We took the reins of the QB Index at midseason, as Chris Wesseling's second battle with cancer intensified. Last Friday, Chris passed away at the age of 46, crushing everyone here at NFL Media and the scores of people he touched during a life well lived.
So here we are, trying to pick up the pieces and do what Wess would've wanted us to do: Passionately and playfully live in the moment ... even when the moment calls for ranking men who throw an oblong sphere for a living.
For this season finale of the QB Index, NFL.com editors Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr created a composite ranking of all 59 quarterbacks who logged an official NFL start during the 2020 campaign. (And before you ask, no, the official record keepers did not credit anyone with a QB start in Denver's Week 12 loss, when the entire Broncos quarterback room landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Kendall Hinton, you're mercifully off the hook.)
These rankings were formulated with one simple question in mind:
Who had the best 2020 season, playoffs included?
Past performances and future projections were NOT taken into account. Rather, this list is meant to reflect where each QB stood in the 2020 campaign alone.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 2 | Blair: 1 | Filice: 1 | Parr: 1
2020 stats: 18 games | 70.2 pct | 4,941 pass yds | 8.1 ypa | 53 pass TD | 6 INT | 146 rush yds | 4 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Aaron Rodgers has been so good for so long that it's hard to grasp just how much of an outlier his 2020 MVP-winning campaign was in the context of NFL history, but here's my best shot: He became the first QB ever to account for more than 53 total touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season (including playoffs). In fact, only twice before had a quarterback produced even 50 total touchdowns while throwing fewer than 10 picks -- Rodgers both times (53:9 in 2016; 50:7 in 2011.)
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 1 | Blair: 3 | Filice: 2 | Parr: 3
2020 stats: 20 games | 64.4 pct | 5,694 pass yds | 7.6 ypa | 50 pass TD | 15 INT | 3 rush yds | 4 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Bhanpuri: Tom Brady deftly navigated a stagnant franchise, coming off a 7-9 campaign and without a playoff win in 18 years, through the NFL's most bizarre and challenging season en route to a Super Bowl title. In Year 1. His arrival changed the entire ethos of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, transforming a downtrodden organization that had been relegated to afternoon programming into a confident free-agent hotspot worthy of prime-time, deserving of championships. Oh, and at 43, the undisputed G.O.A.T. finished with one of the best statistical seasons of his 21-year career.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 3 | Blair: 2 | Filice: 3 | Parr: 2
2020 stats: 18 games | 66.1 pct | 5,590 pass yds | 7.9 ypa | 42 pass TD | 8 INT | 360 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: With a healthier offensive line (and toe), Patrick Mahomes might've leapt all the way to No. 1 on this list. The 25-year-old was superb again in 2020; though, his most memorable pass of the season might end up being one he didn't even complete. (C'mon, Darrel Williams!)
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 4 | Blair: 4 | Filice: 4 | Parr: 5
2020 stats: 16 games | 70.2 pct | 4,823 pass yds | 8.9 ypa | 33 pass TD | 7 INT | 444 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: What Deshaun Watson achieved this season with an injury-ravaged receiving corps, inconsistent running game, dysfunctional defense and unreliable O-line is nothing short of astounding. Not even a Double Ditka return would sufficiently account for Watson's true value.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 5 | Blair: 5 | Filice: 5 | Parr: 4
2020 stats: 19 games | 68.4 pct | 4,544 pass yds | 7.7 ypa | 42 pass TD | 11 INT | 566 rush yds | 9 rush TD | 6 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Josh Allen wrapped his third NFL season having made one of the biggest year-over-year progressions of any starting quarterback in years. He improved his game in nearly every area, leaving us all with the same question to ponder over the next seven months: Just how high does his ceiling go?
