in this class and I’m excited to break this down.”

Simms’ Top Five QB prospects:

1. Joe Burrow, LSU
2. Justin Herbert, Oregon
3. Jordan Love, Utah State
4. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
5. Jacob Eason, Washington

 

The following are highlights from Simms’ QB draft rankings:

No. 5: Jacob Eason, Washington

Simms: “He is more of your prototypical pocket-passing quarterback. He wants to stand in there and try to throw all over the field. The first thing is, I think that type of quarterback is a dying breed in the NFL…quarterbacks that can’t get out of the pocket, can’t move around in the pocket, make plays off-schedule like that. If you look at all the top quarterbacks in football, they’re all capable of doing that…Good player, I do think he’s a guy that probably needs to go somewhere and sit a year or two. He’s got some potential, but I think he’s got to speed up his release, speed up his feet and just become a better overall athlete…My comparison would be Ryan Mallett.”

No. 4: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Simms: “I do like his talent, there’s no doubt…Am I taking a little off the table because of the injury history? Yes. Am I taking a little off just because he’s injured right now? Yes…I’m not so sure he knows how to get out of harm’s way…He had a ton of talent around him (at Alabama). This is where we have to be careful when we evaluate quarterbacks…He’s a gifted athlete, he’s got great feet, he can hop around the pocket, he’s a good runner…I don’t think he’s necessarily going to be a great runner in the NFL…He’s a natural at the quarterback position, he really does understand it…He is very scary to me, I’m not necessarily sold that the type of style he plays will translate to the NFL…I’m certainly docking him a little bit because of size, injury history and further injury concern…Being in the Top 10, it would scare me with Tua.”

No. 3: Jordan Love, Utah State

Simms: “He has good size, he’s a good athlete. He does a great job of staying in throwing position in the pocket – he’s fearless that way…He can throw it effortlessly…I think he’s a guy that has room to grow. Is he a little raw? Certainly, but I think between his size, athleticism, composure – that I think showed off on film – and then his ability to throw the football. Yeah, I think his game translates better to the NFL than someone like Tua…Listen, if Jordan Love was on Alabama, his stats would look a whole lot different.”

No. 2: Justin Herbert, Oregon

Simms: “I think he’s got the best arm of any of these quarterbacks in this draft…A really gifted thrower allows an offense to open up…Really good athlete, can throw with people around him and, to me, can make the most ‘wow’ throws out of anybody I’ve seen in this draft at this point…He might not be the quickest or the fastest to accelerate, but he’s the fastest quarterback out of all the guys when he opens up…He’s a special athlete that way…I think he has an incredibly high ceiling like Jordan Love. They can be superstar physical talents who I think can take over games.”

No. 1: Joe Burrow, LSU

Simms: “It’s the cleanest film I’ve ever seen from a college quarterback. I’ve just never seen more accurate throws, more proper decisions, more of the ability to read and react in the pocket…Incredibly accurate, incredible presence and pocket poise. He really can manipulate the pocket. For a #1 pick in the draft, I just wish he had a little bit more of a physically gifted arm, but I just think everything else is so damn good, you can’t pass him up…He’s a better athlete than Tom Brady [but] doesn’t have as good of an arm as Tom Brady. He reminds me more of Peyton Manning, honestly. I think he’s more of that guy than Tom Brady. Not necessarily going to wow you with all of these power throws, but the decision making, can make all the throws, and then the pinpoint accuracy to go with it and the size and strength to throw with a mosh pit around him and not be affected. Very, very special that way.”

Honorable Mentions: Jake Luton, Oregon State and James Morgan, Florida International

Simms: “Those were two guys that I saw and said, ‘Man, they can spin it, they got some legit talent there.’ They might have a chance to do something here in the NFL if they get in the right spot, the right opportunity.”

To hear the full episode with full prospect breakdowns, click here.

The Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast is available for download on all major podcast platforms including: NBCSports.com/podcasts, NBC Sports’ Scores app, Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart.

