Who is the Best QB in the NFC West?
Our final quarterback ranking piece comes in the form of the NFC West.
Once considered the best division in football, the NFC West is a far cry from that, with two of the four teams expected to struggle.
Who is the best quarterback in the division? Here is a ranking from one to four.
1. Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
Nobody would have said this a year ago.
Smith had a brilliant 2022 campaign, one that won him the ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ award.
With 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions1, this was by far the best year of his nine-year career, one that was mostly spent as a backup.
With Jaxon Smith-Njigba added to a receiver room already containing DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, he has the potential to take his game to another level.
2. Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
Murray has been a much-criticised quarterback since being the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
From injuries, inconsistencies on the field and the infamous contract, Murray has been a figure of much slander.
However, despite his struggles in the NFL, he is still capable of making something spectacular happen, which you cannot say for the two below him.
His place as the Cardinals starter is in question, with the front office movements this offseason suggesting they are ready to take much talked about quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in 2024. After all, Murray will not be playing for the start of the season and no one knows what week he will return.
3. Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
Just like Smith, a lot has changed for Stafford in a year.
Stafford won his first ever Super Bowl 18 months ago with the Rams, but had an injury hit 2022 campaign.
No-one knows if he will return to his old self with age not on his side.
Stafford, 35, has the chance to make up for last year in 2023, but may have to do so without star wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Another victim of the injury bug in the worst ever Super Bowl defense, Kupp has picked up another setback and his return date is also uncertain.
This will not help Stafford, with Van Jefferson his WR1 at the moment. The Rams drafted Georgia QB Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft, a sign they are preparing for life without Stafford.
4. Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers)
Purdy was one of the stories of the 2022 NFL Season.
Taken last in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy was given the title of ‘Mr Irrelevant’. He started the year as the third stringer behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Lance suffered a season ending injury early into the season, but people were still not expecting Purdy to have any say on their campaign.
However, a Week 13 clash against the Miami Dolphins saw Purdy’s time come after Garoppolo picked up an injury. He appears to have never looked back.
Purdy remained as the starter, guiding the Niners to the NFC West division crown. Had injury not occurred in the NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, then we could have seen Purdy play in Arizona for Super Bowl 57.
However, despite the fairy-tale story, Purdy did at times look overwhelmed in those playoff wins, especially the win over the Seahawks in the Divisional Round.
The 49ers struggled in the first half but eventually go the job done. Whilst he has had a brilliant start to life, we need to remember that he has a very small sample size.
After all, Niners fan witness Jimmy Garoppolo go 5-0 as a starter down the stretch in 2017. Fans thought he was next Joe Montana. His career has been good for the 49ers but not quite what the 5-0 start to life in the Bay area suggested.
If Purdy has another good season, then people can then start to take notice. Even then, he may still get tagged with the system quarterback title.
This is why Purdy is fourth on the list. A promising start, but let’s not get too carried away. There will be a lot more tape on him from opposition defenses in 2023.