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 6 | Blair: 7 | Filice: 6 | Parr: 6
2020 stats: 17 games | 67.5 pct | 4,386 pass yds | 7.5 ypa | 42 pass TD | 14 INT | 563 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Filice: Do NOT interrupt Russ when he's cooking. Wilson started the season on fire, leading the Seahawks to the first 5-0 start in franchise history while establishing himself as the early MVP front-runner with some otherworldly numbers.
Russ, Weeks 1-5: 19:3 TD-to-INT ratio, 72.8 comp%, 8.9 ypa, 129.8 passer rating.
But then the Seahawks hit their bye week, Wilson joined the Madden 99 Club -- MADDEN CURSE!! -- and the wheels fell off. Seattle lost its very next game and wound up going 7-5 over the rest of the season, culminating in a home loss on Wild Card Weekend. And yes, Russ' MVP candidacy plunged alongside his statistical skid.
Russ, Weeks 7-18: 23:11 TD-to-INT ratio, 65.4 comp%, 6.9 ypa, 92.9 passer rating.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 7 | Blair: 6 | Filice: 7 | Parr: 7
2020 stats: 17 games | 64.4 pct | 3,098 pass yds | 7.3 ypa | 26 pass TD | 11 INT | 1,175 rush yds | 8 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Filice: Lamar slayed that pesky playoff narrative with an electric touchdown run and a wild-card win at Tennessee. Lamar revived that pesky playoff narrative with a catastrophic pick-six and a Divisional Round loss at Buffalo. What a difference six days makes.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 9 | Blair: 8 | Filice: 8 | Parr: 8
2020 stats: 17 games | 65.7 pct | 3,984 pass yds | 7.9 ypa | 34 pass TD | 8 INT | 272 rush yds | 7 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: Passer rating isn't a perfect statistic, but it's something we're all generally familiar with, so it's a nice contextual device. Over seven years with the Dolphins, Tannehill posted triple-digit passer ratings in 22 games. In his first two years with the Titans, he has 21.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 8 | Blair: 9 | Filice: 9 | Parr: 9
2020 stats: 16 games | 66.6 pct | 4,336 pass yds | 7.3 ypa | 31 pass TD | 10 INT | 234 rush yds | 5 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: We were told throughout the 2020 pre-draft process that Herbert was a raw talent who'd need time to transition to the NFL level. Unexpectedly thrust into action in Week 2, he abruptly proceeded to eviscerate defenses with graduate-level throws, set the rookie record for touchdown passes and run away with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Baptism by fire never looked so good.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 10 | Blair: 11 | Filice: 10 | Parr: 11
2020 stats: 16 games | 67.2 pct | 3,971 pass yds | 7.1 ypa | 26 pass TD | 12 INT | 819 rush yds | 11 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Filice: In Year 2, Kyler really showed us what he can do with his legs -- the guy just moves differently -- but he still has plenty of room for improvement as a traditional passer. This is a tantalizing/terrifying thought, depending on your rooting interests.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 11 | Blair: 10 | Filice: 14 | Parr: 10
2020 stats: 18 games | 62.7 pct | 4,030 pass yds | 7.2 ypa | 30 pass TD | 9 INT | 179 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Blair: Asking Mayfield to do less in Year 3 allowed him to accomplish much more -- like, say, directing the Browns' first playoff win in a generation while firmly establishing himself as the QB of the future, thereby mercifully sparing the world months of the worst kind of Baker Discourse. Despite playing in two more games than he did as a rookie, Mayfield threw exactly as many passes (486) as he did in 2018, logging a career-low 30.4 attempts per game, but crucially, he took only one more sack (26 in 2020 compared to 25 in '18) while drastically reducing his interception rate (1.6%, down from 3.9% in '19 and 2.9% in '18).
