Ranking the NFC North's Starting Quarterbacks
The quarterback position is the most critiqued and ridiculed position on the field -- whether that’s fair or not.
There are times when an individual’s success may be overshadowed by his team’s lack of success.
It’s often a polarizing discussion to nail down the criteria for what makes the most important position on the field successful or not.
Without further ado, let’s rank the four starting quarterbacks in the NFC North:
4.) Bears' Mitchell Trubisky
This will be the most important summer of Trubisky’s brief NFL career.
After an inconsistent three seasons, the status of his starting job in Chicago is very much up for debate upon the arrival of veteran QB and one-time Super Bowl champion Nick Foles.
While the Bears’ notable offensive regression in 2019 may not have been entirely his fault, there has been quite a bit of self-inflicted harm during his tenure.
The 22 interceptions thrown over the past two seasons by Trubisky would indicate a certain level of indecisiveness. The 25-year-old must improve in that area, if he is to remain Chicago's starting QB in 2020.
Trubisky did have to navigate last season behind an offensive line that struggled mightily. And as a result, the Bears possessed a rushing attack that didn’t exactly throw defenses off balance.
Comfort in the pocket has eluded him on a consistent basis during his tenure in Chicago.
He’ll hope to find that as early as training camp when new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor arrives.
Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports
3.) Vikings' Kirk Cousins
Perhaps one of the more -- if not the most -- underrated players in the NFL. He may very well be underranked on this list.
When he’s on top of his game, Cousins has proven to be one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL -- dating back to his days in Washington.
Statistically, over the past couple of years, Cousins has been the most efficient QB in the NFC North.
He ranks No. 2 in completion percentage, No. 5 in touchdowns and No. 6 in passer rating out of the 33 passers with at least 500 passes thrown the last two seasons.
The Michigan State product’s decision-making improved last season as well.
Cousins was one of seven QBs with 25 or more touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions, proving that he can air it out in a cerebral fashion.
Primarily a pocket passer with good accuracy and decent arm strength, he's a student of the game.
His location on this list may be debatable, but he certainly has the potential to rise up it as soon as next season.
2.) Lions’ Matthew Stafford
Similar to Cousins, Stafford is a player who may be overlooked in this league because of a lack of marquee wins.
But, his resume as an individual deserves to be noticed.
He owns virtually every Lions quarterback record you can find, and he’s done it without much consistency in the coaching staff, running game and offensive line.
Stafford has essentially been forced into knowing how to elude oncoming traffic and make precise throws under pressure.
He's a fearless playmaker with a magnificent arm and a keen sense for the deep ball.
Last year, albeit a limited sample size (eight games), he was on track for what could’ve been a second career 5,000-yard season with over 30 touchdowns.
He had 19 touchdowns and five picks at the halfway point in 2019.
As a team, the Lions' current roster doesn’t point toward Stafford claiming his first career playoff win this upcoming season.
But, the 32-year-old shows no signs of slowing down from an individual standpoint.
Cary Edmondson, USA TODAY Sports
1.) Packers' Aaron Rodgers
Speaking of resumes, we aren’t quite ready to dethrone the future Hall of Famer and eight-time Pro Bowler from the top of this list just yet.
At 36 years of age, most would still take Rodgers to be their starting QB, if you were to build a team today in the NFC North.
Cousins and many others have studied the ways of Rodgers, who, for years, seemed to so fluidly maneuver his way out of trouble and make throws on the run.
Rodgers is the only Super Bowl champion on this list, and it’s worth noting that he won the Super Bowl XLV MVP by going 24-of-39 for 304 yards and three TDs.
You could make a valid argument that Rodgers isn’t quite the same specimen that he once was due to "Father Time."
But, after a 13-3 season in 2019, he’s still capable of captaining the Packers’ ship in the big moments and leading his team into winning situations.
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