Shannon Sharpe dropped his list! On the June 2nd Nightcap Podcast, the outspoken analyst rated the NFL quarterbacks ranking the top 5 best QBs in the league. Sharpe excluded Joe Burrow of the Bengals, who led them to their first Super Bowl appearance. Instead, he had Jordan Love and C.J. Stroud, in his list. This was in response to CJ Stroud’s list, where he included himself.
Now, dropping Burrow from the list might be bold, but Sharpe sees things differently. Jordan Love, the QB at Green Bay, has garnered quite a few fans in his young career. His last 10 games–a 112.1 passer rating, 2,616 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions could well be the proof of things to come. Sharpe stated, “I can have Jordan Love there at four.” And then there’s Stroud, the rookie phenom who took the Texans to the playoffs last season.
Unc and Ocho’s top 5 QBs 📊@ShannonSharpe @ochocinco @ShayShayMedia_ pic.twitter.com/EXBOegijgC
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) June 16, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Sharpe’s list as stated: “Me, I would take Mahomes, Lamar, I would take C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, Josh Allen.” Mahomes would be number one on any list and Lamar, being the running league MVP, shouldn’t fall far behind. Stroud’s player’s stats do back it up–a conference-best 4.7 air yards per completed pass attempt, a league-low 1.0 percent interception rate on 499 attempts, and a 123.4 passer rating on deep balls in his debut season. And that Week 9 performance against the Bucs, where he threw for 470 yards and 5 touchdowns, make him a player to watch out for.
While some might question Sharpe’s decision not to put in Burrow, but the man is entitled to his opinion. And when you’re talking about the most important position in football, it’s only natural to have different opinions about the new class of QBs with some outstanding performances. Hold on, Sharpe’s not the only one weighing in on this quarterback debate.
Chad Johnson’s contrasting picks
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
On the other side Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson slotting Burrow at a solid number two behind Patrick Mahomes. Lamar at three, but his four and five were interchangeable, ” My four & five, it is kinda interchangeable, I like Jordan Love, I can have Jalen Hurts there at four, Dak has to go in there at 5 for what he is done.”
But Sharpe’s not backing down. According to him, the game’s evolving faster than ever before. He asks Johnson, “If we have a draft right now, and you get to draft Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, or Josh Allen.” When asked by Ocho who is he taking, Sharpe retorted, “I would take Josh Allen, for the simple fact he’s gonna throw 30 touchdowns, and he gonna run another 12.” The implication is, Josh Allen is better than Burrows.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Johnson reminded, “Who the hell they throwing the ball to?”–a fair point, considering the help some other QBs have on the field. At the end of the day, a QB is as good as the help he has around him.
In the end, whether you’re siding with Sharpe’s bold take or Johnson’s reverence for the QBs, one thing’s for sure: the quarterback conversation just got a lot more serious after the influx of more athletic Quarterbacks. So strap in and hold on to your seats, and get ready for an epic new season of the best quarterback class that we have had in a long, long time.