For the fifth time, ESPN has reached out to about 80 “true insiders” of the league — coaches, executives, and scouts — to rank the top 10 players at each position. The quarterback list is now officially out, with several changes in the rankings and even some players being ousted altogether. However, the biggest changes were those of Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott, which didn’t impress the fans at all.
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With a league-best passer rating of 113 and 9.6 yards per attempt, Purdy, in his sophomore season, led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. He even took the lead in OT during the big game, but eventually, Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs prevailed. Let’s not forget his rookie season too, during which he had to fill big shoes, yet led the team to the NFC title game before being sidelined with an injury and succumbing to the Eagles.
However, as it turns out, the Iowa State alum still hasn’t shed his ‘Game Manager’ tag, as the newly released QBR doesn’t even put him among the top 10. Most surprisingly, he was ranked at the top last year. So, what exactly changed? He did what he was supposed to do and led the team one step closer to the Lombardi trophy.
Then there’s the curious case of Dak Prescott. The Cowboys QB was ranked second last year; however, in 2024, he has been moved to the tenth position. There’s no doubt that Prescott has struggled to make strides in the playoffs with his current 2-5 record; however, he made quite an impact in 2023.
Leading the league in total completions (410), longest completions (92 yards), and passing touchdowns (36), Prescott emerged as a frontrunner in the MVP conversation, eventually finishing second in the race.
However, whether it’s the loss against the Jordan Love-led Packers in the Wildcard Round or the apparent lack of faith in the QB, which has led owner Jerry Jones to withhold an extension, Prescott finds himself at the bottom.
As expected, the majority of NFL fans were quite dissatisfied with the list. While some were convinced that the list is biased, others were understandably confused as to why QBs like Joe Burrow made the list instead of Purdy.
Burrow Finds Himself Near the Top Despite Missing 7 Games in 2023
For the top spot this year, the majority of coaches, execs, and scouts went for Patrick Mahomes, and rightfully so. Despite a sub-par receiver room that started dropping passes almost every game, Mahomes still managed to lead the team to the playoffs, securing the AFC West division title.
Once Mahomes reached the postseason, he showed significant improvement, tallying six touchdowns while only succumbing to one interception—a notable improvement from his career-worst 14 interceptions in the regular season. The Texas Tech alum then achieved the unthinkable by defending his title in the big game, rightfully earning the top spot in the QBR.
However, while Mahomes leaves no room for doubt in his top spot, for many, it doesn’t quite make sense that Burrow is in the second position. After being sidelined with a torn ligament in his right wrist, Burrow missed 7 games last season. Adding to that, he had a record of 5-5 before the season-ending injury.
This is why it’s understandable why fans are not content with the QB in the second spot. That said, Bills QB Josh Allen sits at three, who, as per ESPN, received the only top vote that Mahomes didn’t get from all those who participated. Quite a significant achievement, considering that several coaches and execs passed on their own QBs for Patrick Mahomes.
The rest of the list goes: Lamar Jackson at four, Matthew Stafford at five, Justin Herbert at six, CJ Stroud at seven, Aaron Rodgers at eight, Jared Goff at nine, and as mentioned before, Prescott at ten. That being said, it’s also worth noting that Rodgers played just four snaps last season and still ended up at eighth.
