Best Quarterback Rooms in NFL - 2018 Edition

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The quarterback position is arguably the most important position in the NFL, while the backup quarterback position is the second most important position. The spot has not been in a better situation than 2018 in a long time. The quarterback climate has a perfect mix of veterans and new blood.

The ranking for the quarterback room has taken into account the starter, backup quarterback, scout team QB, supporting cast, offensive system and teams' expected run-to-pass ratio along with past performance and history of injury.

The article ranks the teams by scoring each quarterback and taking the cumulative score as a marker. The third quarterback is only taken into account if they are a viable trade bait or hold any chance to start during the regular season.

#32 Jacksonville Jaguars

Starter - Blake Bortles, Backup - Cody Kessler

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Blake Bortles will try to not let his defense down
Blake Bortles will try to not let his defense down

It is one of the very few quarterback-proof rosters in the NFL. The team will look to lean on the run game in the offense this season. Blake Bortles has to improve his mechanics to move out the bottom of the list and Kessler will need to shake off his winless season with the Browns.

#31 Carolina Panthers

Starter - Cam Newton, Backup - Taylor Heinicke

Newton will have to become the Superman from 2015
Newton will have to become the Superman from 2015

Cam has to be the Superman again under new ownership. Panthers have Taylor Heinicke as their backup. If you are thinking who that person is, you are not alone.

#30 Kansas City Chiefs

Starter - Pat Mahomes, Backup - Chad Henne

Mahomes will have to be the present and future of the squad
Mahomes will have to be the present and future of the squad

Pat Mahomes has not started a relevant game in the NFL. He has potential but Texas Tech's air raid offense is not the best to go by. Chad Henne couldn't beat out Blake Bortles at his worst, which is not the best news for Chiefs faithful.

#29 Miami Dolphins

Starter - Ryan Tannehill, Backup - Brock Osweiler

tAN
Tannehill will be playing for his job

Brock Osweiler can't be described as the best backup policy for Tannehill, who is coming back from a knee injury last season. The coaching staff is in the hot seat and sharing the division with Patriots does not help.

#28 Washington Redskins

Starter - Alex Smith, Backup - Colt McCoy

Al
Alex Smith will have to bring his MVP season from Kansas City

Alex Smith might live up to his MVPesque season from last time but McCoy would live on as a below average backup QB forever. Alex Smith ain't the worst option after Kirk Cousins left.

#27 Houston Texans

Starter - Deshaun Watson. Backup - Brandon Weeden

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Deshaun Watson will have to be the player he was before the injury

Houston has Weeden as their backup to their sophomore superstar coming off an ACL injury, O'Brien would hope for a better option than that. The team hopes to stay fit next season and do some damage in AFC.

#26 Dallas Cowboys

Starter - Dak Prescott, Backup - Mike White, Cooper Rush

Prescott will get his sidekick in Ezekial Elliott back for the season
Prescott will get his sidekick in Ezekial Elliott back for the season

Dak and Zeke form a formidable offense but the Cowboys quarterback room could do better than Mike White and Rush. Jason Garrett must be hoping for Kellen Moore (probably not).

#25 Cincinnati Bengals

Starter - Andy Dalton, Backup - Matt Barkley

<p>Enter caption</p><p>D
Dalton will have to be
more
consistent upcoming season

Cincinnati Bengals have changes looming in front of them, the coaching staff is in the hot seat and the QB room ain't helping. Andy Dalton has been used to define the term 'average' all over the NFL dictionary and Barkley never lived up to his high school potential.

#24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Starter - Winston, Backup - Ryan Fitzpatrick

Tampa Bay will not have Winston for the first 3 weeks
Tampa Bay will not have Winston for the first 3 weeks per suspension

Winston will serve his ban and Ryan Fitzpatrick will be QB-1 in the depth chart, sounds depressing, probably is.

#23 Baltimore Ravens

Starter/ Backup - Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson.

The QB competition is in full swing at Ravens camp
The QB competition is in full swing at Ravens camp

Ravens' coaching has been immensely impressed with rookie Lamar Jackson. The reports from preseason indicate that Joe Flacco has been showing more initiation as well. Ravens will be looking to capitalize on a soft AFC.

#22 Chicago Bears

Starter - Mitchell Trubisky, Backup - Chase Daniels

Trubisky can lead Bears to playoffs and become the greatest franchise QB
Trubisky can lead Bears to playoffs and become the greatest franchise QB

Bears have a new offensive system and Chase Daniel as the backup, who has come from the Chiefs system that Matt Nagy will be running. Trubisky needs to live up to his draft pedigree and Bears can easily jump to the next tier.

