Mahomes, Brady or Allen? Ranking the top 10 NFL QBs

Between all the jaw-dropping trades and mammoth contracts handed out, the NFL offseason has been filled with intrigue.

But with a new season only a couple of months away, it’s time to look ahead.

On Tuesday’s “The Herd,” Colin Cowherd did just that, ranking his top-10 signal-callers heading into the 2022-23 season.

Let’s get into it.

Derek Carr is No. 10 on Colin’s list of top NFL QBs

Colin Cowherd ranks his top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL and makes his case for Derek Carr at No. 10.

10. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

Key stats: Carr completed 68.4% of his passes last season for 4,804 yards — his fourth consecutive year with 4,000-plus passing yards — and 23 touchdowns while leading the Raiders to a 10-7 record. It was their first winning season since the 2016-17 campaign.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “[He] leads every quarterback in the NFL [in] the last seven years — and this is with the Raiders and the shaky coaching and chaos and bad O-lines — with 30 game-winning drives since entering the league in 2014. He had the highest completion percentage [of] all quarterbacks in the league last four years. … He’s the only quarterback last year [who was] top five in passing yards and completions. I don’t think is controversial. I think it’s obvious. In fact, there [are] arguments to be made that he could be in the No. 8, No. 9 spot because he completely carried a team.”

9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Key stats: In 46 career starts, Murray is 22-23-1 with a passer rating of 93.9. He has completed 66.9% of his passes and has tallied 11,480 passing yards (249.6 per game), 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “He [has] gotten better every year — a total playmaker. [He’s] one of the hardest guys to defend in the league.”

8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Key stats: Herbert threw for a franchise-record 5,014 yards last season as a second-year QB. He completed 65.9% of his passes for 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “In the history of the NFL, no quarterback has thrown for as many yards or as many touchdowns in their first two years. His first year was with a terrible offensive line … and a fired coach.”

7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Key stats: Burrow and perhaps the best pass-catching trio in the NFL — Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd — combined for 222 receptions for 3,374 yards and 24 touchdowns during the regular season, which is the most by a pass-catching trio in team history.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Burrow is amazing. Burrow led the NFL in completion percentage and yards per attempt last year with a bad O-line. That is unbelievable.”

6. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Key stats: Stafford threw for 4,886 yards last season en route to delivering a win in Super Bowl LVI.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I put him ahead of Joe Burrow, who he beat in the championship game. Stafford had 50 touchdown passes last year.”

5. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

Key stats: Wilson finished the 2021-22 season completing 64.8% of his passes for 3,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions for the Seattle Seahawks.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I think he’s gonna crush [it in Denver]. He’s the only quarterback in the last four years in the NFL with a passer rating over 100. That was with a defensive coach and a shaky offensive line and a shaky defense.”

4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Key stats: Rodgers completed 68.9% of his passes last season for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions en route to earning his second straight MVP (fourth overall).

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Aaron [isn’t] very good in crisis. He doesn’t have a lot of come-from-behind wins considering how many years he [has] been in the league, but he’s a back-to-back MVP. He looks different when he plays. He throws the most beautiful ball. He’s wildly gifted. He’s not great trailing late, and he’s not great in big games.”

3. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key stats: Brady put up monster numbers for the 2021-22 season, completing 67.5% of his passes while leading the league in both yards (5,316) and touchdowns (43).

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I’d put Brady at No. 3 out of respect. He did lead the NFL in passing yards and has since he joined the Bucs. I think he’s the best pre-snap quarterback, along with Peyton Manning, in league history. Nobody is cooler late in games than Tom Brady.” 

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Key stats: Allen’s 4,407 passing yards were the eighth-most in the league last season. He connected on 63.3% of his passes for 36 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I think [Allen] is actually more talented than [Patrick Mahomes], but he hasn’t won enough big games yet. Highest passer rating in a single postseason last year. He’s bigger than Mahomes. He’s more mobile than Mahomes. I think he’s a combination of Ben [Roethlisberger and] Cam Newton but better than both.”

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Key stats: Mahomes was tied for the fourth-most touchdowns last season (37) while throwing for 4,839 yards in the regular season.

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I think Mahomes is the best. He has the highest passer rating in league history, and he [has] won Super Bowls.”