Ranking the top QB rooms in the NFL

Quarterback is the most critical position in the National Football League. Without an elite QB, it is virtually impossible to win a Super Bowl, let alone be an elite or competitive team. It helps to have the right guy at the helm to stir the ship in the right direction. What is mostly forgotten in the league today is the QBs behind the starter, and how important they can be to a team’s success. Below, I’ll be breaking down the top five QB rooms in football.

5) Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick

This quarterback room and the others ranked ahead of them are on this list because they have an elite QB leading them. After only two years in the NFL, Justin Herbert has turned into that elite QB. In two years, he has thrown for 9350 yards, 69 TDs, and completed 66.2% of his passes. From year one to year two, he increased his TDs, passing yards, yards per attempt, and yards per game. Overnight, Herbert went from the third QB taken in the draft to one of the best in the league. He is also one of the most athletic QBs in the league and isn’t afraid to use his legs. He gives you everything you want in a franchise QB. Herbert appears to be heading on the trajectory of a great QB, but the only thing he is missing at this point is his first playoff appearance which is bound to happen soon.

We aren’t just talking about the starters but ranking and breaking down the room as a whole. The Chargers have one of the most expressed backups in the NFL in Chase Daniel. He has been in the NFL for 12 years and has played on multiple teams, including the Saints, Chiefs, Bears, Lions, Eagles, and Chargers. He has played in many systems and has sat behind some pretty solid QBs in his career. He isn’t a starting caliber QB anymore, but his experience and longevity in the NFL have made him an excellent backup. In his career, he has appeared in 70 games and has started 5. He doesn’t have much starting experience but has tons of experience coming off the bench due to injury. Daniel won’t ‘wow’ anyone with his physical traits, but he has made a career out of being a backup, and he is still one of the best in the league.

4) Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love

At number four, we have the QB room of the Packers, which is led by back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers. Even at 38 years old, Rodgers is still one of the best QBs in the NFL and he consistently puts up video game numbers in the regular season. The QB room would have been higher on the list if his playoff performances had recently been more successful. This past season Rodgers completed 68.9% of his passes and threw for 4,115 yards and 37 TDs. At this point in his career, he is still one of the game’s best passers and consistently has his team at the top of the NFC. Going into this upcoming season, it will be fascinating to see how Rodgers adjusts to the loss of Davante Adams in the receiving room. He will be throwing to a lot of unproven wideouts.

As we move throughout the Packer’s QB room, Jordan Love is again slated to be the backup. After being selected 26th overall in the 2020 draft out of Utah State, Love has seen very little playing time mainly because of Rodgers’ ability to stay healthy and succeed on the field. But that still posses Love to be one of the best backups in the league. Being a first-round pick, he has all the traits and ability to be a solid starting QB, but he has not gotten his chance yet. If Rodgers were ever to miss anytime, in my opinion, Love would be able to come and fill the role pretty nicely after being in the system for a couple of seasons.

3) Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne, Shane Buechele

At number three, we have the QB room that most people believe is led by the best QB in the NFL, and I tend to agree with that. So far in his young career, Mahomes has had two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl victory, and he has an MVP award. At this point, he is the basic definition of an elite thrower of the football. Mahomes is one of the best deep-ball throwers in the NFL and he also consistently hits the easy throws. He is precisely what you want in a franchise QB. This past season, Mahomes completed 66.3% of his passes and threw for 4,839 yards and 37 TDs. Once again, he posted another elite year statistically and helped lead his team to the AFC Championship game. Like Rodgers, it will be fascinating to see Mahomes without Tyreek Hill, as the offense will look a little different.

Chad Henne, like Chase Daniel, has been in the NFL for a long time – long enough to be valued as one of the best backups in football. He has played 12 seasons in the NFL with the Dolphins, Jaguars, and the Chiefs. Throughout his 12-year career, he has appeared in 75 games, including the playoff win in 2020 against the Browns. By no means is he an elite QB or a good QB, but based on his experience and knowledge of the game, he is still one of the better backups in the NFL.

2) Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, Case Keenum, Matt Barkley

It’s not a top-five list without the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen’s presence. In the last 2.5 years, Allen has risen from an afterthought to a superstar in the NFL. He is putting up MVP numbers and has led the Bills to two straight AFC East titles, the AFC Championship, and the Divisional Round in the last two years. Last year, Allen completed 63.3% of his passes, throwing for 4,407 yards and 36 TD passes. He also rushed for 6 TDs, totaling 42 TDs in the 2021 season. He also helped the Bills average north of 30 PPG in the regular season and put on one of the most outstanding two-game performances ever in the postseason. Allen has quickly become one of the best QBs in the NFL. With his crazy arm talent, arm strength, and athleticism, he is a treat to watch every time he takes the field.

This is where the Bills jump ahead of some of the teams above them. Recently signed backup Case Keenum, in theory, might be the best backup in the league or at least the most reliable in the company. This past season, Keenum was the backup to Baker Mayfield with the Browns and did see two starts in which he was victorious in beating the Broncos and the Bengals. That is all you can ask for when it comes to a backup QB. You need someone to go in if your starter gets injured and give the team a fighting chance. We also can’t forget his NFC Championship run with the Vikings back in 2017.

1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask

Coming in at number one is the QB room that is led by the greatest QB ever in Tom Brady. And yes, at age 44, Brady is still one of the best QBs in the NFL. At this point it doesn’t look like he is slowing down anytime soon, either. Winning the Super Bowl two years ago and then reaching the Divisional Round this past season, Brady still has on-field success wherever he goes. This past season, Brady completed 67.5% of his passes, threw for 5,316 yards, and had 43 passing TDs. You can tell by those stats that he is still at the top of his game. He even flirted with retirement this offseason and decided to come back, which shows he still believes in his on-field ability.

I know in this article we have only talked about the starter and the direct backup to the starter, but the Buccaneers possess two guys that could be backups on plenty of teams. Gabbert has played for ten years in the NFL and has appeared in 66 games throughout his career. He has legit experience as a starter in this league mainly because of his time with the Jaguars after being selected in the first round. On the other hand, Kyle Trask has no real NFL experience but he was taken 64th overall in the 2021 draft. I’m assuming the Bucs would not have used such a high pick if they didn’t believe there was potential starting ability in his future.