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 12 | Blair: 12 | Filice: 11 | Parr: 12
2020 stats: 16 games | 67.3 pct | 4,103 pass yds | 7.9 ypa | 27 pass TD | 9 INT | 140 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 8 fumbles lost
Blair: Carr's difficulty upgrading his status to no-doubt top-10 QB might help fuel the seemingly eternal speculation about his long-term future with the Raiders, but unless Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock have a line on someone definitively better (and there's really only one theoretically available player who fits that bill), any change at this point (including switching to Marcus Mariota) would read more like restless deck-shuffling than anything else. Forget about blaming the Raiders' collapse on Carr -- would they have even been in playoff contention without him?
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 13 | Blair: 14 | Filice: 13 | Parr: 13
2020 stats: 16 games | 64.2 pct | 4,084 pass yds | 7.7 ypa | 26 pass TD | 10 INT | 112 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Blair: Stafford's final Lions season marked the third time since 2015 that he recorded a passer rating of 95 or better and threw for 250-plus yards per game while also failing to win more than seven games -- no other NFL QB did that as many times in that span. His escape to Los Angeles has the potential to be one of the feel-good stories of 2021.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 16 | Blair: 13 | Filice: 12 | Parr: 15
2020 stats: 16 games | 65.0 pct | 4,581 pass yds | 7.3 ypa | 26 pass TD | 11 INT | 92 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Blair: Anyone antsy for the Falcons to move on from Ryan should wait to see if he and new head coach Arthur Smith can make Rodgers-LaFleur-like magic in 2021. Ryan was much better than Atlanta's record (or the handful of subpar outings he produced) suggests, mostly living up to his customary statistical standards, but even if he takes a serious step back as a 36-year-old QB, he projects as, at worst, a high-end veteran who can keep the Falcons competitive while they formulate plans for the post-Ryan era.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 14 | Blair: 15 | Filice: 15 | Parr: 14
2020 stats: 16 games | 67.2 pct | 4,265 pass yds | 8.3 ypa | 35 pass TD | 13 INT | 156 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 5 fumbles lost
Blair: The annual questioning of Cousins' bonafides became increasingly exhausting in his first Vikings season without Stefon Diggs, thanks in large part to a truly wretched Week 2 showing (42% completion rate, 113 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs, 15.9 passer rating) that helped set the tone for Minnesota's 1-5 start. Neither that nor his redemptive second half -- from Week 9 to Week 17, only Deshaun Watson threw for more yards than Cousins (2,728 to 2,630), and only Aaron Rodgers threw more TD passes (23 to 20) -- changed his status in my mind as a better-than-average quarterback who should maybe not be judged too harshly for being unable to transcend the circumstances around him.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 17 | Blair: 17 | Filice: 16 | Parr: 16
2020 stats: 5 games | 68.0 pct | 1,856 pass yds | 8.4 ypa | 9 pass TD | 4 INT | 93 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Parr: Prescott was on pace to shatter the single-season passing yards record before a gruesome ankle injury robbed him of a chance to make history. The small sample size is probably the only thing keeping him from ending up higher on this list.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 15 | Blair: 16 | Filice: 18 | Parr: 18
2020 stats: 17 games | 67.2 pct | 4,478 pass yds | 7.6 ypa | 26 pass TD | 11 INT | -9 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Parr: Rivers' ups and downs of the past season followed the trend he struggled to break for much of his career. He was good enough to end up around the middle of the pack of starting QBs.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 18 | Blair: 18 | Filice: 17 | Parr: 20
2020 stats: 10 games | 65.3 pct | 2,688 pass yds | 6.7 ypa | 13 pass TD | 5 INT | 276 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Parr: Late November seems like a long time ago, but remember, Burrow was keeping pace with Justin Herbert in their assault on the rookie passing yards record prior to his season-ending knee injury. The first overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft was doing magical things despite receiving horrible pass protection.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 19 | Blair: 19 | Filice: 19 | Parr: 17