#21 Buffalo Bills

Starter - AJ McCarron, Backup - Josh Allen, Nathan Peterman

The team will hope for Josh Allen to win the starting job
The team will hope for Josh Allen to win the starting job

Bills brought in McCarron from Bengals as an insurance policy to their Rookie, Josh Allen. Bills have an average starter, one raw rookie, and a backup with starting capabilities in Peterman. No one should be surprised if everyone gets a start in Buffalo.

#20 Denver Broncos

Starter - Case Keenum, Backup - Paxton Lynch, Chad Kelly

Ke
Keenum will hop to fill the big shoes of Peyton Manning

Case Keenum had a career year last season but he won't have the similar support cast as Minnesota. Paxton Lynch has bust written all over him and won't even command a conditional pick in return.

#19 Tennessee Titans

Starter - Marcus Mariota, Backup - Blaine Gabbert

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Mariota needs to bounce back from a dreadful last season

Titans have been a run first team but Mariota needs to improve his play for them to compete against Houston in the division. Gabbert can be a great backup in the correct system with his cannon arm and great mobility.

#18 New York Giants

Starter - Eli Manning, Backup - Davis Webb/ Kyle Lauletta

Eli manning will have to deliver with the run game to support
Eli Manning will have to deliver with the run game to support

Eli Manning has lost way too many steps to be a top tier QB but his stellar offensive sidekicks should take him to the belief land. Davis Webb has been making a lot of noise this offseason along with Kyle Lauletta at the backup position.

#17 Oakland Raiders

Starter - Derek Carr, Backup - Connor Cooks

Derek Carr will have to gel into Gruden's offense sooner than later
Derek Carr will have to gel into Gruden's offense sooner than later

Derek Carr underachieved last season. Cook and Carr will soon realize that life under Gruden is not as rosy as Gruden Camp. The team has Jeff Fisher vibes of finishing 8-8.

#16 Detroit Lions

Starter - Matthew Stafford, Backup - Matt Cassel

Stafford can rise up to the next level
Stafford can rise up to the next level

Stafford has one of the best arm seen in the sport but he needs a better support cast. How does Matt Cassel still have a job in NFL, even though it is as a backup?

#15 Atlanta Falcons

Starter - Matt Ryan, Backup - Matt Schaub

Matt Ryan can bring the Falcons to the top
Matt Ryan can bring the Falcons to the top

Matt Ryan has had a legendary career till now, without winning the big one. The bad news is that they have Matt Schaub as the backup.

#14 New Orleans Saints

Starter - Drew Brees, Backup - Tom Savage

Drew Brees will look to take Saints further than last time
Drew Brees will look to take Saints further than last time

Saints are moving on to a more run-heavy offense which might help the longevity of Brees. Saints are one of the big boys of NFC and Brees would love to make one last run before father time gets him. Tom Savage is not what you dream of as a backup but Saints don't have an option. Hill is the scout team QB who is turning heads at camp.

#13 Seattle Seahawks

Starter - Russell Wilson, Backup - Austin Davis

Russell Wilson will look for some help from the run offense
Russell Wilson will look for some help from the run offense

Russell Wilson is a one-man offense for Seahawks with zero run game, no O-line help and below par receiving core. Russell Wilson does it all but sadly Austin Davis can't. The diminishing quality of Seahawks defense makes their chances of playoff dim.

#12 Los Angeles Rams

LA Rams - Starter - Jared Goff, Backup - Sean Mannion

<p>Enter caption</p><p>G
Goff will look to improve on his stellar performance last season

Jared Goff took a big leap last season. Sean McVay has been a godsend to Rams offense. Sean Mannion is not the best backup option but he has been in the system and a good subordinate to the young future of Los Angeles. Goff is a sneaky MVP candidate with Gurley by the sides.

#11 Pittsburgh Steelers

Starter - Roethlisberger, Backup - Mason Rudolph/ Landry Jones

Roethlisberger will look to capitalize on Bell's last year in Pittsburgh
Roethlisberger will look to capitalize on Bell's last year in Pittsburgh

Steelers have a complete offense led by Big Ben. His two quarterback understudies are raw and with minimal arm talent. Roethlisberger has been injured in bits and pieces over the last few seasons and the weak backup situation doesn't help the Steelers.

#10 Los Angeles Chargers

Starter - Rivers, Backup - Geno Smith/ Cardale Jones

Rivers will be looking for some luck and support from the fans
Rivers will be looking for some luck and support from the fans

Rivers is a great starter with a competent backup in Geno Smith. The run game led by Melvin Gordon with the receiving talent of Keenan Allen would be a handful for any defense. If the team stays fit, they can be a challenger for the AFC title.

