When I decided to take on this ranking, I wanted to list the teams by their quarterback room, not just the starter or perceived starter, such is the case with the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. How does each team's starter stack up against each other but also how is their depth at the position?
Lots of teams have solid starting quarterbacks but very few have good depth behind them. While the starting quarterback carries the most weight, I think it's important to weigh the entire position. How would the Texans fare, if Stroud is named the starting quarterback but goes down with an injury? Would Davis Mills or Case Keenum step in without a noticeable drop-off?
I think this is a legitimate question for the Texans but for other teams, like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs, the drop-off is obvious, but can those teams continue to win even if their star quarterback is out? In the case of the Chiefs, Chad Henne proved a very capable backup; however, he's retired and now the team would have to turn to Blaine Gabbert. The Bills had Keenum as last year's backup, which is a good option, if necessary, but he's now in Houston.
The AFC South isn't exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to the quarterback position in the AFC. The other three divisions showcase talents like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Aaron Rodgers.
For the Houston Texans, we'll have to wait and see but they may have some of the best depth of any of the AFC South teams, as far as their quarterback room goes. Their two backup options (assuming Stroud is the starter) are Keenum and Mills. Let's get into the rankings though, before I start talking about the Texans QBs.
I know what you're saying. How can you rank the Jaguars number one after just saying depth matters? Here’s the thing. While depth is a consideration, the starting quarterback certainly carries the most weight. Trevor Lawrence is by far the best quarterback in the AFC South and it’s not close.
Lawrence has become one of the best quarterbacks in the league based on how he performed a season ago, particularly in the second half of the season and the playoffs. He finished the season with 4,113 yards, and 25 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. He finished seventh in league MVP voting and was a Pro Bowler.
The Jaguars' backups are currently listed as C.J. Beathard and Nathan Rourke. Beathard has seven years in this league but only 12 career starts and none since joining the Jags in 2021. At least he should know the playbook though and have some connection with the skill players. During his time with Jacksonville, he’s attempted only 13 passes, completing nine of them for 68 yards.
Rourke is a rookie out of Ohio and is likely a practice squad option. He went undrafted and unsigned in 2021 but was drafted by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League with the 15th overall pick. Rourke made a name for himself in the CFL, throwing for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns in just ten games. He also added over 300 yards rushing and another seven touchdowns on the ground. He helped lead the BC Lions to an appearance in the West Playoff Finals.
This one might come as a little bit of a surprise, even for some Texans fans, but hear me out on this. Stroud may be a rookie but so is Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts and he may have a higher ceiling than Stroud, but I believe Stroud has a higher floor. As far as the Titans go, well Ryan Tannehill is an average starting quarterback and has long benefitted from the presence of Derrick Henry.
Stroud has looked all right in training camp so far, though he’s had his rookie moments. But it’s the Texans' depth, as well as the body of work that Stroud brings from Ohio State, that gets the Texans the number two spot. A lot of how Stroud performs this season will come down to how well their receiving corps performs and their offensive line.
We know about all the accolades from Stroud as the number two overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and the uber-accurate arm he possesses. We’ll have to wait and see how he performs when the Texans take the field and if I were to rank just the starting quarterbacks in the division, I think the Texans will find themselves ranked third.
But as I mentioned, depth means something too and the Texans might have the best set of backup quarterbacks in the AFC South. Mills and Keenum have a combined 90 career starts, 64 of which come from Keenum. No other backup quarterbacks in the division come anywhere close to this number of starts and experience.
I promise this isn’t just throwing shade on the Titans but the Colts without question have far better depth behind their presumed starter, Anthony Richardson. Plus, as I said previously, I don’t see Tannehill as anything more than an average starting quarterback.
The Colts roll into this season with arguably the most upside at the quarterback position of any team in the NFL. Since Josh Allen’s meteoric rise to NFL stardom, teams are looking for that next Allen. This is where Richardson comes in. He has all the physical tools to be great and barring what happens with Jonathan Taylor, you could say he has the best supporting cast of any of the 2023 rookie quarterbacks.
The Colts' backup quarterbacks are Gardner Minshew and Sam Ehlinger, two guys that have been a round for a while now and have a combined eight years of experience in the NFL. While it appears that Richardson will be named the starter, there is still some question as to whether Minshew might claim that spot. His career numbers are solid with 32 career games, including 24 starts. He’s thrown for 44 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions throughout his career.
Ehlinger has been with the Colts for two years now. He was selected by the team in the 2021 NFL Draft in the sixth round and 218th overall. He’s only logged three starts in his career, but he knows this team and playbook.
Regardless of your opinion of Tannehill, the Titans' backup situation might be one of the worst in the league, right there with the Jaguars. Tannehill is a middle-of-pack starting quarterback and while that was sufficient enough to make the Titans a playoff contender with Derrick Henry carrying the team, he’s not a Super Bowl-contending quarterback, nor is he capable of carrying a team consistently.
Over the last couple of seasons, Tannehill has 29 starts and only 34 touchdowns, with 20 interceptions. His career numbers aren’t terrible though, having tossed 212 touchdowns and 108 interceptions. He has a career completion rate of 64.3 percent, so you could do a lot worse for a starting quarterback, such as the fiasco that was the New York Jets a season ago.
The backups in Tennessee are a problem. Currently on the roster are last year’s rookie Malik Willis and this year’s rookie Will Levis. Willis got three starts during his rookie campaign and had three interceptions in 61 pass attempts. He had zero touchdown passes and completed only 50.8 percent of his passes. He managed one rushing touchdown but also had three fumbles.
Levis, being a rookie, is an unknown but anytime you have a rookie for a backup, it’s not really ideal. That said, the team may decide to go with Levis as the starter but that is yet to be seen. I wouldn’t be shocked if the team starts the season with Tannehill, then moves to Levis later in the season, especially if the Titans struggle early out of the gate.
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