2020 stats: 14 games | 69.5 pct | 3,341 pass yds | 7.2 ypa | 27 pass TD | 9 INT | 3 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: Brees managed to play efficiently, despite his mounting physical limitations, into the second half of the season. In a wickedly familiar turn of events, injuries piled up on the 42-year-old during what's expected to be his final ride and left him a shell of his all-time-great self.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 20 | Blair: 20 | Filice: 21 | Parr: 19
2020 stats: 16 games | 66.0 pct | 4,304 pass yds | 6.4 ypa | 37 pass TD | 14 INT | 11 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Parr: Steelers receivers let Big Ben down far too often: His 48 dropped passes in the regular season were 15 more than any other QB was troubled with, per Next Gen Stats. A disappearing running game didn't help either. Roethlisberger played some of the best football of his career in the first half of the season, but the bottom dropped out down the stretch.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 21 | Blair: 21 | Filice: 22 | Parr: 21
2020 stats: 9 games | 68.5 pct | 2,091 pass yds | 7.8 ypa | 13 pass TD | 8 INT | 151 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Ryan Fitzpatrick was one of the 10 most entertaining QBs to watch this season -- routinely making jaw-dropping and heroic throws both as a starter and in relief. I have no clue if the 38-year-old free agent can carry over the magic of this campaign to another team next fall, but several squads could do (and likely will do) far worse at the position.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 22 | Blair: 23 | Filice: 26 | Parr: 22
2020 stats: 17 games | 66.9 pct | 4,281 pass yds | 7.2 ypa | 22 pass TD | 13 INT | 109 rush yds | 4 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Jared Goff capped a disappointing, turnover-filled 2020 campaign by playing solid playoff football just two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken thumb on his throwing hand. Leading scoring drives on nearly every other possession should've been enough to keep the Rams competitive in their Divisional Round matchup with the Packers, had the QB on the opposite sideline not scored the first five times he touched the ball. If there's a silver lining for Goff after being shipped off a playoff team to a franchise in flux, it's that he'll get two shots to pay back his fellow Cal alum next season.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 23 | Blair: 22 | Filice: 25 | Parr: 27
2020 stats: 15 games | 52.0 pct | 1,061 pass yds | 7.2 ypa | 6 pass TD | 4 INT | 354 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Jalen Hurts provided a spark for a lifeless Eagles offense when he took over for Carson Wentz in Week 14, but the rookie's four starts were far from perfect. Still, combine his copious potential with a 2021 salary that's 3.4 percent the size of Wentz's, and it's no surprise why the fledgling Nick Sirianni regime might opt to stick with the second-year passer as the team's starter next season.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 30 | Blair: 25 | Filice: 20 | Parr: 24
2020 stats: 14 games | 62.5 pct | 2,943 pass yds | 6.6 ypa | 11 pass TD | 10 INT | 423 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 6 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: One of the most infuriating players in the entire league, Daniel Jones has proven in his short career that he can make every throw and almost any run. And yet, he turns the ball over (1.4 per game) like he's going toe to toe with Jameis Winston. Can Jones make a Baker Mayfield-like leap in Year 3?
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 24 | Blair: 30 | Filice: 24 | Parr: 25
2020 stats: 11 games | 64.9 pct | 2,170 pass yds | 6.5 ypa | 14 pass TD | 8 INT | 114 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Bhanpuri: After a rough start to his fill-in role as the Cowboys' QB1, which included expected growing pains and an unexpected battle with COVID-19, Andy Dalton helped steer the wayward Cowboys back into the NFC east race. Dallas went 4-3 from Weeks 11 to 17, when Dalton threw for the sixth most touchdowns (13) and the 11th most yards (1,718). He also posted the14th best passer rating (95.1) among the 30 QBs with at least 120 attempts during that span. Right back in the middle of the pack, where he belongs.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 32 | Blair: 27 | Filice: 23 | Parr: 23
2020 stats: 17 games | 72.7 pct | 928 pass yds | 7.7 ypa | 4 pass TD | 2 INT | 472 rush yds | 8 rush TD | 6 fumbles lost
Filice: NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported last week that Jameis Winston is "in the driver's seat" to become the Saints' starting quarterback in 2021, but doesn't a small part of you want to see Sean Payton go FULL MAD SCIENTIST with Hill at the helm? Yes, Hill's starting stint this past season was a mixed bag, but the Saints went 3-1. And what happened to all that Steve Young talk?