#09 San Francisco 49ers

Starter - Jimmy Garoppolo, Backup - CJ Bethard

Jimmy G will look to become Jimmy GQ
Jimmy G will look to become Jimmy GQ

Garoppolo ended the 49ers season last year with 5 wins. The only way for the 49ers is up. Kyle Shanahan has one of the most sophisticated offenses in the league. CJ Bethard as the backup is a little suspect. Bay area is waiting for Jimmy G to become Jimmy Jesus.

#8 Cleveland Browns

Starter - Tyrod Taylor, Backup - Baker Mayfield/ Drew Stanton

Baker and Tyrod will look to bring back the glory at dawgpound
Baker and Tyrod will look to bring back the glory at Cleveland

Browns were the worst team in Football but they have added to every position on the pitch. Taylor is a dependable QB, who can give you 5 wins on his worst day. Baker is the future with great football ethics and Drew Stanton will be a great third QB while developing a rookie. Browns look like a sneaky break out team for the upcoming season.

#07 Green Bay Packers

Starter - Aaron Rodgers, Backup - DeShone Kizer

Rodgers will be without his favorite WR next season
Rodgers will be without his favorite wide receiver next season

Rodgers has been known to hide most of the blemishes of his team. Packers traded for Kizer to be the backup, who was the QB of a 16 loss team. The addition of Jimmy Graham at tight end position will come as a great help after Nelson left.

#06 New England Patriots

Starter - Tom Brady, Backup - Brian Hoyer/ Danny Etling

Brady will look to defy father time for one more season
Brady will look to defy father time for one more season

Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. Brian Hoyer is definitely not the greatest backup quarterback of all time. Brady's age is a sign of trouble but he is the reigning MVP of the league. Patriots have drafted Danny Etling in the late rounds who could turn up to be a great option for the future.

#05 Indianapolis Colts

Starter - Andrew Luck, Backup - Jacoby Brissett

Luck finally looks set to be back alongside promising back up in Brissett
Luck finally looks set to be back alongside promising backup in Brissett

If Andrew Luck wasn't coming back from injury, Colts could have been the top team in this exercise. Brissett has been a great trade by Colts. Luck has started training again and the revamped offensive line won't hurt either. The future looks bright for the franchise.

#04 New York Jets

Starter/ Backup - Darnold, Josh McCown, Bridgewater

Jets will have one of the most balanced quarterback room
Jets will have one of the most balanced quarterback room

No one expected Jets to end up this high on the list but they have a great experienced starter and teacher in Josh McCown. They arguably got the best quarterback from the recent draft in Sam Darnold and they signed Teddy Bridgewater for free in the offseason. Bridgewater is the biggest trade asset in the league and front-runner for the comeback player of the year. Jets have stability at the position for the first time in a long time.

#03 Minnesota Vikings

Starter - Kirk Cousins, Backup - Trevor Siemian

Cousins will be expected to live up to his price tag
Cousins will be expected to live up to his price tag

The future looks bright for the franchise. Kirk Cousins is underrated even after being the costliest player in football and Siemian is as good a backup as any. Vikings will try to make the run in a loaded NFC.

#02 Arizona Cardinals

Starter - Sam Bradford, Backup - Josh Rosen/ Mike Glennon

Rosen will look to earn the starts while Bradford would have to stay fit
Rosen will look to earn the starts while Bradford needs to stay fit

The Cardinals have one of the most polished QB coming out of College in Rosen. Sam Bradford can be a top 15 quarterback when fit. The quarterback room compliments each other, unlike any other team. Cardinals can shock a lot of people next season.

#01 Philadelphia Eagles

Starter - Carson Wentz, Backup - Nick Foles

Eagles would love another Philly special, with Wentz this time
Eagles would love another Philly special, with Wentz this time

Nick Foles just won Philly the Superbowl, while the future MVP of the league (Wentz) was sidelined with an injury. Eagles have things sorted till Foles gets traded for too many draft picks. The Eagles QB room might just help them reach the mountaintop again.

The in-depth look into every quarterback room made me realize that Matt Cassel, Matt Schaub, and Landry Jones will keep having backup jobs in 2096 and no one will ever notice. In conclusion. my biggest fear is that Blake Bortles will end up winning the Superbowl and make this article as irrelevant as his throwing motion.

New England Patriots Nation! Check out the latest Patriots Schedule and dive into the New England Patriots Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Moderator -PJ
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