“No one is asked to do more for their team on a weekly basis than him. He’s the most physically gifted quarterback in the game.” – Simms on Josh Allen at No. 1
“Already a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But him in the pocket this year was not good for his standards. He was too aggressive with decisions down the field.”– Simms on Patrick Mahomes at No. 2
“The decision-making is off the charts. The ability to control the ball over the middle of the field and throw it into tight windows might be the best in football.” – Simms on Justin Herbert at No. 3
“The ability to throw with pressure on him…is through the roof. His ability to move in the pocket is arguably the best in the whole league.”– Simms on Joe Burrow at No. 4
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 15, 2022 – All-Pro quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Super Bowl LIV MVP and 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, and Joe Burrow, fresh off leading the Cincinnati Bengals to the franchise’s first Super Bowl in more than three decades, highlight quarterbacks ranked 1-4 in the final installment of Chris Simms’ countdown of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL.
NBC Sports’ Simms concludes his countdown of the best quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live,” unveiling quarterbacks 1-4.
Simms’ quarterbacks ranked 1-40:
| 1. | Josh Allen, Buffalo | 21. | Daniel Jones, New York Giants |
| 2. | Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City | 22. | Zach Wilson, New York Jets |
| 3. | Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers | 23. | Justin Fields, Chicago |
| 4. | Joe Burrow, Cincinnati | 24. | Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville |
| 5. | Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay | 25. | Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia |
| 6. | Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams | 26. | Jameis Winston, New Orleans |
| 7. | Russell Wilson, Denver | 27. | Mitchell Trubisky, Pittsburgh |
| 8. | Tom Brady, Tampa Bay | 28. | Marcus Mariota, Atlanta |
| 9. | Dak Prescott, Dallas | 29. | Tua Tagovailoa, Miami |
| 10. | Lamar Jackson, Baltimore | 30. | Jared Goff, Detroit |
| 11. | Derek Carr, Las Vegas | 31. | Trey Lance, San Francisco |
| 12. | Kyler Murray, Arizona | 32 | Sam Darnold, Carolina |
| 13. | Deshaun Watson, Cleveland | 33. | Geno Smith, Seattle |
| 14. | Matt Ryan, Indianapolis | 34. | Tyler Huntley, Baltimore |
| 15. | Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee | 35. | Davis Mills, Houston |
| 16. | Kirk Cousins, Minnesota | 36. | Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants |
| 17. | Baker Mayfield, Cleveland | 37. | Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia |
| 18. | Mac Jones, New England | 38. | Teddy Bridgewater, Miami |
| 19. | Carson Wentz, Washington | 39. | Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh |
| 20. | Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco | 40. | Drew Lock, Seattle |
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.
Simms has had recent success in projecting quarterbacks – including those coming out of college by naming Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, listing Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and having Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB in 2020.
With the rankings now concluded, Simms will release an #AskMeAnything episode on Thursday, June 16, on the next installment of Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:
No. 4: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
“The guy can just play. Period. The ability to throw with pressure on him…is through the roof. His ability to move in the pocket is arguably the best in the whole league. He has great leadership and influence on his football team because of the man he is. He assessed after Year 1 that the elements in the AFC North were going to be an issue, and that he had to throw the ball with more power…and he improved in that area. He grew, he got smarter, and the ‘Wow’ plays went way up and were game-changers for the Bengals.”
No. 3: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
“Probably the best pure thrower of the football in the NFL. That’s where he separates himself. He is the ultimate ‘size is a skill’ guy. The decision-making is off the charts. The ability to control the ball over the middle of the field and throw it into tight windows might be the best in football. His anticipation could probably be a little better. But he’s a phenomenal football player and he’s going on an upward trajectory. I think he’s a little more understated [than Joe Burrow]. But at the very least, the Chargers walk on the field and go, ‘We got Justin Herbert. We can win today.’”
No. 2: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
“Already a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s the coolest quarterback in the NFL. Probably the most fun to watch in the NFL. His creativity and the way he plays is unlike any other in the sport. He has great effect and leadership on his team. He’s one of the best scramblers in football. But him in the pocket this year was not good for his standards. He was too aggressive with decisions down the field. That to me is why he’s No. 2. He had a little bit of a down year, he was a little careless with the football at times, and that’s why I gave the edge to Josh Allen.”
No. 1: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
“Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. There’s no doubt. No one is asked to do more for their team on a weekly basis than him. He has the strongest arm in football. Other than Lamar Jackson, he is the best running quarterback in football. I don’t even think that’s debatable. He’s the most physically gifted quarterback in the game, too. To me, where he separates from [Patrick] Mahomes right now is he can play within the offense a little bit more consistently. Mahomes is already an all-time great, and I think Josh Allen is starting to go into that area too.”
To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.
-NBC SPORTS-
Recent Comments