Trevor Lawrence (No. 11), Kirk Cousins (No. 12), Jordan Love (No. 13), and Aaron Rodgers (No. 14)
“One of the quickest evaluators of a defense you’re going to see at the quarterback position in all the NFL. He can see it, diagnose it, and start the throwing motion as fast as any QB in the NFL” – Simms on Cousins at No. 12
“The amount of arm angles and off-platform throws he has rivals the best in the game in that department.” – Simms on Love at No. 13
“My big thing is, can Aaron Rodgers play the way Aaron Rodgers thinks he can play?” – Simms on Rodgers at No. 14
Simms’ Top 40 QB Countdown Continues with Nos. 14-11 and Culminates with the Top Five Next Monday, June 10; In-Depth Breakdowns for Each Ranking Weekly on Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 3, 2024 – With only two more episodes to go, NBC Sports’ Chris Simms unveils his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live.” Highlighting Simms’ sixth set of rankings are four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins, 2020 first round pick Jordan Love, and 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence.
Continuing the countdown, Simms unveiled his quarterbacks ranked 40-11:
| Wild Cards | Ready Rookies | ||
| 11. | Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville | 26. | Will Levis, Tennessee* |
| 12. | Kirk Cousins, Atlanta | 27. | Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta |
| 13. | Jordan Love, Green Bay | 28. | Jayden Daniels, Washington |
| 14. | Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets | 29. | Bo Nix, Denver |
| Solid Starter, But… | 30. | J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota | |
| 15. | Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay | For Hire | |
| 16. | Kyler Murray, Arizona | 31. | Ryan Tannehill, Free Agent |
| 17. | Brock Purdy, San Francisco | The Young & The Reckless | |
| 18. | Tua Tagovailoa, Miami | 32. | Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis |
| 19. | Geno Smith, Seattle | 33. | Sam Darnold, Minnesota |
| The Chosen One | 34. | Bryce Young, Carolina | |
| 20. | Caleb Williams, Chicago | 35. | Jameis Winston, Cleveland |
| Glory Days (Passed You By?) | Throwbacks | ||
| 21. | Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh | 36. | Jacoby Brissett, New England |
| 22. | Derek Carr, New Orleans | 37. | Joe Flacco, Indianapolis |
| S*** or Get off the Pot | Backup+ | ||
| 23. | Daniel Jones, New York Giants | 38. | Kenny Pickett, Philadelphia |
| 24. | Deshaun Watson, Cleveland | 39. | Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas |
| 25. | Justin Fields, Pittsburgh | 40. | Jarrett Stidham, Denver |
* Simms on Levis in the Ready Rookies section - “Not a rookie, but we’re treating him a little bit like one. He’s still kind of in there.”
Culminating next week on Monday, June 10 with his top five quarterbacks, Simms will unveil a group of quarterbacks on each Chris Simms Unbuttoned episode and discuss his rankings on “PFT Live” with Mike Florio.
Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
Simms has had recent success in projecting quarterbacks – including naming C.J. Stroud, who was named AP’s Offensive Rookie of the Year following his first season with the Houston Texans, as his top QB prospect in 2023. Additionally, Simms has named Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB in 2020.
The rankings will continue Wednesday, June 5, with numbers 10-6 on the next episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:
No. 14: Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
“I think Aaron Rodgers in his prime is arguably the greatest quarterback ever. But my big thing, what is Aaron Rodgers right now? I know he’s still got a really good arm, can spin it, got a quick release, but going back to two years ago in Green Bay was definitely one of the most underwhelming Aaron Rodgers seasons ever. He didn’t play last year, he’s a year older, and he’s going to be less wanting to get hit by people or stand in the pocket. My big thing is, can Aaron Rodgers play the way Aaron Rodgers thinks he can play? Is he going to hop around and throw quick throws, side arms, lasers and make people miss? I don’t know. I think there was some reluctancy to do that in his last MVP season [2021]; let alone the 2022 season when [Green Bay] didn’t make the playoffs. In his prime, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better, more talented football quarterback in football. But we’re not there right now.”
No. 13: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
“First off, incredible job last year. To handle the pressure of coming off the heels of Aaron Rodgers…second half of the season, the lights came on and he played like a big-time franchise quarterback. At the end of the year, the schedule was tough, they played some good football teams, and he played really good football. When he’s on his game, he is really one of the most gifted throwers in the NFL. He has a big-time arm, he can really throw with power, he’s got a great deep ball, he wants to stand in the pocket and make power throws and plays down the field. The one thing that’s apparent watching Rodgers to Jordan Love is that the offense was different, it was more aggressive. Jordan Love wasn’t going leave the pocket until he had to. Because of his gifted arm, he really has every club in the bag. The amount of arm angles and off-platform throws he has rivals the best in the game in that department.”
No. 12: Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
“Kirk Cousins, in a lot of ways, sometimes doesn’t get the respect he deserves as a player. One of the quickest evaluators of a defense you’re going to see at the quarterback position in all the NFL. He can see it, diagnose it, and start the throwing motion as fast as any QB in the NFL; it’s very Joe Burrow-like. He’s got an almost sixth sense…he’s a great cerebral quarterback. His accuracy is incredible in all levels, especially intermediate throws. Short game, he is really good as well. Great feel in the pocket and he is tough as hell. He is a below-average athletic quarterback for 2024. He’s one of the lesser athletes in all of football when it comes to that category. One of the slower releases you’ll see and no arm angles. You need to protect for him.”
No. 11: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
“This is one of the best-looking specimens playing QB in the NFL. Size, athleticism, arm power, it’s up there with anyone in football. Period. Presence and size in the pocket, up there with anyone. He’s like a Justin Herbert or Josh Allen - big throws, people around him, throw over someone. His athleticism is eye-popping. His arm power to throw the football is at the top of the league; it rivals just about anybody. He’s got one of the quickest releases in the NFL. But he can go overboard and be off-target with the intermediate, short passing game at times. Next step is carrying his offense when sh** gets ugly.”
To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.
-NBC SPORTS-