-NBC SPORTS-

AARON RODGERS RANKS NO. 1 AND PATRICK MAHOMES IS NO. 2 AS CHRIS SIMMS COMPLETES HIS TOP 40 QB COUNTDOWN ACROSS NBC SPORTS PLATFORMS

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Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Deshaun Watson and Ben Roethlisberger Round Out Numbers 3-6 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown on Chris Simms Unbuttoned and Pro Football Talk Live

 

“I still think Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in football…The arm is still at an all-time great level.” – Simms on his No. 1 Ranking

 

“Mahomes has the talent and the demeanor to really challenge the all-time greats and be the greatest quarterback of all-time.” – Simms on Patrick Mahomes

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 27, 2019 – Chris Simms ranks Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers as his number one quarterback in the NFL while Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes ranks number two as Simms’ top 40 quarterback countdown concludes on a pair of NBC Sports’ platforms — the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live” – this week, with the QBs ranked 1-6.

“The whole Top Ten is nitpicking,” Simms said. “These are all All-Stars and great players, but as awesome I think Mahomes is, I think that if Aaron Rodgers was on the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, that they would have won that game…These are my two favorite quarterbacks in football. It was a very tough call, but I’m still not ready to relinquish the title from Aaron Rodgers.”

Simms also unveiled his quarterbacks ranked numbers three through six this week, which include Seattle’s Russell Wilson at three, Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck at four, Houston’s Deshaun Watson at five and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger at six.

Simms’ complete Top 40 QB Countdown:

 

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay 21. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City 22. Sam Darnold, New York Jets
3. Russell Wilson, Seattle 23. Josh Allen, Buffalo
4. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis 24. Kyler Murray, Arizona
5. Deshaun Watson, Houston 25. Joe Flacco, Denver
6. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh 26. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta 27. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay
8. Cam Newton, Carolina 28. Case Keenum, Washington
9. Tom Brady, New England 29. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee
10. Drew Brees, New Orleans 30. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
11. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia 31. Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis
12. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers 32. Josh Rosen, Miami
13. Dak Prescott, Dallas 33. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee
14. Matthew Stafford, Detroit 34. Eli Manning, New York Giants
15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota 35. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
16. Nick Foles, Jacksonville 36. Robert Griffin III, Baltimore
17. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland 37. Drew Lock, Denver
18. Derek Carr, Oakland 38. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
19. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams 39. Colt McCoy, Washington
20. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago 40. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

 

The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned and PFT Live:

No. 6: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh

Simms: “Last year was a phenomenal year for Ben Roethlisberger…He’s still one of the best down the field throwers in the sport and I put a lot into that because explosive plays are the number two stat in a football game as far as determining who wins a game. There’s turnover margin and the next thing that determines it is 20+ yard plays and that a lot of the time is predicated through Big Ben making big plays in the pass game…When you talk about him on the field and his ability to make game-changing plays and do special things. You go back and look at the highlights and listen, Antonio Brown isn’t as wide open as we’d all like to think and remember all the time…Sometimes you’re going to make a bonehead play or two when you’re a quarterback that has to play the way Ben Roethlisberger does, which is basically carry the offense…If we just try to keep it between the white lines and not let all those other things influence you, it’s a special career. For me, it’s a borderline Top 10 career in NFL history.”

 

No. 5: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

Simms: “Deshaun Watson is one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL. You want to talk about super talent, I mean this guy is a superstar. He could be face of the NFL type talent…Before Patrick Mahomes, he was the new, cool, young, sexy, in vogue quarterback…The negatives to me are just nuances of the position at this point…Besides the magic that he is capable of making with his scrambling and making plays, their run game is pretty good in Houston. It’s very good because of Deshaun Watson and that’s not going to go in the statistical book…Like the Cam Newton theory, it makes defenses do things they don’t want to do. His arm, he does take care of the football, his ability to be precise on short routes, deep routes, whatever it may be, are all-around special…Would I sit here and be shocked next year if I’m going, ‘Deshaun Watson is the best quarterback in football right now or the second-best quarterback?’ No, I don’t think that’s far-fetched. I think he’s that type of talent.”

