And then there were 15.
Nick Wright unveiled the bottom tiers of his quarterback pyramid Tuesday on “First Things First”.
Related: Do Mac Jones, Baker Mayfield belong at bottom of QB pyramid?
On Wednesday, the host unleashed the top half of the list. The names he mentioned were hardly controversial, but the order in which they were ranked will undoubtedly ruffle some feathers.
Let’s get right into it.
Mahomes, Brady, Herbert top Nick Wright’s 2022 QB Pyramid
Nick Wright the top of his QB pyramid. Watch as he breaks down why Tom Brady is only on the third tier, who surprisingly cracks the top three, and more!
Good to Very Good
Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
2021 Stats: 6-8 record, 259-for-400 (64.8%), 3,113 YDs, 25 TD, six INT
Wright’s thoughts: “Russ has had amazing moments. Unfortunately, they all came during the Obama administration, but they did happen.”
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
2021 Stats: 9-5 record, 333-for-481 (69.2%), 3,787 YDs, 24 TD, 10 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “Kyler’s had great moments.”
2021 Stats: 10-7 record, 428-for-626 (68.4%), 4,804 YDs, 23 TD, 14 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “Derek Carr is coming off his best season.”
2021 Stats: 7-10 record, 375-for-560 (67%), 3,968 YDs, 20 TD, 12 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “Matt Ryan gets a change of scenery [from Atlanta.]”
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
2021 Stats: 3-14 record, 359-for-602 (59.6%). 3,641 YDs, 12 TD, 17 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “I believe in the pedigree of Trevor Lawrence, a guy who has been the best player at his age every single moment of his life, with the exception of last season. Last season, I’m going to blame it on the dysfunction of Jacksonville.”
Great Regular Season Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
2021 Stats: N/A
Wright’s thoughts: “He’s almost set aside because we don’t know what we’re going to get from him.”
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
2021 Stats: 7-5 record, 246-for-382 (64.4%), 2,882 YDs, 16 TD, 13 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “Lamar answered some of the postseason questions, then he took a step back.”
2021 Stats: 11-5 record, 410-for-596 (68.8%), 4,449 YDs, 37 TD, 10 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “It’s been well-documented that he struggles against good teams.”
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
2021 Stats: 13-3 record, 366-for-531 (68.9%), 4,115 YDs, 37 TD, four INT
Wright’s thoughts: “I don’t know how many times we have to watch Aaron Rodgers, from September to December be the best quarterback in football, and then come January be mediocre before we’re like ‘maybe it’s a trend.'”
Great Quarterbacks
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Stats: 13-4 record, 485-for-719 (67.5%), 5,316 YDs, 43 TD, 12 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “Résumé speaks for itself, you expect him to be a little bit worse in his age 45 season, but he’s the greatest quarterback, greatest player of all-time.”
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
2021 Stats: 12-5 record, 404-for-601 (67.2%), 4,886 YDs, 41 TD, 17 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “I was a Matt Stafford skeptic going into this past year. He obviously proved me and others wrong.”
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
2021 Stats: 10-6 record, 366-for-520 (70.4%), 4,611 YDs, 34 TD, 14 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “He’s coming off a Super Bowl appearance, and beating [Patrick] Mahomes in his building with a great second half.”
Top Three
2021 Stats: 11-6 record, 409-for-646 (63.3%), 4,407 YDs, 36 TD, 15 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “I said it after the game last year, I doff my cap, I have a massive fear of Josh Allen. I think he’s the only player in the league that has an argument against Mahomes.”
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
2021 Stats: 9-8 record, 443-for-672 (65.9%), 5,014 YDs, 38 TD, 15 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “This is going to raise some eyebrows. Herbert has the most yards, TDs, and 300-yard games ever through two seasons. This is a bit of a projection, but I believe he’s a top-three quarterback starting now.”
Number One
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2021 Stats: 12-5 record, 436-for-658 (66.3%), 4,839 YDs, 37 TD, 13 INT
Wright’s thoughts: “This goes without saying. I don’t need to explain this, anyone who’s unbiased knows he’s the best quarterback in the league.”
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