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 25 | Blair: 24 | Filice: 29 | Parr: 28
2020 stats: 8 games | 66.7 pct | 1,582 pass yds | 6.3 ypa | 6 pass TD | 8 INT | 3 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Filice: "So ... what are the actual criteria for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award?" Nope, we're not playing that game. The question doesn't apply. Not this year. Smith's comeback story transcends snark.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 28 | Blair: 26 | Filice: 28 | Parr: 26
2020 stats: 10 games | 64.1 pct | 1,814 pass yds | 6.3 ypa | 11 pass TD | 3 INT | 109 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: On the one hand, Tua was clearly outplayed by the quarterback taken one pick behind him, his arm left something to be desired and unnamed teammates questioned his ability in the local paper. On the other hand, Tua went 6-3 as a starter, he might not have been 100 percent after major hip surgery and his surrounding cast left something to be desired.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 26 | Blair: 31 | Filice: 27 | Parr: 30
2020 stats: 15 games | 69.1 pct | 3,733 pass yds | 7.6 ypa | 15 pass TD | 11 INT | 279 rush yds | 5 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Filice: Reflecting the 2020 Panthers as a whole, Teddy initially exceeded expectations but petered out as the season went along. Head coach Matt Rhule didn't equivocate in his end-of-season presser -- "Teddy has to have a tremendous offseason" -- and the Panthers have clearly been poking around the QB market, so it'd be a surprise to no one if Bridgewater is one-and-done as Carolina's starter.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 27 | Blair: 29 | Filice: 30 | Parr: 31
2020 stats: 6 games | 67.1 pct | 1,096 pass yds | 7.8 ypa | 7 pass TD | 5 INT | 25 rush yds | 0 rush TDs | 0 fumbles lost
Filice: Jared Goff was in the Super Bowl two years ago. Garoppolo made it last year. Now Goff's with a new franchise. Could Jimmy G follow suit? Interesting times in the NFC West.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 29 | Blair: 28 | Filice: 33 | Parr: 29
2020 stats: 11 games | 66.9 pct | 2,254 pass yds | 6.9 ypa | 17 pass TD | 8 INT | 205 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Blair: Is it weird that I'm kind of high on Trubisky coming off a season in which he temporarily lost his job to Nick Foles? Yes, it is -- but even taking into account the playoff loss that served as the umpteenth reminder of Trubisky's limitations, the relatively strong close to his regular season heading into free agency provided glimpses of a potential future as an extreme post-hype sleeper capable of competent play in the right situation, either as a season-saving backup or placeholding starter with upside.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 31 | Blair: 32 | Filice: 31 | Parr: 32
2020 stats: 15 games | 65.8 pct | 2,657 pass yds | 7.2 ypa | 8 pass TD | 10 INT | 592 rush yds | 12 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Blair: The most surprising thing is not that Newton will have to find the right situation for his skill set as an aging dual-threat QB -- it's that Bill Belichick couldn't provide that for him. Here's hoping Newton gets the chance to author a proper later-stage chapter to his career after COVID-19 and a subpar supporting cast waylaid his dalliance with the Patriot Way.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 33 | Blair: 33 | Filice: 32 | Parr: 34
2020 stats: 13 games | 57.3 pct | 2,933 pass yds | 6.6 ypa | 16 pass TD | 15 INT | 160 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Blair: It's not exactly curtains yet for Lock, who still could have a shot to grow into a decent player, whether in Denver or, down the road, elsewhere. But it's also hard to imagine the Broncos can't find someone capable of bringing a higher floor and ceiling to the position in 2021.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 36 | Blair: 34 | Filice: 34 | Parr: 33
2020 stats: 9 games | 66.1 pct | 2,259 pass yds | 6.9 ypa | 16 pass TD | 5 INT | 153 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Blair: Don't shed too many tears over the end of Minshew Mania in Jacksonville. As a former sixth-round pick, you could do far worse than endearing yourself to the nation while establishing yourself up as the Millennial replica of Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 34 | Blair: 35 | Filice: 35 | Parr: 35
