Ranking the AFC South quarterbacks through Week 5.
As Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season approaches, teams are starting to click and look to the trade deadline while some are starting to realize that it might not be their year. The AFC South divisional race is heating up and most likely will be coming down to the wire as all four teams are within one game of each other.
#1 Trevor Lawrence
Photo Credit: Mark Brown
It is no surprise that the Jacksonville Jaguars were the lead favorite to win the AFC South in 2023 and although they have gotten off to a slow start to the season, they are still first place at a record of 3-2. They are lead by quarterback Trevor Lawrence who to to start the season hasn’t looked all that great but is still a threat every time he steps on the field. Lawrence has a 91.9 quarterback rating with 1,258 yards on the season and 5 touchdowns with 2 interceptions on the year. Although he has not gotten off to that great of a season but still are tied in the lead for the division at 3-2 record so far. Although he has looked his best yet, everybody in the league knows Trevor Lawrence can be an MVP candidate and will look to make a deep playoff run as the season moves on.
#2 CJ Stroud
Photo Credit: Troy Taormina
Next up on the list would be CJ Stroud from the Houston Texans. So far this season he has been one of the best rookie quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL draft. Through the first five games of the season he has 98.6 quarterback rating on the year and has 1,461 yards on the year with 7 touchdowns and zero interceptions on the season. In Week 5, CJ Stroud broke Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott rookie record for most completions with throwing an interception and will look to continue that success for the rest of the season and his decision making has been near perfect. The issues in Houston are not on CJ Stroud who has looked like a veteran in the first month and half of the season and could put the future of the Houston Texans in good shape if he keeps up his performance and he can be the next superstar in the making.
#3 Anthony Richardson
Photo Credit: Michael Hickey
In 2023, Anthony Richardson has looked very comfortable in the four games that he has played in this season. In the first four weeks of the season the Colts quarterback has a 87.3 quarterback rating, and has thrown for over 577 yards with three touchdowns and one interception on the year. He also has added 5.7 yards per carry on the ground and added four rushing touchdowns on the year. The main concern about the young Colts QB is his health as he recently when on the IR after a shoulder injury that may require surgery and he could be out for 4-8 weeks which would keep him out for more than half of his rookie season.
#4 Ryan Tannehill
Photo Credit: Kriby Lee
The struggles of the Tennessee Titans have not gone away as the offense who is lead by quarterback Ryan Tannehill has looked flat and not had that same juice that they have had in their success in the past. On the year Tannehill has just a 75.6 quarterback rating and has thrown for just over 1,052 yards, which just two passing touchdowns on the year and has thrown five interceptions on the year which leads all AFC South quarterbacks so far. On the older side of his career, Tannehill who just turned 35 last July is not the same player he used to be and as the season moves on it would not be shocking if the Titans are struggling to find that spark in the offense made a quarterback change as they have two young guys backing up Tannehill in Malik Willis and Will Levis who are hungry to get on the food and show Head Coach Mike Vrabel what they have to bring to the table.