 

No. 4: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Simms: “Andrew Luck’s season was off the charts. Look at what happens to a player – and Andrew Luck was good already, don’t get me wrong – but when you start to give a support system around him…One of the best deep-ball throwers in the NFL. Extremely smart. He’s a pure pocket passer, but don’t forget that at 240 pounds, he ran a 4.59 coming out of the combine. He can go and we saw that a number of times last year…Accuracy, timing, it’s all top-notch. The arm is not like a big-time arm…He can throw it a far way, but he’s not throwing lasers…I do think at some point he’s going to have to correct his motion a little bit. I don’t think it’s going to last the test of time and I don’t necessarily think it’s always conducive to bad weather…Overall, the plays he makes, the clutchness he brings to the table on a week-to-week basis…I think he’s a special, special player that is definitely deserving in this Top Five…We know that games start and end for the Colts with Andrew Luck’s ability to provide for that team and the way teams gameplan for the Indianapolis Colts is all around Andrew Luck and what he does well.”

 

No. 3: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Simms: “A one-man band. You talk about a team or a guy that is responsible for more of the production on their football team than any other quarterback in the sport, that’s where Russell Wilson is amazing. Whenever they need a big play, it’s almost always predicated on Russell Wilson making it happen…He’s never at any point been in an offensive system that I even remotely go, ‘This is Top Five in the NFL, Top Ten in the NFL.’ I mean it’s been as basic as it can get and yet touchdowns, big plays, quarterback rating, all of those are always towards the top of the list and he’s winning football games…He’s in the prime of his career and I think Seattle has turned over their team enough that they can make a little mini run here and they can be a playoff team year after year after year again.”

 

No. 2: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Simms: “I’m not ready to call him better than Aaron Rodgers quite yet. I think the talent on the field, it’s certainly comparable. The arm, the ability to move, scramble, all of those things are so special by both of these guys and Mahomes is unbelievable…With all that being said, it was very equal. I went back and forth and at first I did write Mahomes at number one…Really what it came down to as far as the tie-breaker between these guys – because it’s really like 1A and 1B to me – is the experience factor at this time is where I give Aaron Rodgers the advantage in a race that’s this close…We saw the inexperience hurt him a little bit in games where teams did some different things…But I just can’t say enough about the player and what we saw last year. It was a special, special season. It was 1984 Dan Marino-ish the way he did things last year. I’ve never seen a guy come into the league their first year as a starting quarterback and really take over the league and take over everything about it by storm with just phenomenal plays…Mahomes has the talent and the demeanor to really challenge the all-time greats and be the greatest quarterback of all-time or be in that conversation. He certainly has the talent to do that.”

 

No. 1: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Simms: “I still think he’s the best quarterback in football when you take everything into account. We can’t take into account the team around him and the offensive coordinator and things like that. I’m just evaluating what I see from Aaron Rodgers and yes, there were some ugly moments last year, definitely, but you could’ve put Superman back there at quarterback and there would have been some ugly moments. The team was overmatched…More is on his shoulders up in Green Bay than any quarterback in football as far as just carrying the team. Last year, was it the best year of his career? No, it certainly was not and I’m not totally giving him the free pass there. There were moments where I know he could have played better, but ultimately the team failed him a lot more than he failed them…I still think Aaron Rodgers plays the position and is the best quarterback in football, it’s not by a lot, he’s squeaking this one out, but I still think he’s the best…The movement, the speed, it’s still really good…The arm is still at an all-time great level. Like I say with Tom Brady, his arm is never going to fail him. When he’s 65 he’s still going to be able to throw lasers all over the place…Yes, he does get hurt. But when you have to play the position the way Aaron Rodgers does, which is you kind of have to play the game close to the edge and push the envelope if Green Bay wants to win games…He’s had to carry the team to where it puts his body in some compromising situations.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