2020 stats: 12 games | 57.4 pct | 2,620 pass yds | 6.0 ypa | 16 pass TD | 15 INT | 276 rush yds | 5 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Blair: Wentz is just one member of the (unsettlingly large) crowd of young quarterbacks teetering on the brink, but his fall might be among the most harrowing, given the heights from which the former MVP candidate has plummeted. Without digging into the messy business of assigning blame, Wentz's 2020 backslide should haunt not just the Eagles but any NFL decision-maker tasked with safeguarding the development of a talented signal-caller.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 35 | Blair: 36 | Filice: 36 | Parr: 36
2020 stats: 12 games | 59.6 pct | 2,208 pass yds | 6.1 ypa | 9 pass TD | 11 INT | 217 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: No QB with more than 110 pass attempts had a lower passer rating than Darnold (72.7). His flashes in leading the Jets to consecutive wins over playoff teams late in the season (Rams and Browns) could help inspire teams to make a trade offer for him, though.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 37 | Blair: 37 | Filice: 37 | Parr: 38
2020 stats: 2 games | 60.3 pct | 443 pass yds | 7.0 ypa | 2 pass TD | 1 INT | 68 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: Heinicke was taking engineering classes at Old Dominion a couple months ago. Now he just inked a two-year contract extension. The head-spinning life changes come courtesy of a Super Wild Card Weekend performance that saw him join an exclusive club. The only other member? His opposition that January night, Tom Brady. They're the only players since 1950 drafted in the sixth round or later, including undrafted free agent signees, with 300 or more pass yards and a rush TD in their first playoff start, per NFL Research.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 38 | Blair: 38 | Filice: 40 | Parr: 37
2020 stats: 6 games | 63.5 pct | 787 pass yds | 7.6 ypa | 6 pass TD | 0 INT | 28 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Parr: Take this with a massive grain of salt due to sample size, but the only players with a better passer rating than Beathard last season were Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers (min. 100 attempts). Not bad for the Niners' third-string QB.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 41 | Blair: 40 | Filice: 38 | Parr: 39
2020 stats: 4 games | 69.0 pct | 610 pass yds | 7.0 ypa | 4 pass TD | 1 INT | 26 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Parr: Allen overcame an arm injury only to have a far more serious ankle injury end his season a few weeks later. Who knows? He might have taken the starting job and ran with it had he remained healthy, given his comfort in Scott Turner's offense.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 39 | Blair: 41 | Filice: 42 | Parr: 42
2020 stats: 9 games | 64.7 pct | 1,852 pass yds | 5.9 ypa | 10 pass TD | 8 INT | 1 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: Once billed as the savior, Foles nearly destroyed the Bears' playoff hopes after replacing Mitchell Trubisky in the starting lineup. He went 2-5 in seven starts and turned the ball over at least once in all but one of those games.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 40 | Blair: 42 | Filice: 45 | Parr: 40
2020 stats: 4 games | 73.9 pct | 314 pass yds | 6.8 ypa | 2 pass TD | 1 INT | 10 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: The veteran backup made two critical season-extending plays for a Super Bowl team this season, which is two more than anyone below him on this list.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 45 | Blair: 39 | Filice: 44 | Parr: 41
2020 stats: 10 games | 64.7 pct | 2,347 pass yds | 7.5 ypa | 12 pass TD | 12 INT | 8 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: The restricted free agent had yet another solid opportunity in 2020 to prove he should be the 49ers' QB of the future, but two wins and 15 giveaways in eight starts doesn't exactly breed confidence.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 44 | Blair: 43 | Filice: 41 | Parr: 43
2020 stats: 2 games | 56.8 pct | 260 pass yds | 5.9 ypa | 0 pass TD | 1 INT | 58 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Wolford went from practice-squad player to playoff-clinching passer to hospital patient and now Matthew Stafford's understudy over the course of a month.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 47 | Blair: 46 | Filice: 39 | Parr: 44
2020 stats: 5 games | 58.1 pct | 324 pass yds | 7.5 ypa | 2 pass TD | 1 INT | -6 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Mason Rudolph had nearly half (4) as many completions of 20-plus air yards in his Week 17 start as Ben Roethlisberger had from Week 11 to Week 16 (9), per Next Gen Stats. You can decide whether that's more of an encouraging note for Rudolph's development or an indictment of Big Ben's regression.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 42 | Blair: 45 | Filice: 43 | Parr: 47
