Ranking Joe Burrow and all 32 NFL quarterbacks from 2021 season
8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in only his second season. If he found a way to get into the playoffs, he probably would’ve been higher after the season he had (5,014 yards, 38 touchdowns, 15 interceptions).
Herbert has all the intangibles to be a Hall of Fame level quarterback if he continues to get better because it’s hard to have the start Herbert has had statistically through his first two seasons. He lost debatably the game of the season on Sunday night, the final week of the season, to the Raiders that went down to the last seconds of overtime in a win and scenario and the Chargers came up short.
7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott didn’t have the season he and the Cowboys hoped for but he was still very good. Prescott had 37 touchdowns and only ten interceptions coming off a catastrophically broken ankle just a year ago. He’s the reason the Cowboys are playoff contenders every year.
6. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson didn’t have the season he is used to, but he was a serious MVP candidate before he got injured. Jackson is one of the most versatile quarterbacks in the league, and I often don’t think people talk about his ability to see the field and ability to manage a game.
Everyone likes to talk about his athleticism, which is well deserved but Jackson is knowledgeable, and his pocket awareness and ability to see the field while throwing and running are high. He often knows what he’s going to do with the ball before it’s snapped, and he’s going to force you to stop it.
The last five games Jackson appeared in this year were not good (six touchdowns to eight interceptions), which tarnished a season that was very well prior to but that doesn’t lead me to believe he’s anything lower than a top-six quarterback in this league.
You can make a case for Prescott, Herbert, or Wilson to be ahead of him, but Jackson is one of the only players in the company who can just take over a game with his ability to make plays. He’s one of the hardest quarterbacks to scheme against.