TOM BRADY AT NO. 9 & DREW BREES AT NO. 10 ON CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QB COUNTDOWN

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Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz Among Those Ranked #7-14 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown This Week Unveiled on Chris Simms Unbuttoned and Pro Football Talk Live

“At the age of 42, I think the guys that I have in front of him are capable of doing things that he is not capable of doing anymore.” – Simms on ranking Tom Brady No. 9

“He’s really to me a little bit more physically gifted version of Andrew Luck.” – Simms on Carson Wentz

Top Two QBs to be Revealed on next Thursday, June 27

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 20, 2019 – Chris Simms’ top 40 quarterback countdown reaches the Top 10 on a pair of NBC Sports’ platforms — the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live” – this week, with the QBs ranked 7-14.

Among this week’s rankings are Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots at numbers 10 and 9, respectively. “What I would say of Brees and Brady, the system is doing every bit as much for them and maybe more than they are doing for the system,” Simms said. “I wouldn’t have said that four or five years ago.”

“It’s not a career achievement award or what I think your ceiling is going to be in two years,” Simms said of his rankings. “It’s right now going into this season here in the middle of June is how I have them ranked.”

Simms began his ranking of the top 40 NFL quarterbacks three weeks ago and will announce his top two quarterbacks in the league next Thursday, June 27.

Simms’ selections for the quarterbacks ranked 7-40 in the NFL:

7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta 24. Kyler Murray, Arizona
8. Cam Newton, Carolina 25. Joe Flacco, Denver
9. Tom Brady, New England 26. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
10. Drew Brees, New Orleans 27. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay
11. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia 28. Case Keenum, Washington
12. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers 29. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee
13. Dak Prescott, Dallas 30. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
14. Matthew Stafford, Detroit 31. Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis
15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota 32. Josh Rosen, Miami
16. Nick Foles, Jacksonville 33. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee
17. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland 34. Eli Manning, New York Giants
18. Derek Carr, Oakland 35. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
19. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams 36. Robert Griffin III, Baltimore
20. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago 37. Drew Lock, Denver
21. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 38. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
22. Sam Darnold, New York Jets 39. Colt McCoy, Washington
23. Josh Allen, Buffalo 40. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

The rankings will continue next week with numbers 6 and 5 on “PFT Live” beginning Tuesday, June 25.

The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:

No. 14: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Simms: “The way he played last year, he had issues adjusting to the cultural and new style of play that the Detroit Lions have implemented there…Matt Stafford’s talent is Top Five-ish in the NFL. This is one of the great arms in the history of the NFL. It gets overshadowed because he plays in a division with the greatest arm in the history of the NFL (Aaron Rodgers)…I’ve heard Drew Brees and Tom Brady and Dan Marino all talk about Matthew Stafford’s arm because it is that special…He missed some throws last year that I’ve never seen the guy miss a throw like that. He would miss two or three every game last year which is ultimately why I have him at 14.”

No. 13: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Simms: “Dak Prescott changed me last year to a true believer. Early on in the year with some of his play, he showed me the ability to go above and beyond what the scheme can do for him…The size and physicality of the human being, I think that’s where it starts for me. The amount of plays where the stat book is never going to quantify, ‘Oh yeah, it was a 15-yard completion, but…nobody was open and he broke three tackles behind the line of scrimmage and then made the 15-yard completion.’…What’s so great about him is he’s an unbelievable leader, he’s tough, he can will his team to win football games…You have to lock him up. He’s selfless, franchise quarterback material. Unbelievable leader with great physical ability.”