2020 stats: 5 games | 62.0 pct | 1,072 pass yds | 6.0 ypa | 7 pass TD | 5 INT | 17 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Mike Glennon's first start this season (and in more than three years) was by far his best showing of his five opportunities. In that narrow Week 12 loss to the Browns, he threw for two scores and posted a passer rating of 96.7 -- his highest mark as a starter since hitting 138.4 in Week 12 of the 2013 season. That's seven years, folks.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 43 | Blair: 44 | Filice: 48 | Parr: 46
2020 stats: 5 games | 55.2 pct | 864 pass yds | 6.4 ypa | 6 pass TD | 3 INT | 22 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Filice: Since guiding the Ravens to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2012, Flacco's gone 44-51 as a starter with a dull 82.5 passer rating. Not exactly elite.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 46 | Blair: 47 | Filice: 49 | Parr: 45
2020 stats: 5 games | 63.4 pct | 925 pass yds | 6.5 ypa | 5 pass TD | 4 INT | 27 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: Taking the reins after Joe Burrow's season-ending injury, Allen had one win in his five starts. But what a win it was! The former sixth-round pick completed 78 percent of his passes for 371 yards and two touchdowns, outdueling Deshaun Watson (324 yards, three TDs) in a shockingly entertaining 37-31 Week 16 game between two teams playing out the string. Any given Sunday, baby!
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 48 | Blair: 48 | Filice: 50 | Parr: 48
2020 stats: 4 games | 60.6 pct | 375 pass yds | 5.7 ypa | 1 pass TD | 1 INT | 12 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: With the Week 13 win at Seattle, McCoy's career record is now 2-0 vs. the Seahawks ... and 6-22 against the rest of the NFL. Colt McCoy, 'Hawk hunter.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 50 | Blair: 49 | Filice: 47 | Parr: 50
2020 stats: 2 games | 53.3 pct | 208 pass yds | 6.9 ypa | 0 pass TD | 0 INT | 7 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Filice: Why do bad things happen to good people? It's one thing to lose your starting job to the first-round pick who was just drafted to replace you. But having it happen because the team doctor accidentally punctured your lung while administering a pain-killing injection? Yeah, that's some next-level bad juju. Unsurprisingly, Taylor remained fully supportive of Justin Herbert, who takes every opportunity to praise his veteran teammate's leadership ability and mentorship.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 49 | Blair: 50 | Filice: 52 | Parr: 49
2020 stats: 7 games | 61.4 pct | 1,439 pass yds | 6.0 ypa | 5 pass TD | 7 INT | 46 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Filice: Released by Washington before the completion of his second NFL season, the 2019 No. 15 overall pick will try to resurrect his career in Pittsburgh under no-nonsense head man Mike Tomlin and a QB coach with a West Point pedigree. Very interesting, given the headaches Haskins created with his former team.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 52 | Blair: 53 | Filice: 46 | Parr: 53
2020 stats: 1 game | 55.3 pct | 243 pass yds | 6.4 ypa | 1 pass TD | 1 INT | 28 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Gilbert's decent effort against the Steelers in Week 9 (243 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 72.6 passer rating) might not have meant much for him in 2020, but it could set him up as the Cowboys' second-string QB in 2021, presuming Andy Dalton heads for greener pastures.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 51 | Blair: 57 | Filice: 51 | Parr: 52
2020 stats: 5 games | 53.1 pct | 164 pass yds | 5.1 ypa | 1 pass TD | 2 INT | 66 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: We had to take our moments of joy where we could get them in 2020. In an unlikely turn of events, Finley provided one of those moments in Cincinnati's Week 15 upset of a listless Steelers team, sprinting 23 yards into the end zone on the second run of 20-plus yards -- and first touchdown run -- of his career.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 56 | Blair: 51 | Filice: 53 | Parr: 51
2020 stats: 3 games | 54.7 pct | 432 pass yds | 6.8 ypa | 3 pass TD | 2 INT | 28 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Did you know Driskel has been sacked more times (22) over the past two seasons than anyone to have started four games or less in that span? I bet he knew!
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 53 | Blair: 54 | Filice: 54 | Parr: 54
2020 stats: 3 games | 67.5 pct | 295 pass yds | 7.4 ypa | 2 pass TD | 4 INT | -5 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Rypien might have thrown four interceptions against the Jets in Week 4, but he was also the only Broncos QB to average more than 7 yards per throw (7.8) in 2020, and -- crucial to his chances of preserving a place on the depth chart -- didn't prevent Denver from winning the game.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 54 | Blair: 52 | Filice: 55 | Parr: 56
2020 stats: 4 games | 57.1 pct | 368 pass yds | 6.6 ypa | 1 pass TD | 5 INT | -2 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Walker's time in the spotlight was brief, but his respectable first NFL start (70.6% completion rate, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 77.8 passer rating in a Week 11 win over Detroit) surely beefed up his XFL-spiked resume.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 55 | Blair: 55 | Filice: 56 | Parr: 55
2020 stats: 3 games | 54.5 pct | 624 pass yds | 5.7 ypa | 2 pass TD | 6 INT | 13 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: Luton Lunacy, the sequel to Minshew Mania, never took off and ended with a thud (aka a four-INT outing in a 27-3 loss to the Steelers). The rookie sixth-round pick had the lowest passer rating (54.5) of any QB with at least 100 attempts.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 57 | Blair: 58 | Filice: 57 | Parr: 57
2020 stats: 4 games | 57.1 pct | 42 pass yds | 3.0 ypa | 0 pass TD | 2 INT | 69 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Parr: Baltimore was at least competitive in RG3's lone start -- the Wednesday afternoon tilt in Pittsburgh amid the Ravens' COVID-19 outbreak. He made some plays with his legs, but hurt more than he helped overall, throwing a pick-six.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 58 | Blair: 56 | Filice: 58 | Parr: 58
2020 stats: 1 game | 62.5 pct | 130 pass yds | 5.4 ypa | 0 pass TD | 1 INT | 8 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Parr: With Cam Newton out after testing positive for COVID-19, the Patriots turned to Hoyer for a Monday night start in Kansas City and it did not go well. The 12th-year veteran was benched after committing his second turnover of the evening late in the third quarter.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 59 | Blair: 59 | Filice: 59 | Parr: 59
2020 stats: 3 games | 53.5 pct | 219 pass yds | 5.1 ypa | 0 pass TD | 0 INT | 22 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: In fairness to DiNucci -- a seventh-round pick out of James Madison -- he should never have been put in position to play as a rookie, but he was (a Week 8 start against the Eagles with Andy Dalton sidelined) and here we are. He finished the season with the fewest yards per attempt of any QB (min. 40 passes). He lost two fumbles against Philly and couldn't lead Dallas on a TD drive. No one deserves to be last, but someone had to be. Sorry, Ben.