No. 12: Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers

Simms: “He’s a great quarterback. He’s done things the right way, competes, tough, fearless in the pocket. Availability, right? I mean he’s never been hurt, he’s an iron man…He’s gotten back to the Philip Rivers we saw in the beginning of his career where he’s just making unbelievable plays throughout the game and especially at the end of the game in its biggest moments…The negative is the arm, which was never special, is to me starting to lose some miles per hour…and that’s kind of where I worry about him at this stage of his career…Those lack of marquee wins or marquee moments could come back to haunt him. He’s going to be an NFL legend no matter what and I think ultimately he will get in the Hall of Fame even if he doesn’t have this playoff run.”

No. 11: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Simms: “Here’s the thing with Carson Wentz and why he’s number 11. It’s really availability is why he’s number 11. The talent is Top Five talent…I’ve made the comparison many times, he’s really to me a little bit more physically gifted version of Andrew Luck…When you hear a little bit about the leadership and how the team perceives him in the offseason and of course the injury thing has to play into the rankings here…He’s right there fringe Top Five if I got to see a year or two of just, ‘Ok he played, he’s healthy’ because he is that kind of guy…I do think he’s going to have a big-time year this year.”

No. 10: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Simms: “We know he’s a Top 10 quarterback of all-time, certainly in that conversation. Still doing great things in the NFL…Do I think the skills are declining to a degree? Yes, I definitely do. I think we saw enough evidence of that last year and that’s why I put him at 10…This is one of the best passers in the history of football…I think his mind is still at a very high level, I don’t know if his body is following it that way along with the inability to back defenses off a little bit…When the Saints wanted to throw the ball deep down the field at the end of the game, Taysom Hill came in the game to do it…He’s still awesome, but that’s why I have him at 10…When (defenses) took away some of the systematic plays that helped out the offense…that’s where I felt like I don’t know if Drew Brees can just physically get it done and make some big plays with his athleticism and his arm anymore like he could a few years ago.”

No. 9: Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Simms: “I love Tom Brady…Really I don’t know if there’s a quarterback I respect more, I don’t know if there was a quarterback I tried to model my game after early in my career more than Tom Brady…(The Patriots) have changed the way they play. They play the game through the run first. They’re telling you, ‘Hey, Tom Brady is awesome, but I don’t think we can win consistently with him throwing it 40 and 45 times a game like we could four years ago or five years ago.’ I think they’re showing you that…Brady, unlike Drew Brees, I think his arm is still pretty top-notch and he can still make plays and throws that can change the momentum of the game and that’s really where I respect Tom Brady, but I don’t think he can do it as much as he used to. I don’t think he moves around the pocket quite as well as he used to…At the age of 42, I think the guys that I have in front of him are capable of doing things that he is not capable of doing anymore…At this point in his career, that’s what I would say of Brees and Brady, the system is doing every bit as much for them and maybe more than they are doing for the system where I wouldn’t have said that four or five years ago.”

No. 8: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Simms: “You can never look at the stats and try to qualify that as that telling you the story about Cam Newton. A lot of the things Cam Newton does for a football team don’t get on the stat sheet…What he does is he makes defensive coordinators play defenses that they don’t want to play…The things he does to set up that team for success and other players on that offense for success, they all benefit because of the skillset that Cam Newton brings to the table…What he does on a game-by-game basis by stressing defenses out is as good as anybody in football…Out of these guys we’re going to talk about going further, I think there are some inconsistencies sometimes with his throwing…That takes him out of the Top Five or Top Six.”

No. 7: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Simms: “When I first wrote the list down, I was like, ‘Man, I can’t put Matt Ryan in front of Brees and Brady and Cam Newton.’…Then I got into the nuts and bolts of the situation and I think the past two seasons have been Matt Ryan’s best seasons of his career. I know three years ago was the year he won the MVP and I think he’s been better the last two years than the year he won the MVP…The plays he’s made that aren’t there systematically, to me, have gone through the roof the last few years…It might not even look cool or pretty, but he makes these movements and gets out of trouble and makes these throws down the middle of the field or finds somebody as he’s about to go down consistently…You know you’re going to see some exciting things from Atlanta when he’s playing and that’s why I have him at number seven.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-